Post of the Day
How the fossil fuel industry is gaslighting Australia – 7am podcast
Australia has largely fallen behind the rest of the world when it comes to action on climate change. But while polls show a majority of Australians actually want to phase out our reliance on fossil fuels and move to renewables, there are some who are uncertain on how this future looks. Today, Rebecca Huntley on how the fossil fuel lobby has influenced their hearts and minds.
On This Day
St. Lucy’s Day – Scandinavia
Ecological Observance
National Tree Planting Day – Malawi
Climate Change
U.N. climate boss: ‘We need to understand’ young people’s frustration
We talked to Patricia Espinosa, the executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, on empowering youths and defining success at COP27.
Climate shifts from risk to business imperative
Barry Sterland
If there was one defining moment for climate action in 2021, it was when the global investment community came out in force at Glasgow. It was a pivot point, yet the full implications are only now just beginning to be understood.
Climate change must inform every financial decision
Dali Sulejmani-Blackwell
The conference of parties (COP) met for the 26th time, constituting one of the most important meetings held by the United Nations in recent history.
National
Electricity prices fall to lowest level in years
Households are paying 8 per cent less for electricity on average after two years of tougher rules on suppliers and a steady fall in wholesale costs, leading the competition regulator to forecast continued gains in the year ahead.
CBA taps wall of green money for $200m sustainability deposit
In an Australian first, fund manager IFM Investors is placing $200 million with CBA in a deposit that will only be used to fund sustainability-linked loans.
Climate change and skills on CEOs’ federal election wishlist [$]
Australia’s top business leaders want next year’s poll to be fought on jobs and the environment, declaring the country needs to act fast.
Federal government releases $2m hi-tech app to help avoid recycling contamination [$]
The federal government is encouraging Australians to start using an app that combines artificial intelligence and photo recognition to help consumers sort their recycling, in a bid to cut waste contamination.
Doubt grows over Labor’s electric vehicle targets [$]
A leading energy expert has cast doubt on the ability of Labor to reach its electric car projections without significantly stronger policy levers such as fuel emissions standards or subsidies.
NBN commits to 100 per cent renewable target by the end of 2025
Australia’s NBN Co has announced a “Towards-Zero Carbon Ambition”, with the company outlining a plan to use electricity exclusively from renewable sources by the end of 2025.
How the fossil fuel industry is gaslighting Australia – 7am podcast
Australia has largely fallen behind the rest of the world when it comes to action on climate change. But while polls show a majority of Australians actually want to phase out our reliance on fossil fuels and move to renewables, there are some who are uncertain on how this future looks. Today, Rebecca Huntley on how the fossil fuel lobby has influenced their hearts and minds.
Catch the energy superpower tide to defeat recovery headwinds [$]
Ross Garnaut
Committing to stronger action on the climate is an opportunity for Australia to put the years of stagnation behind it, and move into a new era of rising real incomes.
State visit shows China, climate convergence with Australia’s forgotten friend
AFR editorial
Australia has the opportunity to renew a trade partnership and establish a clean energy foundation for the deepened security ties between Canberra and Seoul.
Climate candidates not independent of funding or ambition [$]
Jennifer Oriel
Independents are regarded as the native spirit of democracy; a bottomless well of rectitude sent from the land that politics forgot to keep the bastards honest.
Victoria
‘Serious allegations of widespread illegal activity’: VicForests referred to corruption watchdog
The Victorian government-owned logging agency VicForests and its regulator have been referred to the state’s anti-corruption watchdog after a string of allegations reported by the ABC since 2018.
Why experts want Dingoes reintroduced in Victoria [$]
Dingo populations could be reintroduced native parks and other areas after research found they could help fix this big problem.
‘No-one should have to live next to this’: Tip fire in Melbourne’s west to burn until May 2022
Residents near the Kealba Landfill are at breaking point as they endure the stench of a burning tip fire for a second year.
New South Wales
Dairy farmer’s ground-breaking solar project
Instead of draining freshwater and energy from the local community, this Farmers’ Own dairy farmer will go off-the-grid while reducing his carbon footprint.
Highway upgrades near Queensland-NSW border affecting floodplain and ecology, farmers say
Boggabilla farmer Pete Mailler says there is not enough capacity in causeways and culverts after raising of the Newell Highway
ACT
An apex predator is being turned loose in bushland in northern Canberra — and every other animal in its path should be very concerned.
ACT needs 500 more electric vehicle charging stations by 2030, as government eyes private investment
More than 500 publicly accessible electric vehicle charging stations will need to be installed across Canberra before the end of the decade to support the take-up of zero-emission cars, the ACT government believes.
Queensland
Brisbane has more tree cover than any other Australian capital, new aerial imagery shows
And homes in suburbs with plenty of trees are seven degrees cooler than those without them, according to Brisbane City Council research.
‘Gambling with our safety’: Serious concerns over state’s dam fail [$]
Queensland is facing a $3.1 billion bill to upgrade a number of dams and spillways with a bombshell report revealing the state government has failed to monitor the safety of dams.
Tesla charges ahead in Australian-first deal to provide battery-powered energy
Elon Musk’s company has its sights set on central Queensland for an energy generation project and will provide long-term revenue support.
Hi-vis offers no protection from extreme activism [$]
Lucas Dow
What has become apparent in recent times is that if you wear hi-vis, the iconic uniform of thousands of coal, gas, mining and heavy industry workers, you cannot rely upon governments to protect you from the illegal actions of anti-fossil fuel protesters.
Overhaul the global financial system for the sake of the planet
Jeffrey Sachs
The current two-tiered global financial system only allows rich countries to borrow on decent market terms so they can tackle problems like climate change.
Tasmania
Sisters Beach bushfire travelling east, worse conditions expected
The bushfire burning at Sisters Creek poses no immediate threat the community, says the Tasmania Fire Service.
‘Deliberately lit’ South West inferno finally contained
A major bushfire in Western Australia’s Margaret River region that tore through almost 5500 hectares and forced residents to evacuate has been downgraded to a watch and act.
Twiggy, the spy, a PM and his wife [$]
Andrew Forrest enlisted some of the biggest names in politics, business, science and security to turbocharge his green hydrogen dream, but internally at FFI doubts remain.
Sustainability
Buyer beware: greenwashing is becoming more sophisticated [$]
Anaita Sarkar
In an age of internet-savvy consumers, companies have employed increasingly sophisticated greenwashing tactics to avoid taking any meaningful environmental action while reaping the reputational benefits of appearing to be eco-friendly. But it’s only a matter of time before consumer knowledge catches up with industry practices. There are some materials that, no matter what you do with them, will still pose a problem in the supply chain at some point.
Sybil Derrible et al
Communities across the U.S. Southeast and Midwest will be assessing damage from the deadly and widespread tornado outbreak on Dec. 10-11, 2021 for some time. But it’s clear that the cleanups will take months, and possibly years.
The Guardian view on ash dieback: a tiny chink of hope
Guardian editorial
British landscapes will be devastated by the collapse of the ash. In the long term, resistant strains may pull through
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