Category: Australia

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 

Categories
Air Pollution Australia

June 23, 1970 – Melbourne Age asks Pollution – what can be done?

Fifty five years ago, on this day, June 23rd, 1970

“Air pollution could tend to raise the Earth’s temperature and may make carbon dioxide, the most invisible product of combustion and respiration, the most important pollutant of them all.”

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 324ppm. 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 the awareness that environmental problems were global rather than local had been growing for a decade or so (Rachel Carson etc) and had powered up in 1968 and 1969.  

The specific context was that the Australian Senate had held hearings (and produced a report, released in September 1969) about Air Pollution. One was on the way on water pollution too.  Books were being published, documentaries shown…

What I think we can learn is this: in this period, carbon dioxide was being mentioned as a potential problem…

What happened next: It would be 1988 before politicians were forced to pretend to be aware of/care about the issue. And forty years after that, there are still plenty who can’t be bothered to even pretend…

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 23, 1969 – Cuyahoga river catches fire. Again –

June 23, 1980 – G7 in Venice aims to sink Venice…

June 23, 1988 – it’s time to stop waffling and say the greenhouse effect is here

June 23, 1989 – Richo gonna save the world… 

June 23, 1991 – Japanese propose pledge and review 

June 23, 1997 – Australian Prime Minister skips climate meeting to fanboy Thatcher #auspol – All Our Yesterdays

June 23, 1997 – Howard vs world, API versus world 

June 23, 1997 – RIP Hermann Flohn

Categories
Australia Recycling

June 22, 1992 – Keating has to pretend to give a damn

Thirty four years ago, on this day, June 22nd, 

For the first time since becoming Prime Minister, Mr Keating donned a green mantle yesterday at the launching of the Government’s waste-minimisation and recycling strategy.

Mr Keating made big claims for the strategy – an information campaign aimed at halving the amount of waste going to landfill by 2000.

Garran, R. 1992. Recycling drive brings out the green in Keating. Australian Financial Review, June 23.

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 356ppm. As of 2026, when this post was published, it is 432ppm. 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 Australia’s political elites had had ample warnings about CO2 build up. In 1988 they asked for a ‘what can we do?’ report. In 1989 there were debates within the federal government, led by Prime Minister Bob Hawke about what to do. The Environment Minister Graham Richardson had suggested that Australia adopt the so-called Toronto target of a 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2005. Richardson lost that fight, as he admitted at the time, because treasurer Paul Keating resisted vehemently. Keating also managed other successes in his fight against green issues. And in late 1991 he had succeeded in toppling a tired, worn out Bob Hawke and as leader of the Labor Party, and then Keating became Prime Minister. This spelt the end of the Ecologically Sustainable Development policy process as anything approaching viable, Keating kicked it into committees where it was then killed off. 

The specific context was that Keating also needed some way of pretending to give a shit about the environment, especially as he had not gone to the Rio Earth Summit, the only OECD leader not to. He had sent his environment minister, Ros Kelly.

And so what is the most meaningless, ineffectual, but somehow has a warm glow, topic that even a fierce neoliberal like Keating can get behind? Why it’s recycling, motherhood, apple pie and emptiness. And so it came to pass. 

What I think we can learn is this: if ever you see a politician, especially one noted for his or her hostility to environment action in a public relations bind, you will then see them standing smiling at a recycling centre with a hard hat and a high-vis in order to allay the concerns of people on their own side who yeah anyway…

Somebody could write something about recycling and CCS as forms of bargaining, self-soothing…

What happened next: Keating won the 1993 Federal election against all expectations. When a carbon tax proposal was in front of his cabinet, he was either neutral or hostile. Keating is still alive: it’s not too late to get him to the Hague. 

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 22, 1976 – Times reports “World’s temperature likely to rise” – All Our Yesterdays

June 22, 1978 – ETSU report about Human Activity and Carbon Dioxide – All Our Yesterdays

June 22, 1980 – G7 meeting in Venice – All Our Yesterdays

June 22 ,1988 – Roger Rabbit on forced consumption (and so on to #climate apocalypse) – All Our Yesterdays

June 22, 1990 – ALP already undermining green agenda – All Our Yesterdays

Categories
Australia

June 21, 1986 – The Science Show does climate (again)

Forty years ago, on this day, June 21st, 

The Science Show [Episode 510] – CSIRO Book Launch; Greenhouse Effect; International Inventor’s Awards; Expo ’86; Creation Science in the US; Positron Tomography; Mental Health Treatment in Belgium

21 Jun 1986 – 21 Jun 1986

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 347ppm. As of 2026, when this post was published, it is 432ppm. 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 ABC Radio had first mentioned carbon dioxide build up as a potential problem in September 1969 –  the science unit had been aware of all of this stuff. Then in August 1975 the very first episode of the Science Show, the ABC radio programme hosted by Robyn Williams, had a guest Peter Ritchie Calder, the British science journalist and thinker. And what did they talk about? They talked about carbon dioxide build up dating back to a 1961 United Nations conference.

The Science Show had continued to run articles or pieces segments about CO2 build up from then onwards.  

October 25, 1980 – Australian radio’s The Science Show talks about climate change…

The specific context was that in 1985 there had been a scientific meeting in Villach in Austria. And from that various activities had followed, especially in the United States and Australia, with scientists trying to warn politicians that the question of carbon dioxide build-up into the atmosphere from burning of fossil fuels, (primarily, not exclusively)  could no longer be ignored or kicked into the long grass. And so at this time, the Australian Environment Council was about to hear from Brian Tucker, boss of the division of Atmospheric Physics at the CSIRO about CO2 build-up. 

What I think we can learn is this: it’s now 40 years since Australia’s political elites were forced to confront a reality that a few of them see, for example, this National Party senator in 1981 – had been aware of for longer. Forty years. People have been born, had children, and in some cases, those children have had children in that time. Here we are. 

What happened next: in 1987 the Greenhouse Project, a joint effort by the CSIRO Department of Atmospheric Physics and the Commission for the Future was launched. And in 1988 the issue exploded onto the public attention. There were lots of warm words, but not so much action because that would be costly and would not fit with what we were already doing. We are habitual creatures, especially when those habits are defended with political, economic, cultural and military force.

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

October 12, 1986 – Ockham’s Razor and the Greenhouse Effect (ABC radio programme)

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 21, 1954 – Manchester Evening News explains climate change

June 21, 1958 – Washington Post reports ‘world turning into a ‘greenhouse’

June 21, 1964 – Goodman, Chaney and Schwerner murdered – 

June 21, 1994 – “National Greenhouse Advisory Panel” established. Hilarity ensues.

June 21, 2007 – ABC unleashes “Carbon Cops” on the world. ACAB – All Climate Activists Barf… 

Categories
Activism Australia

June 20, 1999 – Joint press release by TWS, ACF and Greenpeace

Twenty seven years ago, on this day, June 20th, 

The Wilderness Society, Australian Conservation Foundation & Greenpeace 1999, 82 Reasons Why the New Environment Legislation is Bad for the Environment, joint media release by the Wilderness Society, Australian Conservation Foundation and Greenpeace, 20 June, 1999.

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 for this was that between 1988 and sort of 1991 there had been a huge amount of media attention on climate change as an issue. Greenpeace, The Wilderness Society and Australian Conservation Foundation, as the three biggest environment groups had been frenemies, had cooperated, collaborated and competed over various issues, all of course, hoping to get the most prestige, membership dues, etc.

That’s normal, but occasionally they would come together to try and amplify their voices. And you see this now with this event in 1999, presumably around the Howard government’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EBPC) Bill.

The specific context was that the Howard Government is trying to minimise any environmental commitments.

What I think we can learn is this: is that environment groups are like anything anyone else, they’ll compete and collaborate. 

What happened next: Howard continued to be an absolute twunt. If only he’d been booted out in 2001 there wouldn’t have been quite as much damage done to the Australian policy. But here we are. Australia is fucked.

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 20, 1977- “Alternative Three” – An early Climate Hoax 

June 20, 1979 – Jimmy Carter installed solar panels on the White House

June 20, 1995 – Shell raises the white flag in Brent Spar battle 

June 20, 1997 – Australia versus the world on climate change

June 20, 2005 – RIP Charles Keeling

Categories
anti-reflexivity Australia

June 19, 2012 – Abbott having to defend renewables. Oh the hilarity.

Fourteen years ago, on this day, June 19th, 2012,

TENSIONS have erupted in the Coalition over a key climate change policy less than two weeks before the introduction of the carbon tax from July 1.

Tony Abbott was yesterday forced to stare down a backbench challenge to the party’s support for the 20 per cent Renewable Energy Target as senior backbenchers blamed it for adding to electricity prices amid a backlash over last week’s 18 per cent price increases in NSW and South Australia.

Maher, S. 2012. Abbott forced to quell backbench climate rift. The Australian, 20 June, p.1.

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 for this was that the Liberal Party had gone into the 1990 federal election with a stronger emissions reduction target than labour, but had lost that election very narrowly and felt betrayed by big green organisations and green voters generally, and then they become very actively hostile to all things environmental, and especially the problem of carbon dioxide build up. 

Tony Abbott had become leader of the Liberals in December, or late November, 2009 having given a speech where he said that the science of climate change was absolute crap. He had successfully demolished Kevin Rudd, (well, Rudd had helped demolish himself, to be fair) and also made endless attacks on Rudd’s successor as Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

Abbott was basically an unguided missile, A WRECKING BALL, a very limited human being, 

The specific context was that by this point, he had lost the fight to prevent a great big tax on everything i.e., Gillard’s emissions trading scheme; and while he was still Leader of the Opposition, there were ructions, and some of his back benchers were getting high on their own supply and were blocking stuff that Abbott found it useful not to have blocked.

What I think we can learn is this: that when you unleash demons, they don’t always do what you want.

What happened next: Abbott continued to be an effective leader of the opposition. I don’t mean that as a compliment, necessarily. And became prime minister in 2013 thanks to the Murdoch press having demonised Julia Gillard to an astonishing degree and Abbott was then toppled by his own party, with the most, perhaps the most hilarious moment being when a third of his party voted for an empty chair because, rather than him as leader.

He is now back, as President of the Liberals, which will doubtless have the young, and especially the young women, flocking to join the Libs.

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

https://theconversation.com/who-tilts-at-windmills-explaining-hostility-to-renewables-77762

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 19, 1989 – George Brown speech to Student Pugwash – All Our Yesterdays

June 19, 1997/2009 – children of colour used as propaganda tools by #climate wreckers/greens do “motherhood” – All Our Yesterdays

June 19, 2009 – Liberals warn ‘woke’ companies…

Categories
Australia

June 19, 1972 – Advertiser letter about fossil fuel impacts…

Fifty four years ago, on this day, June 19th, 1972, a letter in the Adelaide Advertiser about Concorde ends thus –

“The effects on the ozone layer caused by the Concorde or other high altitude fliers are, it seems from tests, very minor compared to those caused by our burning of fossil fuels at the surface, such as the car and ordinary aircraft.


Reg. T. Fisk

Glenelg

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 327ppm. 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 in the late 1960s and into the early 1970s there was a huge upsurge in concern about environmental issues (local, but also global).

The specific context was that Concorde and other supersonic transports were being campaigned against by various ‘eco’groups for various reasons, including the potential damage to the ozone layer. This letter is responding to them in a fairly typical style (I may bother to unpick it at some point). The mention of fossil fuels is mildly interesting….

What I think we can learn is this: in the early 1970s, we knew enough to be worried…

What happened next: The wave of eco-concern faded (though some brave and diligent people tried to keep the flame alive – shout out to the Environment Information Centre people, on Rundle Street).

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

September 10, 1973- Ozone concerns on display in Kyoto…

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 19, 1989 – George Brown speech to Student Pugwash – All Our Yesterdays

June 19, 1997/2009 – children of colour used as propaganda tools by #climate wreckers/greens do “motherhood” – All Our Yesterdays

June 19, 2009 – Liberals warn ‘woke’ companies…