As at 31 January 2023 CO2 reading was 418.3 parts per million. Safe level is 350 parts per million. [Source NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)].
SOME GOOD THINGS HAVE HAPPENED Queensland government to fund $10m pilot project for microgrids in Aboriginal and storm-prone communities; Malabar Coal’s Spur Hill will not go ahead – second of the 18 projects Tanya Plibersek is considering for approval; a new EU law will ban products that have been made through deforestation (with implications for Australia’s mining of fossil fuels); Tanya Plibersek has rejected Clive Palmer’s proposed Central Queensland Coal Project
WHAT WE’VE BEEN DOING
Made a submission supporting Winterbourne Wind Farm
WHAT’S ON
Climate Integrity Summit will be held on 15 February at Parliament House, Canberra. Are Australia’s climate policies good enough? For information and to book go to https://australiainstitute.org.au/event/climate-integrity-summit-2023/
Election forum to hear the environmental policies of the Lane Cove electorate candidates will be held on 23 February via Zoom starting at 7pm. For information and tickets go to https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/lane-cove-candidate-forum-tickets-536640796067
NSW Environment Leaders Forum will be held on 1 March at Sydney Town Hall at 6pm. Seats are limited. For reservations go to https://www.nature.org.au/nsw_environment_leaders_forum
School Strike will be held on 3 March at Sydney Town Hall at 12noon.
Election forum To hear the environmental policies of the Ryde electorate candidates, the Ryde Hunters Hill Flora and Fauna Preservation Society will be holding a forum at the Field of Mars Education Centre in East Ryde on 18 March starting at 11am.
Ryde Council’s Home Waste and Sustainability Advisory Service offers free tailored advice to Ryde residents to help you reduce your home’s running costs. For information and to make a booking go to https://www.ryde.nsw.gov.au/Environment-and-Waste/Sustainable-Living/Home-Waste-and-Sustainability-Advisory-Service
NEWS AND EVENTS
Fracking companies poised to frack in NT. Sign the petition asking the NT government to withold fracking licences. https://www.getup.org.au/campaigns/gas-and-fracking/protect-water-at-all-costs/protect-water
Savanna in NT being cleared for cotton with no proper environment assessment.Sign the letter to Tanya Plibersek asking she halt the destruction. https://envirojustice.org.au/blog/onlineaction/speak-up-to-save-our-unique-savanna-ecosystems/
Protecting our forests from logging an important issue for the NSW election. Sign the petition demanding forests are protected https://www.nature.org.au/protect_native_forests
Adani following the Hindenburg report, the Adani brand is not looking good. Recently Adani Group had to refinance from its own pocket US$500 million worth of bonds issued by its Australian coal port. Adani has now had to pay three of the four last debt tranches owned by NQXT (formerly Adani Abbot Point Terminal). Are the politicians who so enthusiastically endorsed the Carmichael Mine still think it is a good public project? There have been a lot of reports recently on the questionable business practices of the company. Here are some of them.
The Hindenburg Report the report that started it all based on an investigation by the freelance Indian journalist Ravi Nair https://hindenburgresearch.com/adani/
Value of Adani sinking
https://www.adaniwatch.org/value_of_adani_flagship_sinks_amid_chaos_in_indian_parliament_and_markets
ASIC now investigating Adani https://www.theage.com.au/business/companies/asic-reviewing-short-seller-report-on-adani-20230131-p5cgsx.html
Australia’s involvement https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/australia-s-involvement-in-the-largest-con-in-corporate-history-20230126-p5cfpp.html
How Australia’s coal madness led to Adani’s entrance into Australia. An archive item but worth reading. https://www.themonthly.com.au/issue/2019/april/1554037200/james-bradley/how-australia-s-coal-madness-led-adani
Fossil fuel companies support over 500 community organisations. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/dec/27/fossil-fuel-interests-revealed-to-have-signed-more-than-500-sponsorship-deals-with-australian-bodies
Greenwashing why customers don’t punish polluters who greenwash https://theconversation.com/boys-will-be-boys-why-consumers-dont-punish-big-polluters-for-greenwashing-lies-194902
General Electric is trying to spin off its power assets into a new company called Vernova which is loaded with fossil fuel projects. Call the CEO out on this greenwashing effort either by Instagram or email https://www.marketforces.org.au/campaigns/international/general-electric/vernova-action/
Shell to spend $450m on carbon credits – more greenwashing https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/19/shell-to-spend-450m-on-carbon-offsetting-fears-grow-credits-worthless-aoe
Chubb review of Australia’s carbon credit scheme a failure because it ignores evidence https://theconversation.com/chubb-review-of-australias-carbon-credit-scheme-falls-short-and-problems-will-continue-to-fester-197401 And why the Safeguard Mechanism has loopholes companies will use https://australiainstitute.org.au/post/the-safeguard-mechanism-explained/
Australian government proposed reform for industrial polluters Industrial lobby groups have, yet again, prevailed in stopping real change. https://theconversation.com/labors-scheme-to-cut-industrial-emissions-is-worryingly-flexible-197525
Exxon predicted climate change but continued business anyway https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/jan/12/exxon-climate-change-global-warming-research
Gas companies think they are hard done-by because of federal government’s price caps. https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/accc-says-gas-giants-record-profits-should-pay-for-investment-despite-price-caps-20230119-p5cdx2.html
RENEWABLE ENERGY
Green hydrogen how much water does it need and how do we source it? https://theconversation.com/for-australia-to-lead-the-way-on-green-hydrogen-first-we-must-find-enough-water-196144
How renewables can power the world not “miracle technologies” https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/23/no-miracles-needed-prof-mark-jacobson-on-how-wind-sun-and-water-can-power-the-world
Making fuel cells more efficient researchers at UNSW are working on it https://www.sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/energy/news/tiny-3d-structures-to-make-fuel-cells-more-efficient-1498740303
Geothermal Energy this is how it works. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/01/geothermal-energy-infographics-data-renewable/
RECYCLING AND SUSTAINABILITY
Revolve ReCYCLING recovers, recycles and redeploys bikes, e-bikes, scooters and other Personal Transport Vehicles (PTVs). To find out more go to https://revolverecycling.net/
Sustainable fashion what alternatives are there to cotton? https://theconversation.com/what-do-oranges-coffee-grounds-and-seaweed-have-in-common-they-outshine-cotton-in-sustainable-fashion-196391
Recycling old wetsuits There’s a program to stop them going into landfill. https://www.ripcurl.com/au/explore/recycle-your-wetsuit.html
Recycling solar panels and repurposing them. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-05/old-solar-panels-reused-and-diverted-from-landfill/101826750
Using fungi for packaging to divert organic waste from landfill. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-20/mushroom-packaging-solution-to-plastic-waste-problem/101873116
Recycling clothing UPPAREL will collect (for a fee) your clothing and shoes and recycle them. For information go to https://upparel.com.au/clothing-recycling/
Recycling phone batteries research is being done at RMIT https://www.sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/energy/article/moving-a-step-closer-to-recyclable-phone-batteries-869879609
E-waste which country produces the most? https://www.sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/sustainability/news/which-country-produces-the-most-e-waste–1133596634
ELECTRIC VEHICLES
How should electric cars sound when driving at low speeds? https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/05/flutes-synths-a-human-voice-how-should-electric-vehicles-sound
Electric planes for short haul flights? A possiblity for Australia. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/09/electric-planes-sound-like-a-fantasy-but-they-may-be-the-future-for-short-haul-in-australia
Norway – an EV paradise and a step towards more public transport and reduced car ownership.https://electrek.co/2023/01/03/norway-electric-car-utopia-sustainable-transportation/