carbon emissions

It was notable that  Treasurer Jim Chalmers didn’t mouth the words “climate action” while spruiking the budget. Alex Bainbridge argues that’s because it didn’t contain a plan for the climate transition we need.

The Big Switch

Saul Griffiths has demonstrated that 100% renewable energy would help the US and Australia not reach the climate targets, surpass them and raise export earnings. Elena Garcia reports.

The negotiated amendments won by the Greens improved Labor’s initial terrible climate "safeguard mechanism", but are not enough to make it worthy of support, argues Alex Bainbridge.

Labor's safeguard mechanism should be scrapped and replaced with a policy designed to reduce emissions, argues Alex Bainbridge.

Left organisations and climate activist groups, including Extinction Rebellion and Friends of the Earth, mobilised hundreds of people to a united climate rally. Jacob Andrewartha reports.

Environment Victoria has accused Viva Energy of using a climate accounting trick to significantly underreport emissions from its proposed Geelong gas terminal. Sue Bull reports.

The federal government has delivered another budget for the billionaire class that is hell-bent on putting their profits ahead of the climate emergency, writes Peter Boyle.

Catastrophic fires in New South Wales and Queensland have come early in the fire season, which usually starts in October. Climate scientists and frontline fire fighters agree: they are a consequence of climate change.

The climate emergency is already impacting all our lives. As it gets worse, we will be affected by more catastrophic floods and storms, bushfires and droughts. Globally there will be less clean water and farmland available. It is a result of an economic system — capitalism — in which private companies’ profit-making is privileged over the real needs of communities and their environments.

When renowned ecosocialist Ian Angus came to Australia in 2011 he observed that for most people it is “easier to imagine the end of the world than to imagine the end of capitalism”. 

Unfortunately, imagining the end of the world is getting easier. There are almost daily reports of the accumulating effects of climate change, to choose just one source of potential apocalypse.

Another United Nations climate conference (COP23) is over — though many people would have barely noticed, given the lack of media coverage. The Paris Climate Agreement is locked in and, contrary to the Coalition’s inetrpretation, Australia needs to ratchet up its emissions reduction.

This is a useful time to reflect on where Australia sits globally on climate action and what areas are of concern.

ENGIE, the French company that owns two of Victoria's coal power stations, announced on November 2 it will close the oldest, Hazelwood, by March, and is selling the other, Loy Yang B. The power stations are in the Latrobe Valley, east of Melbourne.

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