Australia’s bushfires have emitted 250m tonnes of CO2, almost half of country's annual emissions

Bushfires in New South Wales and Queensland have emitted a massive pulse of CO2 into the atmosphere since August that is equivalent to almost half of Australia’s annual greenhouse gas emissions, Guardian Australia can reveal.

The NSW fires emitted about 195m tonnes of CO2
since 1 August, with Queensland’s bushfires adding
55m tonnes, almost half of Australia’s annual emissions.

Analysis by Nasa shows the NSW fires have emitted about 195m tonnes of CO2 since 1 August, with Queensland’s fires adding a further 55m tonnes over the same period.

In 2018, Australia’s entire greenhouse gas footprint was 532m tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.

Read the story from The Guardian by Graham Readfearn - “Australia’s bushfires have emitted 250m tonnes of CO2, almost half of country's annual emissions.”

Buy now, pay later app aims to be Afterpay for rooftop solar

Solar rooftop installations are one of the fastest-growing sectors of home improvement, with households around the country installing the equivalent of an entire power plant every four months, but not everyone can be part of the growth.

Brighte chief executive Katherine McConnell.CREDIT:

One of the main reasons households don’t install solar panels is because they believe the upfront costs are too high.

The head of the Australian Energy Market Operator, Audrey Zibelman, has warned that these upfront costs have created a growing gap between the rich and poor, because those who cannot afford solar panels are effectively paying for those who can with higher power prices.

Read the story by Cole Latimer from The Age - “Buy now, pay later app aims to be Afterpay for rooftop solar.”