Daily Links Mar 31

Here’re a few clues as to the price the rehabilitated Joyce of the Mining Party (previously known as the National Party) managed to exact from the Pentecostal PM (rather than the government as hardly anyone apart from the PM seems to know much) for propping up the Coalition. We all, and the environment on which everything depends, are paying.https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/politics/federal/payback-for-net-zero-gas-coal-dam-and-green-funds-flow-for-nationals-20220330-p5a99m.html

Daily Links Mar 30

When it’s been established that the government has no duty of care for future generations, that the budget pays scant attention to clean energy is not surprising. But then neither is it surprising that a talentless government so on the nose with the electorate should direct our dollars to likely supporters in an effort to be re-elected.https://reneweconomy.com.au/climate-spending-cut-as-frydenberg-delivers-empty-budget-for-clean-energy-and-evs/

Daily Links Mar 29

The loss of Antarctic and Greenland ice is now six times greater than it was in the 1990s. We read about the collapse of an ice shelf here, the disappearance of a glacier there but it is when these observations are aggregated that the problem becomes clear. Then there’re fires, floods and pestilence. You’d think an intelligent and competent government would do something, wouldn’t you.https://climate.nasa.gov/news/2958/greenland-antarctica-melting-six-times-faster-than-in-the-1990s/

Daily Links Mar 28

Well, if the last election result wasn’t a miracle, as was claimed, the car parks rort was one of the many cash-splashes that bought the election for the Pentecostal PM. The public would have to be absolute dupes to fall for the same car parks announcements again. But – maybe enough of them are?https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/politics/federal/coalition-earmarks-more-cash-for-commuter-car-parks-in-marginal-seats-20220327-p5a8c7.html

Daily Links Mar 27

As my apple-cheeked mater was wont to repeat “there’s nothing new under the sun”. Floods, and towns under threat from floods, are not ‘unprecedented’, what we do about them also has precedents. Gundagai was relocated to higher ground 170 years ago, Grantham saw much retreating to higher ground just 11years ago. Bonnie Don and Adaminaby were relocated after being purposefully flooded as a result of dam-building. Don’t build on flood-plains is the long-term answer.https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-27/relocating-homes-flood-zones-not-easy/100928536

Daily Links Mar 26

Off list again with a bit of politicking. Which is more important in the forthcoming election, effective climate policies or a fair dinkum Integrity Commission? We don’t have to choose, there’ll be many candidates who are committed to work on both. It will be important to vote strategically in your electorate to get up a candidate who will do both, so it might be time to give your first preference away from the party you usually support, your second preference is still there.https://askbucko.com/2022/03/21/a-government-which-could-not-lie-straight-in-bed/?fbclid=IwAR1dQtTiaykg1_i3p-yuZ1l0HnrvlC5OocUYWcmEYoynn9WaNjrYhuZ8xWg

Daily Links Mar 25

Completely off list, but Craig Foster’s National Press Club address this week is brilliant. If you have a half hour, do yourself a favour and watch this, perhaps put the audio on in your car and listen to a comprehensive analysis of How we as a nation, have lost our way. This guy is a true leader.https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Up5i3QymWhU#

Daily Links Mar 24

So many of the responsibilities of local governments place them at the forefront of the climate response, from operating planning schemes, maintaining local roads and streets and providing for emergency recovery. Their task is so much harder when the federal government does nothing to reduce the risk of the biophysical and socioeconomic impacts of climate change and does nothing to address the contributing factors in the first place.https://www.aap.com.au/news/weary-councils-demand-climate-action-cash/

Daily Links Mar 23

The muzzling of civil society is an issue we all need to be concerned about. A government confident in its full suite of policies ought to be prepared to counter advocacy from public good charities, not lash out with threats to their existence.https://www.theage.com.au/national/why-our-charities-should-be-free-to-criticise-hopeless-policy-20220321-p5a6mw.html

Daily Links Mar 22

As the Morrison government revels in the higher oil price due to Putin’s appalling ambition to create Greater Russia, the Pentecostal PM offers foreign aid in the form of coal to Ukraine. How cloth-headed can the coal-fondler be? And just to rub it in, it is we tax-payers who are picking up the bill to pay Whitehaven for it.https://reneweconomy.com.au/morrison-rejoices-in-high-fossil-fuel-prices-but-ukraine-coal-gesture-will-last-just-days/