The Long Mining Boom - Matt Canavan

“Dubious” was the quality attributed to those attempting to slow and derail Queensland’s Adani coal mine by the Minister for Resources and Northern Australia, Matt Canavan, at today’s National Press Club.

Minister for Resources and Northern Australia, Matt Canavan.

Those uncomfortable about today’s address, and Mr Canavan’s overall performance, would equally consider the efforts  and ideologies of the Minister equally dubious.

Today’s address was like a voice from the past and spelt out, not in discrete and specific terms, the reason why the world is facing hitherto unseen difficulties; difficulties that have arisen from our industrial world that is the way it is because of ideas and philosophies championed today by the Minister at the National Press Club.

Watch today's lecture at the press club by Mr Canavan - “The Long Mining Boom”. 

How climate change threatens to make our bread less tasty

Increasing carbon dioxide could 
impact the flour in your bread.

The concentration of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere is increasing. Everything else being equal, higher CO₂ levels will increase the yields of major crops such as wheat, barley and pulses. But the trade-off is a hit to the quality and nutritional content of some of our favourite foods.

In our research at the Australian Grains Free Air CO₂ Enrichment (AGFACE) facility, we at Agriculture Victoria and The University of Melbourne are mimicking the CO₂ levels likely to be found in the year 2050. CO₂ levels currently stand at 406 parts per million (PPM) and are expected to rise to 550PPM by 2050. We have found that elevated levels of CO₂ will reduce the concentration of grain protein and micronutrients like zinc and iron, in cereals (pulses are less affected).

The degree to which protein is affected by CO₂ depends on the temperature and available water. In wet years there will be a smaller impact than in drier years. But over nine years of research we have shown that the average decrease in grain protein content is 6% when there is elevated CO₂.

Read the observations on The Conversation of an Honorary Associate Professor of Agriculture and Food from the University of Melbourne - “How climate change threatens to make our bread less tasty.”