The Conversation: Climate change: six positive news stories you probably missed this year

Climate change news can be incredibly depressing. In 2018 alone, The Conversation covered the loss of three trillion tonnes of ice in Antarctica; Brazil’s new president and why he will be disastrous for the Amazon rainforest; a rise in global CO₂ emissions; and a major IPCC report which warned we are unlikely to avoid 1.5℃ of warming. 

Then there were the rogue hurricanes, intense heatwaves, massive wildfires and the possibility we are emitting our way towards a Hothouse Earth. Global warming has left some wintery animals with mismatched camouflage, and it may even cause a global beer shortage.

But things cannot be entirely bad, can they? We asked some climate researchers to peer through the smog and highlight a few more positive stories from 2018.

See The Conversation article 

#climateaction #climatechange #animalextinction #forests #renewableenergy #solarenergy #coal

Australian Labor Party conference fails on climate and coal as Liberals’ Taylor misleads on Paris

climate emergency

The Australian Greens climate change and energy spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today expressed his disappointment that Labor’s National Conference has failed to act on coal.
“It is fundamentally dishonest to move motions about the climate emergency but then have no plan to stop the burning and exporting of coal,” said Mr Bandt.

SBS News: Greens push Labor to quit fossil fuels

The Greens say fossil fuel companies' donations to Labor show it will be tough for the party to fully commit to renewable energy.

Bill Shorten has promised to make half of Australia's power renewable but the Greens say Labor wont give up on fossil fuels due to the donations it gets.

Data shows gas, oil and coal companies gave Labor $1.62 million over the past five years, including $641,000 from Woodside Energy.

"Climate change is one of the leading causes of habitat loss and extinction, yet the Labor Party is beholden to emissions-intensive polluters like Woodside, Santos and Chevron," Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young says.

See SBS News article 

#politicaldonations  #LaborParty #Chevron #WoodsideEnergy #renewableenergy


 

The Guardian: The Guardian view on COP24: while climate talks continue, there is hope

"The first thing to say about the compromise struck at climate talks in Poland at the weekend is that it came as a relief. Ever since President Trump’s announcement in 2017 that the US would withdraw from the Paris agreement, the question has been whether the UN process could continue to work. Much like the communique that came out of the recent G20, the agreement on a set of rules to implement promises made in Paris shows that while multilateralism has been damaged, it is not dead. Flawed and inadequate though it is, the process that has developed since the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change was signed in Rio in 1992 is still the best hope we have of staving off the most terrifying impacts of global warming. 

The sticking point of carbon credits, with new demands from Brazil regarding the treatment of forests, was pushed back to next year. But the agreement on how governments will measure and report on emissions cuts is important. The dynamic that previously pitted developing against developed countries has significantly shifted."

Read The Guardian article 

See also

UN climate accord 'inadequate' and lacks urgency, experts warn

#summitinPoland #carbonprice #forests #greenhousegaspollution #climatedeniers #carbon #unitednationsclimatetalks

Climate Change, a humorous timeline

Stop Adani Climate Action in Bellingen NSW

Stop Adani Coal Mine Climate Action in Bellingen NSW

 Bellingen does it again. Great turnout to our Waterfall Way vigil. We do this every month on market day morning.

Thank you everyone.
We will #StopAdan!

Coffs Coast Climate Action Group

 

#climate action #Adani Mine #coal #coalmine #Queensland #LaborsAdaniCoalMine #climatechange

CNBC: California clears final hurdle for state's landmark solar panel mandate for new homes

solar energy

• A requirement for new homes built in California starting in 2020 to include solar electric systems is now formally part of the state's building code.
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• It follows approval Tuesday by the California Building Standards Commission of a plan endorsed in May by a state energy panel.
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• California is the first state in the nation to mandate solar-energy installations on most single-family homes as well as multi-family residential buildings.

Read CNBC article 

#California  #solarenergy  #buildingcode #solarpanels #climateaction #climatechange