Post of the Day
Our latest climate report card is here, and it’s not like we didn’t see it coming
The latest biannual report card from the BOM and the CSIRO shows we are now up to 1.44 degrees of warming, and the 2020 COVID slowdown has been barely a blip on global CO2 concentrations.
On This Day
Ecological Observance
Tree Day – North Macedonia
Climate Change
Reaching UK net zero target cheaper than we thought, says climate adviser
Chris Stark says cost is surprisingly low but criticises government for absence of a plan
Five post-Trump obstacles to a global green recovery
Jonathan Watts
Joe Biden’s win gives the globe a better chance of averting climate catastrophe, but major obstacles remain
Explainer: Net zero emissions target: What does it mean and how do we get there?
According to the Climate Council, which “supports Australia’s shift to a prosperous, renewably powered economy”, “net zero emissions refers to achieving an overall balance between greenhouse gas emissions produced and greenhouse gas emissions taken out of the atmosphere.”
How Biden is changing Australian climate policy – podcast
Joe Biden’s victory in the United States has already had ramifications for Australian politics, particularly on the issue of climate change. Today, Paul Bongiorno on the political shockwaves rolling across the Pacific.
National
Our latest climate report card is here, and it’s not like we didn’t see it coming
The latest biannual report card from the BOM and the CSIRO shows we are now up to 1.44 degrees of warming, and the 2020 COVID slowdown has been barely a blip on global CO2 concentrations.
Cooked: Another year of record heat, and it’s only going to get worse
The year 2019 was Australia’s hottest year on record.
Albanese under pressure to dump climate change spokesman as Labor infighting heats up
Labor leader Anthony Albanese is under pressure to strike a settlement between the party’s right and left factions on climate change, amid an increasingly bitter and public stoush.
‘This is not the first transition’: Scott Morrison and Joe Biden hold first phone hook-up
The pair also discussed what the US could learn from Australia’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to confront climate change, but not a net zero target.
Angus Taylor berates ‘feel good’ emissions targets as Labor’s climate divisions continue
The energy minister has played down the idea of setting climate ambitions before mapping out plans to reach goals, as rogue Labor MP Joel Fitzgibbon calls for the party’s climate change spokesman to be stripped of the portfolio.
Labor MPs round on Fitzgibbon as climate spat turns nasty
Labor MPs have lashed out at their colleague amid a bitter spat over climate policy, which threatens to further destabilise leadership.
Kelty weighs in on latest Labor climate slugfest [$]
Bill Kelty says Labor’s support for net-zero emissions by 2050 must be accompanied by an adjustment package that supports impacted businesses, workers and communities.
Clean energy sector concerned new foreign relations laws could kill investment
Clean energy sector raises concerns that new foreign investment laws could impose new regulatory burdens on wind and solar projects, and stymie new investment.
Australia’s state-based race to zero emissions has officially kicked off
It would be easy to describe Australia’s government as being backed into a corner on climate, but it’s not quite accurate.
Anita Foerster
The A$57 billion Rest super fund last week pledged to overhaul the way it manages climate risk, following a lawsuit by a 25-year-old member. The concession raises the bar for the way Australian superannuation funds respond to climate change.
Senate dumps on government’s [radioactive waste plan]
ACF media release
The federal government should drop its plans for a national radioactive waste facility in regional South Australia after One Nation joined Labor, the Greens and others on the Senate crossbench in rejecting the government’s proposal for a site near Kimba.
National Radioactive Waste Management Facility
Keith Pitt
The National Radioactive Waste Management Facility is a vital piece of national infrastructure, which will support the ongoing development of our nuclear medicine and research industries.
Australia’s public golf courses face uncertain future that may hurt the game at every level
Richard Hinds
Golf is facing a looming battle to protect inner-city public courses that have produced major winners and been home to weekend hackers for decades
The best way to help Australian manufacturing? Stop exporting gas
Richard Denniss
Not only would no more exporting lead to lower gas and electricity prices, it would deliver a lower exchange rate as well
When your supermarket’s setting a green energy target, you know it means business
David Ritter
Australia’s sixth biggest electricity user, Woolworths, has joined other corporations in a commitment to run on 100 per cent renewable power by 2025. Our federal government needs to follow their lead, writes the chief executive of Greenpeace Australia Pacific.
Labor’s battle over climate change action
Age editorial
For more than a decade, climate change has been the focus of fierce political debate in Canberra. Much of the wrangling has been par for the course between the two major parties.
Climate change and its effects won’t wait for an effective policy announcement
Sarah Basford Canales
Climate change is finally at the forefront of discussion again and this time, it’s about whether we’re doing enough.
The time has come for Morrison to act on climate change
John Hewson
Surely, it can only be a matter of time before Scott Morrison responds to the mounting global, business, institutional, civil society, and voter pressure to listen to the science and adopt a responsible climate policy?
Labor fails to heed the change in climate [$]
Dennis Shanahan
Labor has been going backwards since the day Kevin Rudd was elected prime minister in 2007.
Victoria
Australian timber blocked from entering China due to pest
China has suspended imports of all Victorian timber logs indefinitely over concerns of bark beetle, less than a week after an unofficial ban on Australian exports came into effect.
AEMO charts “transmission roadmap” to guide Victoria to 50pct renewables
AEMO to help establish new renewable energy zones in Victoria, as part of $3.5bn of network projects to help smooth transition to 50% renewables by 2030.
Victoria plugs in record number of renewable energy generators
Record numbers of large-scale renewable energy generators have been connected to the grid in Victoria over the past year, eclipsing every other state in the national energy market.
Grampians rock climbing ban to go ahead [$]
Dozens of rock climbing areas will be shut in the Grampians after Parks Victoria announced that its controversial bans will be maintained and a permit system may be introduced for climbers.
Victoria called on to ditch “outdated” network fees making EV fast-chargers unviable
Victorian government called on to intervene over ‘out-dated’ network access fees, that could jeopardise the roll-out of new EV fast-chargers.
New South Wales
Government tackles toxic culture, conflict and burnout in wildlife rescue sector
The NSW government will increase oversight of the state’s 5600 wildlife rescue volunteers in a bid to deal with the “group politics, conflict and burnout” dragging down the sector and boost standards for care of the animals.
States plug in to electric vehicle tax switch [$]
The NSW government will strongly consider the introduction of an electric vehicle tax similar to a scheme proposed by South Australia this week, with Treasurer Dominic Perrottet looking to introduce a user-charge policy to cabinet within the next year.
Coal and climate leave Labor with pain in the regions [$]
For more than a century, the heartbeat of the Labor Party reverberated loudly through the Hunter Valley’s coalmines, across its famous vineyards and cattle country, and along the working-class streets of its tight-knit communities.
Berejiklian Government backs koala extinction plan for Campbelltown
Sue Arnold
A significant koala population is facing being wiped out to make way for a major housing development.
Queensland
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has won a third term and appointed a new Cabinet, now what?
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has a rare opportunity. She leads a third-term government with an increased parliamentary majority and the state’s first set four-year term. But what does her self-described progressive government want to achieve?
Meet Queensland’s first all-women Aboriginal ranger crew
Using traditional and modern knowledge, rangers in Far North Queensland are conducting controlled fires to protect their country and inspire the next generation of recruits.
Albanese won’t commit to Qld coal mine visit [$]
Anthony Albanese would not commit to visiting a Queensland coal mine yesterday as outspoken MP Joel Fitzgibbon reiterated his calls for the Opposition Leader to be more like Annastacia Palaszczuk.
Mick de Brenni named new Queensland minister for renewables and hydrogen
Mick de Brenni appointed Queensland minister for energy, renewables and hydrogen. Australia’s first dedicated minister for hydrogen.
Doing a Bondy: Qld privatised Dalrymple Coal, now buys back when it’s too late
Michael West
“You only get one Alan Bond in your lifetime, and I’ve had mine,” Kerry Packer once famously proclaimed, after selling his Nine Network to Bondy for $1 billion and buying it back three years later for $250 million. Now Brookfield has found their Bondy, the Government of Queensland
South Australia
Budget jolt goes flat as Labor kills electric car tax
The Marshall Government’s planned electric vehicle tax has hit a seemingly insurmountable roadblock, with Labor declaring it will block the budget measure when it comes before parliament.
Govt rejects call for consistent 60km/h limit through park lands
The State Government has rejected an Adelaide City Council push to increase speed limits on all roads through the park lands to a consistent 60 kilometres per hour.
Pauline Hanson’s decision to block a nuclear waste dump for regional SA is ‘disappointing’, the Resources Minister says. He will push ahead to build it anyway.
‘Grow a pair’: PFAS dumping ban fails [$]
Moves to ban the dumping of PFAS at landfill sites has been defeated in state parliament, prompting a frustrated outburst from an MP.
Hanson sees Green and sells out to nuclear nonsense [$]
Caleb Bond
Rank populism has robbed a desperate SA community of a lifeline, pushing fear and conspiracism in exchange.
SA in the fast lane when it comes to electric vehicles
AFR editorial
Credit to the SA government for introducing an Australian-first road user charge for electric vehicle – a first step towards the system recommended by the Henry tax review and the Productivity Commission.
Tasmania
Tasmanian budget 2020-21: Roads and bridges pave path to recovery
The government will invest a record $5 billion into a landmark infrastructure program, over four years, with $1.1 billion to be rolled out in 2020-21.
State government vehicle fleet to go fully electric by 2030
The Tasmanian government’s vehicle fleet will be fully electric by the start of the next decade, Premier Peter Gutwein has announced.
Ta Ann Tasmania (TAT) today announces the closure of Huon Veneer mill and the consolidation of its Tasmanian operations at Smithton.
Northern Territory
Territory Wildlife Park government funding almost doubled after years in the red
Territory Wildlife Park is still expected to sink into the red this financial year, despite the NT government nearly doubling its annual funding to inject $6.7m into the park.
Western Australia
Traditional Owners ‘reawaken’ true name for Lake Disappointment
Traditional Owners in the Western Desert lands of WA will formally reawaken the name of a significant lake 100-years after a settler mis-labelled it, ‘Disappointment Lake’.
A greener WA would boost the state’s economy by $16 billion
WA has the lowest proportion of renewable electricity generation of any state in Australia
Fortescue accused of ‘bullying’ Aboriginal groups to allow destruction of sacred sites
Letters submitted to the Juukan Gorge inquiry show the mining giant threatened legal action if it was not allowed to destroy Eastern Guruma sites
Sustainability
Agriculture and food systems in Latin America and Caribbean poised for transformational changes
As agriculture and food systems across Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) try to recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, policy makers must act to unleash the sector’s vast potential to drive sustainable and inclusive growth for decades to come, according to a new World Bank report.
Explainer: Why have pollution levels surged in India?
As winter approaches each year, a haze of toxic smog envelopes vast swathes of northern India, including the capital New Delhi, forcing authorities to shut schools and restrict the use of private vehicles.
Cities need to embrace the darkness of the night sky – here’s why
Nick Dunn
As the coronavirus pandemic has moved around the world, cities have gone into lockdown and people have been encouraged to stay at home. In many places, curfews have been introduced.
Ghanaians devastated by illegal fishing try hand at citizen sleuthing
Crucial fish stocks could disappear within five years without urgent action, so desperate fishers are using a new smartphone app to log alleged crimes
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