COVID-19 Commission stacked with fossil-fuel bigwigs. Surprise surprise -they find gas is the answer
Transparency called for in fossil fuel-stacked COVID-19 Commission, Independent Australia, Martin Hirst | 2 June 2020 Who’s running the country and where are they taking us? Dr Martin Hirst thinks the Canberra bubble is filling with gas.
IN THE LAST WEEK of March, right at the start of Australia’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the formation of the National COVID-19 Coordination Commission (NC-19CC). He said it would “solve problems” so “we all get through to the other side”.
Now, at the start of June, we have some idea of what the “other side” looks like according to the leading figures on the Coordination Commission. From what we can glean from the cheap seats in the bleachers, the future is going to be a gas — literally gas……
For a start, the NC-19CC is an energy sector lovefest.
The Commission chair is Neville (Nev) Power and he’s well connected to the Australian energy and mining industries. He is Deputy Chairman of Strike Energy Ltd and for nearly a decade was managing director and CEO of Fortescue Metals Group.
Catherine Tanna is the managing director of Energy Australia, ‘one of Australia’s leading electricity and gas retailers’ according to the helpful but rather anodyne biographies provided on the commission’s website.
The commission’s “special advisor” is the American chemical industry leader, Andrew Liveris, a former CEO and chairman of the Dow Chemical Company and on the board of a major Saudi oil company.
There are two other important members of NC-19CC: the head of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Phil Gaetjens and the head of Home Affairs, Mike Pezzulo. These are also political appointments — Gaetjens is a loyal fixer for Morrison and Pezzulo is Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton’s lieutenant.
Who does the Commission report to?
Australians first heard of the Coordinating Commission when Morrison announced it at a media event on 25 March, but he didn’t tell us how the members were selected, or why, or by whom.
Presumably, it was a “captain’s pick” by Morrison……
In mid-May, the Senate select committee that is holding an ongoing inquiry into the Government’s response to the pandemic requested Mr Power come and chat with it, but he didn’t show up. Instead, the PM’s protector, Phil Gaetjens and Peter Harris, the CEO of the Commission, came to block any real scrutiny of the Commission.
All that the senators were able to learn was that there are no rules in place for managing conflicts of interest and that the Commission’s members and advisors were being handsomely paid for their time and service. According to the transcript, almost every other question was stonewalled.
Apparently, the commissioners are also recruiting other people “through their own networks” according to Phil Gaetjens, but who remain largely unknown to the public — to help across various things to do with the economy re-opening.
Greens Senator Peter Whish-Wilson grilled Phil Gaetjens about the advice the commissioners might provide, but the PM’s advisor would only say that most advice would be confidential.
This has not satisfied a coalition of public interest watchdog groups who collectively issued a statement calling for greater transparency round the discussions and decisions of the NC-19CC………
I should mention that many environmental groups are concerned that the COVID-19 Commission is stacked with fossil fuel advocates, and with good reason. …… https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/transparency-called-for-in-fossil-fuel-stacked-covid-19-commission,13954
Australia’s first offshore wind project says it can cover early exit of Yallourn — RenewEconomy
The proposed 2,000MW Star of the South project – what would be Australia’s first offshore wind farm – says it can cover the loss of an early exit of Yallourn, one of Victoria’s three remaining brown coal generators. Yallourn was not scheduled to close until around 2032, although the Australian Energy Market Operator has now……
via Australia’s first offshore wind project says it can cover early exit of Yallourn — RenewEconomy
Electric and hybrid car sales jump in Australia, as fossil fuel market plunges again — RenewEconomy
Sales of fossil fuel cars plunged again in Australia last month, but plug-in and hybrid sales increased, pointing to fundamental change in the market. The post Electric and hybrid car sales jump in Australia, as fossil fuel market plunges again appeared first on RenewEconomy.
via Electric and hybrid car sales jump in Australia, as fossil fuel market plunges again — RenewEconomy
June 3 Energy News — geoharvey
Opinion: ¶ “Extinction Crisis ‘Poses Existential Threat To Civilisation’” • Human impacts on the places on Earth with the most richness of life have brought hundreds of wild animals to the brink of extinction, a study shows. We are in the sixth mass extinction, with only ourselves to blame. And what we do in the […]
Rooftop solar market powers on in Australia, despite Covid-19 blip — RenewEconomy
Covid-19 finally having some impact on Australian rooftop solar market, but May installations were still the third highest month on record. The post Rooftop solar market powers on in Australia, despite Covid-19 blip appeared first on RenewEconomy.
via Rooftop solar market powers on in Australia, despite Covid-19 blip — RenewEconomy
China takes steps to exclude “clean coal” eligibility for green bonds — RenewEconomy
Small but significant climate step forward for China with reports Beijing has moved to exclude “clean coal” technologies from a list of projects eligible for green bonds. The post China takes steps to exclude “clean coal” eligibility for green bonds appeared first on RenewEconomy.
via China takes steps to exclude “clean coal” eligibility for green bonds — RenewEconomy
Webinar: Opportunities in high efficiency, bifacial, and new solar designs — RenewEconomy
How quickly should Australian developers and installers embrace new solar technologies in their projects? Solar technology efficiencies always seem to be increasing. How did we get here and what does it mean for bankable, bifacial projects in Australia? What can we learn from the international solar supply chain and technology deployment trends? What considerations should……
via Webinar: Opportunities in high efficiency, bifacial, and new solar designs — RenewEconomy
Solar and wind’s stunning cost advantage sparks call for mass coal closure — RenewEconomy
Stunning cost reductions in solar and wind power continue, with countries urged to replace 500MW of existing coal to deliver billions in savings. The post Solar and wind’s stunning cost advantage sparks call for mass coal closure appeared first on RenewEconomy.
via Solar and wind’s stunning cost advantage sparks call for mass coal closure — RenewEconomy
National Radioactive Waste Management Amendment Bill aims to prevent Bangarla people from legal action against the nuclear dump
Schedule 1 of the Bill is a blatant and indisputable attempt to prevent any judicial review proceedings which would have been initiated by the Barngarla people (and potentially other members of the Kimba Community)
There is clearly no broad community support and such material suggesting there is, was manufactured by gerrymandering the ballot to exclude the Barngarla.
The Barngarla Determination Aboriginal Corporation to Senate Committee on National Radioactive Waste Management Amendment (Site Specification, Community Fund and Other Measures) Bill 2020 [Provisions]
Submission 25 The Barngarla Determination Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC ICN 8603 (BDAC) is the
registered native title body corporate for the Barngarla native title holders.1 As the determined native title holders for the Kimba area, which includes the site of Napandee, the Barngarla people seek to make a submission to the Senate Standing Committees on Economics (the Committee) as part of the Committee’s inquiry…….
………….., once the pandemic is resolved, BDAC consider it important that the Committee should attend on Country and hear from the Barngarla people directly. BDAC would welcome this opportunity and may seek to provide supplementary submissions at this time.
4. The Committee would be aware that members of BDAC were excluded from participating in a community ballot, facilitated by the District Council of Kimba between 3 October 2019 and 7 November 2019, to gauge support for the nominated sites of Napandee and Lyndhurst at Kimba.2 As the First Peoples for the Kimba area, this exclusion was alarming to our community given the permanent impact that the National Radioactive Waste Management Facility (NRWMF) would have on Country.
The Barngarla people also hold many parcels of native title land very close to the NRWMF location, and have the right to live on and use this land. That native title land was, and is in many cases, closer to the proposed site than the town of Kimba to the site. To be excluded from the ballot on the technicality that the land was not rateable,
was terrible for the Barngarla community. The ballot returned a yes vote whilst excluding over 200 Barngarla persons who would likely have voted no. Clearly the entire legitimacy of the site selection process is, at best, highly questionable in these circumstances. It is Barngarla’s position that the site selection process has entirely miscarried. There is clearly no broad community support and such material suggesting there is, was manufactured by gerrymandering the ballot to exclude the Barngarla. We are also aware that community consultation was not consistent with processes used for the Wallerberdina site and, as a result, also excluded members of the farming
community living and working in the Kimba area from the community ballot.
However, we respectfully submit to the Committee that the introduction of this Bill (in particular Schedule 1 of the Bill) presents a significantly more disturbing issue which goes beyond the exclusion of voters, seeking to have a voice on the NRWMF, from a community ballot.
6. We respectfully state that the issues raised in our submission, outline such a significant matter of principle that it will become evident to the Committee that Schedule 1 of the Bill should not be passed. We understand that Schedule 1 of the Bill seeks to directly legislate Napandee, as the specified site for the NRWMF, following
the policy decision (which was mischaracterised as a declaration) of the former Minister for Resources and Northern Australia on 1 February 2020. BDAC make clear that the Bill is in no way supported by the Barngarla people and is of the greatest concern to us, not only as the First Peoples for the Kimba area but as Australians in general, given that it effectively removes our right to seek judicial review .
Summary of Submission Continue reading
Going back to “normal”? But “normal” IS the problem
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‘Normal Is the Problem’ So is normal’s idiot child, ‘the new normal.’ What we’ve made normal never was natural. Andrew Nikiforuk 30 May 2020 | TheTyee.ca Tyee contributing editor Andrew Nikiforuk’s 2006 book Pandemonium predicted the pandemic we are now …….. Normal has become a pathological state.
After the random normlessness of this pandemic, I don’t want to go back to normal either. Or its idiotic child, “the new normal.” Let’s face facts: our hi-tech, globalized-trade-anything-for-peanuts world run mostly by tyrants isn’t natural. Since 1970, an outpouring of normality has just about destroyed the Earth: It has created an abnormal economic machine, blind to energy spending, that doubled the global population and boosted per capita consumption by 45 per cent. At the same time the so-called value of global economic activity grew by 300 per cent. Meanwhile global trade has exploded like a coronavirus by 900 per cent. To support all this consumption and trade, the extraction of “living materials” from nature has jumped by 200 per cent. Now here’s just a partial list of the cost of all this exponential normality: Humans have appropriated or altered 70 per cent of the world’s lands with mines, roads, industrial farms, cities and airports. We have engineered more than 75 per cent of the world’s longest rivers. We have filled the ocean with plastics and slaughtered coral reefs. Anyone who calls that kind of behaviour normal is crackers. It’s ecological imperialism, and nothing more than a full-scale assault on the dignity of local life. The list goes on, and scientists now think it’s normal to publish papers on “the pervasive human decline of life.” Humans, for example, have destroyed 85 per cent of the wetlands. That’s like eating your kidneys for dinner, and I can’t think of anybody who would consider that normal except Hannibal Lecter. We have eliminated 40 per cent of the world’s original forests. We have extirpated (and there’s a word for these normal times) most of the world’s large mammals. An estimated one million species of animals and plants stand on the brink of extinction. Homo sapiens, another mammal, are on that list, and we pretend that’s normal. As these species disappear, our ever-expanding artificial intelligence probably won’t wave goodbye because replacing the natural with artificial is what normal is all about……. Normal really means big-box living and being a slave to machines. It means you’re so distracted by screens, speed and mobility, you can’t pay attention to what matters. Normal means you don’t have any respect for limits or sacred places. Normal means you think you can simply swap fossil fuels with so-called “clean energy” and protect the norm. But it mostly means you have surrendered your capacity to be human and to love this place. So I don’t want to go back to normal…… Normal really means big-box living and being a slave to machines. It means you’re so distracted by screens, speed and mobility, you can’t pay attention to what matters. Normal means you don’t have any respect for limits or sacred places. Normal means you think you can simply swap fossil fuels with so-called “clean energy” and protect the norm. But it mostly means you have surrendered your capacity to be human and to love this place. So I don’t want to go back to normal……. I don’t want to go back to a world where political parties cultivate men and women obsessed with power and deny the truth. That’s just evil. I don’t want to go back to world where people don’t know their neighbours, or the names of the birds in their trees. I don’t want to go back to a world where billionaires think so little of this Earth that their primary obsession is to escape to Mars. I don’t want to go back to a world where political leaders don’t have the courage to talk about cheap energy, reckless consumption, over-population and climate change in the same sentence. …. I don’t want to go back to an economy where corporations socialize all costs and privatize all gains. That’s robbery and theft. And it must end. I don’t want to go back to a world where governments subsidize bottom trawlers to scrape the floor of the ocean to support globalization… … Normal is the problem, and the normlessness of a pandemic has exposed the fat tail of normal as pathology. And I am not going back to it……..https://thetyee.ca/Culture/2020/05/30/New-Normal-Problem/ |
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Southern Australia to be among the worst-hit by global heating
Australia among global ‘hot spots’ as droughts worsen in warming world, The Age, By Peter Hannam, June 1, 2020 The world’s major food baskets will experience more extreme droughts than previously forecast as greenhouse gases rise, with southern Australia among the worst-hit, climate projections show.
Scientists at the Australian National University and the University of NSW made the findings after running the latest generation of climate models used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Future drought changes were larger and more consistent, the researchers found.
“Australia is one of the hot spots along with the Amazon and the Mediterranean, especially,” said Anna Ukkola, a research fellow at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes and lead author of the paper published in Geophysical Research Letters.
For southern Australia, the shift to longer, more frequent and more intense droughts up to 2100 will be due to greater variability in rainfall rather than a reduction in average rainfall. For the Amazon, both mean rain and variability changes…….
One reason for the prediction of worse droughts is that the latest models assume the climate will respond more than previously understood to increased atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
Australia’s vulnerability to big shifts in annual rainfall already challenge the country’s farming sector, while also leaving much of the country’s south more at risk of bad bushfire seasons – such as last summer’s – as forests dry out.
The CSIRO has long forecast a large reduction in stream flows in the Murray-Darling Basin, for instance, as reduced cool-season rainfall combines with higher temperatures. Such a trend appears to have already begun.
While a more moderate emissions trajectory will still produce more intense, frequent and longer lasting droughts in most of the world’s mid-latitude regions than current conditions, the shift will be less than if carbon emissions remain near the top of forecasts. ……..https://www.theage.com.au/environment/climate-change/australia-among-global-hot-spots-as-droughts-worsen-in-warming-world-20200601-p54ydh.html
British taxpayers may be funding China’s military programme, via “joint nuclear technology research”
Telegraph 1st June 2020, Experts fear British taxpayers could inadvertently be 
contributing to funding the Chinese defence programme, after millions of pounds of public funds were poured into technology research undertaken in collaboration with controversial Chinese universities known for their military links. The UK’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council distributed more than £6.5 million to British universities including Manchester for
technology studies that were undertaken with these controversial Chinese institutions, according to disclosures on academic papers.
While the research programmes focused on technologies that could be used for civilian purposes, experts have warned that they also have the potential to be used for military applications, prompting fears that taxpayer-funded research by British universities could be exploited by Beijing.
Time to transfer funds from weapons to making vaccines — IPPNW peace and health blog
Scientists and medical professionals have warned from time to time about various diseases and cautioned about the imminent health emergencies. They have also guided about the steps to be taken to prevent such happenings. IPPNW has warned the global community about a highly grave threat to humanity for which we have no remedy. The use of nuclear weapons would be the final epidemic. Prevention is the only way out as we do not have any remedy to offer in such an eventuality.
via Time to transfer funds from weapons to making vaccines — IPPNW peace and health blog
Even with rooftop solar boom, households are paying dearly for what lies beneath — RenewEconomy
Australians have led the world in solar installations on their rooftops, but lag way behind in terms of what they do under the roof. And it’s costing them dearly. The post Even with rooftop solar boom, households are paying dearly for what lies beneath appeared first on RenewEconomy.
via Even with rooftop solar boom, households are paying dearly for what lies beneath — RenewEconomy
ABC’s QandA: Old fossils versus smart advocates of clean energy transition — RenewEconomy
Two old fossils put the case for dirty, old, and incumbent technologies. Three smart women argued environmental, economic and engineering case for a clean energy transition. The post ABC’s QandA: Old fossils versus smart advocates of clean energy transition appeared first on RenewEconomy.
via ABC’s QandA: Old fossils versus smart advocates of clean energy transition — RenewEconomy
1 This month
25 October – Film –Britain’s Nuclear Bomb Scandal: Our Story – part of the Adelaide Film Festival,
Screening and Conversation
A screening of Britain’s Nuclear Bomb Scandal: Our Story (2024) followed by a talk with 2026 Bettison and James Awardee and Tradtional Owner Karina Lester in conversation with Simone Tur.
When: Sun 25 Oct, 12:00pm-Screening, 1:15pm-Talk
Where: The Mercury
Free admission, register below by clicking on BUY TICKETS and select free event tickets, at end of web page:
https://www.adelaidefilmfestival.org/program/2026/britains-nuclear-bomb-scandal-our-story
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Australians deserve the truth
about
AUKUS – https://aukuspublicinquiry.com/
PETITION – To: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the Australian Labor Government
of the week – Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR)
To see nuclear-related stories in greater depth and intensity
