Labor stays strongly against nuclear power, despite pro nuke push from one union
Labor bipartisanship on nuclear energy needed: AWU,Australian Financial Revieew Phillip Coorey – Political Editor, Feb 18, 2020
The Australian Workers’ Union has stepped up its call for Australia to embrace nuclear power by urging Labor leader Anthony Albanese to provide the political bipartisanship that is needed. …….
Like other pro-nuclear advocates, Mr Walton supports small modular reactors. He also accepts that if Labor were in government, nuclear power would not be an option for it.
In the Coalition, the Nationals are hardening against a proposal floated by Mr Morrison and Energy Minister Angus Taylor to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
On Monday, Mr Morrison was very cautious.
https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/labor-bipartisanship-on-nuclear-energy-needed-awu-20200217-p541eh
For Australia “business as usual” on climate change, will cost many $billions
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Australia faces a multi-billion dollar economic hit without strong climate action https://probonoaustralia.com.au/news/2020/02/australia-faces-a-multi-billion-dollar-economic-hit-without-strong-climate-action/ ________________________________ Australia was ranked the fifth worst affected nation by the loss of nature over the next 30 years, with the country’s annual income set to decline by 1.43 per cent by 2050. WWF-Australia economist Joshua Bishop said across all countries the reduction was 0.67 per cent, meaning Australia was projected to lose more than twice the global average.“Because so much of Australia’s population, infrastructure and service sector output is concentrated in coastal areas, we are more vulnerable than most to sea level rise and storm surges,” Bishop said. WWF noted that the damage could be much worse than anticipated, as the economic cost calculated did not consider the destruction from future bushfire emergencies. The study used new economic and environmental modelling to assess the macroeconomic impact if the world continued a “business as usual” approach to the environment.
This approach – which includes continued greenhouse gas emissions increases, and further loss of natural habitats – would cost the world up to US$9.87 trillion (A$14.68 trillion) by 2050. Marco Lambertini, director general of WWF International, said the study showed how conserving nature was not only a moral issue but a social and economic one. “People across the world are already feeling the impact of rising food prices, droughts, commodity shortages, extreme flooding and coastal erosion,” Lambertini said. “Yet for the next generation things will be many times worse, with trillions wiped off world economies by 2050.”
The report said if land-use was better managed in the future to conserve biodiversity and ecosystem services, it would deliver dramatically better economic outcomes. Under this scenario, global GDP would rise by $490 billion a year above the business as usual calculation, while damage to Australia’s GDP would be halved to $14.3 billion by 2050. Bishop said this highlighted the opportunity Australia had “to save billions by protecting our coastal areas, forests and woodlands and becoming a world leader in renewable energy”.
Meanwhile, new analysis from the Australian Conservation Foundation has found that fossil fuel industry donations to Australia’s major political parties have more than doubled over the past four years.
Australian Electoral Commission data revealed that the coal, oil and gas industry’s political donations grew from $894,336 in 2015-16 to $1.9 million in 2018-19. This figure excludes Clive Palmer’s $83.7 million donation to his own party. ACF’s democracy campaigner Jolene Elberth said these figures highlighted the extent of the fossil fuel industry’s attempts to buy political power in Australia. “As more Australians demand action on climate change and the pressure builds on politicians to take the problem seriously, the fossil fuel industry is doubling down by spending more money to influence public policy,” Elberth said.
“Serious donations reform is needed to curb the power of big money in politics which harms our natural world and drives more climate damage.”
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Climate change extreme weather making parts of Australia uninsurable
Risks aren’t worth it’: QBE says parts of planet becoming uninsurable due to climate concerns, SMH, Charlotte Grieve February 17, 2020 Global insurance giant QBE has warned climate change poses a material threat to its business and the entire economy as its chief executive Pat Regan said premiums were at risk of becoming too high in areas exposed to repeated, extreme weather……
Mr Regan said there had always been parts of the world that were difficult to insure. But as floods and fires become have dominated headlines this summer, this risk was increasing across “swathes of Australia” and could potentially price out customers from home and business property insurance.
He said climate change was a “big topic” in the sector, requiring the insurance giant to “up its game on a number of fronts”. QBE boosted its reinsurance program for catastrophic events to $2 billion in a process that would be reassessed each year, he said. …..
“The evidence is there for all to see that the amount of weather events globally, not just in Australia, is consistently rising and most of the worst years on record have happened in the last 10 years.”
“The most prone ones [areas] are the ones we see in the news frequently,” Mr Regan said, referencing the Queensland floods and east coast fires…… https://www.smh.com.au/business/banking-and-finance/qbe-warns-of-climate-risk-as-300m-hit-to-revenue-alongside-unusual-weather-20200217-p541e3.html
Germany is shutting down its coal industry for good, so far without sacking a single worker
Germany is shutting down its coal industry for good, so far without sacking a single worker, ABC News Foreign Correspondent By Eric Campbell in Germany 17 Feb, 20, “…….. Germany shut down its last black coal mine in 2018.
Miners were offered a new job or an early retirement and a centuries-old way of life came to a sudden end.
But Germany is not looking back. A nation that built its fortunes on coal has decided the fossil fuel’s days are numbered.
As Australia looks to expand coal exp
orts and build new mines, like Adani’s proposed Carmichael project, Europe’s biggest economy is phasing out its entire coal industry for good.
Having already extinguished black coal, Germany is now doing the same to brown coal — a cheaper, dirtier fossil fuel that spews even more carbon emissions.
Berlin has announced a timetable to close not only every remaining brown coal mine but all the carbon-emitting power plants that burn coal to make electricity, by 2038.
In a grand compromise that many Australians might find hard to fathom, trade unions, energy companies, green groups and government have all agreed that the coal industry must go.
And the Government will give tens of billions of dollars to coal regions to create new jobs and industries………
in 2007, the government, coal companies and trade unions struck a historic deal to wind down black coal for good.
“[The government] asked us how much time you need to do that without any problems, not to bring the people off the working market,” Mr Beike said.
Mr Beike said they were given plenty of time — and money — to make the transition.
RAG maintains only a skeleton staff to administer workers’ pensions and contract mine restorations. Mr Beike says only 100 workers are still in need of a job.
One former miner tells Foreign Correspondent he found work as a research scientist; another has been retrained for a job as a trade union secretary.
Government subsidies were used to transform an old RAG coking plant into a World Heritage site, preserved as a piece of history for international tourists. It now has solar panels on the roof.
Black coal may have been shut down for economic reasons but a new move to phase out brown coal is purely environmental.
Renewables currently account for 40 per cent of Germany’s energy generation but there are plans to increase that to 65 per cent by the end of the decade. To meet its Paris targets, the country must do more.
Unlike Australia, where the Federal Government’s response to climate change is being debated after a season of catastrophic fires, there is broad agreement in Germany that coal’s demise is inevitable.
The successful closure of the black coal industry is now providing a blueprint for how to finish the job.
Under what’s known as the Coal Compromise, struck in January 2019, the rest of Germany’s coal industry will soon start retiring their mines and power plants.
Corporations have been given nearly two decades to completely shut down and the Government has promised 40 billion euros ($65 billion) to coal regions to ease the transition…….. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-18/australia-climate-how-germany-is-closing-down-its-coal-industry/11902884
Small is beautiful as solar farms look for ways around grid chaos — RenewEconomy
Developers and off-takers are working with smaller-scale solar farms in a bid to avoid the pitfalls of Australia’s current grid connection and congestion crisis. The post Small is beautiful as solar farms look for ways around grid chaos appeared first on RenewEconomy.
via Small is beautiful as solar farms look for ways around grid chaos — RenewEconomy
Holden brand killed off as GM switches focus to electric vehicles — RenewEconomy
General Motors retires iconic Holden brand as it looks to a future of electric and autonomous mobility. The post Holden brand killed off as GM switches focus to electric vehicles appeared first on RenewEconomy.
via Holden brand killed off as GM switches focus to electric vehicles — RenewEconomy
Why Canavan will be a more dangerous pro-coal advocate outside of Morrison ministry — RenewEconomy
Former resources minister Matt Canavan says he is ready to cross the floor and do everything he can to support coal industry. The post Why Canavan will be a more dangerous pro-coal advocate outside of Morrison ministry appeared first on RenewEconomy.
via Why Canavan will be a more dangerous pro-coal advocate outside of Morrison ministry — RenewEconomy
Victoria intervenes to try and solve wind and solar bottlenecks in local grid — RenewEconomy
Victoria flags “go-it-alone” strategy on network upgrades, as it seeks to solve grid bottlenecks that is hurting and delaying large scale wind and solar projects. The post Victoria intervenes to try and solve wind and solar bottlenecks in local grid appeared first on RenewEconomy.
via Victoria intervenes to try and solve wind and solar bottlenecks in local grid — RenewEconomy
Australia has done little on emissions, and is not planning much in next decade — RenewEconomy
Australia’s emissions have risen substantially since 1990, and since 2005, without including land use, and its Paris goal are only reached through carry-over credits. The post Australia has done little on emissions, and is not planning much in next decade appeared first on RenewEconomy.
via Australia has done little on emissions, and is not planning much in next decade — RenewEconomy
Gas giant concedes gas demand rises only if climate targets are ignored — RenewEconomy
APA says global gas demand rises only if climate targets are ignored, but is coy about details of federal government funding for new gas power station in Victoria. The post Gas giant concedes gas demand rises only if climate targets are ignored appeared first on RenewEconomy.
via Gas giant concedes gas demand rises only if climate targets are ignored — RenewEconomy
Queensland researchers smash solar efficiency record for ‘quantum dot’ solar cells — RenewEconomy
UQ researchers smash efficiency record for ‘quantum dot’ solar cells, opening up the potential for flexible solar skins. The post Queensland researchers smash solar efficiency record for ‘quantum dot’ solar cells appeared first on RenewEconomy.
via Queensland researchers smash solar efficiency record for ‘quantum dot’ solar cells — RenewEconomy
Queensland names two more sites for $2.5m EV network rollout — RenewEconomy
Two additional sites identified for $2.5 million second phase of Queensland’s statewide public electric car charging network. The post Queensland names two more sites for $2.5m EV network rollout appeared first on RenewEconomy.
via Queensland names two more sites for $2.5m EV network rollout — RenewEconomy
February 17 Energy News — geoharvey
Opinion: ¶ “Tesla Semis Are Cheaper Than Rail Enough Of The Time To Reshape Ground Freight” • Later this year, the first Tesla Semis will be rolling out of a gigafactory. This article deals with the question: “What dynamics will shift in the rail vs. road shipping equation?” The Tesla Semi isn’t a “rail killer.” […]
South Australia re-connected to main grid as AEMO completes delicate operation — RenewEconomy
Market operator re-connects and re-synchronises South Australia’s grid to the main network more than two weeks after storms tore down main transmission link. The post South Australia re-connected to main grid as AEMO completes delicate operation appeared first on RenewEconomy.
via South Australia re-connected to main grid as AEMO completes delicate operation — RenewEconomy
Coal miners given free ride under Morrison government emissions “caps” — RenewEconomy
A growing number of industrial emitters avoiding limits by using soft rules to secure higher emissions allowances under the Safeguard Mechanism. The post Coal miners given free ride under Morrison government emissions “caps” appeared first on RenewEconomy.
via Coal miners given free ride under Morrison government emissions “caps” — RenewEconomy
1.This month
For international nuclear news go to https://nuclear-news.net/
Nuclear Power in Australia | FYI
of the week
EVENTS
22 February – Sydney – Climate Crisis: National Day of Action–
more at Action Australia
Victorian Government INQUIRY INTO NUCLEAR PROHIBITIONThe submission closing date is Friday 28 February 2020. more – https://antinuclear.net/2019/11/07/victorian-government-inquiry-into-nuclear-prohibition/
Climate Action (Nuclear has no role)- theme for February 2020
Climate Action Network https://www.cana.net.au/
OUR VISION
A fair and sustainable Australia free of climate pollution, where people and nature are protected from dangerous climate change.
OUR MISSION
Is to support our members and their allies to take actions to protect people at home and abroad from climate change, to safeguard our natural environment, and to build a fair, clean, healthy Australia for everyone.
To do this we will create a diverse network with distributed leadership that links people and organisations working toward our vision. The network will support the setting and achievement of shared goals and be the underlying infrastructure that supports us to work together.
TOGETHER WE WORK TO
- Reduce Australia’s climate pollution to zero, and beyond.
- Transition to a society and economy powered by clean energy and clean exports.
- Protect people, water, air, land, and nature from the impacts of fossil fuel extraction.
- Build climate leadership and resilience in communities most affected by climate change.
- Ensure Australia does its fair-share in international efforts to confront the crisis.
WE WORK BY:
- Building and aligning strategies in common areas of our work.
- Co-designing and collaborating to deliver climate campaigns and projects.
- Co-operating on community-led transition projects.
- Engaging more people and diverse sectors to take action on campaigns connected to climate.
- Developing policies and proposals that will help deliver on our vision.
- Linking to international efforts, networks, and campaigns.
The Network provides infrastructure for ongoing communication between members, as well as convening meetings and working groups for particular regions, sectors, and issue areas.
The CANA Annual Report for 2018/19 details how our network members support each other to build a powerful, connected, diverse and innovative climate movement.
For more information on joining the network, see here.
Free Julian Assange, before it’s too late. Sign to STOP the USA Extradition
FEDERAL. Inquiry into the prerequisites for nuclear energy in Australia Read the published submissions on the Parliamentary website. Read the SUMMARIES of submissions here.
