Daily Links May 31

The CEFC is about to be allowed to support CCS if the LNP gets their way. They’ll need to make a further rule change though. The CEFC can only lend for projects with returns around 3 – 4 basis points above the 5 – year government bond rate. CCS is such a dud that this condition would never be met. Forget the red herrings, Josh.

Daily Links May 30

Three in four Australians say climate change is a catastrophic risk, so where is useful policy on the matter from a government wishing to be re-elected? In the thrall of their funders, that ‘s where.

Daily Links May 29

New data has coastal communities all at sea, says the Examiner. With 2.7 metres sea level rise, the number of coastal communities that will be all at sea has increased markedly. Time for buying up shares in manufacturers in boats, flippers and snorkels?

Daily Links May 26

Biggest threat to utilities is … their own greed. I would have thought slavish adherence to old business models is a bit of a problem too.

Daily Links May 25

The Conversation article ‘Managing demand can save two power stations’ worth of energy at peak times’ shows the silliness of concentrating on managing supply rather than managing demand. If you are a generator, your business is selling Megawatts rather than Negawatts.

Daily Links May 24

REnewconomy argues for a combination of market reform, incentives and regulatory change – ‘Market reform, not batteries needed for battery storage market’. This ought be music to the ears of Malcolm, Josh, Matt et al. And then ideology gets in way – again!

Daily Links May 23

It looks as though Adani is looking for someone to blame when they accept the inevitability of no mine, on climate response, on tanking coal prices, on employment ( in the Hunter as well as lost tourism jobs in Qld) and difficulty getting finance. Then there’re indigenous approval issues, problematic disposal of spoil, impact on endangered species in the Galilee Basin – is that enough? For how long can this dead horse be flogged?

Daily Links May 22

Adani gets quite a run today but for absurdity, check the article by blatherskite Tim Blair. “If adding a new coal mine boosts temperatures! this clearly means multiple coal mine closures would induce a new global ice age”. Shallow Sydney News Corp claptrap, Tim, unworthy in the extreme.

Daily Links May 19

Re the Deputy PM’s post-budget speech at Brisbane’s Rural Press Club, I shouldn’t have let Barnaby see me in my kaftan with a pocket full of snails, cradling my pet frog. He’s twigged that I’m using them to hold the country back. Where oh where has intelligence in the political debate gone?

Daily Links May 18

Re the REneweconomy article ‘How much has Australia spent on CCS, and what has been achieved’, the promise of Business As Usual is so beguiling to government and the fossil fools that their only argument seems to be what colour lipstick will be put on the pig.