Category: Australia

Categories
Australia

November 3, 1997- innovative energy solutions, oh my…

Twenty nine years ago, on this day, November 3rd, 1997,

Greenhouse & innovative energy solutions into the 21st Century : Monday, 3 November 1997 – Sydney / presented by the Greenhouse Challenge Office in association with the Electricity Supply Association of Australia Limited and The Australian Gas Association.

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 365ppm. As of 2026, when this post was published, it is 430ppm. This matters because the more carbon dioxide in the air, the more heat gets trapped. The more heat, the more extreme weather events. You can make it more complicated than that if you want, but really, it’s not. Fwiw, I have a tattoo of the Keeling Curve on my left forearm.

The broader context was that from 1950s it had been obvious that fossil fuel usage for energy and electricity generation, whether that was heat, power, cars, was going to have significant ecological and social consequences, and therefore other energy sources might be the way forward, be that nuclear or renewables, or whatever.

The specific context was that from the late 1980s there had been talk of a global climate treaty, which would involve rich nations cutting their emissions first, that had been partially successfully resisted. But there was the Kyoto conference coming up in a month’s time, and so anticipating that there would be some agreement by industrial nations, the idea of “innovative energy solutions” was more likely to catch headlines.

What I think we can learn from this is that you should never see events and claims in isolation from the historical events they are in; that’s a banality, but mostly what I do is banalities.

What happened next we did eventually, 20 years later, start seeing some of these innovative energy solutions, not actually that innovative. But anyway, have they helped bend the emissions curve down? No, not particularly. Will they? Possibly. Will that do much of anything about the atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide? No, for that, you would need all sorts of magical “draw down” technologies, which don’t exist, and unless we repeal some laws, won’t exist. “Repeal some laws?” you say. “Well, that sounds doable.” Yes, but those are laws of physics…

On this topic, you might like these other posts on All Our Yesterdays

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References

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You can see the chronological list of All Our Yesterdays “on this day” posts here.

What do you think? Does this pass the ‘so what?’ threshold? Have I got facts wrong? Interpretation wrong? Please do comment on this post, unless you are a denialist, obvs.

If you want to get involved, let me know.

If you want to invite me on your podcast, that would boost my ego and probably improve the currently pitiful hit-rate on this site (the two are not-unrelated).

Also on this day: 

November 3, 1916 -measurement of ice flow shows climate change

November 3, 1988 – priorities revealed via adverts

November 3, 1990 – more smears about the IPCC, in the Financial Times 

November 3, 1990 – money for independent climate scientists? Yeah, nah

November 3, 2000 – Australian denialists get American scientist to testify about Kyoto Protocol, smear IPCC

November 3, 2007 – Second Rising Tide Australia boat blockade

Categories
Australia Carbon Pricing

November 2, 1998 – Emissions trading within a year, oh yes.

Twenty eight years ago, on this day, November 2nd, 1998,

SYDNEY (Dow Jones)–The Sydney Futures Exchange said Monday it aims to have a gas emissions trading system operational within 12 months.

This follows a meeting last Monday held between Australia’s New South Wales state government, energy industry representatives and financial market participants to discuss forming a market for trading greenhouse gas emissions.

A working group will soon be established to examine the most appropriate structure for such a scheme, the SFE said. “Any testing of an emissions trading scheme will be as broad as possible and conducted in real time,” the exchange added. The trading scheme will also meet national and international policy on greenhouse emissions, the SFE said.

The development of an international emissions market will be discussed at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Buenos Aires, running from Nov. 2 to 13, the SFE said. The SFE said it will be represented at the convention.

At the Dec. 1997 U.N. climate change convention in Kyoto, Japan, a number of developed countries made binding targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Australia has committed to limit emissions to 108% of 1990 levels. Greenhouse emissions trading is seen as increasing the incentive to meet greenhouse gas emission targets.

1998 – Australia’s SFE Aims To Trade Gas Emissions Within A Year

Monday 2 November 1998

Dow Jones International News

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 382ppm. As of 2026, when this post was published, it is 430ppm. This matters because the more carbon dioxide in the air, the more heat gets trapped. The more heat, the more extreme weather events. You can make it more complicated than that if you want, but really, it’s not. Fwiw, I have a tattoo of the Keeling Curve on my left forearm.

The broader context was that one of the obvious actions you would take to reduce carbon dioxide emissions is to put a tax on carbon, and this would incentivize both energy efficiency and the search for new forms of energy generation, especially wind and solar. Entirely logical, but of course that would interfere with the present and especially future profits of people, companies with enormous power, and so it will surprise no one to say that carbon tax proposals had been defeated, and carbon emissions proposals had had a similarly rocky road.

The specific context was that the climate issue had burst onto the scene again. In mid late 2006 for a variety of reasons in Australia, those reasons included the millennium drought, which was seemingly endless. 

What I think we can learn from this here is that when an issue has burst back onto the scene people overestimate how quickly a policy solution will be implemented, even if it’s merely legislation, let alone, god forbid, technology. 

What happened next There was a five year bloodbath around emissions trading. I don’t think there’s any other word for it. Finally, in July of 2012 an emissions trading scheme began, only to be swiftly abolished by the next (Liberal) government.

On this topic, you might like these other posts on All Our Yesterdays

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References

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You can see the chronological list of All Our Yesterdays “on this day” posts here.

What do you think? Does this pass the ‘so what?’ threshold? Have I got facts wrong? Interpretation wrong? Please do comment on this post, unless you are a denialist, obvs.

If you want to get involved, let me know.

If you want to invite me on your podcast, that would boost my ego and probably improve the currently pitiful hit-rate on this site (the two are not-unrelated).

Also on this day: 

November 2, 1957 – “Our Coal Fires are melting the poles” Birmingham Post

November 2, 1965  – The Met Office starts twice daily weather forecasts

November 2, 1966 – a pivotal paper is submitted

November 2, 1972 – “Eco-pornography … Advertising owns Ecology”…

November 2, 1994 – Greenpeace vs climate risk for corporates…

November 2, 2006 – throwing shade at the Great Barrier Reef

November 2, 2006 – “RIP C02” says New Scientist

November 2, 2009 – , Australian opposition leader Malcolm Turnbull seals own doom by not bending knee to shock jock

Categories
Australia

November 1, 2001- John Howard with more bullshit

Twenty five years ago, on this day, November 1st, 2001,

One billion dollars of money already allocated in this year’s Budget for a restructured Natural Heritage Trust formed the centrepiece of the Coalition’s environment policy, announced yesterday.

Launching the policy on the mist-shrouded banks of the upper Yarra, in the marginal Coalition seat of McEwen, the Prime Minister said Australia “had punched above its weight” on international environmental issues.

But the policy was immediately denounced by green groups as the worst environmental policy since the 1970s.

The Australian Conservation Foundation executive director, Don Henry, said that while the Government was investing money in tree planting it would fail on key issues such as salinity and greenhouse by not committing on legislation on land clearing and ratifying the Kyoto Protocol.

2001 Banham, C. 2001. Howls Of Anger As PM Paints Himself Green. Sydney Morning Herald, 2 November, p.8.

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 371ppm. As of 2026, when this post was published, it is 430ppm. This matters because the more carbon dioxide in the air, the more heat gets trapped. The more heat, the more extreme weather events. You can make it more complicated than that if you want, but really, it’s not. Fwiw, I have a tattoo of the Keeling Curve on my left forearm.

The broader context was that Australian political elites had briefly (1988 to 1990) thought about doing the right thing and being a responsible global player, and had quickly realised this would involve them picking fights with very powerful vested interests, and perhaps interfere with their post-career sinecures, so they chose the other side. 

The specific context was that John Howard had by this stage already won three elections, 1996-1998 and the November 2001 Federal election was nine days away, so of course he was spouting absolute bullshit. 

What I think we can learn from this is that if you have self-confidence and the media on your side, because your rich mates approve of what you’re doing, since it’s making them even richer, you can get away with any amount of crap, especially if the electorate is poorly educated, poorly informed, subject to propaganda, etc. 

What happened next Howard continued to get away with anti-climate action until late 2006 when the tide finally turned and he was then booted out at the next election. 

On this topic, you might like these other posts on All Our Yesterdays

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References

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You can see the chronological list of All Our Yesterdays “on this day” posts here.

What do you think? Does this pass the ‘so what?’ threshold? Have I got facts wrong? Interpretation wrong? Please do comment on this post, unless you are a denialist, obvs.

If you want to get involved, let me know.

If you want to invite me on your podcast, that would boost my ego and probably improve the currently pitiful hit-rate on this site (the two are not-unrelated).

Also on this day: 

November 1, 1953 – Australia strikes oil

November 1, 1959 – M1 motorway section opened

November 1, 1965 – “Fortune” magazine covers carbon dioxide build-up

November 1, 1968 – Ida Hoos on carbon dioxide build-up

 November 1, 1969 – “Carbon dioxide affects global ecology”

November 1, 1970 – Ayn Rand fulminates incorrectly, for the first time ever

November 1, 1974 – UK civil servants writing to each other on “Climatology”

November 1, 1975 – Stephen Schneider tries to clear up the “Carbon Dioxide Climate Confusion.”

November 1988 – Australian Mining Journal says C02 is a Good Thing

November 1, 1989 – Senior Australian politician talks on “Industry and Environment”

November 1, 1989 – “Greenhouse Action Australia” launches…

November 1, 2004 – Brilliant “Balance as Bias” article published

Categories
Australia

October 29, 1979 – Speech by Senator Webster about Cape Grim

Forty seven years ago, on this day, October 29th, 1979,

Speech by Senator Webster about Cape Grim (Conservation Council of South Australia Newsletter)

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 337ppm. As of 2026, when this post was published, it is 430ppm. This matters because the more carbon dioxide in the air, the more heat gets trapped. The more heat, the more extreme weather events. You can make it more complicated than that if you want, but really, it’s not. Fwiw, I have a tattoo of the Keeling Curve on my left forearm.

The broader context was that super-accurate measures of carbon dioxide had been taken from 1958 at Mauna Loa observatory in Hawaii, and Antarctica.

Since the early 1970s there was a relatively consistent, persistent measuring exercise in Australia. They started measuring on commercial aeroplanes, or with the assistance of, I think, TAA, the state-owned airline, and then a permanent carbon dioxide collection began at Cape Grim, which was already a CSIRO monitoring station. 

The specific context here is that you see a senator giving a speech, hardly unusual. It’s what senators are for. This one happens to be the Minister for the Environment under the Fraser government. And emissions were going up, and everyone who was paying attention (not many at this time, to everyone else’s shame) could see there was trouble ahead. 

What I think we can learn from this is that we’ve been monitoring this problem for half a century, failing to do anything about it for almost as long. 

What happened next Cape Grim kept monitoring, and what it kept monitoring was that atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide just continued to rise and rise remorselessly.

On this topic, you might like these other posts on All Our Yesterdays

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References

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You can see the chronological list of All Our Yesterdays “on this day” posts here.

What do you think? Does this pass the ‘so what?’ threshold? Have I got facts wrong? Interpretation wrong? Please do comment on this post, unless you are a denialist, obvs.

If you want to get involved, let me know.

If you want to invite me on your podcast, that would boost my ego and probably improve the currently pitiful hit-rate on this site (the two are not-unrelated).

Also on this day: 

 October 29, 1984 – Lord Ashby speaks out

October 29, 1990 – the Joint Council of Energy and Environment Ministers of the European Community decide to save the world.

October 29, 1991 – Australia told to pay more than poor countries to help save planet. Does it? Of course it doesn’t.

October 29, 2004 – Aussie environmentalists win a court case…

October 29, 2004 – the end is near says Kurt Vonnegut.

Categories
Australia Carbon Pricing

October 28, 1994 – Give us some green, say greens

Thirty two years ago, on this day, October 28th, 1994,

The federal Environment Minister, John Faulkner, promised yesterday to consider proposals from Australia’s peak environment groups to double green spending and expand conservation programs, but said he must remain “realistic”.

The Peak Conservation Organisation called on the Federal Government yesterday to introduce resource taxes, such as a carbon levy, to fund a doubled commitment to the country’s environment.

In a 60-page submission to Senator Faulkner, the green groups also have sought the removal of tax and subsidy measures, such as the diesel fuel rebate and land clearing subsidies, which they say promote exploitation of the environment.

Anon, 1994. Greens seek more funds. The Canberra Times, 29 October, p.8.

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/118294681

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 359ppm. As of 2026, when this post was published, it is 430ppm. This matters because the more carbon dioxide in the air, the more heat gets trapped. The more heat, the more extreme weather events. You can make it more complicated than that if you want, but really, it’s not. Fwiw, I have a tattoo of the Keeling Curve on my left forearm.

The broader context was that green groups had expanded in the late 1980s but had been unable to sustain membership and donations, and were facing near bankruptcy, very tough times.

Inevitably you want to get some money from somewhere, and you get it from the state, but then that comes with both reputational risks, but also you get hooked on it, and before you know it, you’re a handmaiden, um those are the dangers. 

What I think we can learn from this – social change, even maintaining an NGO, is really hard.

What happened next – ACF and the other outfits continued, but have been tamed, inevitably. Marxists would tell you this is inevitable.

xxx

On this topic, you might like these other posts on All Our Yesterdays

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References

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You can see the chronological list of All Our Yesterdays “on this day” posts here.

What do you think? Does this pass the ‘so what?’ threshold? Have I got facts wrong? Interpretation wrong? Please do comment on this post, unless you are a denialist, obvs.

If you want to get involved, let me know.

If you want to invite me on your podcast, that would boost my ego and probably improve the currently pitiful hit-rate on this site (the two are not-unrelated).

Also on this day: 

October 28, 1906 – the birth of the Press Release

October 28, 1956 – New York Times reports “Warmer Climate on the Earth May Be Due To More Carbon Dioxide in the Air”

October 28, 1968 – Los Angeles Times report on the possibility of an environment conference

October 28, 1994 – UK agriculture and climate change workshop

Categories
Australia

October 24, 1999 – utter horseshit about the Greenhouse Challenge

Twenty seven years ago, on this day, October 24th, 1999,

99/346 GREENHOUSE CHALLENGE DELIVERS RESULTS

An independent evaluation of Australia’s Greenhouse Challenge program has revealed that the voluntary program has been highly effective in achieving greenhouse gas emissions abatement.

Releasing the Greenhouse challenge Program Evaluation Report today, the Minister for Industry, Science and Resources, Senator Nick Minchin, said participants in the program were set to achieve significant emissions savings in 2000.

“The review found that industrial end users will deliver 23.5 million tonnes (Mt) carbon dioxide equivalent or a 16 per cent reduction in emissions and electricity generators will deliver 5 Mt, a 3 per cent reduction by 2000”, Senator Minchin said.

“These emissions savings are being delivered by a broad and diverse range of companies that are participating in the Greenhouse Challenge. Challenge membership includes 98 per cent of electricity generators, distributors and transmitters; all cement manufacturers; all aluminium smelters and refiners; all steel manufacturers and 91 per cent of coal miners.

http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22media/pressrel/SAH06%22

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 368ppm. As of 2026, when this post was published, it is 430ppm. This matters because the more carbon dioxide in the air, the more heat gets trapped. The more heat, the more extreme weather events. You can make it more complicated than that if you want, but really, it’s not. Fwiw, I have a tattoo of the Keeling Curve on my left forearm.

The broader context was that Australian governments had resisted carbon pricing and eventually had created, at the behest of the incumbent extractors, (miners and so on) a voluntary scheme, which would take the heat as a political issue, if not out of the atmosphere, so that everyone could pretend that something was being done, and the evil hand of the nanny state was not thwacking anyone. 

The trouble with these voluntary schemes is that they deliver nothing, but you have to pretend that they do.

So you stand there while other people bullshit about them, and you feel unclean and complicit because you didn’t speak up, and then you are complicit, and then it becomes that much harder to tell the truth when there’s an audience that might want to listen to the truth, such as the dilemma specific context. 

The specific context was that the greenhouse challenge was clearly not delivering, and the truth would be breaking through shortly, when in 2000 Robert Hill chided states and corporates.

What I think we can learn from this – voluntary schemes are, as Admiral Akbar would put it – a trap.

What happened next The Greenhouse Challenge was rebooted, and then died an ugly and unlamented death in 2004. 

On this topic, you might like these other posts on All Our Yesterdays

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References

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You can see the chronological list of All Our Yesterdays “on this day” posts here.

What do you think? Does this pass the ‘so what?’ threshold? Have I got facts wrong? Interpretation wrong? Please do comment on this post, unless you are a denialist, obvs.

If you want to get involved, let me know.

If you want to invite me on your podcast, that would boost my ego and probably improve the currently pitiful hit-rate on this site (the two are not-unrelated).

Also on this day: 

October 24, 1967 – Acid Rain

October 24, 1967 – editor of Science warns about C02 build-up

October 24, 1983 – EPA releases study on sea-level rise

October 24, 1991 – Australian Minerals and Energy Environment Foundation launched

October 24, 2003 – Last flight of the Concorde

Categories
Australia

October 23, 2007 – Ian Dunlop about climate change wars

Nineteen years ago, on this day, October 23rd, 2007,

“We now face nothing less than a global emergency. We must rapidly reduce carbon emissions and encourage alternative energy sources, far faster than either government or opposition are prepared to acknowledge, and begin preparations for a global oil shortage. This is not an extreme view; the extremists are those in government and business who have been in denial for the past decade,.”

Dunlop, I. Climate change is a war that we must fight. The Age. October 23

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 384ppm. As of 2026, when this post was published, it is 430ppm. This matters because the more carbon dioxide in the air, the more heat gets trapped. The more heat, the more extreme weather events. You can make it more complicated than that if you want, but really, it’s not. Fwiw, I have a tattoo of the Keeling Curve on my left forearm.

The broader context was Australians had been warned vehemently and thoroughly about the greenhouse effect in the late 1980s and had gone back to sleep. They had woken up in late 2006 for various reasons, including the seemingly never-ending millennium drought, Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth, and so on. 

This wave of concern was something that Australian Labor Party leader Kevin Rudd was willing to ride entirely cynically, it now turns out, all the way to becoming Prime Minister. Anyway, the denialists also sprang back into life, of course, and it was a culture war, on for young and old. 

The specific context was that the agonisingly slow and stupid process of having green papers and white papers and all the other papers about emissions trading was ongoing and enabling people to have endless fucking debates about the merits of X, Y and Z. Ian Dunlop had been head of the president of the Australian Coal Association for a year and had since changed sides, as it were, and here we are completely fucked. 

What I think we can learn from this is that we’ve been arguing about doing anything for so long that the moment has passed.

Settler colonies are particularly badly placed to deal with wicked and super wicked problems, because settler colonies are all about exploiting so-called untapped resources and having contempt for indigenous knowledge, fragility limits, etc. If you had any concern or respect, you’d be a very poor settler colonist. 

What happened next. The climate wars never really ended. There are brief ceasefires. There has been a bit of a change since, in which the Liberals have given up all pretence of giving any shit about 19th century physics. 

On this topic, you might like these other posts on All Our Yesterdays

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References

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You can see the chronological list of All Our Yesterdays “on this day” posts here.

What do you think? Does this pass the ‘so what?’ threshold? Have I got facts wrong? Interpretation wrong? Please do comment on this post, unless you are a denialist, obvs.

If you want to get involved, let me know.

If you want to invite me on your podcast, that would boost my ego and probably improve the currently pitiful hit-rate on this site (the two are not-unrelated).

Also on this day: 

October 23, 1955 – LA Times article says “our weather is changing”

October 23, 1963 – JKF warns of actions “which can irreversibly alter our biological and physical environment on a global scale.” 

October 23, 1989 – Republican Governor of New Jersey issues climate executive order

October 23, 2006 – Climate Adverts “put heat on government”

Categories
Australia

October 19, 1986 – Ockham’s Razor on greenhouse

Forty years ago, on this day, October 19th, 1986,

Ockham’s Razor [Series 86, Episode 102] – The Greenhouse Effect, Part 2 – Effect – Doctor Brian Tucker [CSIRO Division of Atmospheric Research] 19 Oct 1986 – 19 Oct 1986

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 347ppm. As of 2026, when this post was published, it is 430ppm. This matters because the more carbon dioxide in the air, the more heat gets trapped. The more heat, the more extreme weather events. You can make it more complicated than that if you want, but really, it’s not. Fwiw, I have a tattoo of the Keeling Curve on my left forearm.

The broader context was that Australian media under the ABC had been doing science programmes on television and radio which mentioned carbon dioxide build up, since the late 1960s. The very first episode of the Science Show with Robyn Williams in 1975 had as guest Peter Richie Calder, and he talked about carbon dioxide build up.

And the Science Show had kept wanging on about carbon dioxide build up, as had various ABC science programmes. Ockham’s Razor had begun in 1984…

The specific context was that the Villach meeting in October of 1985 had really stiffened the spines of atmospheric scientists. The discovery of the hole in the ozone had given them credibility and entree to elite policy making circles, and in June of 1986 the CSIRO Atmospheric Physics Division Chief Brian Tucker, who had previously written a monograph about carbon dioxide and climate, had briefed the Australian Environment Council. And so within the scientifically aware policy circles, ozone depletion, and especially carbon dioxide build-up and of greenhouse gases overall were becoming things that could no longer be ignored. 

What I think we can learn from this is it is forty years since the warnings began getting a bit louder.

What happened next. The warnings broke through in 1988. They have come and gone from the front pages, but the science is ever more certain. The emissions climb, the concentrations climb. That’s all.

On this topic, you might like these other posts on All Our Yesterdays

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References

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You can see the chronological list of All Our Yesterdays “on this day” posts here.

What do you think? Does this pass the ‘so what?’ threshold? Have I got facts wrong? Interpretation wrong? Please do comment on this post, unless you are a denialist, obvs.

If you want to get involved, let me know.

If you want to invite me on your podcast, that would boost my ego and probably improve the currently pitiful hit-rate on this site (the two are not-unrelated).

Also on this day: 

October 19, 1972 – EC handwringing about the environment

October 19, 1993 – Clinton handwringing

October 19, 2002 – Doctors for the Environment Australia, becomes a thing.

October 19, 2010 – Greenpeace trolls ANZ Bank

October 19, 2011 – First UK CCS competition fizzles out

Categories
Australia United States of America

 October 15, 1971 – Review of ‘The Greening of America’

Fifty five years ago, on this day, October 15th, 1971, an Australian newspaper reviews “The Greening of America” – a Right Put On?

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 326ppm. As of 2026, when this post was published, it is 430ppm. This matters because the more carbon dioxide in the air, the more heat gets trapped. The more heat, the more extreme weather events. You can make it more complicated than that if you want, but really, it’s not. Fwiw, I have a tattoo of the Keeling Curve on my left forearm.

The broader context was that the civil rights movement had begun with “let’s treat black people as if they were human beings”, and then that had ramified to ”let’s not kill Vietnamese people, and gosh, let’s treat women and homosexuals as if they’re human beings.” Radical, eh? And then from the late 60s this had led on to there’s this thing called ecology, and we should probably watch out for it, and the book industry was hoping to make money and so therefore the bookshelves were full of various tracts, and a runaway bestseller among them was The Greening of America by Charles Reich. Had a picture of Nixon tinged green. And this the hardcover cover

This sounds ridiculous 50 years later, but you have to remember that shortly after Nixon was inaugurated, the Santa Barbara oil spill had happened, and Nixon started bleating about how important it was, and this is the last decade to do anything, do or die, blah blah blah. 

The specific context was that Reich’s book was selling in Australia too. 

What I think we can learn from this is that long-forgotten books seemed very important at the time.

What happened next. Reader… America was not greened. Charles Reich made a mea culpa in his book Opposing the System.

And the emissions kept climbing, and the concentrations kept climbing. 

On this topic, you might like these other posts on All Our Yesterdays

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References

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You can see the chronological list of All Our Yesterdays “on this day” posts here.

What do you think? Does this pass the ‘so what?’ threshold? Have I got facts wrong? Interpretation wrong? Please do comment on this post, unless you are a denialist, obvs.

If you want to get involved, let me know.

If you want to invite me on your podcast, that would boost my ego and probably improve the currently pitiful hit-rate on this site (the two are not-unrelated).

Also on this day: 

October 15, 1971 – “Man’s Impact on the Climate” published – All Our Yesterdays

October 15, 1985 – Villach meeting supercharges greenhouse concerns… – All Our Yesterdays

October 15, 1999- Australian economy headed for trouble because of carbon dioxide emissions, admits government through gritted teeth.

Categories
Australia

 October 14, 1992 – Keating attacks Morgan ‘Bigotry’

Thirty four years ago, on this day, October 14th, 1992,

The managing director of Western Mining, Mr Hugh Morgan, had shown bigotry, ignorance and hysteria in his criticisms of the High Court’s decision in the Mabo land rights case, the Prime Minister, Mr Keating, said yesterday.

Garran, R. 1992. Keating attacks Morgan ‘Bigotry’. Australian Financial Review, October 14, p. 7.

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 356ppm. As of 2026, when this post was published, it is 430ppm. This matters because the more carbon dioxide in the air, the more heat gets trapped. The more heat, the more extreme weather events. You can make it more complicated than that if you want, but really, it’s not. Fwiw, I have a tattoo of the Keeling Curve on my left forearm.

The broader context was that the white settlers had stolen the land, because that’s what settlers do, white or otherwise, and committed various quick and slow atrocities. There had been a promise by the Hawke government to negotiate a treaty; “Treaty now” as Yothu Yindi sang). Hawke had fled the stage with his tail between his legs on that one. 

The specific context was in 1992 the High Court of Australia made the Mabo decision, which had freaked the miners and farmers out. Here we see Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating getting up on his hind legs and calling out Hugh Morgan for being an asshole and a racist asshole, and Keating was wrong about many, many things, but he wasn’t wrong about this. 

What I think we can learn from this– broken clocks are right twice a day.

What happened next Morgan kept funding effective climate denial via his guy Ray Evans, and here we are living in the world that Morgan and Evans wanted and created, and it’s a shitty world. 

Keating’s Redfern speech, 10 December 1992.

xxx

On this topic, you might like these other posts on All Our Yesterdays

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References

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You can see the chronological list of All Our Yesterdays “on this day” posts here.

What do you think? Does this pass the ‘so what?’ threshold? Have I got facts wrong? Interpretation wrong? Please do comment on this post, unless you are a denialist, obvs.

If you want to get involved, let me know.

If you want to invite me on your podcast, that would boost my ego and probably improve the currently pitiful hit-rate on this site (the two are not-unrelated).

Also on this day: 

October 14, 1947 – Yeager breaks the sound barrier

October 14, 1974 – UK Chief Scientific Advisor is warned about carbon dioxide build-up. 

October 14, 1977 – a UNESCO education conference mentions climate change…

October 14, 1980 – Barry Commoner’s “bullshit” advert… 

October 2, 2014 – Low emission technologies on their way, says Minerals Council of Australia