There is no gas crisis in Australia, but there is an attack on our natural assets

It’s ludicrous to say there is a gas crisis in Australia when we are set to overtake Qatar to become the world’s biggest gas producer. Australia has plenty of gas to meet our needs and the world has three times as much fossil fuel reserves that can be used to keep global temperature rises below 2C.

An area of bushland being rejuvenated after a
spill in 2014 at Santos’s Bibblewindi water
treatment facility, part of its Narrabri
gas project.

We have so much gas that we export most of it. The gas companies are shipping off huge amounts of it because they can reap greater profits overseas, leaving Australian households and businesses to squabble over what’s left at inflated prices.

When Australian industries say they may have to cut production because of a lack of gas as it’s sent overseas, things are getting ridiculous. When there is talk of importing gas, things are getting plain stupid.

We should not be pushing new fossil fuel schemes when the world is heading towards a climate change point of no return. It’s time to pursue renewables, with energy analyst RepuTex saying with better storage technology, their true cost is cheaper than gas.

Read Lyndon Schneiders story on The Guardian - “There is no gas crisis in Australia, but there is an attack on our natural assets.”

Earth on the edge: Record breaking 2016 was close to 1.5°C warming

The first global analysis of the whole of 2016 has confirmed last year as the warmest on record and saw the planet near a 1.5°C warming, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S).

The latest figures from C3S, part of the EU’s Copernicus earth observation programme, show that 2016’s global temperature exceeded 14.8°C, and was around 1.3°C higher than typical for the middle years of the 18th century. 2016 was close to 0.2°C warmer than 2015, which was previously the warmest year on record. 

Countries agreed in Paris in 2015 to holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2 °C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels, recognizing that this would significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change.

Read the Coperincus report - “Earth on the edge: Record breaking 2016 was close to 1.5°C warming.”

Planet at its hottest in 115,000 years thanks to climate change, experts say

A coal-fired power station. ‘Massive CO2 extraction’
costing trillions is needed in order to avoid
runaway temperature rises, says a new paper.

The global temperature has increased to a level not seen for 115,000 years, requiring daunting technological advances that will cost the coming generations hundreds of trillions of dollars, according to the scientist widely credited with bringing climate change to the public’s attention.

A new paper submitted by James Hansen, a former senior NASA climate scientist, and 11 other experts states that the 2016 temperature is likely to be 1.25C above pre-industrial times, following a warming trend where the world has heated up at a rate of 0.18C per decade over the past 45 years.

This rate of warming is bringing Earth in line with temperatures last seen in the Eemian period, an interglacial era ending 115,000 years ago when there was much less ice and the sea level was 6-9 meters (20-30ft) higher than today.

In order to meet targets set at last year’s Paris climate accord to avoid runaway climate change, “massive CO2 extraction” costing an eye-watering $104tn to $570tn will be required over the coming century with “large risks and uncertain feasibility” as to its success, the paper states.

Read The Guardian story - “Planet at its hottest in 115,000 years thanks to climate change, experts say.”

Amid the cheers comes the warning that it's not over yet

Paris activists remind the
 world what needs to happen.

Though world leaders recently cheered a historic agreement to limit global greenhouse gas emissions, a deal endorsed by 195 countries at the Paris Climate Summit last December, those who believe the climate crisis was put to bed should think again.

It's true this was the first time that countries, both rich and poor, committed to reducing their emissions in such a way as to maintain global temperature rise to maximum of 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) with a pledge to try to keep it even lower. However, current global commitments will still bring us to around 3 degrees Celsius of warming through the year 2100 — well above the levels deemed dangerous for civilization.

Read Tom Liacas’s story on Mashable Australia - “Here's where climate activists are setting their sights in 2016.”

Remarkable global heat of 2015 to be bettered in 2016

The remarkable global heat experienced in 2015 is not yet over and already forecasters are predicting next year will be hotter again - marking three years in a row of record annual warmth.

The prediction, by Britain's Met Office, for the possibility of a trio of record-breaking years comes just days after almost 200 nations agreed in Paris to a new global agreement to tackle climate change.

Under the pact, to take effect from 2020, nations would review efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions every five years with the aim of keeping temperature increases to "well below 2 degrees" of pre-industrial levels.

The Met Office's release on Thursday of its annual global temperature forecast comes as south-eastern Australia swelters in what is expected to be record early-season heat.

Read the Melbourne Age story - “You think this year is hot? 2016 tipped to break annual global heat records again.”