Author: Peter Gardner

As a reader and subscriber to the Melbourne Age for more than fifty years I sent the following angry letter on 8 August. The letter was in response to an article by Chris Uhlmann on the decision of the Australian Energy Regulator to sue four South Australian wind farms over the blackouts in 2016. Reneweconomy noted that: “there was the effort of Chris ‘I was right and I was the victim’ Uhlmann, now at Nine Network and in Nine papers, still warning of the lights going out if we don’t slow down on renewables.” As I have been angry over other aspects of the media on climate change, though much more with the Murdoch media, I decided to add my ‘two bobs worth’ and sent the editors the following.

“Dear Sir, As a rusted on reader of the Age for most of my life I must express my disappointment with your front page story by wind farm opponent Chris Uhlmann (The Age 8.8) The climate emergency has been with us for some time although the penny has yet to drop in the halls of power and the mass media.

Without a rapid transition to renewable energy – read wind and solar farms – we are all in diabolical trouble and facing an existential crisis. Only a handful of politicians and few in the media appear able to grasp the concepts of inertia in the climate system or of tipping points and feedback loops. Only the articles by Peter Hannam, a few other journalists and the occasional well informed comment in the letters column, have given us some hope and kept us sane.

I have waited some time (read years) in vain for your front page headlines alerting readers to the climate crisis.  As Greta Thunberg put it: “The main solution, however, is so simple that even a small child can understand it. We have to stop our emissions of greenhouse gases.”

This means that we need a rapid expansion of wind farms and other sources of renewable energy and storage. It is no longer a question of whether it is done but how it can be done as quickly and as seamlessly as possible. Bureaucratic and political opposition with inappropriate legal action and the cheering of such in the media are the opposite of what is desperately required. Yours etc.”

It seems most unlikely that the Age will print the letter, but even if they do I will probably abandon my subscription although I refrained from threatening such in my letter. Examining the diatribes and propaganda that flow from the Murdoch rags is now high on the agenda.

A recent media release noted that “On 15 July fifty people met in Maffra to learn more about climate change and exchange their concerns as the situation of global warming escalates. Guest speaker, Aileen Vening, a climate educator for the South Gippsland Conservation Society, spoke of the geographical changes occurring on the planet as it responds to increased warming in the atmosphere and oceans. Wild and unprecedented weather patterns and record breaking heat will only increase unless governments take strong action to drawdown the carbon that is already present in the atmosphere and to set strong targets to reduce future emissions.

“People spoke of their frustration in seeing the Federal government still dragging its feet on this urgent issue. Australia’s carbon emissions have continued to rise for the last four years despite the Energy Minister, Angus Taylor, continually saying to the contrary.

“The Victorian Government will legislate in August to reduce emissions to zero by 2050 and this is a decisive step. Twenty nine municipal councils throughout Australia have declared a climate emergency, a symbolic gesture to acknowledge the serious situation, but also to adopt practices within their municipalities to reduce carbon waste. As of this week the City of Melbourne became the thirtieth municipality to do so!

“As a result of the meeting in Maffra the Wellington Climate Action Network (WCAN) was formed and a motion arose from the meeting to work with council to declare a climate emergency.”

With the formation of WCAN Gippsland is close to being covered with community groups actively working on global warming. The Latrobe Valley and Baw Baw Sustainability groups have been active for a number of years especially so with the latter group. This year Climate Action Network groups have formed in Inverloch-Wonthaggi, Bairnsdale and now Sale-Maffra. Both the former groups have already carried out a number of successful activities. Possibly there is another ‘climate’ group in South Gippsland. Also there is a group called Strzelecki Sustainability Futures supporting the OSMI Delburn wind project in the Latrobe Valley. Then there is the well-established Gippsland Climate Change Network that does good things (see here and here) but is not inclined to ‘rock the boat’.

There are many advantages that can flow from this blossoming of community groups including sharing information, resources, guest speakers and ideas. Their existence offers support to the many dismayed by the inaction on climate of all our governments and may inspire others. At this stage what is needed is effective communications between the groups so that resources can be efficiently used between locations and that support, advice and promotion can be shared where practicable.

Members of East Gippsland Climate Action Network (EG CAN) held another die-in in Bairnsdale on the 3^rd of August calling for action on global warming and the climate emergency. The formula used was very similar to the original protest held a month ago in the Nicholson St Mall but this time the die-in was held in the busy monthly Farmers Market at the Secondary College.

About 50 members and supporters of all ages met at the entrance to the market on McKean Street. All stall holders were informed in advance of the action as were the market organisers. The group, many of whom were adorned in red clothing, proceeded the 100 metres or so to the centre of the market square, banging pots and carrying placards such as “There are no jobs on a dead planet” and “Climate Action Now”. There most of our group lay down beside each other in a single line some covering their faces with shrouds – symbolising a row of cadavers.

As with the Mall protest after three minutes of the die-in a brief message from Swedish teenage activist and strike for climate founder Greta Thunberg was read to protesters and onlookers:

“We are facing a disaster of unspoken sufferings for enormous amounts of people.

And now is not the time for speaking politely or focusing on what we can or cannot say.

Now is the time to speak clearly. Solving the climate crisis is the greatest and most complex challenge that homo sapiens has ever faced.

The main solution, however, is so simple that even a small child can understand it.

We have to stop our emissions of greenhouse gases.”

This ended the protest, where many remained, some handing out pamphlets with contact details, others shopping at the market stalls and a small number of protesters joined in discussions with the crowd. Amongst those doing so was nonagenarian Audrey Porter – perhaps a bit frail to lie down but a strong supporter nevertheless. And unlike the Nicholson Mall die-in on this occasion we had a large and captive audience. Hopefully we will also improve on our impressive number of posts and support on the social media.

Thanks to everyone for their participation, support and encouragement. Undoubtedly EG CAN’s work will now be directed towards supporting the student climate strike on September 20.

(edited article from the Bass Coast Post 21.7)

You’ve installed solar roof panels, you avoid heavily packaged goods, you leave the car at home and walk or bike, you take your own cup for takeaway coffee …But while you and I are trying to reduce our carbon footprints and to live more sustainably, individual actions alone won’t save us from climate change’s most severe effects.

We also need collective action from federal, state and local governments to reduce emissions.  Collective action is also needed for climate change adaptation to help communities adapt to the inevitable effects of climate change, including those already upon us in Bass Coast, such as increased coastal erosion. And while we all know it’s a global problem, we also know that tackling climate change requires local action.  That’s why locals are joining the newly formed Bass Coast CAN (Climate Action Network).

BC CAN’s goal is “A just transition to a safe climate future for all people, all species, and all generations”.  We operate primarily within the municipality of Bass Coast, but also promote and engage in activities with a state, national or global focus.  We seek to galvanise action at the local level through generating, gathering and delivering information, facilitating community action, and influencing decision-makers. We also call for strong leadership and decisive action on climate change mitigation and adaptation and for all levels of government to respond to the current climate emergency.

BC CAN has run two events to date: in May, our screening of Accelerate attracted over 60 attendees. In June, more than 140 people took part in a panel discussion focused on the extraordinary erosion at Inverloch beach, with input from two internationally renowned scientists and local citizen scientist Aileen Vening. We recently held a forum of core members to identify what activities the group will take on in future.  Many wonderful ideas were brought up that you will hear more about soon. For now our most significant action, and it is a very important action, is the launch of a Climate Emergency petition to make sure Bass Coast Shire Council understands that its community demands serious and immediate action on climate change.

Already, over 800 councils and governments, including Melbourne, Sydney and New York, in 17 countries and covering more than 140 million citizens, have declared a climate emergency (up from 700 just a month ago).  They acknowledge that dangerous climate change is happening now, and accelerating.  They are acting on their citizen’s concerns that current policies and actions are seriously inadequate, exposing current and future generations to unacceptable risk.  Declaring a climate emergency recognises that the window of opportunity for effective action is rapidly closing.

If our council accepts the science, then it needs to take a leadership role in the community and declare a climate emergency.  A public declaration will signal its acceptance of the need to act with urgency and its intention to do so. It will change how the community at large views this issue and help normalise discussion of climate change as THE issue of our day; one that demands action at a pace far beyond business and politics as usual. Importantly, it will also put upward pressure on state and federal governments to do likewise.

For the full article and contact details go here.

On the 24 July ABC Gippsland radio interviewed Robert Parker President of the lobby group Australian Nuclear Association (ANA). He advocated that 5 nuclear power plants could be built in the Latrobe Valley. As the map above indicates ANA understanding of Gippsland geography is ‘woolly’ and at best faulty. ABC Gippsland followed this up with a post on their facebook page which generated a large number of shares, likes and comments – many of them misinformed. This publicity given by our broadcaster to a pressure group promoting an unviable energy option is unfortunate. It raises false hopes in some, anxiety in others, and is never going to happen.

This publicity followed on from calls by the former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce and others in favour of nuclear power. RenewEconomy noted “It comes as the Coalition faces intense pressure from its own MPs and Senators, and One Nation, and, of course, the conservative media, to allow nuclear to be built in Australia. Most of the MPs behind this push – like Joyce, Barilaro, Keith Pitt and Mark Latham – either reject climate science outright, mock any moves to address it, and/or at the same time are pushing for the construction of new coal-fired generators.”

John Quiggin in a Guardian article entitled “The idea of producing nuclear energy in Australia before 2040 is absurd” highlighted the length of time needed to set up a nuclear power generator. He concluded that “it would be a heroic endeavour to get construction started on a nuclear plant even by 2030. Getting it finished and generating electricity by 2040 is virtually impossible. Fortunately, there are alternatives… The combination of solar photovoltaics and battery storage is already cheaper than new coal-fired power. As a backup, Australia has huge potential for storage using pumped hydroelectricity. We don’t need to call on the phantom of nuclear power to secure a reliable supply for the future.”

Almost two years ago I wrote in a similar vein “Whilst there are many issues associated with nuclear power (including major accidents at Chernobyl and Fukishima) from the perspective of climate change there are two main questions to be asked. Can it be done quickly and is the process carbon neutral?” The answer to both questions was no and so I concluded “Solar energy – produced by nuclear fusion in a safely remote source – is already approaching the free energy dream. Solar panels can be erected now whilst nuclear, and even coal plants, are many years down track. With the climate emergency rapidly approaching we need to get to zero emissions as quickly as possible. Thus we need technology that is readily available, can be installed now and producing tomorrow. Nuclear is not the answer.”

Nothing has changed. The reactionaries of the LNP, the ANA lobbyists and ABC Gippsland are all ‘flogging a dead horse’.

Letter published Bairnsdale Advertiser 5 July

Residents in rural settings like our wonderful East Gippsland are likely to be amongst those hardest hit with the dramatic climate changes already underway. These changes are caused by increased levels of greenhouse gases resulting in more frequent extreme weather events: storms, drought, and floods. Already we have fire seasons from Spring to Autumn, unprecedented drying across the whole of Gippsland, and in the future even more extremes of weather are predicted.  Sea level rise will seriously affect towns like Lakes Entrance.

We must take urgent action on this emergency. Greenhouse gas reduction, renewable energy transition and waste reduction are some of the actions we can all take right now. We need our council to recognize this and join the hundreds of councils around the world that have already declared a Climate Emergency. The devastating impacts of climate change across the world are increasing in frequency and intensity.  Thankfully more and more people across East Gippsland and indeed the world, are taking action to ensure that we have a future. 

2. So far unpublished

Actions like the brief symbolic ‘die-in’ last week in Nicholson Mall, Bairnsdale will be repeated as momentum builds across the region.  As more animals and plants cannot cope with the sudden human induced changes to our climate, more and more extinctions will take place.  Australia already leads the world in mammal extinctions. Government protection of natural habitat is failing all over the country.

We are faced with bush fires for most of the year, terrible droughts and floods and acceleration of change in our climate.  We must take action now to halt and ideally reverse the levels of greenhouse gases, to slow increases in global warming.

We must move more quickly than our state government has planned and aim for 100% renewable energy.  The targets set by our federal government are just laughable. The most common statement on climate change from both state Nationals Tim Bull and Federal representative Darren Chester has been that we are doing enough because we only make up a minimal percentage of the world population. This ignores that we are at the top of the table in per person emissions. In any case we proudly punch well above our weight in many other fields including science, sport, military interventions and much more. The safety of our planet is at stake with the climate emergency.

We have a duty to take effective and urgent action because we care about the young people whose future we are ruining.  We must work as though we are in a climate emergency, because we are!

From my pre-blog archives first published online in April 2002 (edited)

In a recent article in the Guardian Andrew Simms pointed out that the requirements for cutting greenhouse gas levels by nations are non-negotiable and that negotiating on who cuts what is like negotiating to build a bridge half way across a canyon. Some time ago a CSIRO scientist pointed out to me that global warming was an established fact and will only continue to increase. The actions of man and governments will only ameliorate the increases and the effects of these. They will not stop it.

As old colonial boundaries render it difficult to solve Australia’s water problems, so the nation state appears incapable of solving world problems, of which global warming is predominant. It seems wiser to accept that due to the inability of the nation states to solve or agree to solve world problems, along with the ability of vested interests to direct the most powerful and wealthy nation on earth, that global warming will continue and its effects will quite possibly be catastrophic, if for example, the West Antarctic ice sheet were to melt over a relatively short period of time.

As I write this another article in the Melbourne Age (18.4) warns of dire consequences of global warming in the Himalayas. Studies have identified 44 glacial lakes in Nepal and Bhutan that have substantially grown in area over the last 40 years, and were in danger of bursting within ‘five to ten years’. This growth in size is due to the increased melting of the glaciers, itself in turn due to a local warming increase of the average temperature of one degree centigrade. The article warns of the danger of these lakes bursting the natural dams that confine them and of the havoc such an event would cause to lives, stock, agriculture and infrastructure downstream. It also warns that such an effect may be occurring more widely in the more than 2000 glacial lakes in Nepal and at various other glacial lakes spread throughout the Himalayas, the Hindu Kush and other mountain ranges. The consequences of this occurring seems statistically quite probable and will have a disastrous, but localised, effect.

The consequences of a melted, partially melted or even slowly melting West Antarctic ice sheet on the other hand will certainly be both of disastrous proportions and universal. Real estate at various points around coastlines will be the first casualty. Often this land such as alluvial river deltas is agriculturally quite rich and heavily populated. The movement of refugees within and between countries will consequently be enormous as too death from floods that combine with rising sea levels. The infrastructure of docks, port facilities and commercial areas of large cities will also be threatened and possibly severely disrupt world trade, in particular the bulk movement of grain to prevent starvation on a massive scale.

The association of lung cancer and cigarette smoking took an absolute age to be established and generally accepted, whilst scientific studies had been indicating the obvious for several decades. Perhaps too, the evidence of an infinitely more complicated global warming will have to be seen to be markedly varying from the average before being accepted by both nations and individuals. By then it will be far too late.

From my pre-blog archives first published online in April 2002 (edited)

Over the last five years there have been various reports of warmer polar circles, ice thinning, and the ice caps shrinking. All these reports have been guarded with the usual curious scientific reserve. The reports always appear to be ultra-conservative with their predictions. And usually hedge their bets by saying that there is no evidence that the phenomenon observed is due to global warming and may be part of a natural process or cycle. However the basic science of a ‘greenhouse’ planet is well established – without the greenhouse effect there would be no life on earth. This combined with the steadily increasing amounts of greenhouse gases man has returned to the atmosphere over the last two hundred years means the atmospheric temperatures must be warming up, no matter how slowly, and regardless of whether it can be recognised above normal variation or not.

The most recent developments have been the huge icebergs breaking off the Larsen B ice shelf on the West Antarctic Peninsula… There are a number of new theories relevant to this occurrence and the future of mankind. One is that the ice shelves are like a ‘cork in the bottle’ that stops the ice sheets that cover the land from travelling rapidly to the sea and melting. Were the West Antarctic Ice shelf to melt then sea levels would be raised around the world by 5 metres. Current estimates give a probability of this event occurring at only 1 in 20 chance in the next 200 years.

Another is the new thesis that environmental changes (and extinctions) can occur rapidly and almost in a human time scale (ie about 100 years). Many of the current scientific calculations like the estimate of probability for a melting West Antarctic ice sheet above may be based on the false assumptions – that the changes will be gradual rather than catastrophic and that the rising sea levels will be caused by thermal expansion of the sea and not by melting Antarctic ice sheets. Note the current estimates that predict a sea level rise of about .4 to 1.4m over the next 100 years are based on the thermal expansion of the oceans alone and are not inclusive of any ice melting over land.

Meanwhile anecdotal evidence reported in the (mainly electronic) media of what appears to have been a fairly cool summer has meant uninformed commentators, from sundry radio jocks, and even on the ABC, have been claiming that the ‘greenhouse’ and global warming are all bullshit, or words to that effect. What they have failed to recognise is that global warming is measured in world averages. Some places may actually get colder and there may be also wide seasonal variations. For example there may be cooler summers with the other seasons warmer, or there may be diurnal variation with warmer nights and the days the same, leading to higher average temperatures. Apparently the Victorian summer, despite its lack of scorching hot days, was about average. What may be cause for some alarm is that the breakup of Larsen B ice shelf was caused by variations of this kind – local warming which had a “strong and immediate effect”.

(to be continued)

On Friday morning a crowd of about 70 met at the front of the Masonic lodge on their way to carrying out East Gippsland Climate Action Network’s (EG CAN) first climate action. Protestors of all ages were present including, pleasingly, a large number of children wearing red and carrying placards and pots. Dividing into two groups they converged on the Nicholson Street Mall from east and west making a rowdy entrance banging their pots. At a signal from organiser Angela Crunden about 50 of the group lay down in the Mall centre.

After 3 minutes silence simulating death by extinction a message from the Swedish teenage founder of the Student Strike movement Greta Thunberg was read to the crowd: “Adults keep saying: ‘We owe it to the young people to give them hope.’ But I don’t want your hope. I don’t want you to be hopeful. I want you to panic. I want you to feel the fear I feel every day. And then I want you to act. I want you to act as you would in a crisis. I want you to act as if your house is on fire. Because it is.” (No One is Too Small to Make a Difference, Penguin, 2019 p.24) Though this was the end of the short protest most of the participants stood around chatting and taking photos for some time.

A small explanatory pamphlet was distributed whilst the die-in was going on with EG CAN principles and contact details listed. The pamphlet noted the “human race is at risk of becoming extinct as a result of climate change” and that “we still have time. If we act now we can avert the worst effects of climate change and make this a safe place for our children.”

Over a quiet coffee at The Stables afterwards, organisers considered the action a success. EG CAN founder Ro Gooch had already done an interview with ABC radio before the event and there are hopes for further publicity in mainstream and social media. EG CAN’s facebook page is here and all likes and other support appreciated. Organisers can be contacted here and it’s hoped many more interesting actions will follow. Watch this space!

The Friends of the Earth Melbourne have just released an important paper entitled “Transforming Victoria: creating jobs whilst cutting emissions” calling for a ‘green new deal’ and a ‘fair and just transition’. Essentially the report highlights the chaotic nature of the rapid change we are currently experiencing moving from a fossil fuel based economy to one based on renewable energy. It then offers a substantial range of solutions.

They note that “Many aging coal-fired power stations are nearing the end of their lives and the native forests sector is clearly unsustainable and on the verge of collapse. The economy is undergoing a market-driven transformation and many of these changes are bad for blue collar workers, for instance, as was shown by the closure of the Australian car industry” and that “Without a fair and just transition (FJT) plan, the inevitable impact of future changes will disproportionately fall on workers and communities who are currently reliant on the stationary energy sector, fossil fuel extraction, forestry products, and associated downstream industries.”

As I have pointed out many times in this blog the unplanned and unco-ordinated nature of the current transition is a recipe for political reaction, as is happening in Queensland now or in the Latrobe Valley after privatisation. For Gippsland the Report advocates a package for the rehabilitation of Hazelwood and duplication and bridge projects on the railway. It calls for a ‘Just Transition Authority’ to be created to oversee and co-ordinate the transition which in Gippsland involves both the Latrobe Valley and the bush. In particular fair employment opportunities are required for those who have lost, or about to lose, their jobs in the old industries.

On the offshore wind farm proposal in South Gippsland the report notes “Victoria could soon be home to the world’s largest offshore wind farm, the landmark Star of the South offshore wind proposal. To make the most of this opportunity, the Victorian government should consider the importance of this project within a regional planning approach that can maximise local job creation in the Latrobe Valley and Gippsland more broadly. The Latrobe Valley Authority must be specifically tasked with assisting workers from the Latrobe Valley and offshore oil and gas industry in Gippsland in gaining employment on the Star of the South project.” They note also that the farm must be built in Commonwealth waters and detail the tardiness of the current Federal government in this regard. Besides wind and mine rehabilitation another Gippsland project mentioned was the Paul Treasure pumped hydro energy storage proposal which was first published in this blog. 

Overall the report is comprehensive and detailed and should be required reading for all our State politicians. Above all a condition of over full employment is needed in Gippsland as soon as possible. This alone will enable the change to occur as fairly as possible. As the report notes “We need to act on the climate crisis at an unprecedented speed and scale if we are going to prevent climate change from getting worse and protect the community from the impacts.” It is not a matter of whether we do this but how we can achieve it as quickly and as painlessly as possible.