time to mobilise a big mob, so our leaders can make us leaders, no time to lose
Australia has no regulatory CO2 emission standards to reduce emissions of greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels and its impact on climate change. This allows car manufacturers and importers to dump their high CO2 emitting vehicles because there are no restrictions….The regulation stated that “environmental considerations“ are not a consideration for choosing an alternative vehicle. The purpose of the fleet procurement policy is to provide support to the Australian car industry…It is unlikely Australia will meet the most current international emission standards until the cessation of local manufacturing motor vehicle industry towards the end of 2017.
>more> TheConversation
A prototype all-electric bus that its developers say can be driven from Melbourne to Sydney on a single charge was unveiled in Melbourne on Friday, ahead of a road-test on Saturday that will see it undertake the interstate journey. The bus is officially certified, to international standards, to drive a huge 1004km on one charge. The next biggest range our research efforts could find for an electric bus was less than half of that, at about 402km, in a US model.
>more> OneStepOffTheGrid
The release of the Andrews government’s Renewable Energy Action Plan is imminent. It will set Victorian Renewable Energy Targets for 2020 and 2025.
Please add your voice to our call for the Andrews government to set ambitious targets that match those of other states and territories:
>more>Friends of the Earth
-long before Exxon began its campaign of denial – as far back as late 1970s – the company employed its own in-house climate scientists to do sophisticated analysis of the issue.. ..These scientists understood that climate change is real and carefully modeled its likely impacts…Next, they reportedly briefed Exxon’s top executives, who factored climate change into their business decisions – only to then reverse course…It’s one thing for a company to offer its perspective on matters of global importance. It’s quite another for a company to deploy its resources to intentionally mislead the public and thwart collective action when its own scientists have warned of terrible consequences. And that’s what Exxon Mobil is accused of.
>more> EDF(Environmental Defence Fund)
“I’ve often wondered how the media would respond when eco-apocalypsestruck. I pictured the news programmes producing brief, sensational reports, while failing to explain why it was happening or how it might be stopped. Then they would ask their financial correspondents how the disaster affected share prices, before turning to the sport. As you can probably tell, I don’t have an ocean of faith in the industry for which I work. What I did not expect was that they would ignore it”…Some plantation companies, prompted by customers, have promised to stop destroying rainforest. Government officials have responded angrily, arguing that such restraint impedes the country’s development. That smoke blotting out the nation, which has already cost it some $30bn? That, apparently, is development.Governments ignore issues when the media inores them…And the media ignores them because … well, there’s a question with a thousand answers, many of which involve power. But one reason is the complete failure of perspective in a de-skilled industry dominated by corporate press releases, photo ops and fashion shoots, where everyone seems to be waiting for everyone else to take a lead. The media makes a collective non-decision to treat this catastrophe as a non-issue, and we all carry on as if it’s not happening…Is there any other industry that serves its customers so badly?
>more> TheGuardian
“I think of it more like a fly wheel or a freight train. It takes a big push to get it going but it is moving now and will contiue to move long after we continue to pushing it”…Globally 90% of excess heat caused by rise in GHG’s(greenhouse gas emissions) is absorbed by oceans…More than 20 countries in Europe set new heat records, with Africa, Asia and Australia also experiencing near-record heat. The east coast of North America was the only region to experience cooler than average conditions…Alaska experienced temperatures 18F(10degC) warmer than average. Spring break-up came to the Arctic 20-30 days earlier than the 20th century average.
>more> TheGuardian
“By 2030, according to the report, the world will have used three-quarters of its “carbon budget” — the amount of carbon allowed into the atmosphere to stay below the 2° C limit — and nations will need to revisit and strengthen their pledges. As Chris Mooney at the Washington Post points out, total annual emissions, however, are set to increase under current INDCs, from 48 gigatons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2010 to 55 gigatons in 2025 and 57 gigatons in 2030.”
Looks like determination to get commitment, between as many countries as possible, whether or not it will be adequate. It’s about need to reduce annual emissions, pitched like eating less, so that we’re less obese in future years. But it’s different, big time, like standing on tip toes, unable to get out of a deep pool of water, while level keeps rising. To prevent mass loss of life, we need to get to zero emissions, quickly, with much surplus energy to extract GHG’s from atmosphere, down to safe 350ppm. “There’s no other way” to borrow quote from high priests of neo-liberal economics.
>more> ThinkProgress
This is from current candidate for US President. This nutter’s previous claim to fame was recommendation for wars in Middles East “Bomb them back to the Stone Age, to rubble” Doesn’t western civilisation inspire hope?!?
>more> ThimkProgress
Networks across Australia appear to be launching a major campaign to curb the growth of rooftop solar PV – introducing or proposing tariff changes such as high fixed network costs or “demand charges” that penalise rooftop solar and are designed to slow installation rates…As part of this campaign, the networks are using data that they say “proves” that rooftop solar PV is not reducing peak demand, and therefore not contributing to the grid. They use this to justify changing tariffs to reflect the “cost” of rooftop solar, but not its benefits.
>more> RenewEconomy
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