Date: 10 June 2023 at 8:26:54 am AEST
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Subject: Daily Links Jun 10
Post of the Day
It’s time for a climate test before approving large projects
Ralph Evans
As a major exporter of fossil fuels, Australia has a hand in emissions several times larger than those we generate here. To avoid climate catastrophe, all greenhouse emissions must be cut, fast. It is time to introduce a test of the impact on the global climate before big new projects are approved.
On This Day
Climate Change
Greta Thunberg skips school to strike for climate action one last time
The Swedish activist will no longer draw attention to climate change by skipping classes because she is graduating.
‘Nowhere is safe now’: wildfire smoke brings climate crisis home to Americans
With the Empire State Building and the Lincoln Memorial blotted out, the US is experiencing the climate catastrophe first-hand
Fire and (melting) ice: Record temperatures in Asia, wildfire smoke cloaks US
Scientists say the warning bells on climate change are at a deafening pitch as temperature records are being broken in Asia and North America is choked by smoke.
Dems seize on wildfires to pound GOP’s climate opposition
The haze descended on the East Coast from the Canadian wildfires as Republicans were targeting some of the measures Democrats and scientists say would help slow the planet’s warming.
“Poison that’s killing us all”: Bonn climate talks try to prevent failure at gas-fired COP
Delegates struggle to fund common ground in preparatory talks ahead of the main COP climate negotiations to be held in fossil exporting giant UAE later this year.
Save the planet: ditch the pooch, not the car [$]
Chris Kenny
Studies have shown the annual carbon footprint of a family dog can match that of a car. When the climate fearmongers give up their pups I might be more inclined to listen to them.
The carbon market’s quality problem
Shayle Kann
Only a small fraction of the carbon credits on voluntary markets actually do what they say they do. Could better credit-rating systems help?
The tragic intersection of the war on Ukraine and the battle against climate change
Tara D. Sonenshine
War condemns everyone: People in Russia-controlled territory in Ukraine and in the areas around Kherson, are suffering from flooding, contaminated water and hazardous environmental conditions.
National
The packaging industry will be forced to follow new waste rules after failure of voluntary targets
Federal, state and territory environment ministers have provided the first details about what the new regulations will mean for manufacturers.
Cash for gas: Networks offer rebates, cash bonuses to keep home fossils burning
As governments try to encourage households to quit the gas network, gas companies are offering even bigger incentives to burn more fossil fuels.
Wind farms set new output record in Australia’s main grid for first time in 2023
Wind energy sets first output record of the year in Australia’s main grid, with more to come over winter.
Australia’s grid needs a 1.5°C target – Energy Insiders podcast:
Stephanie Bashir from Nexa Advisory on why setting a firm target of 1.5°C for the electricity grid would help solve regulatory and other blockages to new renewables.
Environment ministers back ‘nature positive Australia’, circular economy
Agree Communique – (Australian) Environment Ministers Meeting
Australia’s environment ministers met today in Sydney with a renewed purpose to work together to achieve a Nature Positive Australia to leave our environment better off for our kids and grandkids.
El Niño is coming. We must plan for the worst to protect Australia’s energy system
Dylan McConnell and Iain MacGill
The Bureau of Meteorology predicts increased temperatures and heatwaves this year, raising the prospect of blackouts – just as the electricity sector faces several other challenges
Labour doesn’t need to sabotage its green prosperity plan – just to cost it clearly
John McDonnell
The argument that markets will react badly to borrowing doesn’t wash – Rachel Reeves has to be open about using taxes
Five financial reforms for energy transition
Janaline Oh, Tim Buckley
May saw a significant shift in geostrategic energy dynamics, with Prime Minister Albanese and US President Biden agreeing on a Climate, Critical Minerals and Clean Energy Transformation Compact.
Labor ‘greenwashing’ climate record with bid to host international summit: report [$]
Anton Nilsson
Hosting COP31 with Pacific neighbours would amount to ‘rewarding Australia for decades of recalcitrance’, the Australia Institute says.
A seismic blasting whistleblower speaks [$]
Elle Marsh
A marine biologist working with seismic blasting surveyors has turned whistleblower to highlight significant flaws in how the process is monitored and the risks it poses to marine life.
Naturgy opens new Victoria wind farm as part of major renewables and storage push
Spain’s Naturgy opens another wind farm contracted to ACT government, and aims to lift its Australian renewables and battery capacity five fold within two years.
Queensland
Fish and chip prices to rise with ban on major form of fishing, a fisheries scientist says
There are fears fresh fish prices could “go through the roof” with a ban on gillnet fishing, paving the way for more imported seafood.
Adani activist in beef over cattle at ‘unlawful’ protest camp site [$]
An activist, rap musician and self-proclaimed “cultural custodian” of the Bravus/Adani mine site has complained to the Queensland Human Rights Commission that cattle grazing on the Carmichael mine lease “threatens our human rights”.
Explained: Why K’gari and other sacred sites will be restricted
In a week in which the world’s largest sand island was controversially restored to its traditional name, an expert reveals why some land is considered sacred.
Northern Territory
Beetaloo gas company proposal to build LNG plant at Middle Arm
Tamboran Resources is one of five companies the Northern Territory government has provided commitments to for land at its Middle Arm development.
The Tjuwanpa Women Rangers have taken up arms to protect native animals from feral predators in central Australia and have been sharpening their shooting skills.
Top End electricity supply to continue to rely on emergency gas
Supply issues at an offshore gas field force the government-owned electricity provider to rely on emergency gas deals with LNG exporters to keep generators running.
Middle Arm concept drawing showed four petrochemical export jetties: FOI documents [$]
Fyles Government concept drawings for the so-called sustainable Middle Arm industrial area show four out of five export jetties could be used for shipping gas and petrochemicals, with the graphics given to the Federal Government around the same time the Chief Minister was denying there would be petrochemicals, material obtained under Freedom of Information laws show.
Beetaloo gas pollutes Darwin “sustainable” precinct, despite green hydrogen and battery mandates
Giles Parkinson
Green hydrogen ventures proposed by Andrew Forrest and Total Eren get land in new Darwin precinct, and may source solar power from Sun Cable. But will Beetaloo LNG gas terminal pose a problem?
Western Australia
‘Last resort’ generators deployed as coal shutdowns squeeze WA power
Power supply in the south west of WA has had a troubled week as the sun refuses to shine and wind farms languish on the drawing board.
Sustainability
The Zaporizhzhia power plant used water from the destroyed Ukrainian dam. What happens now?
One of the world’s largest nuclear power plants relies on a reservoir attached to the Nova Kakhovka dam. What does that mean now the dam has been destroyed?
Sunak and Biden sign US-UK pact on clean energy, AI
US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak say their countries will partner on advanced technologies, clean energy and critical minerals as they strengthen a historical security alliance.
The capital strike against coal has failed [$]
The industry is easily circumventing the international campaign to deny it financing and looks likely to thrive into the next decade, The Economist reports.
“This is a first:” Scientists beam solar power from space to Earth
The breakthrough opens the door to an energy source that could “potentially [yield] eight times more power than solar panels at any location on Earth’s surface.”
Mining critical to renewable energy tied to hundreds of alleged human rights abuses
A new report faults the U.S. and other nations for providing incentives for the mining of rare metals like lithium and cobalt without enacting adequate labor and environmental safeguards
While New York is choking on smog, for Beijing, New Delhi and other cities it’s just another day
Jessie Yeung
As smoke from Canadian wildfires blankets New York, residents are grappling with severe air pollution, a rare occurrence for the city. However, in many major cities across Asia, battling intense air pollution caused by smoke, fossil fuels, and industrial chemicals has become the norm
Andrew Nikiforuk
Pollution protections are stripped while Canada boasts progress. This is the history of promises made and betrayed.
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