Category: Australia

Categories
Australia Denial UNFCCC

July 15,  1996 – Geneva games

Thirty years ago, on this day, July  11st, 1996,

The Australian Democrats have publicly undermined the Howard Government’s strategy at the historic climate change summit in Geneva by urging the meeting’s president to ignore whatever arguments Australia’s delegation puts forward.

This is an extraordinary break with diplomatic convention, under which domestic political disputes are left behind at international meetings.

The Democrats’ leader, Senator Kernot, and deputy leader, Senator Meg Lees, last night faxed a three-page letter to the summit president, Mr Chen Chimutengwende, asking him not to be “fooled by the Government’s slick-talking attempt to avoid its responsibilities to all other governments concerned with the impact of climate change”.

Gilchrist, G. (1996) Kernot Breaks Ranks On Climate Sydney Morning Herald, July 16 page 2

And

On July 15, 1996, at an international negotiating conference in Geneva, Patrick Michaels released an article, title “New Data Cast Doubt on Human Fingerprint,” that criticised the Nature article [of Santer et al]

Gelbspan, R. (1998) Page 22.

And

On July 15, 1996, at an international negotiating conference in Geneva, Patrick Michaels released an article, title “New Data Cast Doubt on Human Fingerprint,” that criticised the Nature article [of Santer et al]

Gelbspan, R. (1998) Page 22

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 362ppm. 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 after an initial bout of helpfulness/proactive behaviour (1988-1989), the Australian government had moved towards petulance on the path to obstruction under late-Hawke and Keating (Prime Ministers).

The specific context was in March 1996 Liberal John Howard had become Prime Minister. He was adamantly opposed to all climate action.  The 2nd COP would be his first big test. On his lights, he ‘passed it’.  For the planet? Not so much.

What I think we can learn from this is that it is not too late to get John Howard to the Hague for crimes against humanity.

What happened next – the next COP, Kyoto, would end in “success”.  Many more “successes” like that followed.  The carbon dioxide kept accumulating. 

xxx

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

June 3, 1996 – Business Council of Australia versus even the idea of a carbon tax

July 8, 1996 – National Greenhouse Advisory Panel tells the truth…

July 11, 1996 – Celebrity Death Match: Australian fossil fuels industry versus The World (Spoiler: world lost)

July 12, 1996 – medics slam energy companies for outright denial and obstruction

July 14, 1996 – Australian Medical Association and Greenpeace

July 18, 1996 – Geneva Ministerial Declaration noted but not adopted

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: 

July 15, 1968 – first(?) UK government attention to the possibility of climate change 

July 15, 1972 – Soviet Weekly on how man affects the weather… 

July 15, 1977 – “Heavy Use of Coal May Bring Adverse Shift in Climate” 

July 15, 1988 – “Racing on Capitol Hill for Title of “Mr Greenhouse” 

July 15, 1991 – RIP Roger Revelle 

July 15, 1994 – ALP and BCA in good cop bad cop routine 

July 15, 2005 – The “Stern Review” into #climate is announced…

Categories
Australia

July 13, 2009 – Al Gore in Australia again

Seventeen years ago, on this day, July  13th, 2009, 

Mr Gore will launch Safe Climate Australia at an invitation-only Docklands breakfast tomorrow in front of a 1000-strong crowd from the investment, science and political communities. The group will not buy into the political debate as it tries to raise $1.5 million a year to find ways to “de-carbonise” the Australian economy.

Bachelard 12 July 2009.

On 13 July 2009, approximately 30 members of the Climate Sceptics Party and supporters arrived at the venue where Al Gore, was speaking in Melbourne, to hand out leaflets for those attending, with questions to ask Al Gore during his speech.[2] Some wore T-shirts bearing the party’s slogan: “Carbon Really Ain’t Pollution – CRAP”

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 388ppm. 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 Gore had paid several visits to Australia by this time, usually at the behest of NSW Premier Bob Carr.  Australia is in many ways a cultural colony, and doesn’t believe home-grown talent matters – it’s the foreigners who give the imprimatur (see also Stephen Schneider’s 1989 book on this).

The specific context was that Kevin Rudd’s “Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme” was the hot topic. It had failed in parliament once, and a second bite at the cherry was due before the end of the year, when the Copenhagen conference was happening. 

What I think we can learn from this is that we have totally screwed ourselves. 

What happened next The emissions kept climbing.

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

https://theconversation.com/a-brief-history-of-al-gores-climate-missions-to-australia-81023

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: 

July 13, 1971 – Stephen Schneider “predicts” an ice age (so the myth goes)

July 13, 1974 – Adelaide hears about carbon dioxide build-up
July 13, 1999 – Australia’s emissions climbing. Obvs.
July 13, 2008 – Activists blockade coal port
July 13, 2013 – future Australian PM ridiculed for #climate idiocy

Categories
Australia Denial

July 10, 2012 – Denialists on tour in Australia

Fourteen years ago, on this day, July 11, 2012,

“Last night I attended the Sydney talk of Canadian author and blogger Donna Laframboise, whose book, “The Delinquent Teenager who was mistaken for the world’s top Climate Expert” has recently been published here in Australia.” [some defunct blog]

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 394ppm. 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 climate denialism had been around all along. One early example in Australia was John Daly and his book “The Greenhouse Trap.”  In the late 2000s, when the prospect of – gasp – a price on carbon dioxide emissions – became a live political issue – the denialists swamped the airways. Various nutjobs were invited on tour. 

The specific context was the Gillard ETS scheme had come into effect, having passed through Parliament in 2011. The antis (rightly) anticipated that a Tony Abbott-led government would abolish it. 

What I think we can learn from this. We are a muppet species.

What happened next. Abbott did indeed repeal the actual emissions trading portions of Gillard’s Clean Energy Package.  Globally, emissions kept climbing, and atmospheric concentrations kept climbing.  The Fafocene has begun.

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: 

July 10, 1976 – Seveso 

July 10, 1985 – French state commits terrorist act

July 10, 1996 – National Greenhouse Advisory Panel cops a serve

July 10, 2008 – first Australian #Climate Camp begins, near Newcastle

July 10, 2010 – Rio Tinto amplifies the message…

July 10, 2015 – Zero carbon homes policy abolished  

Categories
Australia UNFCCC

 July 8, 1996 – Australian business whining about climate change of course

Thirty years ago, on this day, July  8th, 1996,

“Australian industry will argue this week that proposed greenhouse measures will slow growth in the global economy, with Australia among the countries that would be hardest hit by a fall in trade.”

“When green and gold don’t mix.” The Australian Financial Review, 8 July 1996,  

Of course they will.

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 362ppm. 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

Australian business’s initial response to the greenhouse effect surge of awareness/concern in 1988 was to wait for it to blow over. When it hadn’t by 1989, they started pushing back, and by 1990 were pushing back hard both in public and especially in private.

They (especially the miners) had fought hard to defeat a carbon tax proposal in 1994-5, and were happy enough with the voluntary scheme (the “Greenhouse Challenge”) that replaced it. But still cautious and worried that their ability to make mega profits would be impaired.

The specific context was that John Howard had become Prime Minister after the March 1996 election, and took Keating’s indifferent hostility to green issues and dialed it up to eleven. The first major test was the second COP (we are now, of course, up to 31), at which Australia was under pressure to be less shit.

What I think we can learn from this – business is always going to squeal about the sky falling. That’s their favourite tactic – zap the wire that leads to people’s amygdala –  because it always works.

What happened next  

The COP process went on (and on, and on). The Greenhouse Challenge was a joke. Emissions went up. Howard successfully slowed the growth of renewables.  The window of opportunity to do anything meaningful closed.  We defenestrated ourselves, basically. 

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

July 18, 1996 – Geneva Ministerial Declaration noted but not adopted

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: 

July 8, 1962 – New York Times on ‘Glasshouse Effect”

July 8, 1970 – Environmental Protection Agency formed 

July 8, 1991 – UK Prime Minister chides US on #climate change

July 8, 1996 – National Greenhouse Advisory Panel tells the truth…

Categories
Australia Denial

July 5, 2000 – Centre for “Independent” Studies at peak intellectual capacity

Twenty six years ago, on this day, July 5th 2000,

“In the Courier-Mail on July 5 2000, another luminary from the Centre for Independent Studies, Barry Maley, argued that “Australia should heed a petition opposing the [Kyoto] treaty signed by over 17,000 American scientists.”

This sign-on internet petition includes the signatures of “Dr Jerri Halliwell” (a.k.a. Ginger Spice), and Drs Burns, Honeycutt and Pierce — from the television sit-com MASH. “ https://www.greenleft.org.au/content/climate-conference-cook-books

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 370ppm. 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 Australia had, in the very first days of the upsurge of international environmental policymaking (mid-1980s) been a responsible and effective ‘middle-power’.  But by the early 1990s, especially on climate change, that was fading fast.

Meanwhile, in the US, various nutjobs – well-funded – mostly suffering Relevance Deprivation Syndrome – were launching ‘sand in the eyes’ tactics, like the Oregon Petition.

The specific context was the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol by Australia was a hot topic. It was pretty clear that under Liberal Prime Minister John Howard Australia would NOT ratify the Kyoto Protocol (even though it had extorted an incredibly generous deal) unless the USA did.  But it’s always good to lay down suppressing fire.

Most climate denial bullshit was spewed out by the other right-wing ‘think’tank, the IPA. The CIS didn’t usually enter the fray, but for whatever reason they did here.

What I think we can learn from this

Well, I can say it without fear of libel or being forced to make an apology, now that Maley is finally dead (last year, aged 99).  He may or may not have known what he was talking about within his field –  I haven’t bothered to look – but on this he was a pathetic fucking idiot, and his willingness not to do due diligence on a stupid petition (derided even at the time) says something about his sloppiness and willingness to believe whatever he wanted to believe. “Independent” my very fat arse.

What happened next

Australia under Howard resolutely resisted Kyoto, partnering with the Bush Administration to try to launch a spoiler organisation.  Eventually, under Labor Prime Minister Kevin Rudd Australia DID ratify Kyoto. For what that was worth (a bucket of warm spit).

The Centre for ‘Independent’ Studies continues in its wretched Atlas ways.

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: 

July 5, 1973 – The Predicament of Mankind discussed

July 5, 1989 – Nuclear tries to regain some credibility, latching on to greenhouse

July 5, 1989 – Bob Hawke launches a book 

July 5, 2013 – that turd Michael Gove …drops plans to drop climate from curriculum

Categories
Activism Australia

July 4, 1971 – Ecology Action puff piece in Sydney Morning Herald

Fifty five years ago, on this day, July 4th, 1971, a new eco-group gets some publicity in the Sydney Morning Herald.

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 325ppm. 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 late 1969 Australia (as part of a global trend) experienced increased alarm about environmental problems.  Various factors, including the publication of the Torrey Canyon, Population Bomb, the Earthrise photo, the Santa Barbara oil spill and action in the US.  New groups had been forming through the 1960s (e.g. the Australian Conservation Society), mostly arranged around the idea of politely lobbying.

The specific context was that there were various local struggles going on in Sydney and New South Wales (Clutha etc) and it was pretty clear that the government of Robin Askew was in no mood to pretend to be at all green.  (It was famously corrupt, even by NSW standards). 

What I think we can learn from this

People could see the ordinary ways weren’t gonna cut it.

What happened next

Ecology Action lasted about ten years. I looked through its newsletters at the National Library of Australia, back in the day.  Virtually nothing (as you’d expect) on carbon dioxide build-up.

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

Xx

References

Jim Hagan (1972) Clutha: The politics of pollution, Politics, 7:2, 136-148, DOI:

10.1080/00323267208401287

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: 

July 4, 1957 – popular UK magazine The Listener mentions carbon dioxide build-up

July 4, 1989 – UK Energy Committee ponders greenhouse implications 

July 4, 1996 – article in Nature saying ‘it’s partly us’

July 4, 2004 – @WWF_Australia try to shame John Howard into #climate action…

July 4, 2008 – Garnaut’s draft report released  

Categories
Australia

July 1, 2013 – Solastalgia in front of the courts

Thirteen years ago, on this day, July  1st, 2013 –  court case hinging on a neologism…

Abstract: In 2005, Professor Glenn Albrecht wrote in this journal about the concept of ‘solastalgia’, a phenomenon he had witnessed and researched in the Upper Hunter Valley in Australia following the rapid expansion of open-cut coal mining. A combination of the concepts of solace and desolation, Albrecht’s neologism attempted to capture the distress and suffering experienced by people when their place of residence was threatened by significant environmental transformation. In 2013, the concept came before the Land and Environment Court of New South Wales, in the case of Bulga Milbrodale Progress Association Inc v Minister for Planning and Infrastructure and Warkworth Mining Limited [2013] NSWLEC 48. In this case, the Court overturned a government decision to approve an application to expand the Mount Thorley-Warkworth coal mine. The Court held that the expansion of the mine would have had significant negative impacts upon the community and the environment, which would not have been outweighed by the projected economic benefits to be gained. The decision was heralded as a triumph of David over Goliath; indeed, it has been rare for major development approvals of this kind to be subsequently overturned by the Court. 

SOLASTALGIA – Glenn Albrecht case  https://bridges.monash.edu/articles/A_case_of_place_Solastalgia_comes_before_the_court/4315151

See also 

Bulga Milbrodale Progress Association Inc. v. Minister for Planning and Infrastructure and Warkworth Mining Limited – The Climate Litigation Database 

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 396ppm. 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 we have been changing – and more recently destroying – everything around us. It’s what we hairless murder apes do.  And we forget the past because of shifting baseline syndrome.

January 10, 1991 – “Separate studies rank 1990 as world’s warmest year”  #ShiftingBaseline

The specific context was the pillaging of Australia is resisted, on the ground and in the courts.  Sometimes – too rarely – the ‘good guys’ win a partial victory.

What I think we can learn from this – a good neologism can help, not just cognitively, but, wow, legally.

What happened next

Haven’t looked. Usually the companies keep plugging away, eventually win by attrition. Have looked – seems to have – https://www.woodmac.com/reports/coal-warkworth-coal-mine-16458529/

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: 

July 1, 1950 – “Is the World Getting Warmer?” asks Saturday Evening Post

July 1, 1957- A key “year” in climate science begins…

July 1, 1959 – Gilbert Plass article on climate change published in Scientific American

July 1, 1983 – Australian High Court “saves” Franklin River (it woz the activists wot won it)

July 1, 1984 – CSIRO film “What to do about C02?”

July 1, 1999 – GEODISC gets green light 

Categories
Australia Carbon Pricing

July 1, 2012 – Australian ETS comes into effect

Fourteen years ago, on this day, July  1st, 2012, 

Australian emissions trading scheme comes into effect. See here.

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 394ppm. 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 idea of putting a price on carbon dioxide because of its global warming impacts was hardly new. In 1988 the Science Minister Barry Jones had suggested as much (not that he was at the centre of policymaking around this stuff, unfortunately).  There had been several efforts to get it accepted, and lots of resistance from the mining companies etc (somebody should write a PhD thesis about this).

Finally, a woman was left to clear up the messes…

The specific context was that in the first half of 2011 an extraordinary campaign – spilling over into all sorts of misogyny, lies, vituperation, bullshit economic modelling – was launched against the Gillard ETS scheme.  However, in September 2011 her legislation passed through both houses of Parliament and became law.

What I think we can learn from this – even the mildest and most straightforward responses to the climate threat (and there is so so much more to be done beyond putting a price on carbon) have been rendered virtually impossible thanks to the resistance by some of the worst people on the planet. Oh well.

(As a very smart friend, who proofreads these posts commented – “the example of ETS mostly is a significant piece of evidence that the carbon lobby/incumbents have a documented history of losing their minds, going to any lengths to prevent ‘even the mildest and most straightforward responses,  etc. etc.” 

What happened next

Gillard’s ETS did, perhaps, help to push emissions down (or was that simply Tasmanian hydro coming onto the grid? People will argue).  And then, in 2013 the Liberal National coalition came to power, led by Tony Abbott. He got rid of the emissions trading scheme. Australia still doesn’t have a real price on carbon dioxide.  Oh well.

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

March 23, 2011 – Ditch the Witch rally in Canberra

References

Power Failure by Phillip Chubb

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: 

July 1, 1950 – “Is the World Getting Warmer?” asks Saturday Evening Post

July 1, 1957- A key “year” in climate science begins…

July 1, 1959 – Gilbert Plass article on climate change published in Scientific American

July 1, 1983 – Australian High Court “saves” Franklin River (it woz the activists wot won it)

July 1, 1984 – CSIRO film “What to do about C02?”

July 1, 1999 – GEODISC gets green light 

Categories
Australia

June 30, 2007 – “High and Dry” excerpted

Nineteen years ago, on this day, June 30th, 2007

Excerpts of Guy Pearse’s book High and Dry in “Good Weekend” newspaper supplement

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 for this was that that Guy Pearse was a nice young capital-L Liberal activist who, in 1988 had gone to the United States on a kind of exchange to work with a Republican, and then quickly realised that the Republican wasn’t interested in the same stuff that he was, and had ended up working briefly for Al Gore’s failed Democratic presidential nomination bid. He had further switched on to environment, and especially greenhouse. He had tried to offer his services back in Australia. This had not really worked, because while the ACF was up for it, the Liberals were not – they felt they had been ‘stabbed in the back’ by the greenies. 

He had then done a PhD, part time at Australian National University. It is a brilliant PhD, in my opinion, it is based on extensive interviews with people who were his mates in lobbying for various different industries against any greenhouse regulation. They called themselves the “greenhouse mafia”, which was distinct, of course, from the AIGN. 

Anyway, his PhD thesis formed the inspiration/basis for a Four Corners documentary on ABC television in 2006. And he wrote a big fat book that was an expansion and extension of his thesis. Well, it’s actually different. It’s up, but it’s on the same topic about John Howard and Howard’s resistance to climate policy. Very good book, in my opinion. 

The specific context was that by mid-2007 you couldn’t move but for articles about climate change, almost 20 years after the first wave. 

What I think we can learn is this: that newspapers have acres of space to fill, and they also need to give their readers the sense or pretence that their finger is on the pulse. And so you’ll see newspapers publishing stuff that might not be a close enough ideological fit for their owners (but in any case, usually the control is a little less heavy-handed than that sentence would imply, at least in parts of the West).

What happened next: Pearse kept being active on climate stuff for a few years, but ultimately withdrew because it was obvious that we as a species we’re fucking doomed. Guy Pearse did more than most, and deserves all the credit for that, in my opinion.

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: 

June 30, 1988 – Toronto conference on “Our Changing Atmosphere” ends  

June 30, 2006 – Australian CCS inquiry launched

June 30, 2008 – Judge stops a coal-burning power plant getting built.

June 30, 2010 – CCS will be at 5GW by 2020. (nope).

Categories
Australia Coal

June 27, 2001 – A new coal research centre. Oh Joy.

Twenty-five years ago, on this day, June 27th, 

BRISBANE, June 27, AAP – A new national coal research centre will be based in Queensland, Mines Minister Stephen Robertson said today.

The Cooperative Research Centre for Coal in Sustainable Development would facilitate research to assist the Australian industry produce coal in the most efficient and environmentally responsible manner, he said.

Mr Robertson said Queensland had provided $250,000 towards the setup costs.

He said the centre would explore ways to improve the environmental performance of existing coal technologies and promote the adoption of emerging clean coal techniques.

The centre would also maximise the economic and social value of Australian coal reserves.

“Many of Queensland’s export markets including Japan and Europe are becoming concerned with issues of efficiency and environmental performance,” Mr Robertson said.

AAP, 2001. QLD – New coal research centre. Australian Associated Press, 27 June.

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 for this was that again, Australian political and economic elites had been warned about climate change through the 70s and into the 80s. In 1988 the problem became an issue, became unavoidable, if not undeniable. One of the reactive pieces of rhetoric is around “clean coal”.

The specific context was that by 2001 the Millennium drought was well underway. The third IPCC report had come out. There was ongoing efforts to get an emissions trading scheme going, either nationally or federally or from the states.

Meanwhile, the coal industry is always interested in handouts from the taxpayer for “research.” It keeps academics employed and it gives the politician something to announce what are called, or were called under Rudd, announceables. 

And that’s how this sort of thing should be seen. I’m not a Luddite. I’m not saying there shouldn’t be any research into cleaner coal and cleaner everything, depending on your definition and explanation of clean. It is, after all, a finite planet, and there’s no such thing as away (as per Barry Commoner). But I’m also fearful that these sorts of announcements act as a kind of mitigation deterrence. They allow everyone to go back to sleep and to assume that the system is managing the problems. 

What I think we can learn is this: We have been telling ourselves soothing lullabies for a very long time. Time to wake up and start screaming.

What happened next: More announcements of more research, but also, of course, more emissions, higher atmospheric concentrations and more impacts. 

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

References

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: 

June 27, 1994 – Good free advice to Australian Environment Minister

 June 27, 1998 – we’ll trade our way outa trouble (not)

June 27, 2000 – crazy but well-connected #climate denialists schmooze politicians

June 27, 2013 – Judge versus climate