Post of the Day
Climate-heating greenhouse gases at record levels, says UN
Carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide are far above pre-industrial levels
Today’s Celebration
Labor Thanksgiving Day – Japan
St. George of Iberia – Georgia
Climate Change
Vanuatu says it may sue fossil fuel companies and other countries over climate change
Vanuatu says it is desperate for financial assistance to deal with extreme weather and global warming
Climate-heating greenhouse gases at record levels, says UN
Carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide are far above pre-industrial levels
How to talk climate change with skeptical relatives during the holidays
John Cook’s holiday parties kept turning into arguments with his father-in-law.
Climate change report will be released Friday after Thanksgiving
The US federal government will release a major climate change report – Volume II of the National Climate Assessment – on Black Friday.
Tribes have climate wisdom — and good reason not to share it
Tribes risk exploitation when sharing climate change solutions.
https://grist.org/article/indigenous-knowledge-climate-change-solution/
The face of the Green New Deal (she’s not who you think)
She’s only in her 20s, and she’s already the face of an ambitious push for Congress to tackle climate change.
https://www.eenews.net/stories/1060107185
National
Bill Shorten unveils $15bn energy plan to help tackle climate ‘disaster’
Labor leader says he will top up Clean Energy Finance Corporation and unveils $5bn fund to modernise infrastructure
‘Game changer’ or ‘bullsh*t’? Climate change groups react to Labor’s energy plan
Labor announced its energy plan on Thursday, with climate change action as a central component. But does it stack up?
Big manufacturers to face emissions cuts [$]
The nation’s biggest polluting industries will face emissions restrictions under a Labor government.
Labor’s battery subsidy ‘not needed’ [$]
Bill Shorten’s $2000 handout to households to install batteries as part of their new multibillion-dollar energy policy was not needed, according to some energy industry players.
‘Fantastic’: Clean energy sector gears up for Shorten storage splurge
Federal Labor’s plan to subsidise 100,000 homes to add batteries to their solar PV systems will add momentum to a fast-developing sector while helping shore up the power grid, industry players said.
‘Without balance’ and ‘sensible’: Labor’s massive energy plan divides critics
Labor has sparked a political clash over a new plan to use $15 billion in Commonwealth debt to finance new energy projects.
Bill Shorten accused of scavenging out of the Coalition’s rubbish bin [$]
Bill Shorten has been accused of scavenging out of the Coalition’s rubbish bin as lefties rally against Labor’s energy policy.
Why people fear Labor’s battery scheme won’t work [$]
A man who forked out $25,000 on a solar battery system for his Sydney home has questioned whether Labor’s proposed battery rebate scheme will actually help Australians. Struggling pensioners who will be slugged with higher price electricity bills while cashed up greenies will reap the rewards of subsidised power.
Labor faces power industry backlash [$]
The nation’s largest single electricity user has questioned how it will be able to keep power running under Labor’s emissions reduction target.
Business Council excoriates Coalition’s ‘ad hoc and extreme’ energy policies
Jennifer Westacott says plan sets a ‘dangerous precedent’ and threatens Australia’s economic attractiveness
New regulatory framework for ‘virtual power plants’ to ensure safety of grid [$]
Energy market operators and regulators are moving to create a new framework to deal with the massive influx of rooftop batteries and solar to ensure the “virtual power plants” of the future do not destabilise the national electricity grid.
Fireys fret over battery risks [$]
The Australasian Fire Authorities Council is investigating concerns by fire agencies about the risks of lithium-ion batteries.
Population may hit 30 million by 2029: ABS
Following plans to cut the national immigration intake, Melbourne and Sydney are expected to keep growing faster than other Australian capital cities.
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/population-may-hit-30-million-by-2029-abs
Nissan Leaf wins top Australian award for added range, vehicle-to-grid technology
Nissan Leaf wins ‘Green Innovation’ award – a milestone for Nissan in gaining recognition for its popular EV in Australia.
Tesla picks a side in the Australian electric vehicle plug war
Recent announcements herald the end of the AC plug war in Australia, as well as potentially signalling the ending of the DC one too.
https://reneweconomy.com.au/tesla-picks-a-side-in-the-australian-electric-vehicle-plug-war-96702/
Bill Shorten chooses to be the grown-up on energy as Coalition’s toddlers have a tantrum
Katharine Murphy
Scott Morrison and his offsiders are competing for the title of biggest numpty as Labor offers sensible solutions
Battery Bill’s welcome energy plan [$]
Matthew Stevens
Bill Shorten’s battery plan is $216 million worth of pure retail politics, but his broader energy policy is a very welcome beast.
https://www.afr.com/business/energy/electricity/battery-bills-welcome-energy-plan-20181122-h18850
Shorten’s energy plan is the art of the possible
David Crowe
This is dangerous territory because the new investment would heighten pressure on existing coal-fired power stations, bringing forward their closure and triggering job losses.
ALP battery subsidy could save $100m a year, and reverse auctions will also deliver cheaper energy
David Leitch
The ALP energy policy on battery storage and reverse auctions is exactly what I would have designed. Here is why.
Labor’s battery policy will be a volt farce [$]
Stephen Galilee
Bill Shorten’s policy to subsidise house batteries will be popular because people like the idea of more renewable energy generation. But people also want their lights to stay on and not have to sell a kidney to pay their bills.
Power to the people [$]
Andrew Hastie
It’s time the federal government listened to ordinary Australians … and luckily for them PM Scott Morrison instinctively thinks exactly the way they do.
Renewables fantasy is hot air [$]
Graham Lloyd
Any energy policy that needs $15bn of taxpayers’ money to operate is flawed and will not survive market reality.
AEMO tips decline of batteries [$]
Graham Lloyd
The ALP doubles down on home batteries despite the nation’s peak electricity body slashing its estimates of their future use.
Policy brownout under Labor’s energy scheme [$]
Australian editorial
Energy is a vital issue for next year’s election because households and business are acutely aware that policy failure has damaged the competitive advantage Australia once enjoyed in affordable, reliable power.
Reborn ETS will haunt ALP [$]
Simon Benson
Bill Shorten’s push for a flawed renewables energy strategy is an election gift for the Morrison government.
Policy must be stable, workable [$]
Innes Willox
Federal Labor’s new energy policy might work well — or go badly awry if implemented poorly.
Labor’s energy policy is savvy – now is it scare-proof?
Michelle Grattan
Hours before Bill Shorten delivered his energy policy on Thursday, Scott Morrison’s office had circulated an attack.
Labor’s battery plan – good policy, or just good politics?
Guy Dundas
With the right settings, Labor’s new scheme could benefit householders as well as the grid itself.
https://theconversation.com/labors-battery-plan-good-policy-or-just-good-politics-107434
Climate wars over: Labor surrenders on emissions reduction methods [$]
Bernard Keane
After a decade of fighting over how to reduce carbon emissions, Labor has surrendered, rejecting market-based mechanisms in favour of taxpayers footing the bill.
https://www.crikey.com.au/2018/11/22/climate-labor-emissions-reduction-methods/
Solar jobs burn RCR Tomlinson [$]
Chanticleer
All those involved in Australia’s $8.7 billion renewables energy development boom ought to rethink their risk management following the voluntary administration of engineering contractor, RCR Tomlinson.
Let’s break down Scott Morrison’s confusing maths on migrants [$]
Jason Murphy
The PM says he plans to cut our permanent migration intake by 30,000, but who exactly are we talking about here? Would it really make a difference?
https://www.crikey.com.au/2018/11/22/scott-morrison-immigration-cuts-2/
Victoria
Re-elected Vic Labor to move fast on road
Victorian Labor has pledged that work on the North East Link toll road will start on Monday, if re-elected on Saturday.
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/re-elected-vic-labor-to-move-fast-on-road
Melbourne city loop upgrade contractor collapses
The engineering and infrastructure firm contracted to work on some of Melbourne’s biggest transport infrastructure projects has gone into administration.
Victorians reeling as gas bills hit new heights [$]
Victorians have been grappling with gas bill shock that has fuelled a massive jump in complaints and queries about high costs. And there’s more bad news with price rises expected next year.
We need early transport action, not patch-up promises
Erin Stewart
It recently took me two hours to get from a friend’s house in Fitzroy back to the outer suburbs using a mix of tram, train, and car.
Tragic bike death highlights risk that’s being ignored
Craig Richards
On Tuesday, a woman was tragically killed on the corner of Punt Road and Toorak Road in Melbourne while riding her bike.
Kangaroos cause delays on V/Line trains
Kangaroos are colliding with V/Line trains on a daily basis, causing services to be cancelled and forcing trains off the network for up to three days.
Where do Victorian micro-parties and independents stand on Aboriginal treaty?
Who will continue to support Dan Andrews’ plan for treaty? And who will try to thwart it?
https://www.crikey.com.au/2018/11/22/victorian-micro-parties-treaty/
Victoria election a chance to catch the wave of renewables
Mark Wakeham
This summer, a huge swell of renewable energy investment is rippling across the globe, and Victoria is perfectly positioned to catch the wave.
https://reneweconomy.com.au/victoria-election-a-chance-to-catch-the-wave-of-renewables-57030/
New South Wales
Poor air quality in Sydney after dust haze
Air quality in Sydney is expected to remain poor after dust and damaging winds covered the city, with another round expected overnight.
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/poor-air-quality-in-sydney-after-dust-haze
NSW bushfire threat eases as roads reopen
An emergency warning for homes north of Newcastle airport has been issued but NSW firefighters have reopened the only road to Nelson Bay.
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/nsw-bushfire-threat-eases-as-roads-reopen
ACT
Fast-growing Canberra to have 500,000 residents within a decade
Canberrans have fewer babies than other Australians but the city is growing faster than the rest of the country.
Queensland
Qld Koala council heads conservation push
A new Queensland Koala council will be established to spearhead conservation measures for the iconic marsupial.
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/qld-koala-council-heads-conservation-push
Adani won’t affect emissions: Shorten
Labor Leader Bill Shorten says an Adani coal mine in Queensland wouldn’t affect Australia’s emissions, should it go ahead.
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/adani-won-t-affect-emissions-shorten
Greens MP wants kids to skip school for climate rally
Brisbane west students bag day off to protest climate change.
Queensland energy companies deliver $6.3 million a day to the state
About $1 billion was returned to customers while government-owned energy companies were delivering $2.3 billion to the state government in dividends and tax payments.
Queensland trial to power a remote farm with solar and battery “pod”
Renewable power “pod” combining solar, battery storage and a generator to be trialled on a north-west Queensland farm, in bid to offer rural customers more reliable, affordable electricity.
Power bills ‘overcharged’ $460 a year [$]
A “sophisticated scam” run by the State Government has pushed up power prices so much that Queenslanders could be saving the equivalent of an entire quarterly bill.
Power companies pour $2.3b to State’s coffers [$]
Queensland state-owned power behemoths poured an extra $2.3 billion into the Palaszczuk Government’s coffers last financial year with less than half returned to taxpayers through bill relief.
Fair price for electricity — not power games [$]
Courier Mail editorial
Queenslanders simply want a fair price for the electricity needed to power their homes and businesses, not to be used as pawns in an opaque game of government gouging.
South Australia
Construction set to begin on 5MW Mobilong Solar Farm in S.A.
Indonesian energy company with plans to develop more than 500MW of renewables will begin construction on a 5MW solar farm near Murray Bridge.
https://reneweconomy.com.au/construction-set-to-begin-on-5mw-mobilong-solar-farm-in-s-a-12559/
Change to SA energy concession flagged
The State Government will consult with welfare groups next year to determine whether a change to the energy handout would benefit South Australians who are struggling to afford power bills.
https://indaily.com.au/news/local/2018/11/22/change-to-sa-energy-concession-flagged/
Tasmania
Council’s greater role in Mac Point plan [$]
Development Amendments to legislation governing the redevelopment of Macquarie Point would give Hobart City Council more of a role in the site’s future, Labor says.
Tasmanian Liberals push for tougher penalties on illegal waste disposal
New government legislation tabled in Parliament this week will see tougher penalties imposed for water and litter dumping and the prospect of vehicle seizures as a result of the activity.
https://www.examiner.com.au/story/5772368/liberals-up-ante-on-illegal-litter/?cs=95
Northern Territory
McArthur improves but NT mine still a risk
While Glencore has lifted its performance at NT’s McArthur River lead-zinc mine there remains plenty of environmental risks, a report says.
Fish licence buyout offer [$]
The Northern Territory Government has offered a $10 million package to buy out commercial fishing licences as it seeks to end a stand-off over access to coastal waters
Western Australia
Woodside applies to build big-polluting LNG plant – with no emissions plan
Western Australian Browse project could emit more than 200m tonnes of CO2
Bushfire threat in rural WA towns
A bushfire watch and act alert has been issued for Walebing and Bindi Bindi near Moora in Western Australia’s Wheatbelt region.
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/bushfire-threat-in-rural-wa-towns
Carnegie’s Northam solar farm begins sending energy to the grid in W.A.
Carnegie Clean Energy’s 10MW Northam solar farm begins limited export of power as part of commissioning of plant, with full commercial operations set to begin in coming weeks.
Fracking threatens Aboriginal land rights in Western Australia
Over the Yawuru people’s strong objections, the Australian company Buru Energy has installed two shale-gas fracking wells on Yawuru land. If a state-wide moratorium fails to hold there could be thousands more.
https://news.mongabay.com/2018/11/fracking-threatens-aboriginal-land-rights-in-western-australia/
Protesters form giant black cocky at Yagan Square in bid to save wetland
As protests intensified over black cockatoo habitat destruction in south-east suburban bushland, the state’s environmental watchdog signalled it would look more closely at an industrial development planned to surround one of Perth’s most biodiverse sites.
Sustainability
South African community wins court battle over mining rights
High court orders government to get prior community consent before granting mining rights in Pondoland
Swap gas boilers for hydrogen or miss emission targets, UK told
Households need electric and hydrogen hybrid boilers sooner rather than later, climate advisers warn
Smog or heat for the winter: Northern China faces a grim choice
Governments relaxed targets to lower air pollution – and hazardous air quality has swiftly followed.
https://www.ozy.com/acumen/smog-or-heat-for-the-winter-northern-china-faces-a-grim-choice/90703
A 24-year-old has invented a new way to break down plastic waste and prevent it from landing in the ocean
Miranda Wang is the cofounder and CEO of BioCellection, a company that focuses on recycling polyethylenes, the most common but least recyclable type of plastic.
https://www.businessinsider.my/how-to-stop-plastic-from-getting-into-ocean-2018-11/
Tesla lowers China car prices as trade war hits demand [$]
Tesla has lowered the prices of the Model S and Model X in China, seeking to boost sales after the trade war with the US hit demand in the world’s biggest car market.
Designing cities to counter loneliness? Let’s explore the possibilities
Tanzil Shafique
The cities we build in turn shape our society. So when so many of us feel lonely, we should aim to apply what we know about the social impacts of design to help people connect with each other.
Don’t buy the hype, carnivores
Bjorn Lomborg
Eating meat is fast becoming as repellent as smoking to green campaigners who blame your hamburger for climate change. But forsaking meat won’t save the world.
Nature Conservation
Tax havens and Brazilian Amazon deforestation linked: study
Nearly 70 percent of all investigated foreign capital going to 9 major soy and beef firms responsible for major Amazon deforestation was transferred through tax havens between 2000-2011.
https://news.mongabay.com/2018/11/tax-havens-and-brazilian-amazon-deforestation-linked-study/
China’s legalisation of rhino horn trade: disaster or opportunity?
Hubert Cheung, Duan Biggs and Yifu Wang
Trading rhino horn has been legalised in a bid to undercut poachers and the black market.
https://theconversation.com/chinas-legalisation-of-rhino-horn-trade-disaster-or-opportunity-106770
Now for something completely different …
The big question: how do we know which charities to support?
Jenna Price
Here’s a little primer on how to be a good donor, how to be a good charity; and what companies should do to make sure they are also supporting good causes.
6 Florence St Niddrie 3042
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