coal

Coal industry bullies infiltrate Australian environmental group.

The environmnetal movement,  Landcare Australia is controlled by the fossil fuel and coal seam gas industry by a network of companies and organizations with controversial environmental ethics.

“We have to be aware of the possibility that some might want to partner with Landcare in order to greenwash what might otherwise be bad corporate behaviour.” Campbell Anderson,  Landcare in Focus Nov 2012, p12.

Geography: 

Renewable world by 2030

 Super-scientist Mark Jacobson from Stanford explains soot-causing warming - plus a way to run the world on clean energy by 2030.  Yes, it can be done technically.  But can we overcome the powers-that-be to do it socially?

 

We visit an Ultra-Mega coal power plant in India, ten times larger than U.S. stations.  It's already killing people. Of course, India is buying coal from Australia and Indonesia.  If the world's second-most populous country continues it's coal-building projects, we are all cooked.

 

Bindi Irwin stars in controversial indy activist film!

Some in the mainstream media have begun sharpening their knives ahead of the release of, Surviving Earth featuring Bindi Irwin (daughter of the late Steve Irwin - crocodile hunter) as the voice of youth among a scholarly cast including, Prof. Tim Flannery, Ian Dunlop, Prof. Ian Lowe and Uncle Bob Randall. Directed by Peter Charles Downey and made in Melbourne, Australia by United Natures Media and Peter Erb Media the independent movie style documentary brings environmental and humanitarian activism to mainstream.

Whitehaven coal mine offsets not compatible and in breach of mine approval conditions

The Whitehaven coal mine at Maule's Creek near Boggabri in north Western NSW involves the destruction of a substantial part of the ecologically distinct Leard Forest. One of the requirements for approval was the provision of environmental offsets to balance 'like for like' against the destruction of high biodiversity habitat. But the latest environmental report by Dr John Hunter advises the offsets for critically endangered ecological communities are "vastly overstated".

Geography: 

Alcoa smelter closure opportunity to reduce coal power CO2 emissions at Anglesea and in La Trobe Valley

This week Alcoa announced the closure of it's Port Henry smelter and aluminium rolling mills after a review conducted in the last year. This is a definite employment blow to the Geelong region, coming on the heals of the Ford factory announced closure. But it can provide impetus to reduce carbon emissions for climate change mitigation action by shutting down polluting coal fired capacity now excess to demand. The Alcoa closure will result in a reduction of about 360MW of electricity currently supplied to the Port Henry aluminium smelter. The Anglesea coal fired power station provides 150MW of this power, which would mean a need to reduce La Trobe Valley generating capacity by about 210MW.

Geography: 

ethiopia youth live with poverity and migraion.

Over half of Ethiopia’s population consists of young people between the ages of 15-24 years. Many of the youth face diverse problems and live with constant life challenges. Especially in urban centers of the country, the number of delinquent juveniles is increasing. In Addis Ababa alone it is believed that there are over 100,000 people living on the streets, and more than half of these are young people. This number is increasing every day due to poverty and migration of people from the rural to urban areas in search of a better life.

More heatwave, more action required on climate change and adaptation

Much of south east Australia is again suffering a heatwave this week. The temperature reached 41.2C in Melbourne on Tuesdayand is forecast to rise again over this weekend. Inland towns get no such reprieve from the heat, with the Bureau of Meteorology having a heatwave forecast in place.

Geography: 

Australia's coal expansion risks stranded assets with global warming

Australia's headlong expansion of coal mining for export carries substantial investment risks of stranding assets says a new report from Oxford University. Previous warnings regarding potential risks of a carbon bubble have been made by Carbon Tracker, PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and International Energy Agency (IEA).

Geography: 
Promotion: 

Hundreds rally to oppose brown coal allocation and export from Victoria

Hundreds rallied outside the Victorian Parliament House opposing plans for brown coal allocation and development for a coal export industry from the La Trobe Valley and Gippsland.

Currently 13 billion tonnes of brown coal is being considered for allocation by the Napthine conservative state Government, despite the impact of this in carbon emissions on climate change and increasing temperatures and extreme weather. As well as the allocation of coal licences, $90 million of Federal and State subsidies are also up for grab. Does subsidising brown coal make sense when we should rapidly be transitioning to renewables?

Photos at Quit Coal Campaign Victoria Photoset at Flickr | Youtube Video

Geography: 

Who will control the climate of the world?

A small group including Bill Gates, worried climate scientists, some nuclear weapons boys, and multinational oil companies want to "save" the climate with geoengineering. They are talking about a "shield" which would dampen the sun, leading to whiter skies, instead of blue.

Maybe we will get so desperate we'll beg them to do it? Then we can just keep on burning good old Australian coal!

Australian author Clive Hamilton tells all. Audio interview from Radio Ecoshock 25 minutes.