John's agonizing and painfull climate change-induced decision

(Bunbartha’s John Pettigrew was among the first group to be trained by former U.S. vice-president, Al Gore, the man who truly brought climate change to the forefront of peoples’ minds. John has since pretty much dedicated his life to helping people throughout Australia, particularly in the Goulburn Valley, understand the implications and complications of this human-induced change to the global climate system and in 2014 he wrote in The Sydney Morning Herald about how he agonized over the bulldozing of his farm’s fruit trees.

John’s work as a climate change activist has taken him to many parts of Australia, including Canberra on a number of occasions, along with countless discussions with service clubs, industry groups, and schools. He is presently president of Slap tomorrow, a Shepparton-based group that aims to inform people about climate change, and help them understand mitigation  and adaptation: this what he said in 2014 – Robert McLean.)

 

John Pettigrew.

For 50 years I have grown fruit at Bunbartha, north of Shepparton. A couple of years ago, though, after years of drought, and after spending the better part of my life farming, I had to bulldoze my 10,000 peach trees.

As painful as that decision was for me and the family, it's not an uncommon story as global warming has hit plenty more growers like me. But because of the farm, I was on the board of SPC and a handful of others. As such, I'm all too aware of the brand damage Australia's doing to its signal "clean, green" reputation by winding back action on climate change. I'm deeply concerned about the financial impacts that's having in some of our key markets.

Read John Pettigrew’s 2014 story in The Sydney Morning Herald - “Climate change: Why I had to bulldoze 10,000 peach trees."

Archibald portraits reveal much about Australia's world view

John Frydenberg ("Mr Coal") as
 portrayed by Simon Bosch.

Among the 50-odd portraits in this year's Archibald, two are stand-out, although not in a good way. Both depict sitting politicians but together they reveal us, or what is embarrassingly close to becoming an Australian world-attitude: dominate, exploit, go. Eat, shoot, leave (the rubbish).

Contemporary portraiture peers into the sitter's soul. Abandoning the bombast and braggadocio of traditional portraiture, it seeks some inner truth, even frailty. To browse the Archies, therefore, is to be brushed with sadness and self-doubt as much as charm, cheek and chutzpah. This is its redemption.

Read Elizabeth Farrelly’s story in The Sydney Morning Herald - “These two portraits reveal much about Australia's world view.”

Evidence of warming planet in overdrive in 2016

The planet at its hottest since
records have been kept.

From hot oceans to shrinking Arctic ice and glaciers, the evidence of a warming planet has gone into overdrive in the first three months of 2016.

Australia has just posted its hottest March in more than a century of reliable data after a scorching heatwave to start the month that the Bureau of Meteorology said in some areas approached "record levels for any time of the year".

NSW blew away records that had stood since 1940 and Victoria eclipsed the previous hottest March for mean temperatures, set in in 1974.

Read Peter Hannam’s story in The Sydney Morning Herald - “Record patch of warm waters point to more global heat records being smashed.”

Reality check from Tesla's Elon Musk

Elon Musk launches the new Model 3 Tesla.

Tesla has just provided the world with a reality check.

Just hours after founder Elon Musk revealed that pre-orders for Tesla's cheaper Model 3 vehicle, which was unveiled to acclaim last week, had surpassed the most optimistic expectations, the company outlined ongoing problems over the delivery of existing vehicles. 

The deliveries of vehicles on the market were lower than expected in the first quarter, it said in a blunt statement.

Read The Sydney Morning Herald story - “Tesla blames its own 'hubris' as it fails to deliver.”

(Back to my mantra – privately owned cars, electric or otherwise, will not be, cannot be a part of our future. Even if the world’s population only just exceeds 10 billion by 2100, the world will not have sufficient resources for an equivalent growth in privately owned cars. Beyond the anarchic use of the private car, the infrastructure they require is simply too consuming – Robert McLean.)

Proposed climate change debate/discussions would delay the inevitable and diminish needed response

The NSW Liberals have formally called on the Turnbull government to conduct public debates about climate change - including whether the science is settled - in a stark reminder of the deep divisions within the party over the issue.

A motion passed at the party's state council calls on the government to "arrange and hold public debates/discussions" between scientists from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and "independent climate scientists".

The motion says the events should cover "the global warming/climate change debate"; "the claims by the IPCC"; and the statement "is all the science settled".

Read The Sydney Morning Herald story - “NSW Liberals call for national debates on climate change science.”

(What is it – wilful blindness, ignorance, arrogance, ideological siloing or just stupidity? Whatever, our “NSW Liberals” have illustrated their inability to remain abreast of world affairs as the science surrounding our disrupted climate system is settled. Yes, we (humans) are responsible and it would be a gross error to organize debates/discussion between scientists from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and "independent” climate scientists as that would give similar credence to all participants and that is misguided idea as the findings of the IPCC is the work of literally thousands of the world’s leading climate scientists, while those who claim “independence” are, by comparison, just a handful of scientists, many with questionable links to fossil fuels industries and of that handful, there is a few who are honest, legitimate climate scientists.

The so-called debate/discussions would prove nothing, other than further confuse many people and so do little more than prolong through further procrastination the need for humanity to actually do something to mitigate the impact of climate change and make some decisions about how we must prepare and adapt to what is unfolding – Robert McLean.)

Going electric, going in two-wheeled style

The "fun" Evo City Wave -
a "gorgeous" electric bike.

Over the last few weeks I've been riding an Evo City Wave electric bike, and it's the most fun I've had on wheels in years.

I know nothing about bikes, except that I'm too unfit to ride them, so let's get the tech stuff out of the way early. It's a gorgeous looking bicycle with a retro feel, looking a little like a hipster fixed gear model. The giant Samsung battery is hidden well in the frame, nothing screams 'electric bike' until you feel how heavy it is.

Read Peter Wells’ story in The Sydney Morning Herald - “Electric bikes: Evo rides a wave of popularity.”

Science 'book burning' continues in Australia: Ian Dunlop

(Just two years ago a former international oil, gas and coal industry executive, chair of the Australian Coal Association and chief executive of the Australian Institute of Company Directors who is now a member of the Club of Rome, Ian Dunlop, wrote about the disembowelling of Australia’s science ideals and although we now have a different Prime Minister, the same values still apply and so he continues to be concerned enough to remind people via Twitter of what he said in 2014 and how his concerns have changed little for we continue to plunder our science institutions – Robert McLean)

Ian Dunlop was worried about our "burning of
our science books" in 2014 and two years
later nothing has changed to ease his mind.

Australia has an enviable reputation for Ian Dunlop extending long before the heyday of the CSIRO in the 1950s under the visionary leadership of Sir Robert Menzies and Sir Ian Clunies-Ross. On the hottest and driest continent on Earth, our prosperity would be non-existent had it not been for the enlightened application of science. So it has been of mounting concern over recent years to see governments of all persuasions adopt increasingly anti-science agendas.

The federal government is taking anti-science to new heights. Its scorched earth approach discards virtually everything not in line with narrow, free-market ideology, centred on sustaining Australia’s 20th century dig-it-up and ship-it-out economic growth model. 

Read what Ian Dunlop wrote in The Sydney Morning Herald in 2014 - “Tony Abbott is gutting science just when we need it most.”

Scientists to use conference to make CSIRO plea

Malcolm Turnbull - 'blindsided' on CSIRO plans.

Leading scientists will use a national conference on Monday to appeal to the Turnbull government to intervene to reverse plans by the CSIRO to eliminate most of its climate roles amid claims the Prime Minister was "blindsided" by the move.

The cuts, that will cleave about 110 positions from the CSIRO's 140-odd strong Ocean and Atmosphere staff and a similar number from its Land and Water division, were announced in an email from chief executive Larry Marshall on Thursday.

Mr Turnbull and his staff "didn't see it coming", a senior CSIRO researcher has been told. The PM "blanched" when given a copy of the news of the cuts, and asked his staff to investigate, another source tells Fairfax Media.

Read Peter Hannam’s story in The Sydney Morning Herald - “Heat to stay on CSIRO climate cuts amid claims Malcolm Turnbull was 'blindsided'.”

Threat to NSW wind and solar industries

New South Wales Environment
Minister, Mark Speakman.

A NSW government plan to slash power use in homes and businesses by 2020 is set to fall short amid fears that federal cuts to the renewable energy target will badly damage the state's wind and solar industries.

Environment Minister Mark Speakman says the government is still committed to energy efficiency and making NSW "Australia's answer to California when it comes to clean energy". But the Climate Council has warned that NSW – the nation's largest greenhouse gas emitter – has become a "laggard" state in the renewable energy race.

A government review of the NSW Energy Savings Scheme shows the state is set to miss its target to help business and households use 16,000 fewer gigawatt hours of energy a year by 2020.

Read Nicole Hasham’s story in The Sydney Morning Herald - “NSW set to miss energy efficiency targets amid dire warnings for wind and solar.”

Jacqueline pleads for a cleaner economy in Australia

I

  represent the youth who face a climate-changed future. I haven't lived a year of my life that hasn't been above average temperatures in Australia.


Jacqeline Frechet - pleading
for a cleaner economy.

I have also grown up in a 25-year trend of economic growth; Australia was until recently number one on the human development Index, top of the global living standards. These phenomena seem like dichotomies — but in fact they are directly connected.

Next week, Australia will sign on to a new global climate agreement at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change's 21st conference of the parties (COP21) in Paris.

“Australia's climate finance pledge of $1 billion is insufficient to meet the needs of the most vulnerable countries”

After two years of policy uncertainty choking a growing renewables market, now is the moment for Australia to ignite an economy-wide vision of a renewable-powered Australia — giving us certainty and hope for the youth of this country.

Read the comment by national youth delegate to the COP21 for Global Voices, Jacqueline Fetchet, in The Sydney Morning Herald - “Now is the moment to lead a new vision for a cleaner economy.”

Turnbull has a chance to burnish his green credentials

A

government crackdown to stop "vigilante" green groups challenging large mining projects in court should be passed by Parliament despite criticism they are undemocratic, a Senate inquiry controlled by the government says.

New PM, Malcolm Turnbull, can
differentiate himself from his
 predecessor by scrapping this Bill.

Labor, the Greens, community groups and environmental advocates have argued the changes proposed by the former Abbott government limit the public's right to ensure environment laws are upheld.

The bill was proposed after a Federal Court challenge by a grassroots community group threw a spanner in the works of Australia's largest coal project, Adani's Carmichael mine in central Queensland – a move former Prime Minister Tony Abbott described as "sabotage".

Read Nicole Hasham’s story in The Sydney Morning Herald - “Government-controlled Senate probe backs crackdown on green 'lawfare'.”

(Should new PM Malcolm Turnbull be eager to differentiate himself from his predecessor and within that illustrate his understanding of climate change, he would abandon this bill, reinstate democracy and again legitimize the right of a person from as far away as Western Australia to lawfully object to something such as the Adani Carmichael Mine in central Queensland, acknowledging that coal produced from the mine will be a measurable and noticeably contributor to the world’s carbon dioxide emissions – Robert McLean.)

Tesla prepares to tackle the electricity utilities

T

here is a race on between the owners of electricity utilities – such as state governments – and companies like Tesla that are developing batteries for domestic use that will allow homes to store enough solar power that they won't need to buy it from electricity retailers.

Thus it is probably not all that surprising that Tesla founder Elon Musk has chosen Australia as one of the prime international territories to colonise for home-energy battery storage.

Read The Sydney Morning Herald story - “Tesla earmarks Australia for battery invasion.”

'Safe' growth depends on embracing new technology and policies

N

ew modelling by the CSIRO has found Australia can enjoy strong economic growth without damaging the environment, provided new technology and policies are embraced.

The research, published in the journal Nature on Thursday, presented 20 scenarios involving economic growth and environmental change in Australia.

Lead researcher Steve Hatfield-Dodds said Australia could make "great progress towards sustainable prosperity" without a shift in societal values if it decided to.

Read more in The Sydney Morning Herald story - “Australia can prosper and protect the environment at the same time, CSIRO.”

Southern Ocean acidifying alarmingly because of rising carbon dioxide levels

T

he Southern Ocean is acidifying at such a rate because of rising carbon dioxide emissions that large regions may be inhospitable for key organisms in the food chain to survive as soon as 2030, new US research has found.

Tiny pteropods, snail-like creatures that play an important role in the food web, will lose their ability to form shells as oceans absorb more of the CO2 from the atmosphere, a process already observed over short periods in areas close to the Antarctic coast.

Ocean acidification is often dubbed the "evil twin" of climate change. As CO2 levels rise, more of it is absorbed by seawater, resulting in a lower pH level and reduced carbonate ion concentration. Marine organisms with skeletons and shells then struggle to develop and maintain their structures.

Read Peter Hannan’s story in The Sydney Morning Herald - “Abrupt changes in food chains predicted as Southern Ocean acidifies fast: study.”

Interpretation, context and a priori knowledge can change a story's emphasis

I

nterpretation, context and a priori knowledge are vital in arriving at a conclusion when considering reports and stories about climate change.

The Persian Gulf will sometimes be
 uninhabitable by humans
because of climate change.

Two stories, one on The Sydney Morning Herald and another on the America site, Slate, are based on the same information, but leave readers with a different understanding.

The Sydney story leaves readers with the impression that “business as usual” carbon dioxide emissions will make the Persian Gulf uninhabitable and to be fair, it says that will only by “sometimes” by the end of this century.

The overwhelming sense that readers leave the story with is that the gulf area will be uninhabitable if climate change continue unabated.

However, the Slate story, based on the same information, leaves readers with a wholly different conception about what climate change will do to the gulf area.

Neither of the outcomes are good and one just has a slightly more apocalyptic sense about it.

Read The Sydney Morning Herald story - “Forecast for Persian Gulf: a heat too hot for human body” and now compare it to that form Slate - “No, Climate Change Won’t Make the Persian Gulf “Uninhabitable”.

Clean, green eco-future draws closer

A

ustralian researchers have brought the long-awaited dream of an economy running on hydrogen fuel a step closer by developing a device that generates zero-emission fuels from the sun's rays.

The solar-powered fuel cell, which converts chemical energy into electricity, produces hydrogen fuel at 22 per cent energy efficiency, breaking the previous world record of 18 per cent.

Read The Sydney Morning Herald story - “Clean, green eco-future not so far away.”

'Bring it on!' - confusion between climate and weather

S

ome welcome global warming, saying “Bring it on!”

Those same people argue they enjoy warm weather and would prefer that things were hotter, rather than cooler.

The trouble is, they argue in ignorance for they confuse the weather with climate and while an increase of a degree or two often makes for a more pleasant “here”, that same one or two degree increase globally can bring catastrophe.

Read more about this confusion in Elizabeth Farrelly’s piece in The Sydney Morning Herald - “Two degrees or four? It's a personal choice for survival in the near future”.