Rulemaker warns current 'patchwork' of policies won't fix power prices

The energy market rule maker has slammed the government’s "patchwork" approach to policy, warning a focus on short term fixes was undermining the prospect of lasting solutions to high power prices.

PM Scott Morrison has hitched his wagon to "fair dinkum" power.

The Australian Energy Market Commission's submission to a senate inquiry into the federal government’s so-called Fair Dinkum Energy policy, released on Friday, offers a withering assessment of the state of play.

The government's policy proposals include a regulated basic electricity price for households and the power to break up companies found to be behaving poorly in the market.

It unveiled the policies after ditching the National Energy Guarantee, which enjoyed widespread support from many stakeholders, and in the wake of an Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s electricity review which found the energy market was ‘broken’ and not operating in customers interest.

Read the story from The Age by Cole Latimer - “Rulemaker warns current 'patchwork' of policies won't fix power prices.”

NSW slams federal Coalition over “extraordinary” refusal to reinstate emissions in NEG

Relations between one of Australia’s last remaining Coalition state governments and the Morrison government continue to go south at a rapid rate, after NSW energy minister Don Harwin slammed his federal counterpart’s “out of touch” energy policy at the 21st COAG Energy Council meeting in Adelaide today.

In a brief, but stinging rebuke, Harwin said he was “very disappointed” by the federal government actions at the meeting, in particular its continued refusal to restore the emissions component of the National Energy Guarantee, after it was dumped from the policy in August.

“The refusal, on procedural grounds, to let the vital matter of restoring an emissions obligation into national energy policy be discussed is extraordinary,” Harwin wrote in an emailed statement.

Read the RenewEconomy story by Sophie Vorrath - “NSW slams federal Coalition over “extraordinary” refusal to reinstate emissions in NEG.”

NDIS funds to be 'repurposed' for drought relief under Morrison plan

Disability advocates have slammed Prime Minister Scott Morrison's decision to "repurpose" $3.9 billion originally set aside for the NDIS to pay for drought relief, but the plan has been cautiously welcomed by farmers.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Deputy Prime
 Minister Michael McCormack on Friday. CREDIT:

Mr Morrison unveiled his $5 billion Drought Future Fund at a summit attended by farmers, economists, industry bodies and state and federal ministers in Canberra on Friday, promising measures to drought-proof the nation's agriculture sector.

The first $3.9 billion of the scheme, which would operate similarly to the Medical Future Fund, is to be paid for out of a pool of money originally intended for the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

Read the story from The Age by Dana McCauley - “NDIS funds to be 'repurposed' for drought relief under Morrison plan.”

Barnaby Joyce's call to divert environmental water to drought-hit farmers panned by conservationists

Environmentalists have slammed Australia's new drought envoy Barnaby Joyce, describing his calls to divert water to farmers as "ill-informed" and likely to inflict further harm on river communities.

Barnaby Joyce, envoy for drought recovery and
 assistance, wants to give farmers environmental water.

The former deputy prime minister, who assumed his new role at the weekend, wants the Federal Government to "borrow" water so farmers can use it to grow crops to feed livestock.

He said the drought was an emergency and should be treated like a bushfire, which would allow for resources to be taken without seeking permission.

Read the ABC News story by Brett Worthington - “Barnaby Joyce's call to divert environmental water to drought-hit farmers panned by conservationists.”

(Well, Barnaby, climate change is an emergency and wouldn’t it be great if we were to implement the changes necessary to have Australians adapt to the quickly emerging difficulties without asking permission; changes we will soon have to make according to climate activist, Bill McKibben, as we are already in World War Three, the world, at least humanity, is at war with the damage it has done to the world’s environment - Robert McLean)

Florida’s Poop Nightmare Has Come True

In the days and hours before Hurricane Irma slammed into Florida, its residents were treated to copious media speculation about nightmare scenarios. This monster storm, journalists said, could bring a 15-foot storm surge, blow roofs off of buildings, and cause tens of billions of dollars in damage. But perhaps no scenario seemed more dire than the one Quartz warned about the day before Irma made landfall: “Hurricane Irma will likely cover South Florida with a film of poop.”

Quartz’ apparent hyperbole turned out to be an understatement. Pollution reports submitted to Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection show that, due to power outages and flooding caused by Irma, human waste has been spilling into streets, residences, and waterways across the entire state. At the time of this article’s publication, at least 113 “Public Notices of Pollution” had been submitted to the DEP. Combined, those discharge reports showed more than 28 million gallons of treated and untreated sewage released in 22 counties.The total amount is surely much more; at least 43 of those reports listed either an “unknown” or “ongoing” amount of waste released and new reports continue to roll in—sometimes as many as a dozen per hour.

Read the New Republic story by Emily Atkin - “Florida’s Poop Nightmare Has Come True.”