Post of the Day
Non-carbon emissions could ‘bump’ global temperatures above 1.5C within seven years, research warns
Even if all human-made greenhouse gas emissions were halted immediately, there’s a two-thirds chance the planet will exceed its warming limit of 1.5C, according to study into the extent of heating locked into the world’s climate by previous pollution.
On This Day
Ecological Observance
Climate Change
‘We can do better, we must’ declares departing UN climate change chief, as COP27 looms on horizon
The annual UN Climate Change Conference in the German city of Bonn began on Monday, designed to lay the groundwork for a successful COP27, due to take place in the Egyptian coastal resort of Sharm-el-Sheikh next November.
Carbon dioxide levels are now 50% higher than during the pre-industrial era
CO2 has not been so high since before hominids walked upright – and are not dropping fast enough to avert catastrophe
Environmentalists join forces to fight ‘carbon bomb’ fossil fuel projects
Coalition of lawyers, journalists and campaigners challenge climate-busting mega projects exposed in Guardian investigation
Non-carbon emissions could ‘bump’ global temperatures above 1.5C within seven years, research warns
Even if all human-made greenhouse gas emissions were halted immediately, there’s a two-thirds chance the planet will exceed its warming limit of 1.5C, according to study into the extent of heating locked into the world’s climate by previous pollution.
Will the Ukraine stalemate spawn climate catastrophe?
Andris Heks
It is not every day that you hear two of the world’s shrewdest senior voices in international affairs, George Soros and Henry Kissinger agree.
National
Jim Chalmers writes to ACCC to express ‘deep concern’ about spiking gas and electricity prices
Treasurer Jim Chalmers says the government is reviewing a number of options to counter rising energy prices as inflationary pressures strain household budgets.
Forest industries welcome new Federal Shadow Ministry
The Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA) welcomes Senator Jonno Duniam’s continued forest industries focus, through his new role as Shadow Minister for the Environment, Fisheries and Forestry in the Federal Opposition’s newly announced Shadow Ministry, Chief Executive Officer of AFPA Ross Hampton said today.
Resources minister signals ‘very positive’ talks with gas corporations and suggested managing coal supply could relieve market pressures
‘Mind-boggling’ challenge demands deep energy reforms: chief energy adviser
Australia’s chief energy advisor is briefing ministers about reforms needed to tackle rising power bills and bring more renewables onto the grid.
Market chaos as outages push coal output to record low, despite new wind peaks
Coal outages and supply shortfalls send coal generation to record lows in main grid, as price chaos continues despite record wind output.
‘I’ll make nuclear subs deal work’ [$]
Defence Minister says nuclear-powered submarines are “fundamental” to the nation’s security, vowing to provide necessary funding.
Peter Dutton says he’s ‘not afraid’ of nuclear debate after advocate named shadow energy minister
Ideas shouldn’t be ruled out ‘simply because it’s unfashionable to talk about them’, Liberal leader says
The Coalition didn’t do much on nuclear energy while in office. Why are they talking about it now?
Adam Morton
There is a long history of nuclear energy being used as a delaying tactic for acting on climate change in Australia
Initiatives to curb climate change must include equity and population stabilization
David Shearman
The recent Australian election replaced a fossil-fueled focused, climate-denying government with one lead by new Prime Minister Anthony Albanese that promises action on climate change.
Peter Hannam
Analysts say the extent to which Australia will have to accelerate the uptake of renewables has not been appreciated – it’s extremely challenging, but not impossible
Mandated home gas connection is mandating ill health for thousands
David Shearman
Respiratory disease caused by pollution in houses cooking with natural gas has been recognised in the medical literature for over 25 years, yet governments have failed to act to protect human health. How can this be?
LNP handballs electricity grenade to Labor
Canberra Times editorial
The arrival of a fierce wintry blast to the south-east of the continent has coincided with a sudden spike in spot electricity prices in many states, providing the Albanese government with its first major challenge – and one not of its making.
Coal-fired power a short-term option [$]
Geoff Chambers, Max Maddison
Australia’s energy ministers will need to reactivate 30 per cent of the electricity grid’s coal-fired power plants to alleviate the worsening energy crisis.
Labor rejected ‘visionary’ gas policy a decade ago [$]
Dennis Shanahan
Labor will have to revisit the issue of domestic gas preservation a decade after the Gillard government spurned it.
Eastern states have gas, they just need the will to extract it [$]
Judith Sloan
Renewable energy – encouraged and subsidised by government – cannot provide all the electricity that is required.
Why natural gas is critical for energy security [$]
Dylan Pugh
We will need diverse supply sources if we want to maintain reliable access to the energy that powers jobs and keeps the lights and heaters on.
Four lessons from an energy crisis we could have avoided [$]
Robert Wheals
The fact is, there is no quick fix to where we find ourselves today after a decade of failure to deliver a national energy plan.
Matthew England et al
Climate change is slowing down the conveyor belt of ocean currents that brings warm water from the tropics up to the North Atlantic. Our research, published today in Nature Climate Change, looks at the profound consequences to global climate if this Atlantic conveyor collapses entirely.
David Ritter
Executives preaching business as usual need to pay attention. AGL is what will happen to any business that relies on fossil fuels and fails to get out in time
Victoria
‘Climate emergency’ council unplugs solar from heritage home
A home owner must remove the solar panels he had installed on the roof of his Canterbury home because of the heritage restrictions in his neighbourhood.
New South Wales
Federal Court intervention sought to refloat offshore gas plans sunk by former PM
A company is hoping to refloat plans to tap into offshore gas supplies between Newcastle and Sydney, after the proposal was sunk by former prime minister Scott Morrison.
How a farmer who planted 15,000 trees turned his ‘dust bowl’ property around
A NSW farmer says productivity has improved after planting lines of trees, known as shelterbelts, admitting “it is a lot of work but the results are terrific”.
ACT
Island in the energy price storm: renewables help ACT cut power costs
ACT is the only jurisdiction bucking the trend of soaring power bills now plaguing the rest of Australia
Queensland
Queensland has done the ‘heavy lifting’ for Australia in producing gas
“The problem has been in other states who haven’t been producing gas and that’s now created a problem, for southern states in particular,” Queensland’s Treasurer Cameron Dick said.
Tasmania
Tasmania’s forestry quota comes under fire once again [$]
The state government’s legislated sawlog quota was once again a site of contentious debate at Monday’s Legislative Council Estimates Committee hearing.
Anti-protest laws ‘based on lies’
Cassy O’Connor MP, Greens Leader
The Attorney General confirmed in this afternoon’s Workplace Safety Estimates hearings there have been zero injuries or reports to WorkSafe at logging protests.
Northern Territory
Traditional owners launch Federal Court action to halt multi-billion dollar Santos gas field
Traditional owner Dennis Tipakalippa says he was not consulted about Santos’s multi-billion dollar Barossa project, which will run a gas pipeline through his family’s sea country.
Western Australia
Previous environment minister, Sussan Ley, declined to issue emergency protection to halt $4.5bn development on Western Australia’s Burrup peninsula
Australians paying price for Coalition’s coal and gas worship: Twiggy [$]
Households and businesses suffering through Australia’s energy crisis are paying the price for the former Coalition government’s “marriage to gas and coal”, billionaire businessman Andrew Forrest has said.
‘Half-baked’ climate policies hurt Liberals in WA
In an attempt to please everyone, the Coalition managed to please no one in the end.
Sustainability
Building greener, more resilient industrial sector is must for long-term survival
Organisations across the globe are accelerating to reach a net zero future. However, there are still many businesses in the industrial sector paralysed by not knowing where to begin, even though others have been taking full advantage of clean technology solutions for some time.
Greenhouse gas emissions from ships is increasing while the U.S. waits for world leaders to act
As U.N. talks begin Monday on whether the world should to more to rein in greenhouse gas emissions from the shipping industry, many are pushing the Biden administration to act on its own to curb pandemic-fueled carbon pollution.
How a knee replacement impacts the planet
A total knee replacement can greatly improve a patient’s quality of life, but first the procedure itself will create nearly 30 pounds of waste, about half of which presents a biohazard and requires energy-intensive treatment for safe disposal.
Bangladesh among lowest performers in curbing environmental pollution
Bangladesh is the fourth worst country in curbing environmental pollution, according to this year’s Environmental Performance Index.
Power struggle: The world’s energy crisis could get worse
If the West and EU hold their lines on Russian energy, the oil and gas crunch being experienced around the world probably isn’t a temporary phenomenon.
Nature Conservation
Extinct and endangered species – in pictures
Extinction, a new book by Marc Schlossman, explores endangered and extinct species and the factors threatening them through a rare behind the scenes look at one of the most important sets of natural history collections in the world at the Field Museum in Chicago
Human mania for roadbuilding threatens apex predators
Jeffrey Dunnink
Tigers and leopards are among the ten apex predators most threatened by the world’s obsession with road-building.
The dead shellfish littering our beaches tell you a lot about safety and secrecy in Britain
George Monbiot
Environmentalists fear a toxic disaster is occurring on the seabed, and government denials seem less and less plausible
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