‘Blown away': Safe climate niche closing fast, with billions at risk

As much as one-third of the world's population will be exposed to Sahara Desert-like heat within half a century if greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise at the pace of recent years.

Dust storm near Orange, NSW in January. The relatively stable climate
that has supported human civilisation for the past six millennia
 is likely to shift in the next 50 years because of climate change.

Scientists from China, the US and Europe found that the narrow climate niche that has supported human society would shift more over the next 50 years than it had in the preceding 6000 years.

As many as 3.5 billion people will be exposed to "near-unliveable" temperatures averaging 29 degrees through the year by 2070. Less than 1 per cent of the Earth's surface now endures such heat.

That heat compares with the narrow 11- to 15-degree range that has supported civilisation over the past six millennia, according to research published Tuesday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Read the story from The Age by Peter Hannam - “‘Blown away': Safe climate niche closing fast, with billions at risk.”

U.S. Military Precariously Unprepared for Climate Threats, War College & Retired Brass Warn

A string of climate-related disasters that crippled the strategic capability of multiple U.S military bases in recent years has exposed the military's vulnerability to extreme weather, putting a spotlight on its failure to prepare and the consequences to national security.

National security and service members' lives are at stake,
and working under a president who rejects science and ignores climate risks isn’t helping. 

Offutt Air Force base in Nebraska, home to the U.S. Strategic Command, was incapacitated by historic flooding that swept through the Midwest in March. More than 130 structures were destroyed, and the cost of rebuilding has hit $1 billion and could go higher.

Hurricane Michael, a monster Category 5 storm, wiped out Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida in 2018, damaging 17 grounded F-22 stealth fighters and causing an estimated $5 billion in damage. Heat illnesses in the military are also rising, putting service members' lives at risk, a 2019 investigation by InsideClimate News and NBC News showed.

Yet the Defense Department, now facing a presidential administration that rejects science and ignores climate risks, has been slow to respond, and that's raising concerns across the military and from Congress's watchdog agency and military think tanks. In a series of reports this year, they questioned the military's readiness, offering foreboding conclusions that climate change poses significant threats to national security, military preparedness and personnel safety—threats they say the military is not fully equipped to handle.

Read the Inside Climate News story by David Hasemyer - “U.S. Military Precariously Unprepared for Climate Threats, War College & Retired Brass Warn.”

Greens’ push to ban funding for coal-fired power threatens government control

The Coalition would be exposed to a damaging parliamentary defeat if a Greens push to ban taxpayer support for coal-fired power is successful, with the minor party "hopeful" of securing the required numbers in the House of Representatives to defy the minority government.

The Greens want to prevent any investment in new coal projects. CREDIT:

Greens MP Adam Bandt has revealed an amendment to the government's "big stick" energy legislation that would prohibit public funds from being used to underwrite investment in coal-fired power projects - a step that would be enabled by the bill in its current form.

Read the story from The Age by Fergus Hunter - “Greens’ push to ban funding for coal-fired power threatens government control.”

The only fast track to stop global warming

Over the past few weeks, I’ve watched my social media feed overflow with reactions to the recently published IPCC report ‘Global Warming of 1.5C’. For those who have not yet been exposed to the report’s depressing message, it claims we have until 2040 to reverse our course towards global environmental breakdown. To drive the change, we need to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 40% and energy consumption by 15% before 2030 — targets that require political as well as consumer action to achieve.

Veganism is the answer to driving the change we so urgently need.

The good news is; you and I can play a leading role in saving our planet, and we can start right this second. Frankly, it is important that we do. 2040 is not far away. We do not have the time for committee hearings and dragging legislation processes.

Read the Medium story by Tine Cato - “The only fast track to stop global warming.”

Frydenberg refuses to repent as Alan Jones tries to exorcise energy blasphemy

A couple of weeks ago, Alan Jones exposed what will hitherto be known as the furtive front lawn declaration. According to Jones, Josh Frydenberg had confessed to him on the front lawn of his Melbourne home that “the global warming stuff was rubbish”.

Alan Jones and Josh Frydenberg, who resisted
the urge to tell the broadcaster to get off his lawn.

By his own account, the Sydney shock jock shared this insight because he’d been irritated by the federal energy minister’s frankness about Tony Abbott’s serial wrecking tactics on energy policy and other matters. The upstart. Where was the damn respect?

Apparently one can observe deliberate wrecking tactics with one’s own eyes but one can’t mention them in polite company – at least not without having to field a friendly call from Peta Credlin, or an on-air homily from Jones.

Read Katherine Murphy’s story from The Guardian -“Frydenberg refuses to repent as Alan Jones tries to exorcise energy blasphemy.”

Jay Weatherill's big energy call is a survivalist fix of last resort

 You really can’t accuse Weatherill of impatience, or
 going off half-cocked. Tuesday’s landing point
has been more than 10 years in the making. 

If you happen to be looking on at events in South Australia on Tuesday with confusion, let’s keep it simple.

Think of South Australia as an energy survivalist, battening down the hatches and hoarding the canned goods, and perhaps it will start to make more sense.

On Tuesday, the SA premier, Jay Weatherill, committed to sourcing $550m worth of canned goods. A new gas-fired power plant. A massive new battery farm. A “fix” to boost gas supply. New ministerial powers to direct generators and the energy market operator.

A whole lot of canned goods, right there.

Before we conclude something has gone horribly awry in challenging times, let’s be very clear. The SA government has been left with little choice.

Over the past six months or so, the state grid has been exposed as unreliable.

Reading the likely trends, the SA government has made the decision the state can’t be in the position of relying on Victoria for power in emergencies, because Victoria is going to encounter its own reliability problems once the Hazelwood coal-fired plant shuts down.

Read Katherine Murphy’s story on The Guardian - “Jay Weatherill's big energy call is a survivalist fix of last resort.”

Farmers struggle to preserve land left exposed after bushfires

Valuable South Australian
farmland stripped bare after
recent devastating fires.

A huge expanse of normally productive farming land in South Australia's mid north now looks more like a desert after a bushfire tore through 85,000 hectares last November, killing two people.

"We're pretty well looking at 55,000 hectares at least of bare land which is something we haven't seen for a long time," Mary-Anne Young from Primary Industries and Regions SA (PIRSA), said.

"In a drought there may be a paddock here and a paddock there or every second paddock, but in this situation all of the land has been exposed and it's all drifting."

Read the ABC story - “SA bushfires: Farmers fight to save topsoil after devastating 85,000-hectare blaze.”

Vietnam delegation hosted by Monash Sustainable Institute

A

 ministerial-level delegation from Vietnam was recently hosted by the Monash Sustainable Institute.

Vietnam has many climate change impacts similar to those experienced in Australia and the ministerial deputation was eager to learn how Australia was adapting to changes being wrought by climate change.

In the story - “MSI hosts Vietnamese delegation for climate adaptation workshop” – the university said, “Vietnam is also highly exposed to climate change, with most of its population living in dense coastal cities vulnerable to sea-level rise, typhoons and floods. Its two major rivers - the Mekong and the Red River - are subject to changes in upstream countries, particularly China.”

Wonderful Tesla exposes enthusiasts to new way of looking at cars

W

angaratta’s Francis Reeves brought his wonderful electric Tesla car to Shepparton last Sunday.

Francis, and his wife Meg, who had brought her all electric Mitsubishi MEIV, happily answered questions (mostly the same ones) all day at the annual Rotary Motor Show and Market Day.

The sumptuous interior of the Tesla.

The sumptuous Tesla exposed motoring enthusiasts to a new way of looking at cars.

The Tesla, however, looked for all intents and purposes just like most other cars, but beneath that common exterior was a whole array of technology with which most motoring enthusiasts are unfamiliar.

Francis said Tesla is presently establishing charging stations from Brisbane to Melbourne and just as soon as they are established, travel for Tesla owners on Australia’s east coast will be free.

A lifetime fuel is incorporated in the Tesla’s original cost.

Francis said many had criticized him for having a vehicle that still needed energy from fossil fuelled power stations – he explained he had solar panels at home, the prime point for charging his car, and the Tesla charging stations relied on totally green energy.

Treehugger in its story - “Almost everyone is underestimating renewables” – discusses the world’s misinterpretation of renewable energy.