Speaker at OU takes aim at climate-change denial

An acclaimed and often controversial critic of climate-change denial spoke at Ohio University last Wednesday about the issue “in the age of Trump.”

Professor Michael Mann. 

Dr. Michael Mann, a distinguished professor of atmospheric science at Penn State University, delivered his speech at OU’s Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium. The whole title: “A Return to the Madhouse: Climate Change Denial in the Age of Trump.”

Mann co-authored the Intergovernmental Panel Climate Change report that earned the Nobel Peace Price in 2007. He’s often a target of groups and politicians who argue that even if climate change is happening, there’s insufficient evidence to conclude that humans are causing it.

During his talk Wednesday, Mann explained that global temperatures have been steadily rising, hitting new maximums in 2014, 2015, and 2016. “Oceans have been warmer than they’ve ever been,” said Mann. This causes water to evaporate over the ocean’s surface, creating a layer of warm air that energizes hurricanes and makes them bigger and faster, he said.

Read The Athens News story by Becca King - “Speaker at OU takes aim at climate-change denial.”

Hard facts unmask the fiction behind Coalition's 'coal comeback’

Watching politics builds a high tolerance for hypocrisy and humbug, but even I am aghast at the Coalition’s antics this week – fondling a lump of coal in parliament while accusing the opposition of an “ideological approach to energy” and negligence in policy planning.

Seriously. There’s a long list of blame and shame for Australia’s threadbare climate and energy policy, and the failure to plan for an energy market crisis that experts have warned about for years. But Malcolm Turnbull’s Coalition takes out first place.

Arguably all sides of politics have made mistakes or miscalculations to get us to this point of omni-failure – high prices, blackouts and an inability to reduce electricity sector emissions – and yes, ideology has played a part: mostly the climate-change denying, renewables-are-a-socialist-plot ideology espoused by sections of the Liberal and National parties that once upon a time, a long time ago, Turnbull also railed against.

Read Lenore Taylor’s story on The Guardian - “Hard facts unmask the fiction behind Coalition's 'coal comeback’.”

Firefighter and farmer Vivien Thomson has more skin in the climate-change game than most

Vivien Thomson has
 self-published Ashed
 of Firefighters, about
the long-term effects
of fighting fires.

The floor of the lounge room in Vivien Thomson's farmhouse seems to be covered in kelpies, though on closer inspection there are only three of them. It feels like more because they are lying outstretched to keep cool, and taking up a lot of space. Thomson regards them with mild reproach as she strides past. They are outdoor dogs in theory, she says, but they sneak inside at every opportunity. "They've worked out how to open the door themselves."

In the kitchen, we sit at a pine table as Thomson talks about the circuitous route that brought her to this bungalow on a 1200-hectare sheep and cattle property at Muttama, near Cootamundra, NSW. I am keen to hear about her experiences as a rural firefighter and how they led to her becoming a campaigner for action to stop global warming.

Read Jane Cadzow’s story in The Sydney Morning Herald - “Firefighter and farmer Vivien Thomson has more skin in the climate-change game than most.”

Malcolm Turnbull and premiers clash over climate, topping a disastrous week for Coalition

Malcolm Turnbull - week-long
climate change spat.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's disastrous week-long spat over a climate-change policy review has culminated in a showdown with state premiers in Canberra, and criticism from the nation's chief business group.

Infrastructure, competition and family violence policies also provoked fights between the Prime Minister and state premiers at Friday's Council of Australian Government meeting.

But it was climate policy that dominated the COAG wash-up, with Mr Turnbull accused of trotting out "infantile slogans" in place of evidence-based policy by South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill.

WA Premier Colin Barnett argued a market-based carbon price mechanism had some role to play in reducing emissions and Victorian Premier Dan Andrews advocated a "proper" examination of climate policy that did not rule out anything - including an emissions intensity scheme - before the federal review was completed.

Read the story by James Massola and Adam Morton in today’s Melbourne Age - “Malcolm Turnbull and premiers clash over climate, topping a disastrous week for Coalition.”

Turnbull government accused of forcing up power prices through climate backdown

Malcolm Turnbull - confusion
on climate scheme is
forcing up power prices.

The government faces accusations that it is forcing up electricity prices and reducing energy reliability after abandoning a plan to even consider a climate scheme that experts say could have tackled both.

In a torturous press conference, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull confirmed that the government had been forced into a U-turn on climate-change policy less than 48 hours after releasing details for a policy review next year.

After two days of vocal criticism from several Coalition backbenchers, the government dropped plans for the review to consider an emissions intensity scheme for the electricity sector - a form of carbon pricing - to help it meet its climate targets.

Mr Turnbull denied such a scheme had ever been part of the review. "We will not be imposing a carbon tax and we will not be imposing an emissions trading scheme, however it is called," he said.

Read the story by Adam Morton and Health Aston in today’s Melbourne Age - “Turnbull government accused of forcing up power prices through climate backdown.”

Politicians prioritize finances and jobs, and yet in ignoring nature, risk it all

The electioneering has begun. In a campaign set to be dominated by economic issues, the Coalition and Labor are locking horns over who can best manage our finances, protect jobs and make housing more affordable. The Greens predictably decry the major parties, including their cavalier climate-change policies.

These are important issues, but are they highest priority on the political agenda? An arguably even greater issue exists that nobody is seriously championing, but which impacts all of us, socially, environmentally and economically.

Our natural heritage – the plants, animals and other organisms that help define Australia’s identity – are in dire straits. Yet this biodiversity crisis is barely mentioned in political discourse, nor is it foremost in the public consciousness.

Read the thoughts of the Professor in Terrestrial Ecology at Deakin University, Don Driscoll and a Senior Lecturer in Ecology at the Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences at Deakin University, Euan Ritchie on The Conversation - “Nature is neglected in this election campaign – at its and our own peril.”