Morrison’s refusal to move on climate, and the “prosperity doctrine”

It’s become, quite literally, the burning question of the Australian summer. How do you explain a prime minister who says he accepts the science of climate change, acknowledges the link between climate change and the devastating bushfires, who bears witness to the suffering and losses, and then chooses to do nothing about it?

Prime Minister Scott Morrison at church.

Prime minister Scott Morrison likes to say he is a “do-er”. In fact, says so ad infinitum. But when it comes to climate policies, the appeals to Do Something beyond Australia’s glaringly inadequate current policies, and to show some leadership, have been ignored.

Morrison insists that Australia is doing more than most, which is patently not true; that emissions are falling, which are the result only of accounting tricks; and says he will not increase Australia’s emissions targets, or urge other countries to do so, even when it is clear that current policies will take average global warming to more than 3°C, and more devastation for Australia and Australians.

Read the story from RenewEconomy by Giles Parkinson and Michael Mazengarb - “Morrison’s refusal to move on climate, and the “prosperity doctrine”.”

When the heat is on, we need city-wide plans to keep cool

Keeping our cities cool when the heat is on.

The recent spate of heatwaves through eastern Australia has reminded us we’re in an Australian summer. On top of another record hot year globally, and as heatwaves become more frequent and intense, our cities are making us even hotter.

This is the urban heat island, where city temperatures can be significantly warmer than the surrounding rural regions.

The question, then, is what we can do to keep our cities cooler.

Why are cities hotter?

The temperature difference is caused by a range of factors, including dense building materials absorbing more of the sun’s energy, fewer trees to provide shade, and less soil to cool by evaporation.

Read the thoughts of a PhD Candidate at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Mathew Lipson, and the Graduate Director with the ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate System Science at the UNSW, Melissa Hart - “When the heat is on, we need city-wide plans to keep cool.”