Research
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Heatwatch: Extreme heat in GladstoneThe annual average number of days over 35 degrees Celsius in Gladstone has more than doubled since the mid-20th century. CSIRO and the Bureau of Meteorology project further increases, with the number of extreme heat days to triple by 2070 – and these projections appear optimistic. Extreme heat will have profound effects on human health, industries and ecosystems. At temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius the human body’s ability to cool itsel... -
Heatwatch: Extreme heat in RockhamptonAt temperatures above 35 degrees the human body’s ability to cool itself reduces, making it a common benchmark temperature for occupational health and safety experts, academic and government researchers. Combined with 70% humidity, conditions over 35 degrees are considered ‘extremely dangerous’ by government agencies such as the US Government National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The number of days over 35 degrees per year in Ro...
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Hume poll: Liberal primary vote drops, voters support more action on climate, not less The Australia Institute commissioned ReachTEL to poll the federal seat of Hume (690 respondents) on the evening of 10 September. Key Findings: Liberal primary vote crashes to 39.7% (down from 53.83 at 2016 federal election) 47.8% think the National Energy Guarantee should include an emissions reduction target (39.3% No) 63.7% support a moratorium on building new coal mines (26.3% oppose) 67.4% support the Morrison government...
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An Open Letter to the Western Australian Government calling for permanent ban on fracking PDF of Open Letter can be downloaded in full here. Full text of open letter and list of signatories below.Dear Premier and Ministers of the Government of Western Australia -- Unconventional oil and gas development in Western Australia should not go ahead under any circumstances. The consequences of global warming are already extremely serious; including loss of human life, extreme weather, destruction of natural ecosystems and property damage. We...
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National Energy Emissions Audit - September Electricity UpdateWelcome to the September 2018 issue of the NEEA Electricity Update, with data updated to the end of August 2018.The Electricity Update is the companion publication to the quarterly National Energy Emissions Audit Report, the next issue which is being published alongside the Electricity Update. The Electricity Update presents data on electricity demand, electricity supply, and electricity generation emissions in the National Electricity Market (NE...
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Climate of the Nation 2018Climate change is happening and Australians are concerned about the impacts More Australians accept the reality of climate change than at almost any time since Climate of the Nation began in 2007. Three quarters (76%, up from 71% 2017) of Australians accept that climate change is occurring, 11% do not think that climate change is occurring and 13% are unsure. Acceptance of climate change closely follows voting intentions, but interestingly while...
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GISERA and conflict of interestA fundamental conflict of interest underlies the Gas Industry Social and Environmental Alliance (GISERA), making it an inappropropriate organisation to undertake research to evaluate the social and environmental impacts of unconventional gas development.What is GISERA?The Gas Industry Social and Environmental Research Alliance (GISERA) is an alliance agreement between the five biggest unconventional gas companies in Australia (Australia Pacific L...
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Colossal fossil failuresAs of 2 September 2018, there have been 100 major breakdowns at gas and coal plants in the National Energy Market – including every coal-fired power station bar one (Mt Piper). While old subcritical coal plants performed poorly, the newer supercritical plants (so-called “HELE” plants) were even more unreliable. There were also breakdowns at some of the newest gas plants (Tallawarra, Swanbank and Braemar). Victoria’s brown coal plants were the lea...
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Banking against the ReefThe Great Barrier Reef Foundation (the Foundation) does not have a policy to guidethe investment of its undisbursed funding. As part of the $443.3 million GrantAgreement with the Australian Government, the Foundation must design an “investment policy” – however the Grant Agreement is silent on whether the policyshould exclude investing in fossil fuel industries that directly contribute to climatechange.The Foundation has already received all six...
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Unspoken alternatives to expensive housingMost housing subsidies end up increasing landlord and developer profits rather than reducing costs for residents. However, Public Land Rent Schemes that provide discounted land access to owners, and private Community Land Trusts, are proven ways to ensure that subsidies reduce costs for homeowners.This report explores how to get cheap, secure, housing without inflating landlord profits.