Everyday heroes compelled to break the law when government fails to protect us

What does it say about the state of our democracy when it falls upon everyday people to stop a billionaire building the largest coal mine in the southern hemisphere?

The Abbot Point coal terminal in Queensland.

And what does it say about our politicians that they will let Adani’s mine proceed when the vast majority of Australians don’t want it, and scientists are urging us to keep coal in the ground to avoid more dangerous climate change?

This month, nine people - many of them first-time offenders - were collectively fined more than $70,000 for their efforts in January to keep Adani’s coal in the ground.

Read Julian Burnside’s story from The Sydney Morning Herald - “Everyday heroes compelled to break the law when government fails to protect us.”

UK inventor James Dyson to launch electric car by 2020

James Dyson, the billionaire inventor of the bagless vacuum cleaner and bladeless fan, is building an electric car that will launch by 2020, the latest firm to challenge traditional carmakers in a burgeoning market.

Billionaire inventor James Dyson said he finally
had the opportunity to bring all his company's
 technologies together into a single product.  

Tesla has already shaken up the sector around the world and Dyson said it would now spend $3.4 billion on solid-state battery technology and vehicle design.

The announcement could stoke debate in Australia over the subsidisation and slow adoption of electric cars. Australian drivers lag behind developed markets in their transition to green vehicles.

On a rare visit to Australia in June, Renault Nissan Alliance chairman Carlos Ghson told Fairfax Media that electric cars will not be a success in Australia until governments are willing to subsidise their use.

Read the story in today’s Melbourne Age by Paul Sandle - “UK inventor James Dyson to launch electric car by 2020.”

Can renewables lower energy cost and ensure reliability?

The Coalition's energy dysfunction is deepening, and there's now a real prospect that Australia could be left without a credible energy policy.

Can renewable energy run a steelworks?

But Sanjeev Gupta, the new billionaire British owner of Whyalla steelmaker Arrium has taken matters into his own hands.

He's bought a stake in the solar and battery storage company Zen Energy to keep power prices down and feed energy back into South Australia's struggling electricity grid.

Listen to the Fran Kelly interview on Radio National Breakfast - “Can renewables lower energy cost and ensure reliability?”