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This material is provided to us as members of the Climate Action Network of Australia. It is produced by the Melbourne PC User Group. We are passing it on as we believe it would be of interest to anyone interested in climate change.
This material is provided to us as members of the Climate Action Network of Australia. It is produced by the Melbourne PC User Group. We are passing it on as we believe it would be of interest to anyone interested in climate change.
Jan 13
Climate Change
Massachusetts judge requires Exxon to hand over climate documents.
A Massachusetts judge has refused a request by Exxon Mobil Corp to excuse it from a request by the state's attorney general to hand over decades worth of documents on its views on climate change, state officials said on Wednesday. more
Another climate change push comes from Exxon shareholders.
Investors have introduced seven more resolutions, asking the company to address climate change and its risks, moving beyond Rex Tillerson's resistant stance.
Trump, rising populism threaten to slow climate action, analyst says.
Rising global populism and pressure to reduce U.S. environmental regulation are among the issues to watch in 2017 as efforts to address climate change push ahead, a sustainability expert said Wednesday.
Jane Fonda: don't fall for 'good-looking liberals' like Trudeau on environment
Canadian prime minister betrayed what he committed to in Paris climate talks and disappointed her by approving oil pipelines, political activist and actor said
This Bay in Scandinavia Has World Record in Carbon Storing
Forests are potent carbon sinks, but also the oceans' seagrasses can store enormous amounts of carbon. A little bay in Denmark stores a record amount of carbon. Here is the ...
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/01/170112110801.htm
Obamas bold, yet fragile climate legacy.
Miles O'Brien
President Obama is passionate, and vocal, about combating climate change. As his tenure draws to a close, science correspondent Miles OBrien reviews the administration's environmental policy.
National
Australia's obsession with new clothes hurting the environment
Australians are the world's second largest consumers of textiles. So what is the environmental impact of this obsession with new clothes?
Why are Australia's shrublands like 'knee-high tropical rainforests'?
Some of the Earth's ecosystems host a disproportionately high number of plant species, and infertile shrublands in warm semi-arid regions support 20 per cent of the world's plant species on five percent of the land surface.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-01/uom-waa011217.php
Gas companies have manufactured shortage myth, economist says
But Shell Australias Andrew Smith says onshore gas production ban will lead to price hikes for Victorian manufacturers
Exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields from wi-fi in Australian schools
Radiation Protection Dosimetry
The results of this study showed that the typical RF exposure of children from Wi-Fi at school is very low and comparable or lower to other sources in the environment.
Second-tier cities key to future
James Pearson
We need clever infrastructure investment to handle the poplation growth by 2031.
Energy price policy lacks power
Matt Johnston
WHILE you were tucked in bed on New Years Day, energy companies were raising their prices.
Hot dogs and cool cats: keeping pets cool without blowing your energy bill
Yolande Strengers, RMIT University; Cecily Maller, RMIT University, and Larissa Nicholls, RMIT University
As the weather heats up, Australian households wont just be cranking up the air conditioning for themselves. Some households will also be turning it on for their dogs or cats.
Jan 12
Climate Change
White House urges research on geoengineering to combat global warming.
A White House road map for federally funded climate research has for the first time recommended research into geoengineering, the concept of intervening in nature to slow or reverse global warming.
National
Timor Sea gas project might jump to 'front of queue' if maritime deal can be struck
Woodside Petroleum says its Greater Sunrise gas field in the Timor Sea could jump to "the front of the queue" for development, if Australia and East Timor can agree on maritime boundaries in the next year or so.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-11/woodside-petroleum-interview/8174854
Jobs warning over gas price crunch
Manufacturers are warning of job losses and a collapse in investment over a doubling in gas prices.
Renewable investment hampered by policy void
The profits earned by Australias gas industry will make you wince
Michael West and Bruce Robertson
Business journalist Michael West and analyst Bruce Robertson expose the profound failure of government energy regulation and demonstrate how our loss, as consumers, matches the gains of the power companies
States must unlock gas reserves
Josh Frydenberg
Moratoriums and bans on extraction are damaging the economy and undermining our energy security.
Gas crisis of our own making
The Australian editorial
Canberra needs to convince the states to open up exploration.
Left Renewal: since when has taxing the rich and saving the planet been so controversial?
David Shoebridge and Lee Rhiannon
We are not members of the Greens faction but its hard to understand the anger expressed at people who believe capitalism is a problem
Life in a post-flying Australia, and why it might actually be ok
Martin Young, Southern Cross University; Francis Markham, Australian National University; James Higham, University of Otago, and John Jenkins, Southern Cross University
With little hope of finding alternatives to jet fuel, we need to seriously consider a world without flying
http://theconversation.com/life-in-a-post-flying-australia-and-why-it-might-actually-be-ok-70388
Jan 11
Climate Change
Its official: 2016 was second hottest year for US.
2016 was the second hottest year for the U.S. in more than 120 years of record keeping, government scientists announced on Monday, marking 20 above-average years in a row.
Changing rainfall patterns linked to water security in India
Changing rainfall is the key factor driving changes in groundwater storage in India, according to a new study
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-01/iifa-crp011017.php
Trump, Congress could halt state action on climate.
If some of the deepest concerns of climate-focused bureaucrats from San Francisco to Massachusetts and New York come true, the Trump administration will preemptively prevent them from acting to slow global warming
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/2895475914905849484
Rich countries dominate climate research.
The imbalance may make it harder for poorer nations to participate effectively in the Paris climate agreement.
Conservative media can't stop denying there was no global warming 'pause'
Dana Nuccitelli
In the Spectator, the GWPF keeps denying facts and reality
Methane may not last long in the atmosphere but it drives sea level rise for centuries.
Chelsea Harvey Washington Post
The ocean never forgets -- how greenhouse gas emissions can cause centuries of sea level rise.
National
'Clean coal' project is a personal endeavour not linked to lobby groups, founder says
Australian Power Project launched by former AGL spokesman, with assistance from former Malcolm Turnbull advisor, aims to give a voice to businesses crippled by high energy costs
Book Review: Trillion Dollar Baby
Flavio Menezes, The University of Queensland
Paul Cleary makes a good case as to why Australia should follow Norway as an example of how to tax miners in Trillion Dollar Baby.
http://theconversation.com/book-review-trillion-dollar-baby-67141
Jan 10
Climate Change
Crystallization method offers new option for carbon capture from ambient air
Scientists at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have found a simple, reliable process to capture carbon dioxide directly from ambient air, offering a new option for carbon capture and storage strategies to combat global warming.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-01/drnl-cmo010917.php
The Atlantic Ocean and an actual debate in climate science.
Scientists have recently begun to re-examine a scary question: Will a crucial ocean current shut down?
Obama puts pressure on Trump to adhere to US climate change strategy
The US president has been writing for academic journals to pre-empt arguments Trump or Republicans are likely to use to roll back his key accomplishments
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jan/09/climate-change-trump-obama-pressure
The real cost of Trump's climate change denials
Nicholas Kristof
One year from today, we'll have blown the world's entire carbon budget.
Adele Peters Fast Company
By one calculation, we have 365 days left to do something drastic with our carbon emissions before we lock in a future of drastic climate change.
National
Climate change could shrink Australia's ski season by 80 days a year by 2050, CSIRO says
Australia's ski season could shrink by up to 80 days a year by 2050 under worst-case predictions for climate change but there are no plans to restrict ski resorts in national parks.
Gas supply terms force buyers to go DIY on energy
Industrial gas buyers forced to investigate setting up their own on-site energy generation as they struggle to minimise cost risks.
BHP on wrong side of contract coal move
Coal price slide to hit budget revenue hopes
Anthropogenic groundwater extraction impacts climate
Hydrologic and climatic responses to global anthropogenic groundwater extraction
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-01/ioap-age010817.php
Canavan: Coal is what we do to 'make a buck'
ROCKHAMPTON based Senator Matthew Canavan has taken to talk-back radio this week to defend the coal industry against those who just "don't live in the real world.
http://www.themorningbulletin.com.au/news/canavan-coal-is-what-we-do-to-make-a-buck/3129920/
Australia yields on oil treaty
Australia has agreed to negotiate permanent maritime boundaries with East Timor to settle a dispute over oil reserves.
Intent as the enemy of truth
Jennifer Marohasy
When all 1,655 maximum temperature series for Australia are simply combined, and truncated to begin in 1910 the hottest years are 1980, 1914, 1919, 1915 and 1940.
Jan 9
Climate Change
In 2016, global sea ice took major hits.
The extent of sea ice globally took major hits during 2016, according to an analysis released yesterday by the National Snow and Ice Data Center.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/2895475914905845985
National
Mining, energy exports to top $200b
The value of Australian mining and energy exports is forecast to top $200b for the first time, bolstering company profits.
http://www.afr.com/business/mining/mining-energy-exports-headed-for-200b-record-high-20170108-gtnora
Good news for clean fuel future
Nathan Vass
The Resources Minister�s plan can meet targets while sustaining the coal industry.
Jan 8
Climate Change
25 smears, hoaxes, grifts and whoppers on climate and the environment in the Obama era.
Peter Dykstra
As the curtain comes down on Barack Obamas eight years in the White House, most Americans seemed convinced of one of two things: Were either about to Make America Great Again®, or were about to hurtle into an uncertain epoch that I like to call the Idiocene.
As Donald Trump denies climate change, these kids die of it.
Nicholas Kristof
The incoming U.S. president, Donald Trump, has denied manmade climate change. The Times's Nicholas Kristof travels to drought-stricken Madagascar to see the unfolding crisis for himself.
Jan 7
Climate Change
2016 'shatters' hottest year record by wide margin
2016 was the hottest year on record by a wide margin, with temperatures creeping close to a ceiling set by almost 200 nations for limiting global warming, the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service says.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-06/world-heat-shatters-records-in-2016/8165426
Iceberg 'the size of Delaware' poised to crack off Antarctica, scientists say
A vast iceberg, expected to be one of the biggest ever recorded with an area almost the size of the US state of Delaware or the Caribbean island state of Trinidad and Tobago, is poised to break off Antarctica.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-06/vast-iceberg-poised-to-crack-off-antarctic/8167150
How climate change in Central Asia is threatening to spark regional conflict.
Competition for dwindling water supplies from a mountain range in Central Asia could erupt into regional conflict, jeopardising Beijings plans to revive trade along the ancient Silk Road, Chinese researchers have warned
National
Surplus surprise averts recession
Surging iron ore and coal prices delivered a surprise trade surplus for November the first in nearly three years.
Is the mining rally sustainable?
Wary traders are raising red flags over whats ahead for mining stocks as sectors indices show signs of stalling.
Australias climate in 2016 a year of two halves as El Niño unwound
Blair Trewin, Australian Bureau of Meteorology
2016 was Australia's fourth warmest year on record, capping off the hottest decade.
http://theconversation.com/australias-climate-in-2016-a-year-of-two-halves-as-el-nino-unwound-70758
Jan 6
Climate Change
Climate campaigners announce new major mobilisation to resist Trump
Trump is helping make protesting great again as action groups and coalitions like 350.org, fight back in the wake of Trump's election.
Scientists say the global ocean circulation may be more vulnerable to shutdown than we thought.
Future climate change could cause a major ocean current to collapse with effects that radiate all over the world.
New study confirms NOAA finding of faster global warming.
An independent test of global warming data has confirmed a groundbreaking 2015 study that showed warming was faster than prior estimates
A new map of Earths ecology-scrambling climate patterns.
Want to know where climate fluctuations may already be producing new ecologies? Take a look at these maps
Environmental journalists have a new beat: Coping with climate disaster.
Many communities are preparing for more frequent flooding and extreme storms, drought, wildfires and heat waves. Reporters, meanwhile, are picking up on the trend, with hundreds of examples of resiliency reporting.
Judith Curry retires, citing 'craziness' of climate science.
Judith Curry, one of climate science's most vocal critics, is leaving academia because of what she calls the poisonous nature of the scientific discussion around human-caused global warming.
Fossil leaves suggest global warming will be harder to fight than scientists thought.
Relics warn that climate may be more sensitive to rising atmospheric CO2 than models predict.
Endangered species under GOP? Climate change information on the web.
A recent reworking of language concerning climate change on a Wisconsin government website could be replicated under a Trump administration.
James Delingpole article calling ocean acidification 'alarmism' cleared by press watchdog
Climate sceptic journalists claim that marine life has nothing to fear from rising ocean acidity levels is not misleading but comment, says Ipso
National
Island sanctuaries protect native wildlife from feral cats
A national study finds feral cats are threatening our native wildlife more than ever and pest-free islands are providing rare sanctuaries.
Next-generation coal can fill gap, says Matt Canavan
Australia should turn to the next generation of coal-fired power stations to generate more domestic electricity, according to a key federal minister who has gone on the offensive against conservationists who want to end the use of coal
2016 tipped as hottest year
Anthropogenic climate change is accelerating, according to the Bureau of Meteorologys latest annual climate report.
Fizza Turnbull takes out the trash to bury his sorry 2016 year
David Tyler
Australia has seldom been so ill-served by any government. May this year, 2017, see the Turnbull Government brought to account
Three shrewd options for climate change
David Leyonhjelm
The first of the shrewd options is to withdraw from the Paris agreement and abandon the pledge to force Australian emissions in 2030 to be 26 to 28 per cent lower than emissions in 2005.
Rethink silly green goals
Graham Richardson
Pushing up power prices would mean betraying the poor.
Jan 5
Climate Change
The fire through the smoke: Working for transparency in climate projections
A group of preeminent climate scientists have evaluated the consequences of the most recent projections from the world's foremost climate-science organization, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), as to how the impact of climate change would be felt if Earth's temperature rises to more than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above preindustrial levels.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-01/pu-tft010417.php
Study confirms steady warming of oceans for past 75 years
Scientists have solved a puzzling break in continuity of ocean warming records that sparked much controversy after climate data was published in the journal Science in 2015.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-01/uoy-scs010317.php
New study confirms NOAA finding of faster global warming
Thomas Karl and colleagues were harassed by Republicans for publishing inconvenient science. A new study proves them right.
National
2016 a year of extreme weather events: BOM
Last year was a year of extreme weather events; wetter than average overall, and the fourth-warmest on record for Australia, according to the Bureau of Meteorology's Annual Climate Statement released today.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-05/2016-year-of-extreme-weather-bom-climate-report/8162366
$100bn coal growth plan backed
The government is backing a $100bn investment to expand the coal industry as it blasts environmentalist hypocrisy
Demand down as supply plunges
Electricity demand fell by about 1 per cent nationwide in the past six months, but supply plunged by nearly one-quarter.
Mining analysts 'playing catch-up'
The biggest ASX miners are tipped to report an $8.3 billion jump in combined revenues, triggering a rebound in profits.
http://www.afr.com/business/mining/resources-rally-to-lift-profits-dividends-in-2017-20170104-gtlp5t
There are millions fewer feral cats than govt thought
Marginalising coal comes at cost
The Australian editorial
Higher energy costs are inevitable in the rush to renewables.
Companies' climate change negligence will cost us all
Julien Vincent
Jan 4
Climate Change
Greenland ice melt could push Atlantic circulation to collapse.
New research gives a glimpse of the potential long-term consequences of anthropogenic warming.
Indian firm makes carbon capture breakthrough
Carbonclean is turning planet-heating emissions into profit by converting CO2 into baking powder and could lock up 60,000 tonnes of CO2 a year
Where to follow the climate action in 2017.
John Upton Climate Central
A regulatory bloodbath is looming in the nation's capital, but climate protections could advance elsewhere in 2017.
National
Energy bills soar in shift from coal
Electricity companies have begun hiking consumer prices around the country.
Push to stem irrigation cuts
THE Victorian and NSW governments are desperately trying to curb the volume of water being stripped from irrigation communities to boost the Murray Darling Basins environmental flows.
Fears disease running wild in river
A THIRD of the Australian prawn farming industry could be wiped out after white spot disease was detected at a fifth property, with authorities admitting they dont know how the contamination is spreading.
A zero emissions climate target is just stupid
Stephen Galilee
POLITICIANS chasing cheap green headlines should remember that gesture politics can come at a high price
Pauline Hanson discussing the issues that major parties will not discuss
Brigitte Dwyer
There are two big issues that are impacting on ordinary Australians, but are consistently ignored by mainstream political parties.
The first is the fact that Australian property, both residential and commercial, is being built and offered as an investment opportunity for foreigners.
The second is the unprecedented growth of Australias population.
Stopping our cars choking us an urgent task
The Age editorial
Transport is a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions, which Australia is bound to reduce under its commitments to the Paris climate change agreement.
Our cars are choking us
SMH editorial
The government's project to improve the quality and efficiency of fuel and cars on our roads is a worthwhile one.
http://www.smh.com.au/comment/smh-editorial/our-cars-are-choking-us-20170103-gtlbee.html
Jan 3
The coming battle between the Trump team and economists over the true cost of climate change.
As we learn more and more about the tenor of the Trump transition, a key part of its regulatory rollback strategy on climate change is coming into focus.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/8508557863668707641
The country set to cash in on climate change
Record temperatures threaten traditional ways of life in Greenland but as the sea ice retreats, new mining, fishing and tourism opportunities are helping communities to adapt
Climate change triggers new diseases in Vietnam.
Scientists have found connections between climate change and the appearance of new diseases, especially vector borne diseases, including dengue fever and malaria.
Major flooding in UK now likely every year, warns lead climate adviser
A year after severe floods in wake of Storm Desmond, John Krebs says ministers still have no coherent long-term plan to deal with it
The search is on for pulling carbon from the air.
Scientists are investigating a range of technologies they hope can capture lots of carbon without a lot of cost.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/8508557863668718088
Five under-reported climate change stories of 2016.
This is the time of year when some people talk about the news stories that didn't receive the attention they merited over the past year.
How climate change transformed the Earth in 2016.
Its impossible to exhaustively list all the ways in which climate change was felt in 2016, but heres a guide to understanding the year that was for the planet.
Tillerson climate-change testimony set before Trump sworn in.
Lawyers for teenagers claiming the U.S. government failed to protect the environment from global warming plan to question under oath President-elect Donald Trumps pick for secretary of state on his knowledge of climate change.
These are the 10 most important climate stories of 2016.
Its clear 2016 was a year where planetary peril and human hope stood out in stark contrast. Here are the 10 most important climate milestones of the year.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/8508557863668721542
Yes, some extreme weather can be blamed on climate change.
A leading scientist explains that improved computing and statistics can tie extreme events to global warming.
Greenhouse gases: not just a bunch of hot air
Video
From tracing the exact source of CO2 in our atmosphere to measuring the earth's "carbon budget", the scientists studying climate change know a lot more about the greenhouse effect than you might think.
Trump spokesperson: no climate change, earth is 5500 years old.
Video
The President Climate Deniers have always dreamed of
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/-818776835545218914
Proof that a new ice age has already started is stronger than ever, and we couldnt be less prepared.
Lawrence Solomon Financial Post
An overheated planet has never been a threat, say climate skeptics, not today, not ever in human history. An underheated planet, in contrast, is a threat humans have repeatedly faced over the last millennium, and now were due again
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/8508557863668707640
Donald Trump and the triumph of climate-change denial.
Clare Foran The Atlantic
The science of man-made global warming has only grown more conclusive. So why have Republicans become less convinced its real over the past decade and a half?
The next big climate-change battle starts in India.
Noah Smith Bloomberg View
Some climate activists worry that Donald Trumps presidential election will be the death knell for the global environment. Thats almost certainly untrue. Whatever Trumps attitude toward climate science and energy policy, two big outside factors will be much more important -- technological progress and policy in developing nations
States will lead on climate change in the Trump era.
New York Times editorial
Donald Trump isnt likely to advance climate policy. Luckily, theres a bulwark against any attempt to roll back the progress made
Since Davos, only the climate remains unchanged
Nick Cater
There is nothing like an approaching disaster to save experts from irrelevancy. At the World Economic Forum in Davos in January, 750 economists nominated climate change as the top threat to civilisation this year.
It takes the right rock to sequester carbon.
James Conca Forbes
Finally, we have a way to sequester huge amounts of CO2 deep in the ground in a way that is stable for geologic time. And its all about finding the correct rock to do it.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/8508557863668716395
Facts matter, and on climate change, Trump's picks get them wrong
Dana Nuccitelli
The President-elects nominees to key positions deny the existence, threats, and solutions to human-caused global warming
2016 was the year that climate change got real.
Neha Thirani Bagri
2016 was the year that news from around the world made climate change undeniable to anyone paying attention.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/8508557863668724021
2016: Obama's climate legacy marked by triumphs and lost opportunities.
Marianne Lavelle
By relying on executive orders and regulations after his legislative majority disappeared, President Obama leaves his climate policies at risk under Donald Trump.
Climate change in 2016: The good, the bad, and the ugly.
John Abraham The Guardian
2016 wasnt all bad news for the climate, but it was ugly toward the end
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/-818776835545217488
National
Bob Brown says Left Renewal an 'anti-Greens' group that looks like a hoax
Former leader says no Greens member who rejects law and order should remain in the party
China drives illegal fishing to Australia
The tensions over the South China Sea are being blamed for a surge of illegal Vietnamese fisherman in the waters off northern Australia.
http://www.afr.com/news/south-china-sea-tensions-drive-fishermen-to-australia-20161221-gtfmqb
Household solar power producers counter lower feed-in tariffs
Solar power supporter Bruce Malcolm has invested in state-of-the-art battery and software technology to control when he should release energy back into the grid as he grapples with the change to feed-in tariffs.
The great crash of Australia's 'cooking oil' renewable fuel industry
A decade ago, entrepreneurs were leading a backyard movement turning old fish and chip cooking oil into a greener fuel source for diesel cars. A lot has changed since then.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-12-28/why-australia-cooking-oil-biodiesel-market-crashed/8121100
Infrastructure spend will fall billions short of Government's promise, Opposition claims
The Government says transport infrastructure is one of its top priorities, but the Opposition says it has figures to show that is not the case.
Renewable energy push to hit ALPs heartland
Labors traditional working-class supporters will bear the brunt of spiking electricity prices and power failures.
Australian climate sceptics may form new party.
A right wing government backbencher with ties to mining magnate Gina Rinehart has registered a website for a new political brand, Australian Majority.
Would you like possum with that?
Theyre cute, fluffy and infuriating for homeowners but possums are delicious with native spices and a pinot noir.
Endangered species unlikely saviours
THE Federal Government has looked to an unlikely ally in its bid to ensure the future of Australias most endangered animals.
States held back policy greening
Divisions between state and federal governments over climate change policy can be traced back to early negotiations.
No clear air for government's pollution proposals
Ethical fund's coal link signals trouble for investors
Australia's best pictures of 2016
Pictures
The Nature Conservancy Australia went through a record 16,120 photos from Cairns to Cradle Mountain and Rottnest Island sorting through stunning images that captured landscapes, wildlife and water.
Fuel efficiency standards could help curb Australias persistently growing emissions
John Quiggin, The University of Queensland
Australia's plan to bring fuel efficiency standards up to par with the US and Europe could see us say goodbye to regular unleaded, and hello to a useful way of cutting our rising greenhouse emissions.
How to tackle the rising tide of poaching in Australias tropical seas
Steven Purcell, Southern Cross University and Hampus Eriksson, University of Wollongong
Prized species such as sea cucumbers are increasingly being poached from Australian waters. But if foreign aid can give fishing crews alternative livelihoods, the problem could ease.
Policy imperils energy security
Chris Flynn
Its hard to fathom just how big a mess Australian energy policy has become.
Time to get pushy on shopping trolleys
Baz Blakeney
EITHER we stop dumping shopping trolleys on our streets or we find a different use for them
Dingoes do bark: why most dingo facts you think you know are wrong
Eloïse Déaux, Université de Neuchâtel
All dingoes are ginger, right? Nope. They don't bark? Wrong again. And they're ultimately just wild dogs? Well, that's trickier, but for conservation purposes the answer is still basically no.
http://theconversation.com/dingoes-do-bark-why-most-dingo-facts-you-think-you-know-are-wrong-68816
Auntys blind spot on coal
Matt Canavan
The ABC often descends to the level of fake news in its mining industry coverage.
We need to clear the air on fuel emissions
SMH editorial
We Australians love to reflect on our good fortune, on the things that make our country special and precious and among the best places in the world to live. For example, that we get to breathe some of the cleanest air in the world. How good is that?
Why is Australia not fully behind efforts to prohibit nuclear weapons?
Sue Wareham
Key to unlocking reliable energy
Graham Lloyd
Bioenergy can play a greater role in meeting our carbon emissions targets.
Australian climate politics in 2017: a guide for the perplexed
Marc Hudson, University of Manchester
If you thought the climate debate has been ugly, you haven't seen anything yet. In 2017 Australia will review its climate policies, and the process is not off to a good start.
http://theconversation.com/australian-climate-politics-in-2017-a-guide-for-the-perplexed-70526
Cap and trade today for a better tomorrow.
Douglas Singleterry The Hill
The United States, along with at least 34 other countries, is succeeding in reducing carbon dioxide emissions while growing its economy. Moreover, according to the International Energy Agency, total emissions tied to energy usage worldwide remained flat in 2014 and 2015, even while the global economy grew more than 3 percent annually.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/8508557863668728982
What can we expect from Australian climate politics in 2017?
Marc Hudson
If you thought the climate debate has been ugly, you haven't seen anything yet. In 2017 Australia will review its climate policies, and the process is not off to a good start
Time for governments to take lead on solar
Peter Boyer
Government should be showing more leadership as solar energy takes over.
Victoria
Track where the most bushfires have been deliberately lit
Plumpton grass fire deemed suspicious as arson, explosives detectives investigate
Carrum Downs fire deemed suspicious
A FIREBUG is believed to have started a bushfire which burned just metres from homes in Melbournes southeast.
MPs berate Greens for opposition
Federal and state MPs blast Greens for opposing the assistance given to Alcoa unless renewable energy is used.
Public land sell-off reaps millions for Andrews government
Private operators may run luxury huts under alpine park plan
Cabins on popular Victorian bushwalking trail would have 'drastic impact'
A $13 million project to construct luxury accommodation along the Falls to Hotham Alpine Crossing trail, proposed by Parks Victoria, will ruin its natural beauty, opponents say.
Insects stick to life at Melbourne Zoo
AFTER almost being eaten out of existence by rats, the Lord Howe Island stick insect has made a comeback.
Lessons: taming fire with fire
Victor Steffensen comes from baking northwest Queensland, but here he is in Victorias Snowy Mountains.
Desal plant damage in switch-on debacle
VICTORIAS disastrous desalination plant has had a major equipment failure the first time workers tried to produce water for the state.
Gastro fear as storms spread faeces on Melbourne beaches
Authorities warn of high levels of faecal pollution at some of Melbourne's most popular beaches, sparking concerns about gastroenteritis.
Grassfires sparked across Victoria
FIREFIGHTERS have been kept busy across Victoria responding to a number of grassfires.
Anger as Bells Beach resort gets green light
A CONTROVERSIAL development at Bells Beach has been cleared by the states tribunal, despite the community and Surf Coast Shire rejecting the plan.
Preserving our forests should be a top priority
Dimity Williams and Katherine Barraclough
The magnificent old growth forests of East Gippsland are a national treasure. Yet state-endorsed logging continues in this region, undermining the rich tapestry of plants and animals that support human health.
Common sense can do us a power of good
Mary Aldred
VICTORIAS energy supply is handicapped by disputes that the state cant afford. Its time for common sense to come into play
Watered down: what happened to Australias river swimming tradition?
Marco Amati, RMIT University
Why dont more of Australias urban residents swim in city rivers? History provides a guide to reclaiming these important urban assets as public spaces.
http://theconversation.com/watered-down-what-happened-to-australias-river-swimming-tradition-69728
Suburbs must prepare for fires this summer
The Age editorial
It's the start of a new year but Victoria's bushfire season is already well advanced and far from over.
New South Wales
Lucas Heights security boss Anthony Haddad charged over 'official secrets', gun
A security consultant who held a "top secret" government clearance inside Australia's only nuclear facility has been ...
'Mass confusion' as energy customers await new net meters
Badgerys Creek: Final call to get on board
THE Turnbull government will build Badgerys Creek airport itself if Sydney Airport Group cant commit to the project by mid-May.
2017 to be the 'year of construction' in NSW
Sydney commuters are warned to expect delays all year, with two motorways, two light rail projects and several other major infrastructure builds changing routes around the CBD and in Parramatta.
Beach battleground: Coastal communities wary of 'biggest reform in a generation'
Battlelines are being drawn along the NSW coast as seaside communities brace for what Planning Minister Rob Stokes dubs the biggest overhaul of coastal management in a generation.
What role for the states on climate and energy policy? NSW enters the fray
Anna Bruce, UNSW Australia; Graham Mills, UNSW Australia, and Iain MacGill, UNSW Australia
In the absence of strong federal action on climate change, many states have developed their own climate and energy policies.
Land titles registry sale should not proceed as planned
SMH editorial
If there is a persuasive rationale for the sale of the state's land titles registry, the government has yet to articulate it.
We must plan ahead for threat of coastal erosion
SMH editorial
With summer heat settling in over the next few months, plenty of us will be returning to beaches in favourite holiday spots up and down the NSW coast. Will we notice any changes there?
Following added Dec 23
Petition calls for Barack Obama to fulfil Green Climate Fund pledge
US promised US$3bn towards fund, which was part of historic Paris agreement, but so far has transferred only $500m
Appeals court rules climate scientist can pursue defamation claims against critics.
Michael Mann, known for his work on the hockey stick analysis of global warming, can proceed with defamation claims against writers who called him the the Jerry Sandusky of climate science and characterized his work as fraudulent.
US Energy Department backs huge Louisiana project to store carbon dioxide in the ground.
The project, with a conditional $ 2 billion federal loan guarantee, would store carbon dioxide from the process of making methanol.
Could Rudolph and friends help to slow down our warming climate?
Reindeer may be best known for pulling Santas sleigh, but a new study suggests they may have a part to play in slowing down climate change too.
Arctic to hit 50 degrees above normal - in the middle of winter
2016: A year of transition from talk to action on climate change.
Megan Rowling Reuters
When it comes to climate change and the battle to keep it in check, 2016 was a year of extremes.
Turnbull government confirms Australias greenhouse gas emissions are rising
The government has confirmed Australia's greenhouse gas emissions are rising, and projected that it will not get near its 2030 climate target under current policies
Federal grant to Bjørn Lomborg centre made in Turnbull era, documents show
Exclusive: Department agreement to provide $640,000 grant dates from March 2016, according to documents obtained under freedom of information
It's nice that Malcolm Turnbull catches trains; it would be nicer if he built them
Jacob Saulwick
In the coming year, Malcolm Turnbull will hopefully start to justify all those pictures of himself catching the train.
Brakes on cleaner fuels need to come off
Canberra Times editorial
The Turnbull government's habit of running policy ideas up the flagpole and then back down again at the first whiff of grapeshot is familiar to all.
Following added 21st Dec
Scientists: Strong evidence that human-caused climate change intensified 2015 heat waves
Human-caused climate change very likely increased the severity of heat waves that plagued India, Pakistan, Europe, East Africa, East Asia, and Australia in 2015 and helped make it the warmest year on record, according to new research published today in a special edition of the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society.
Infographic: climate change and 2015s year of wild weather
Andrew King, University of Melbourne
Across the globe, extreme heat events are linked with climate change, although El Niño provided a boost in 2015 leading to more records being broken.
http://theconversation.com/infographic-climate-change-and-2015s-year-of-wild-weather-70485
Abetz slams Government's decision to ditch Green Army
Hitting out at his own government, Tasmanian Liberal Senator Eric Abetz says the budgetary decision to scrap the Green Army, young job seekers who work on environmental projects, is "unpalatable" and cuts could have been made to foreign aid instead.
Solar cooling systems take heat out of summers hottest days
A few Australian businesses are exploiting the searing heat of summer to create purpose-designed solar cooling systems whose benefits extend far beyond electricity savings
The end of coal is nigh someone just needs to tell the Turnbull government
Suzanne Harter
The senate committee recommends a comprehensive national energy transition plan for the orderly retirement of coal fired power generation.
High electricity prices to stay
Alan Moran
Bad policy choices have seen our cost advantage become a thing of the past.
NSW wind developers worried over 'suboptimal' planning process
Following Added 20th Dec
Climate Change
Arctic ice melt 'already affecting weather patterns where you live right now'
Soaring Arctic temperatures strongly linked to recent extreme weather events, say scientists at cutting edge of climate change research
Indigenous leaders shocked, again, by repeated exclusion from Trudeau's climate talks.
For the second time in 2016, two major national aboriginal organizations were barred from participating in a climate change meeting with the prime minister, the premiers, and indigenous leaders.
Americans believe climate change connected to location and local weather
Researchers found local experiences and temperatures drive belief or non-belief in climate change
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-12/gwu-abc121516.php
Its time for the Nobel Committee to honor climate research.
Nick Stockton Wired
Perhaps more than any other discipline, climate science is making outstanding contributions to humankindif only humankind will listen.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/8508557863668699545
The Guardian view on climate change action: dont delay
The Guardian editorial
Arctic temperatures have been 20C above normal. The ice cap is shrinking. And Trump and Putin may see it as an advantage
National
Commodity rally too good to last
Scott Morrison has warned that iron ore and coal prices are unlikely to be sustained
Some analysts kid themselves about future of solar + storage
Giles Parkinson
Weve read and reported on some remarkably misinformed analysis in recent weeks, including from countrys principal energy rule maker and governments favourite energy consultant. But this one on solar and battery storage just about takes the biscuit.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/analysts-kid-future-solar-storage-33799/
Ring fencing: Who should have power over your solar and storage?
Alexander Marks
New guideline on "ring fencing" still gives too much latitude to the networks, and may work against the interest of consumers.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/ring-fencing-who-should-have-power-over-your-solar-and-storage-45238/
Following added 19th Dec
Reef back in the danger zone
UNESCO has called Australian officials to Paris for talks on a possible in danger listing of the Great Barrier Reef.
If Trump cuts funding for climate science, wealthy donors will spend billions, says U.S. Science Academy chief.
Peter Aldhous Buzzfeed
Marcia McNutt, president of the nations leading scientific body, says wealthy philanthropists will step in, if the Trump administration and Congress pulls research funding.
Trump cant deny climate change without a fight
Eugene Robinson
The incoming Trump administration will face passionate and hostile resistance if it tries to deny the reality of human-induced climate change. We can already hear the drums of war.
Donald Trump should know: This is what climate change costs us.
Michael Greenstone and Cass R Sunstein
Last week, Donald J. Trumps transition team sent a startling questionnaire to the Department of Energy. Among other things, the questionnaire asked for the names of all employees and contractors who attended meetings of the Interagency Working Group on the Social Cost of Carbon, as well as all emails associated with those meetings, and the departments opinion on the underlying issues a request it essentially refused.
Green Army set to fight axing
Those involved are pleading for a reprieve for Tony Abbotts Green Army program.
Lend Lease in green power deal
Lend Lease has struck a deal with a renewable energy company backed by AFL chairman Mike Fitzpatrick.
Mining sector costs on rise
The rally in oil prices has created a surge in costs and increased competition in the mining sector.
Australia heading for Budget D-Day
WELFARE cheats and environmental programs will be in the firing line when Treasurer Scott Morrison hands down the midyear Budget update.
Solar shift means knowledge is indeed power
Renate Egan
Thousands of Australians with solar panels on their roof are bracing for the worst when payments for the clean energy that they feed into the grid stop at the end of the year.
http://www.examiner.com.au/story/4361250/solar-shift-means-that-knowledge-is-indeed-power/?cs=97
Following added 17th Dec.
Climate Change
Climate risk experts: Transparency should be fossil fuel companies' new normal.
A panel of economic experts unveil a set of recommendations to protect investors from a head-in-the-sand approach to global warming's inevitable impacts
Global warming's fingerprints seen in 24 weird weather cases.
A new scientific report finds man-made climate change played some role in two dozen extreme weather events last year but not in a few other weird weather instances around the world
What Makes Influential Science? Telling a Good Story
Scientific papers written in a more narrative style were more influential among peer-reviewed studies in the climate change literature, new research has ...
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/12/161216115442.htm
Simulation method helps combat climate change, boost energy supply
A potential solution for addressing climate change is to securely store carbon dioxide underground in reservoirs from which oil was previously extracted, an approach known as carbon sequestration.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-12/kui-smh121516.php
This is not normal climate researchers take to the streets to protect science
Scientists stepped outside their comfort zones to protest the attacks they face from the incoming administration
National
Coal seam gas mining costs farmers millions, CSIRO study finds
A CSIRO study puts a dollar figure on the losses to farmers due to coal seam gas mining on their land for the first time, with a sample area averaging a loss of $2.17 million over 20 years when CSG mining activity was present.
Bird counters are all aflutter
A decades-long study of eastern Australia shows bird numbers low but breeding conditions have researchers hopeful.
Turnbull leaves open funds for energy grid
The government is examining possible investments in the national energy grid to improve stability.
http://www.afr.com/news/politics/turnbull-leaves-open-federal-funds-for-energy-grid-20161216-gtcwx4
Australia is blowing its carbon budget, projections reveal, Guardian, Dec 6.
Australia has emitted about twice what is allowed by the CCA’s carbon budget since 2013