New EPA powers delayed by a year in coronavirus 'omnibus' bill

Strong new powers promised to the environment watchdog have been delayed by more than a year, sparking fears cowboy companies will persist with unsafe management of toxic waste.

Firefighters on platforms battle the West Footscray factory fire of August 30, 2018.

The new laws to beef up the Environment Protection Authority’s power to crackdown on environmental offenders and tough penalties for polluters were due to come into effect in July this year.

Read the story from The Age by Benjamin Preiss - “New EPA powers delayed by a year in coronavirus 'omnibus' bill.”

UK weather: temperatures to plunge again on Saturday night

Thousands of people have been trapped, delayed and had their journeys disrupted by heavy snow that swept across parts of the UK, as forecasters warned more severe weather was on the way over the weekend. Scotland could see lows of minus 16C (3.2F) over Saturday night into Sunday as the cold snap continues, the Met Office said.

Vehicles make their way through heavy snow
at Culloden near Inverness, Scotland. 

Hundreds of motorists were stranded on Friday, while air and rail passengers faced cancellations or difficult journeys and more than 1,000 schools were closed. Some householders experienced power cuts and sporting fans had events cancelled or travel plans wrecked.

Trains on the South Western Railway network were expected to be disrupted until 9am on Saturday after heavy snowfall, according to National Rail Enquiries. Southeastern, Transport for Wales and Great Western Railway services were expected to run as normal.

Read the story from The Guardian by Steven Morris, Matthew Weaver and agencies  - “UK weather: temperatures to plunge again on Saturday night.”

Clive Palmer seeks approval for 'monster mine' next door to Adani

Clive Palmer has sought federal environmental approval for a huge greenfield coal mine in central Queensland, which documents suggest could produce 33 per cent more coal than Adani's controversial and delayed Carmichael mine.

Clive Palmer's proposed Alpha North mine relative
to Adani's controversial Carmichael mine in the
 Galilee Basin.

Its viability depends on the construction of the Carmichael mine, or another mine with a rail link to the coast, adding weight to claims the Adani project could open the floodgates to significantly more coal mining in the Galilee Basin.

Environmentalists have called for the Federal Government to reject the new application out-of-hand, without a full assessment.

They pointed to the impact the mine would potentially have on climate change, freshwater springs, the Great Artesian Basin and threatened species in the area including the black-throated finch and koalas.

Read the ABC News story by Michael Slezak - “Clive Palmer seeks approval for 'monster mine' next door to Adani.”

AEMC admits, reluctantly, the renewables will push prices down

Australia’s principal rule maker, the Australian Energy Market Commission, has belatedly admitted that the much delayed surge in investment in wind and solar will cause wholesale electricity prices to fall in Australia, but it is clearly not happy about it.

In a report that appears to be deliberately misleading about the impacts of wind and solar, the costs of coal generation, and the impacts on wholesale prices, the AEMC says that rises in consumer bills this year, due to the jump in wholesale prices, should be reversed in the next couple of years.

The fall in wholesale prices from the influx of renewable energy has long been predicted by most analyses, but its impact has been delayed because of attempts – supported by the AEMC – to kill the renewable energy target, causing an effective three-year investment strike.

Read the RenewEconomy story by Giles Parkinson - “AEMC admits, reluctantly, the renewables will push prices down.”