There were 374 extra deaths in Victoria’s January 2009 heatwave. Average temperatures, and so the likelihood of more frequent extremes, have risen since then. We need a lot more than ‘old spouses tales’ if the community is to stay safe.https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-01-10/scientist-says-some-heatwave-advice-based-on-old-wives-tales/13039604
Ok, I know that we need mining and the products we get, but I also know that we need a healthy environment. Duh, I hear you say. But what allowance is made for remediation after the mine is spent? There are too many cases of the benefits being privatised, with the shareholders laughing their ways to the bank, and the costs being socialised, with the public purse being plundered for rehabilitation. When it is the environment bearing very long-time damage for local communities to endure, it is even less fair.https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-01-09/gundjeihmi-era-negotiate-ranger-uranium-mine-rehabilitation/13043076
Australia is long overdue for a national planning policy. If we leave the development of our cities to the private sector we’ll continue with cities that are increasingly unpleasant to live in as climate impacts hit.https://theconversation.com/cities-could-get-more-than-4-c-hotter-by-2100-to-keep-cool-in-australia-we-urgently-need-a-national-planning-policy-152680The Report Building Up, Moving Out, at this URL points out what we need to do.https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/department/ips/government_responses/government-response-hor-building-up-moving-out-may-2020.aspx
Three trends that might move the response, (i) we’re seeing the impacts in fires, floods, rich people’s coastal homes washing away and island communities under water, (ii) the rapid fall in prices of renewable energy and (iii) the rising strength of the global environmental movement challenging the fossil fools’ social licence.https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-a-warming-planet/our-best-chance-to-slow-global-warming-comes-in-the-next-nine-years
Duelling researchers at how many paces (wrt yesterday’s article). Is ‘committed warming’ going to mean there will be a dangerous lag even after zero emissions? It is all too easy …
Hmm, if it is true that the climate would stabilise relatively quickly if the world goes to zero emissions, there is hope. But, but, we have to go to zero …
It seems that 2020 wasn’t completely dead, just mostly dead. Which means it was slightly alive, and here’s a few stories of that life.https://news.mongabay.com/2020/12/top-positive-environmental-stories-from-2020/
In another article based in common-sense, Peter Boyer raises the welcome spectre of the reemergence of science in public policy. Yes, populism abounds (fireworks displays that frighten the dogs and also put heavy metals into the environment) and the RWNJs push back on mask-wearing, but generally following science-based health advice is getting us through the pandemic. Now let’s see science applied to policy on climate change.http://southwind.com.au/2020/12/29/things-to-remember-from-our-year-to-forget/