The Strange Optimism of Climate Alarmist David Wallace-Wells

For decades, scientists and journalists have been ringing the alarm on climate change, but few forced people to sit up and take notice like New York Magazine’s David Wallace-Wells, whose alarming article “The Uninhabitable Earth” caused a bit of an uproar in climate and environmentalist circles when it was published in 2017. But Wallace-Wells, 36, was (sadly) validated last autumn when a major report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was released that more or less argued people had until 2050 to get their shit together — or face trying to forge a life through a man-made hell-on-earth. Suddenly, climate alarmism was everywhere. Even thinkers who derided the framing of his original piece have since come around, praising his new book, which follows up and expands upon the information he compiled in the article.

That book, The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming, presents a terrifying portrait of where civilization is headed. (Opening line: “It is worse, much worse, than you think.”) Boiling cities, burned-out forests, acidic oceans, increasing pandemics, fertile soil transmuted into deserts and ever-increasing extinctions.

Read the story from Rolling Stone by Rick Carp - “The Strange Optimism of Climate Alarmist David Wallace-Wells."

Exclusive: BBC issues internal guidance on how to report climate change

The BBC, one of the world’s largest and most respected news organisations, has issued formal guidance to its journalists on how to report climate change.

The BBC has issued formal guidance to its
 journalists on how to report climate change.

Carbon Brief has obtained the internal four-page “crib sheet” sent yesterday to BBC journalists via an email from Fran Unsworth, the BBC’s director of news and current affairs. The crib sheet includes the BBC’s “editorial policy” and “position” on climate change.

All of the BBC’s editorial staff have also been invited to sign up for a one-hour “training course on reporting climate change”. Carbon Brief understands this is the first time that the BBC has issued formal reporting guidance to its staff on this topic.

Read the story by Leo Hickman from CarbonBrief - “Exclusive: BBC issues internal guidance on how to report climate change.”

India’s air pollution crisis risks becoming humanitarian catastrophe

Before heading off on a foreign assignment, journalists take a course about working in hostile environments — learning about things like trauma first aid, weapons effects, and how to survive earthquakes, floods and civil unrest.

ABC's Siobhan Heanue wears the face mask
she had to buy in order to breathe properly.

It's all pretty useful training. And heading off to live and work in India, I was more than aware of the everyday dangers I'd be facing.

For instance, India has one of the world's highest road tolls and Delhi is one of the worst places in the world for sexual violence against women.

Read the ABC News story by Siobhan Heanue - "India’s air pollution crisis risks becoming humanitarian catastrophe.”

Revealing the dark side of Liddell, from power failures to distorted debate

When AGL gives journalists a tour of its ailing Liddell power station next week, they can expect the reverse of your typical corporate junket.

Back to the future: AGL's pilot solar thermal
plant on the Liddell site with the power station
in the background.

Rather than showcasing the engineering marvels of the Hunter Valley coal-fired plant, the energy giant will likely highlight why the station is among the most unreliable generators in the country.

That's despite AGL planning to spend another $160 million to keep the 46-year-old plant running until its planned closure in 2022.

It has already outlayed $120 million since buying it and its neighbour Bayswater power plant from the NSW government in 2014.

Read the analysis by Peter Hannam in today’s Melbourne Age - “Revealing the dark side of Liddell, from power failures to distorted debate.”