Date: 25 October 2021 at 9:03:52 am AEDT
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Subject: Daily Links Oct 25
Post of the Day
Peter Dykstra: We have met the enemy, and he is us
Will an old comic strip expression define upcoming global climate talks?
On This Day
Climate Change
Prince Charles issues warning ahead of COP26
Prince Charles has said the world has a “dangerously narrow window of opportunity” to recover from climate change and work towards a sustainable future. Speaking virtually during Saudi Arabia’s Green Initiative Forum, Charles praised the kingdom’s plan to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels.
Poorest countries to gain from new climate funding plan to break Cop26 impasse
Climate finance plan needed to gain backing of developing nations for any deal at Glasgow talks
Why aren’t we in prison, ask Insulate Britain protesters
Fresh wave of direct action is planned before Cop26 summit opens
Cop26: ‘World conflict and chaos’ could be the result of a summit failure
Top climate official issues strong warning on effect of unchecked greenhouse gases ahead of summit
How global heating’s children view the world, 12 years on
In the run-up to the global summit in Glasgow, we revisit families with children – now teenagers – born at the time of the 2009 climate conference
A warming earth: Natural disasters from 2020 to now
In the past two years, new records have been set for natural disasters across the world. And the IPCC warns this may only be the beginning.
How Cop26 has triggered a new assault by climate sceptics
The populist attack on net-zero economics is a threat to all those who want a greener planet.
Here in the Pacific, the climate crisis has already arrived
Ilisapeci Masivesi
Over decades, we’ve watched with alarm as the intensity of storms increases. We need countries to step up at COP26.
Xi’s a likely no-show at Glasgow but it doesn’t matter much
Sam Geall
China needs to step up at the COP talks but Xi’s presence is not the key to a successful outcome.
Hao Tan et al
A week out from the COP26 climate negotiations in Glasgow, all eyes are on two nations: China and the United States. Together, the superpowers are responsible for more than 40% of global carbon emissions. US-China relations have been fractious in recent years, and whether they can cooperate on climate action is crucial to success at COP26 and beyond.
IA Book Club: Confronting the global climate crisis
Bob Ashcroft
This short book, The Human Scaffold: How Not to Design Your Way Out of a Climate Crisis appears to be written for a small audience of cognoscenti.
A successful COP26 is essential for Earth’s future. Here’s what needs to go right
Christian Downie
A week from today, a crucial round of United Nations climate change negotiations will begin in Glasgow and the stakes could not be higher. By the end, we’ll know how far nations are willing to go to address humanity’s biggest challenge.
Peter Dykstra: We have met the enemy, and he is us
Will an old comic strip expression define upcoming global climate talks?
National
Nationals provide in-principle support for net zero 2050 target
Barnaby Joyce confirms the majority of Nationals members have given in-principle support to back a target of net zero emissions by 2050, ending a years-long standoff within the Coalition on climate change policy.
Cracks emerge: ‘Bad deal for Australia’
Cracks are emerging in Barnaby Joyce’s net zero “deal” for the PM with some Nationals MPs confirming they won’t support it.
Kean also took a swipe at MPs supporting nuclear power, saying they are ‘chasing a unicorn’
Young Australians lodge human rights complaints with UN over alleged government inaction on climate
Five young people argue 2030 emissions target fails to uphold the rights of young Australians
These households are ditching gas, slashing bills and going ‘net zero’. Here’s how
In the short space of one year, Annabelle and Alex have slashed the money they spend on electricity, gas and petrol to zero. Here’s how they did it.
The root vegetable taro is a staple in the Pacific, but it is under threat from climate change. Now scientists are swapping lab coats for canoes to find new more resilient varieties.
Australia needs a royal commission into nuclear power
A former state governor has called for a royal commission into nuclear energy, saying a net zero target cannot be reached by 2050 without the controversial fuel.
What Europe’s energy crisis means for Australia [$]
Europe’s energy crisis has some lessons for our own network, and could influence negotiations at the COP26 conference in an unexpected way, industry experts say.
Australia will need to adopt stronger 2030 goals or risk being left behind as a climate-friendly global economy emerges, European ambassadors in Canberra have urged.
Push to go vego slammed as ‘green socialism’ [$]
Matt Canavan says that a leaked climate conference document reveals the true nature of the environmental agenda.
Cap pollution from new cars, says Grattan Institute [$]
Australia is well behind most of the rest of the world when it comes to limiting carbon emissions from new vehicles.
Coalition avoids meltdown over emissions target – but at what price?
Katharine Murphy
Scott Morrison will be relieved the Nationals have limped across the line on net zero by 2050, but the detail of what was negotiated with Barnaby Joyce is yet to be seen
Net zero pledge a defining moment, but the real test is action
David Crowe
A majority of Australians accept the case for net zero emissions by 2050 to prevent a greater danger from global warming. Prime Minister Scott Morrison accepts it. So does a majority of federal cabinet.
Real action on climate change needed to protect regional Australia
Luke Mitchell
As a rural doctor and parent of three young kids, I am relieved to see that climate action is finally on the political cards for Australia.
Target 2035 campaign seeks more ambitious net zero carbon emissions goal [$]
Harley Dennett
With debate over whether Australia should commit to net zero carbon emissions by 2050 almost behind it, new young leaders in politics and universities are asking for a debate around interim targets to be taken seriously.
Morrison’s tricky deal: Nationals rewarded for agreeing to harm the regions
Ross Gittins
The perverse nature of the Prime Minister’s deal with the Nationals has been highlighted in a new study that found the cost of not acting sooner on climate change will be worn most heavily by the regions.
Morrison seals climate deal, but doesn’t satisfy critics [$]
Jennifer Hewett
Scott Morrison was beset on all sides over climate policy but has struck a deal with the Nationals. He is still being challenged by many Liberals to be more ambitious, though.
Brands that act on climate change will win Gen Z [$]
Suzie Shaw
Brands must think harder about sustainability and demonstrate their commitment with actions rather than just words or face losing Gen Z.
Weigh up the cost before you take to the sky again
Letters
Age readers discuss the impact of airline travel on climate change, solar power and whether the National Party speaks for rural Australia.
Why the Glasgow summit will matter to Australia [$]
AFR editorial
Beyond the over-excited news cycle, the most important result for Australians could be firm rules on carbon trading that will ease the offsets that our carbon intensive economy will inevitably need.
Morrison pays price for net zero division [$]
Simon Benson
Scott Morrison believes the Coalition cannot afford for the next election to become a referendum on a 2050 net-zero emissions target.
Net-zero emissions: Barnaby Joyce will own the consequences [$]
Joe Kelly
Barnaby Joyce has completed the Coalition’s climate transformation by giving in-principle support to a net zero emissions target for 2050.
Barnaby the only pollie telling the truth on climate [$]
Andrew Bolt
The Deputy Prime Minister admits that the government’s global warming plan that his Nationals party has now agreed to is useless.
Tough carbon dioxide car emissions ceilings could get us well on the road to net-zero
Marion Terrill and Lachlan Fox
The federal government’s mantra of “technology, not taxes” has left it with few options to easily reduce carbon emissions.
John Quiggin
The National Party on Sunday agreed to a plan to cut Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by 2050, clearing the way for Prime Minister Scott Morrison to announce the target ahead of the Glasgow climate summit.
As history proves, change is inevitable and we will thrive [$]
Dave Sharma
For more than a century, Australia’s main export was wool. The wealthiest Australians were woolgrowers, and wool accounted for fully half of exports in 1950. The nation rode on the sheep’s back, with the health of the economy closely linked to the global wool markets.
Left media exposed on Covid, climate and China [$]
Chris Mitchell
The green-left media campaign against the Morrison government may backfire, just as it did in the 2019 election.
Sobering perspective on ‘net zero by 2050’ from Vaclav Smil [$]
Ticky Fullerton
Dr Vaclav Smil, global thought leader and the go-to guy for Bill Gates on the future of energy and resources, delivered an incendiary start to the Credit Suisse Asia-Pacific ESG conference last week.
Can the Glasgow climate summit succeed if Xi Jinping stays home? [$]
Ben Spencer
This time next week 25,000 people will start gathering in Glasgow for the United Nations climate change summit, an event billed by Boris Johnson as nothing less than a “turning point for humanity”. But the direction in which humanity turns will be determined not by the diplomats, delegates and activists but by a single man on the other side of the world.
PM’s rationale for net-zero emissions target must be economic [$]
Jennifer Oriel
The proposal to make Australia a net-zero emissions economy by 2050 is not a minor one. It will require new clean-energy technology, punitive measures to limit carbon-intensive industries and products, and methods to offset any greenhouse gas produced.
Glasgow summit: Sense, logic lost in climate of moral superiority [$]
Nick Cater
We can safely predict that Greta Thunberg won’t leave Glasgow with a smile on her face. Neither will anyone else, for that matter. Policy success is not a matter of winners and losers but a matter of prudence, the ability to make trade-offs from available options.
‘Death of a Whale: The Challenge of Anti-Whaling Activists and Indigenous Rights’ — an excerpt
Paul Watson
In this excerpt from his book, Captain Paul Watson shares the haunting memory of a harpooning and the great whale that died screaming with Paul’s face seared upon his retina.
Australia’s deadliest creatures – cartoon
Megan Herbert
Victoria
Experts say it’s time Victoria started talking about using recycled water for drinking
An increasingly dry climate poses a challenge for the long-term water supplies of cities and towns, and some experts believe the solution is literally flowing out to sea.
Health concerns over silica dust from proposed Mornington Peninsula quarry
More than 120 doctors and health workers are calling on a prominent philanthropic charity to halt its plans for a large quarry in bushland on the Mornington Peninsula, citing concerns over the health effects of silica dust on nearby primary school students and communities.
Victoria slumps in state rankings as population declines [$]
Victoria’s economy has been ranked well below smaller states and is the only jurisdiction in Australia where the population is going backwards.
New South Wales
Turning 11 acres of a NSW ‘dumping site’ into a world-class farm
A community not-for-profit group set out to create jobs for local refugees, and ended up with one of the world’s largest urban permaculture farms.
ACT
A straight-talking Australian engineer and inventor who advises the US government on zero-emission initiatives has described the ACT government as “ahead of the curve” on government policy to drive climate change.
Queensland
Traditional owner holds fears for heritage site at Adani mine
A traditional owner has launched an urgent bid to stop Adani from disturbing a significant cultural heritage site at Qld’s controversial Carmichael coal mine.
South Australia
Electric car firm gives SA a jolt after a factory talks stall [$]
A company that promised work for 1000 South Australians could be set to take its business east after talks with the state government fell flat.
Tasmania
Hunger strikers suffer bellyache over climate policies [$]
Protesters are growing shaky halfway through their week-long climate action hunger strike, with some politicians beginning to take notice.
New Century prepares to tackle infamous Tasmanian mine [$]
The historic Mt Lyell copper and gold mine in Tasmania that helped create the famous moonscape around Queenstown looks set to get a new owner
Northern Territory
FOI documents say sacred sites at risk of ‘damage, desecration’ at major mine and port
Correspondence obtained by the ABC reveals the Northern Territory’s sacred sites watchdog says the McArthur River Mine’s current operations and its planned expansion — which has already received ministerial approval — could impact significant Aboriginal cultural sites.
Jacinta Price throws support behind renewable energy plan [$]
Country Liberal Party Senate Candidate Jacinta Price has thrown her support behind transitioning the Territory to an economy sourced with 50 per cent renewable energy by 2030.
Deal reached to sell rail line linking Alice Springs to Darwin [$]
The 1420km haulage and passenger rail line linking Alice Springs with Darwin is being sold by owners One Rail Australia in a multi-billion dollar deal.
Sustainability
Heat pumps are practical and necessary
Readers respond to letters from readers who were sceptical about the practicality of replacing gas boilers with heat pumps
Concrete: the most destructive material on Earth
After water, concrete is the most widely used substance on the planet. But its benefits mask enormous dangers to the planet, to human health – and to culture itself
Finding bright spots in the global coral reef catastrophe
The first-ever report on the world’s coral reefs presents a grim picture, as losses mount due to global warming. But there are signs of hope — some regions are having coral growth, and researchers found that corals can recover if given a decade of reprieve.
—
return email, delete it from your system and destroy any copies.