Cost of Living is biggest concern among Australian voters on both sides of politics

What’s the polar opposite topic to climate change? Probably “cost of living”.

The latest Newspoll shows that the Coalition has far more to gain from addressing cost of living instead of “climate change”.  Labor voters are even more focused on cost of living than conservatives — which means there are a lot of Labor voters who can be potentially won over to the conservative side if the Liberal-National government plays the cost of living card against climate change and shows they are the team to get costs lower.

As far as conservative voters go, Climate Change ranked 5th as an issue. For every vote the Libs lose by aggressively tackling this — they stand to win far more. Furthermore, of the one in ten voters who are “conservative” and concerned about climate change, how many will dump the concern if we finally get some real debate in Australia? If one major party starts to talk about how futile and expensive it is to change the global climate these numbers will swing.

The Australian

poll, Australia, political prioritites, Sept 2019

 

The cost of living is now the greatest concern for voters, with a ­majority claiming it should be the federal government’s top priority.

Amid high energy prices and stagnant private sector wage growth, an exclusive Newspoll commissioned by The Australian shows 37 per cent of voters named cost of living as the most important issue, with 19 per cent citing economic management.

We can’t have both a low cost of living and a forced renewables transition. The Coalition could wedge Labor on this if they dared face the name-calling bullies.

The Newspoll is the third to be conducted since the election and surveyed 1661 voters across city and country areas from September 5 to 7.

It involved 956 online surveys and 705 robo interviews with a margin of error plus or minus of 2.4 per cent.

Both parties pander to the namecallers, and debate is practically non-existent in the Australian mainstream media, so this poll is “as good as it gets” for the unskeptical alarmists.

9.6 out of 10 based on 65 ratings

265 comments to Cost of Living is biggest concern among Australian voters on both sides of politics

  • #
    AndyG55

    Problem is that most of the cost of living imposts have come from ridiculous political responses to non-existent “climate change”.

    490

    • #
      Sceptical Sam

      And many of those are self imposed.

      For example: 1. it is still cheaper in Western Australia for me to buy my electrons off the grid rather than install solar PV.

      2. It is still cheaper for me to drive a Toyota Corolla than any of the EVs or hybrids currently available.

      320

    • #
      Another Ian

      Andy

      In the spirit of the cattle prod

      Time the politicians got amps in their pants

      260

    • #
      Bill in Oz

      Excellent post Jo !
      Thank you for presenting
      Real issues as most Australians see it !
      At the moment the Liberal wets are ‘gun shy’ of saying anything
      That might upset the poor dear alarmed Greenists
      Who will never, ever vote for them

      200

      • #
        Sceptical Sam

        Let’s keep them “gun shy”.

        There’s enough lefties, big spenders, and sanctimonious bleeding hearts in the Labor party to last a life-time.

        20

    • #
      OriginalSteve

      But…apparently climate change is now almost elevated to a national security risk ( or equivelent ).

      Does this mean skeptics are “climate traitors” and must be sent to climate re-education camps?

      Ha…bring on the inevitable Climate Nuremberg Trials once all this dies down.

      Note the raised clenched fists – Socialism?
      https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-11/government-appears-unprepared-for-climate-change/11492886

      “The most powerful bureaucrats in Australia have been wargaming to prepare the country for “national-scale systemic climate risks” that could impact “the full spectrum of human activity” and are already “overwhelming” the country’s ability to respond.

      “”The ABC can reveal a group called “the Secretaries Group on Climate Risk” began meeting in March 2017.

      “It includes some of the country’s most senior military figures as well as the heads of the federal government’s biggest departments.

      “The group has not been formally disbanded, but fell into dormancy. But before that, the group warned the government it was widely seen as trailing the private sector in addressing the impacts of climate change.

      ……

      But…people with running around with thier hair on fire ( so to speak ) on these world ending non-events :

      “The minutes from the meetings noted extreme weather was already “overwhelming” the country’s ability to respond to climatic events. As examples, they noted:

      * The Melbourne asthma storm, in which 10 people died.
      * The South Australian blackout, which resulted in the entire state being plunged into darkness.
      * The “convergence of floods and bushfires in Tasmania”.

      and now … what appears to be the money supply? Is this trough feeeding activity by lawyers on a totally unprovable climate risk?

      Think of the cash created on an undefinable but *cough* “100% known coz coz…just because….” risk.

      It surely beats the fractional banking for creating money out of ( 1.5 C hotter ) thin air….

      “Government warned on litigation risks

      ” In addition to direct physical risks impacting health and national security, the group also considered legal risks that climate change could pose for the government.

      “To prepare for the meetings, the heads of the departments were given legal advice by Noel Hutley SC outlining how company directors and trustees of superannuation funds who fail to consider climate risks could be sued, as well as news articles about ongoing climate change-related litigation.

      70

      • #
        Kneel

        ‘…superannuation funds who fail to consider climate risks could be sued…’

        There is also the reverse risk – being sued because:

        1) you made investment decisions based on a “moral” code rather than expected return, resulting in less income than I otherwise would have gotten.

        2) you invested based on govt policy – if that policy is wrong and/or gets reversed, the “investment” is now worth less than what I paid for it.

        Both are in direct contravention of your duty to fund members to maximise returns at the specified risk level – in the first case, returns are reduced, in the second, risks are increased.

        110

        • #
          Kalm Keith

          There will be a day of reckoning for fund managers who deliberately “invested” fund money for ideological reasons and have not only failed to get a return but critically Lost the Lot!!!

          Can they get away with covering it up long enough to get their severance packages.

          Perhaps they could borrow a few billion to give themselves time to exit and leave the “loss” for someone else to clean up.

          KK

          100

          • #
            OriginalSteve

            Watching Credlin tonight, she mentioned if they up the Super guarantee to 12%, it will make housing even less affordable due to less in peoples pockets in a period of low wage growth….

            She also mentioned that of the skilled migrant program, almost 25% of migrants were low skilled……a supply of low wage workers perhaps?

            Would the Remainers in the UK be crying due to their supply of eastern european low wage labour would be lost in a Brexit scenario?

            60

            • #
              Kalm Keith

              That makes sense. Increased super contributions now will help cover up the losses made in current renewables investments, and put off the day of reckoning for the next fund manager to deal with later.

              KK

              20

      • #
        Anto

        Have another look. The Coalition vs ALP vs overall numbers immediately tell me that substantially more ALP voters were pooled and that no adjustments were made to normalise the results based on known population. In other words, the poll is biased and the pollsters knew it when they released unadjusted results. Disgraceful.

        40

    • #
      Geoffrey Williams

      AndyzG5 . . you are quite right;
      Cost of energy and cost of living are directly related.
      So government can use the latter to ‘attack’ renwable energy.
      Bingo – how easy is that?
      GeoffW

      60

  • #
    Travis T. Jones

    Wait. What?

    You said the sun and wind was free and the planet was saved …

    Anthony Albanese: “I mean, when you talk about renewable energy the sun is free, the wind’s free.”

    https://anthonyalbanese.com.au/transcript-of-doorstop-interview-henson-park-marrickville-tuesday-21-may-2019

    Climate Council chief executive Amanda McKenzie: “Renewable energy is now cheaper to build than new coal plants and has no fuel costs, because the sun and the wind are free.”

    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-02/clean-energy-money-could-fund-coal-power-stations-morrison-says/8234118

    As power prices crash below zero, don’t expect it to show up on your power bill

    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-09/negative-power-prices-will-not-help-consumers-in-the-short-term/11485614

    220

    • #
      Maptram

      And according to a listed company who specialises in renewable energy, Windlab (ASX code WND) and who thinks it’s doing well when it’s losses are going down, energy from batteries is counted as one of the renewable energy sources

      170

    • #
      TdeF

      Coal is free. Gas is free. Uranium is free. Wood is free. It’s all in the cost of harvesting, which is too much for wind.

      Plus wind and sun are not commandable, which is like having a car which works only when it wants to work. So you have to have a second petrol car as well as your electric car. Or a bicycle.

      170

      • #
        TdeF

        And because it’s not commandable, you have to build the coal power stations anyway and run them on idle while you indulge the fantasy of free unreliable wind.

        210

      • #
        theRealUniverse

        Also the energy density per kg,m of the so called ‘bad’ energy sources is far greater than the so called ‘ renewables’.

        50

    • #
      Hanrahan

      “I mean, when you talk about renewable energy the sun is free, the wind’s free.”

      But so is coal. You don’t need to write a cheque to “the maker” every time you dig a ton. Royalties are a tax not a BASIC cost and can be forgone, and will be when renewables take over.

      There are expenses harvesting and transporting coal but so too wind/solar.

      90

      • #
        TdeF

        And then the hidden cost, the huge amount of land permanently required for wind and solar.

        And the beauty of having a windmill next to your place, or the cost of having more of them hundreds of kilometers away, next to someone else’s place or in a National Park or virgin bush, as Bob Brown has realised. Plus the endless network of transmissions lines.

        All compared to a single and relatively small in area coal power plant in one location with one transmission line.

        100

  • #
    BoyfromTottenham

    We REALLY need a good comeback line to that ‘renewable energy is cheaper to build than coal generation’ bollocks. If we can kill that meme it will even the score.

    170

    • #
      Greg in NZ

      ‘renewable energy is cheaper to build than coal generation’ bollocks.

      Howzat?!!!

      210

    • #
      Deplorable Lord Kek

      New South Wales ($ per megawatt hour)

      1998-99 25
      1999-00 30
      2000-01 41
      2001-02 38
      2002-03 37
      2003-04 37
      2004-05 46
      2005-06 43
      2006-07 67
      2007-08 44
      2008-09 43
      2009-10 52
      2010-11 43
      2011-12 31
      2012-13 56
      2013-14 53
      2014-15 36
      2015-16 54
      2016-17 88
      2017-18 85
      2018-19 92

      https://www.aer.gov.au/wholesale-markets/wholesale-statistics/annual-volume-weighted-average-spot-prices

      Note the incline coincident with The Renewable Energy (Electricity) Bill 2000 [etc]

      150

      • #
        RickWill

        The bill may have been passed in 2000 but the damage was done 9 years later when Rudd increased the target by an order of magnitude.

        160

    • #
      David Wojick

      Agreed, Boy. “Intermittent” does not convey the reality and is too technical. Maybe “off and on but mostly off”.

      Speaking of which USA Today just ran a piece attacking gas fired power in which they repeatedly say renewables are just as reliable as gas, which is pure nonsense. It is hard to fight mainline nonsense. That is the real problem. Fake facts.

      300

      • #
        Another Ian

        In the modern terminilogy

        “Unknown knowns”

        30

      • #
        OriginalSteve

        cool…get the climate numpties to get the govt to switch off all coal nand gas and nuke power for 2 days ans see how well the greenies cope. They will lynch the greenies and climate numpties on the spot…..

        90

    • #
      Serp

      How can it be cheaper when hydro and gas are needed to maintain continuity of power supply?

      Moreover, in respect of the solar/wind there is paying for the generated power and then paying for the renewable generator’s certificates.

      130

    • #
      Bobl

      That’s easy, coal oil and gas is also as free as solar and wind, you just have to dig them up. For generation companies that own coal mines the cost of the coal is the notional cost of digging it up.

      So in all cases the fuel is in fact free, and it’s only the process of extraction that is paid for, diffuse renewable energy has the highest cost of extraction and consumes the most land which is a huge non renewable resource. In the case of methane (natural gas) it’s also renewable because megatonnes of methane is naturally produced every day by natural geological and biological processes.

      120

      • #
        David-of-Cooyal-in-Oz

        And you’ve left out the cost of frequency and voltage control. And the cost of providing backup. And the costs of those LGCs. All of which feed into the retail prices people are experiencing, while the MSM only talks about the input costs to wholesale.
        Cheers
        Dave B

        90

    • #

      Don’t numbers have to be negative for 1 to be larger than 2?

      Sure renewables are cheaper, as long as you have lots of flashlights and ice cubes for backup.

      Sure renewables are cheaper, as long as you have lots of coal plants running 24/7 as spinning reserve.

      Sure renewables are cheaper, as long as your OK with reducing your energy consumption to third world levels.

      130

    • #
      TdeF

      Then why has electricity has gone up 900% in Victoria by adding so much ‘free’ wind? This is addition to a very fragile system with a chronic shortage of electricity at any price. And we are now subsidize Alcoa, Whyalla, Port Kemble, Port Pirie to smelt metals with hundreds of millions in cash per year because it is no long economic to make metals or refine petroleum or even recycle plastics?

      While we have ridiculous bans on plastic bags and straws, which are not a problem in Australia, our councils ship hundreds of thousands of tons of our real plastic waste to India, China and the Phillipines where it sits as unprocessed refuse. Australia, a nation of hypocrites. Caring for the environment. Ludicrous.

      50

    • #
      toorightmate

      Power factor/efficiency, whatever you want to call it, kills the renewable argument, BU most people don’t want to hear that part of the argument.
      AND 99% of politicians haven’t a clue as to what it means.

      30

  • #
    Another Ian

    Re cost of living – second bite

    ” Robert Skillen, who was the director of the firm when Mr Thompson bought his system, said Mr Thompson’s panels would make him money.

    Mr Skillen is now in business claiming to help people who have been missold solar panels. He did not want to be interviewed.”

    “BBC: Solar panels: Thousands of customers complain”

    https://wattsupwiththat.com/2019/09/09/bbc-solar-panels-thousands-of-customers-complain/

    Must be bad for the BBC to notice

    200

  • #
    Travis T. Jones

    This is a good one …

    ‘What will it cost?’: Greens leader struggles to answer a simple question from Neil Mitchell:

    “Coordinated [global warming] strikes are happening around the world later this month, and the Victorian Greens want public servants to be paid to attend.

    But Ms Ratnam struggled to answer a basic question from Neil Mitchell — how much paying public servants to attend the rally would cost.”

    http://www.3aw.com.au/what-will-it-cost-greens-leader-struggles-to-answer-a-simple-question-from-neil-mitchell/

    120

    • #
      Greg in NZ

      What will it cost? 0.38

      That’s right folks, tied with July, August has only ‘cost’ us 0.38 of a degree of not very much at all:

      https://www.nsstc.uah.edu/climate/2019/august2019/201908_map.png

      40

    • #
      Serge Wright

      Someone should ask the Greens what happens if we do act and somehow manage to remove our 1% of CO2 from the atmosphere ?. Aside from economic destruction, mass poverty and deaths, we are still left with 99% of what it would be otherwise. And of course the total CO2 would still rise higher almost instantly because countries like China, India and much of the 3rd world are in the process of rapid inndustrialisation.

      100

      • #
        theRealUniverse

        The CO2 will rise to compensate for the loss..straight out of where the other 98% is, in the ocean. Input – sink – output – source – input..
        Trying to get this through to green loontards is impossible. And by loontards I mean the MSM and most Gov depts and politicians.

        50

        • #
          Kalm Keith

          They aren’t loons.

          There’s a lot of benefits flowing to the Eliterati which in past ages would have been cause for public outrage and prosecution under law.

          But that was a long time ago when people knew not to tread in steaming piles of moist Brown stuff left on the road by nature as it passed.

          KK

          30

          • #
            OriginalSteve

            O/T

            But wait….meat substitutes not so healthy….

            Uh oh……the gaia advocates are going to struggle with this.

            Give me a real steak any day….

            https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-11/researchers-warn-of-health-dangers-of-fake-meats/11498310

            “The study found some popular items sold in Australia supermarkets are laden with added salt, with 100 grams of meat-free bacon containing about 2g of salt — a third of a day’s recommended intake.

            “”Our research found that meat-free bacon has the highest average salt content followed surprisingly by falafels and meat-free sausages,” Ms Farrand said.

            “One vegan pie brand contained half the daily recommended salt intake.

            “The Heart Foundation is launching the study in conjunction with VicHealth on Wednesday.

            “The foundation’s chief executive Kellie-Ann Jolly said eating too much salt is linked to high blood pressure, which now affects more than six million Australians.

            “Plant-based options ‘appear healthier’ but often aren’t

            “Ms Farrand said the study’s results were particularly problematic because often meat-free foods come with marketing about them being plant-based, gluten-free or vegan.

            “”Many of these products do appear to be healthier largely because of the marketing around the products themselves,” she said.

            “”We know when something says plant-based or low in something, we have the image in our heads that it’s healthier for it because it’s made from plants.

            “”But what we don’t realise, and what it doesn’t say on the front of the pack, is that it does contain salt, fat and sugar.

            40

            • #

              Umm,

              if Vegans hate meat so much, I’m wondering why they are making vegetarian products to, umm, taste like ….. meat!

              Tony.

              120

            • #
              MudCrab

              I am waiting for carnivore friendly soy products.

              Then I might actually get into all this tofu stuff the hippies are talking about.

              10

              • #
                theRealUniverse

                Quite funny, so many believe tofu (actually Dou Fu, bean curd, in Chinese) is the Chinese (asian) traditional equivalent of cheese. Nothing special. Seems it is given majic powers by trendy Westerners.

                10

  • #
    a happy little debunker

    Record low interest rates, below forecast inflation, increased tax breaks, annual wages cases that see’s minimums rises above inflation going on 10 years, unemployment rate at 5% …

    What cost of living pressures?

    26

    • #
      David Wojick

      As the article says, energy prices.

      140

      • #
        a happy little debunker

        That’s a fair point – but the term ‘cost of living pressures’ is plural.

        Let’s not replace one inaccurate and unrequired hysteria with another.

        30

        • #
          ghl

          Listen Happy
          Don’t forget the price rises imposed by the 250 biggest “polluters” now they need emmission certificates.

          30

          • #
            a happy little debunker

            My problem is that this is a complaint by scoundrels who think they should be doing better – rather than one of people who are actually doing it tough.

            Can you live on just $40 per day?

            Because not only do I live on less, I seem to be able to manage quite easily on less.

            When people earning more than the minimum wage per day whinge about how they are doing it so tough – you won’t mind that I scoff at them!

            20

            • #
              NigelW

              Less than $40 a day??

              You don’t have a mortgage then….Or pay rent…

              How’s your Health Insurance??? House/Contents Insurance??

              No car either I take it….? How much do you spend on public transport???

              Oh wait, people who live with Mum don’t pay for any of these, do they???

              50

              • #
                a happy little debunker

                I own my own home, have 2 registered vehicles, 2 registered trailers & a registered coffee van, with full insurance on the house – but don’t have health insurance.

                I don’t spend money unless I need to, grow my own vegies, catch my own fish, freezing the excess for later.

                If I can do it, so can you!

                The real kicker, though – is that I am also an addicted smoker.

                So, if I really needed to – I could cut my spending even more!

                20

    • #
      Bobl

      Primarily government imposed charges increasing at 4-6 times wage inflation and energy going on 10 times wage inflation. All driven by big government waste.

      Even just the SJW supermarket plastic bag and container taxes adding over $100 per year to your tax bill.

      110

    • #
      el gordo

      ‘What cost of living pressures?’

      The world is sliding into an economic depression and once we get rid of these high energy bills nobody will complain. The government can do little things (Australia with socialist characteristics) like eliminate all road tolls in Sydney. Also they could make bus and train fares totally free.

      Government subsidies for renewables ends next year so that should help.

      50

  • #
    Lionell Griffith

    The simple fact is that if you can’t afford to live, of what value is saving the planet? Even if it were possible by the proposed methods? The answer is that it is of no value whatsoever. You have to be alive to hold values.

    The next question is does the planet need saving? No, the planet is doing just fine. The methods in use to save the planet can’t save it even if it were in trouble. It is nothing but an attempt, by the governing elite, to take control of the parts of the planet they now do not control. The attempt can only fail in the long run but it is doing and can do a lot of damage in the attempt.

    Why do we allow them to do it?

    220

    • #
      Serp

      We allow it because “them” is a gang of mega rich scoundrels whose first move is the purchasing of political influence; more simply Lionell Griffith, the depth of their pockets will always swing it.

      90

      • #
        Lionell Griffith

        If nothing is produced, no amount of money (gold, paper, et.al.) can buy anything. That is why I say, stop feeding them and the self elected elite cannot live on their money no matter how much of it they stole. They will soon cease to exist because they have based their whole lives on the expectation they can take, by force, anything they want and don’t have to earn it. More specifically, they expect that there will always be more sacrificial victims from whom to take by force the substance of the victims life’s work.

        They are using your goodness and actual virtue as a weapon to destroy you. You produce more than you need to live and thereby create the values they can take to sustain their lives. You wish to trade value for value. They demand the right to take values you created in trade for them not taking everything from you. This is a trade of a value for an anti-value. This is how thugs have worked since the first thug.

        70

        • #
          OriginalSteve

          You have just described the Elite as parasites.

          Correct.

          90

          • #
            Lionell Griffith

            Correct with one important difference. Successful parasites don’t kill their hosts but all the elitist care about is their next meal. They are indifferent to the life of their host.

            As always, they expect there will be an unlimited series of hosts to consume. That is why stopping feeding them will be so effective. They cannot stand alone and provide for themselves.

            40

            • #
              OriginalSteve

              Yes. In a grid down situation, I suspect they could talk you into handing over your firearm to them, then shoot you in the back with it….

              30

        • #
          theRealUniverse

          ‘If nothing is produced, no amount of money (gold, paper, et.al.) can buy anything.’ Hence my theory is that the dimension of money is energy.
          You use energy to make or dig something out of the ground and someone gives you gold for it..

          20

          • #
            Lionell Griffith

            Energy alone can only produce heat and entropy. It takes applied reality based intellect, knowledge, and skill to convert that heat into useful work and to minimize the generation of entropy (aka losses).

            Why is it that we constantly neglect the fact that mind is the source and assign zero value to it? It seems that it is only mindlessly generated sweat and aching muscles that is given value. Yet such things only generate more entropy and get less useful work done.

            The source of all value (things that sustain and improve your life) is your mind. Without that being operative, you can’t even accomplish what an earth worm accomplishes. It is true that the mind alone cannot achieve. Actual work must be done but the source of what work to do and how to do it comes from the mind.

            30

  • #
    el gordo

    We need to get climate change down to the bottom of that list and move the rest up one.

    130

  • #
    Travis T. Jones

    RE: 2019 September Queensland bushfires …

    The greens blame Adani mine for Queensland bushfires (-4.31secs): https://www.skynews.com.au/details/_6084847304001

    2011 and coal mines to blame for Queensland floods …

    https://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/coal-miners-to-blame-for-queensland-floods-says-australian-greens-leader-bob-brown/news-story/cbfe12042fa9c4149ea3c10524f57344

    >> Q. If coal induced CO2 causes both fire and floods, how do you know when it’s fixed?

    120

    • #
      robert rosicka

      Much the same as poiter Fitz they claim every weather event is caused by AGW even cold weather .
      Which is why the meme keeps changing names , it’s now being called “climate emergency ” .

      100

    • #
      Graeme No.3

      When they actually start mining the coal.
      It depends on the exact day, and whether summer of winter.
      Then that day becomes “the coal mine is causing fires”, and a short time later “the coal mine is causing floods”. Both will get you onto (their) ABC along with appropriate archive film.
      Alternatively, if there are floods current, then theday becomes “the coal mine is causing floods”, and a short time later “the coal mine is causing fires”. Also good for propaganda on ‘their’ ABC.

      90

    • #
      Maptram

      The Greens blamed climate change for the Feb 19 Tasmanian bushfires. However a month or two ago there was a program on the ABC in which factors such as lack of access roads and climate monitoring equipment were contributors. It was recommended that climate monitoring equipment be put into the wilderness even if it meant allowing some access roads to be built. In other words the Greens demands for areas such as the Tasmanian wilderness to be locked up are a contributor the the bushfires

      40

    • #
      theRealUniverse

      Yes, so called (non) unprecendented fires. Funny the warning of the extreme fire risk came few days before the fires. Heard that some teens were under investigation for possible responsibility for one of the Sunshine coast fires. So what do you do with them?

      20

  • #
    Peter Fitzroy

    1600, odd in a news poll survey, the same company which predicted the Labor win federally. In yesterday’s post there was a thread about how unrepresentative such surveys are. I’m guessing I’ll get massive number of green thumbs for pointing this out

    1115

    • #
      Graeme No.3

      You mean all those surveys saying that people want “action against Climate Change”?

      110

    • #
      Peter C

      Thanks Peter F,

      I never give red thumbs and I am a bit sparing with green. However you make a good point, that surveys have limited value. As you say there was a whole thread on the subject yesterday, which you are repeating again here. Did the newspoll survey predict a Labor win at the last election? I suppose that all the surveys did.

      130

      • #
        David Wojick

        Yes, the error range they give assumes that they got a random sample of the entire population, but given how the sample was obtained that is extremely unlikely. I suspect climate is far less important than the survey shows.

        130

        • #
          Peter Fitzroy

          That may well be, in this case it was mostly an online survey, which would mean that the sample would be biased. The direction of the bias, given that it was Newspoll and The Australian, and taking into account their shared history, would be to promote cost of living over all other topics. I was surprised that other tropes, like the need to disband all unions was not at number 2 for that (bias) reason

          15

    • #

      Pete, I just gave you a green thumb because surveys are the abomination of intellectual desolation, signaling the end of western civilisation and the extinction of the life of the mind. (You can tell I don’t like ’em.)

      Then I tried to red thumb you for not giving us your usual Perth weather update…but the dang software won’t let me double vote.

      140

    • #
      toorightmate

      None of those surveys are anywhere near shonky as John Cook’s infamous 97% survey, DRONGO.

      40

  • #
    Another Ian

    “Dilbert Cartoon on Climate Change Prompts Rebuttal from Yale ”

    https://www.intellectualtakeout.org/article/dilbert-cartoon-climate-change-prompts-rebuttal-yale

    “The most amazing thing, however, is that it actually proves the points being made in the Dilbert cartoon. Rather than debunking the cartoon, the scientists acted it out in slow motion.”

    Via http://catallaxyfiles.com/

    80

    • #
      Travis T. Jones

      Steven Schneider explains global warming computer modelling, 1981:

      “3.00 sec, S Schneider: “Then, you literally pollute the model.
      You of course just go to a type writer, you type in a couple of cards which end up saying, model, here is a different CO2 concentration.
      Then, part of the model which computes the greenhouse effect computes a different kind of greenhouse effect.
      You run the model so many years forward in simulated time, ‘computer, new climate, and that’s where these predictions of, say, 2 to 3 degrees warming in 100 years come from.”

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVQgyn-zP18

      >> The only difference now-a-days is you don’t need to “type in cards.”

      Yes, it’s worse than we first thought.

      30

  • #
    Deplorable Lord Kek

    so there were only six options?

    push polling.

    and of course they didn’t ask about immigration / overpopulation.

    70

    • #
      Peter C

      I think immigration is partly covered by Border security..

      It is a third order issue, according to the poll. That might be because the illegal boats have gone off the front pages of the papers.

      70

      • #
        Deplorable Lord Kek

        immigration / overpopulation responsible for:

        (1) excessive high rise development;
        (2) school overcrowding;
        (3) health system overcrowding;
        (4) public amenities overcrowding;
        (5) private sector wage growth suppressed;
        (6) inflated housing prices;
        (7) decreased social cohesion;
        (8) increased demand on water supply (despite massive population increase, no new dams built);
        (9) increased traffic
        etc.

        Net overseas migration has nearly doubled since 2000. World Bank data for 2017 show that Australia’s population growth was 1.6%.

        This is much higher than other developed countries with comparable immigration programs such as Canada (1.2%), the UK (0.6%) and the United States (0.7%).

        According to the ABS, net overseas migration for the year ended 31 March 2018 was 236,800 people.

        In 1998, the ABS forecast Australia’s population wouldn’t reach between 23.5 and 26.4 million until 2051.

        We reached 25 million in 2018.

        The net overseas immigration rate is clearly unsustainable and unplanned for.

        A cut in the immigration rate is preferred by a majority (even in the absence of any real debate on the adverse effects of overpopulation): “An exclusive Newspoll conducted for The Australian has revealed that 56 per cent of Australian voters believe the existing immigration cap of 190,000 a year is too high, 28 per cent think it is at the right level and 10 per cent consider it too low.” (Simon Benson, The Australian, 23 April 2018).

        120

        • #
          Deplorable Lord Kek

          Oh, and how could I forget: increasing population directly correlates with co2 emissions. More people, more emissions.

          90

  • #
    robert rosicka

    OT but is this a hack to stop your inverter shutting down when grid voltage is high ?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqPDWBAcwzY

    I’m having trouble viewing it or anything from YouTube at the moment .

    20

    • #
      ivan

      I think its showing how to recover a FUBARed unit. Besides you wouldn’t want the inverter running if the voltage is too high, could burn our frig motors, light bulbs, heater elements, melt wiring and burn down the house.

      40

      • #
        robert rosicka

        Someone has used the international setting to get a higher over voltage cutout but looking at the vid I noticed the frequency jumped from 50 to 60 ,and yes this would surely have an effect on some appliances .

        20

        • #
          Hanrahan

          You can’t change freq., your inverter is synced to the grid. If you could FORCE it TO 60 HZ the inverter would be destroyed instantly.

          30

      • #
        Hanrahan

        I’m told of an electrician who hacked his inverter to a higher voltage. This means that he is generating even when his neighbours’ units have shut down. I’d expect his house supply voltage would be buffered to the supply voltage.

        30

  • #
    Peter C

    Creating the link between Cost of Living increases and Fighting Climate Change is a difficult task. Most people seem to think that they are independent and that we can have cheaper goods and services and also fight climate change at the same time.

    Clearly the fight against climate change is stupid, pointless and costly. Obama even said it would cost money and jobs but that message does not get through.

    100

    • #
      Bobl

      But they are related, much of the higher cost of living is due to high input energy costs especially in energy intensive products, aluminium, copper, cement, steel, glass and anything that needs to be refrigerated or transported a lot. That works out to almost everything. Not to mention paying the 158 Billion dollars (and rising) bill for the Commonwealth public service. God knows we don’t get particularly good value for money there!

      40

  • #
    RickWill

    Patrick Frank’s paper that dismantles the reliability of climate models is being kept at the top over at WUWT. Here is the paper:
    https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2019.00223/full
    He models the climate models with a simple linear formula. He then takes a peak under the hood at their ability to model clouds. The variation in cloud to actual is determined to be ±4W/sq.m, which is more than 100 times the proposed forcing due to CO2.

    For me, the most interesting aspect is the editor for the Journal paper is Jing-Jia Luo, from BoM, Australia.

    This is an incredible win to have a reviewed paper in a science journal that conclude:

    The unavoidable conclusion is that a temperature signal from anthropogenic CO2 emissions (if any) cannot have been, nor presently can be, evidenced in climate observables.

    140

    • #
      Serp

      A quick search in the WUWT comments reminds me that the irrepressible and indefatigable Nick Stokes has always opposed Patrick Frank’s thesis which tells me not to get too excited by its current reprise and that there’s a long path ahead before the we are rid of this noxious carbon footprint politics in the Western cultures.

      60

    • #
      Chad

      Rick,
      Its truely good to see The Frank paper published in a recognised journal at last.
      However, there is still the not insignificant problems of ……
      A) getting influential people to read it
      B) ensuring those readers understand what it means in terms of the whole AGW debate
      C). Getting that understanding converted into action to halt the Carbon reduction madness.

      70

      • #
        el gordo

        Jing-Jia Luo is a real scientist, Graham Lloyd at the Oz would be a fool to ignore this scoop.

        BoM’s klimatariat has no plan B, so this maybe the debate to bring the facade down.

        40

      • #
        David-of-Cooyal-in-Oz

        G’day Chad,
        I agree with your concerns, but I think it’s a great advance to have the paper published. Someone might even send a copy to Michael Mann.
        Cheers
        Dave B

        50

      • #
        Kneel

        It’s worse than you thought…

        This will be ignored, same as Pielke Jnr’s weather damage papers – it doesn’t matter that Pielke finds the same as all other published papers on the matter, it doesn’t matter that Pielke uses IPCC data and cites IPCC reports, he’s a denier and the truth won’t “help the cause”, so it is ignored.

        30

      • #
        RickWill

        The paper offers quite simple concepts and reaches a robust conclusion. Anyone with an ounce of maths or science understanding can comprehend this paper. It attacks the soft belly of the climate models, clouds, in a precise way to clearly show the poor cloud modelling makes the climate models useless.

        The fact that a BoM scientist was key to its publication offers some hope that the serious limitation of climate models will get greater scrutiny.

        It would be good to see Patrick Frank or the publishers come out with a press release stating that climate models are incapable of forecasting future climate conditions because they cannot model clouds with sufficient accuracy.

        20

        • #
          Kalm Keith

          Rick, the whole point of the Climate Change-Global Warming “science” is that the heating capacity of CO2 is real and is dangerous to life on the Planet.

          No Model has ever been produced which shows that link but sadly for the true believers the reverse has been shown, and that’s extremely inconvenient.

          The presence of other factors like clouds are used to cover up the fact that the CO2 heating Mechanism does not exist.

          Like everything in the global warming toolbox it’s just hocus pocus and sleight of hand.

          KK

          20

    • #
      theRealUniverse

      ‘which is more than 100 times the proposed forcing due to CO2. ‘ which doesnt exist anyway therefore the number would be infinite.
      Cloud modelling is extremely difficult due to random processes.

      10

  • #
    PeterS

    Goes to show people aren’t thinking straight. They want the cost of living to come down but they also want to tackle climate change. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. The solution is clear. Go nuclear and it will satisfy both ideals even though the latter is bogus. At least they won’t have a real excuse to complain any longer.

    80

    • #
      el gordo

      No nuclear, the build is too expensive, go coal for cheap and reliable energy.

      I’m assuming Cory is getting out of politics and going into the nuclear industry?

      43

      • #
        PeterS

        I agree coal only is sufficient but I’m talking about appeasing the lunatics who believe we must reduce our emissions – and that includes the LNP. Otherwise, Morrison should come out and refute the emissions reduction agenda and go full coal. I’m sick and tired of the hypocrisy entrenched on both major parties. It’s dragging us down to the abyss.

        30

        • #
          Serp

          I’d be looking for a significantly cheaper course towards “appeasing the lunatics” than embarking on conventional nuclear installations which are the epitome of poor value for money.

          But seriously, how can appeasement ever produce a positive outcome? It will only encourage the nutters to embark on even stupider projects than emission control. Ridicule is the go; force them to avert their eyes from the manifest stupidity of their beliefs.

          10

  • #
    John

    Notice that almost THREE times as many Labor (left-wing) voters are as concerned about climate change as voters for the Coalition (right wing).

    I think this supports the view that left-wing voters think and vote with their heart and right-wing voters think and vote with their head.

    80

  • #
    cedarhill

    Simple. Energy is life…cheap energy is prosperity.
    Let that guide your vote.

    70

    • #
      PeterS

      Therein lies the problem. Both major parties support a significant reduction in our emissions. Most voters are either confused or agree with them. The only way we can survive and prosper is for a leader to come out and do whatever it takes for us to rubbish the emissions reduction agenda, get out of the Paris Agreement and stay away from any others that might surface. Until all that happens we will continue to move ever closer to the edge of the cliff and risk an economic crash and burn scenario.

      40

      • #
        el gordo

        Even in retirement they are pathetic.

        ‘Former Liberal party leader John Hewson has called on Scott Morrison to grant government MPs a conscience vote on a parliamentary motion declaring a climate emergency.’

        20

        • #
          PeterS

          How about John Hewson perform a world tour of India, China, Japan, Indonesia, Cambodia, Kenya, Poland, Pakistan, Vietnam, etc. and get them to stop building just one more coal fired power station per nation? At the moment they are collectively building hundreds more. I wish he would do that and hopefully he would get arrested. Others should do the same but of course they are all hypocrites and/or speak with forked tongue.

          30

          • #
            OriginalSteve

            Hewson is part of the Establishment.

            Like Hawke, a Rhodes scholar.

            Rhodes was all for a one world govt…..

            20

          • #
            Serp

            No contest regarding your views on Hewson PeterS. Why restrict it simply to Hewson? We could assemble an entire caravan of these climate profiteering ex-politicians. Robert Hill chained at the neck to Greg Combet would be my leading pair.

            20

  • #
    John of Cloverdale, WA, Australia

    Unlike his other retired politician colleagues, I see ex-PM Tony Abbott is helping to fight the fires in northern NSW.
    https://www.facebook.com/ABCNorthCoast/photos/fpp.107794399241797/2586644288023450/?type=3&theater
    I wonder if Zali Steggall has put solar panels on her house yet, or put windmills on Manly Beach?
    What were the voters of Warringah thinking? Glamour over substance, maybe? What a shallow lot they are.

    110

    • #
      OriginalSteve

      She had what appeared to be a persistent, sneering air about her…reminded me of a hard bitten, strident, tabby cat hair-styled middle age, agressive public servant…..

      20

  • #
    pat

    banks are turning their backs on fossil fuels!

    Updated 9 Sept: CNBC: JP Morgan is close to winning a lead role in history’s biggest IPO: Saudi Aramco
    by Hugh Son
    The tentative plan is first to list on the domestic Saudi exchange this year, selling perhaps $25 billion worth of shares, then to sell stock in London or New York next year. The Saudis want to push ahead with a listing as early as November, according to the people
    Somewhere, Jamie Dimon is smiling.
    J.P. Morgan Chase is close to winning the lead advisory role for the initial public offering of Saudi Aramco, the world’s most profitable corporation, edging out rivals for the plum assignment, according to people with knowledge of the situation. A final decision is expected next week and could still change, the people said.

    Morgan Stanley, which had been jockeying with J.P. Morgan for top billing on the deal, was hurt by its work leading the Uber IPO, according to these people.
    Saudi officials, who are large owners of Uber through the country’s sovereign wealth fund, were displeased with Morgan Stanley after its bankers misjudged demand for the ride-sharing giant’s stock in May. The shares tumbled 18% in the first two days of trading and are still well below the IPO price of $45.
    The move caps years of efforts by global investment banks to woo the Saudi kingdom for lucrative deals…
    https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/08/jp-morgan-expected-to-win-lead-role-in-historys-biggest-ipo.html

    check the number of writers!

    9 Sept: Bloomberg: Goldman Leaders Court Saudis Over Aramco IPO After 1MDB Fallout
    By Nicolas Parasie, Dinesh Nair, Archana Narayanan, and Sridhar Natarajan; With assistance by Donal Griffin, Sridhar Natarajan, Myriam Balezou, and Sarah Algethami
    Bank is one of the strongest contenders to win Aramco IPO role
    Two Abu Dhabi funds sued Goldman over its ties to 1MDB scandal
    After missing out on at least $25 billion in deals in Abu Dhabi — the emirate that snubbed the U.S. bank for its involvement in the 1MDB scandal — Goldman Sachs is making a push into Saudi Arabia…
    Global banks, including JPMorgan & Co. and Credit Suisse Group AG, are investing in Saudi Arabia as it promises some of the world’s biggest deals…
    The bank is closing in on HSBC Holdings Plc and JPMorgan that have for years dominated dealmaking in the kingdom…
    https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-09-09/goldman-s-top-ranks-on-saudi-charm-offensive-after-1mdb-fallout

    11

  • #
    pat

    read:

    10 Sept: ClimateChangeNews: Poor countries will hold the rich to account on climate finance
    The major UN climate fund is running short of money, will rich countries live up to the promises they have given?
    By Loren Legarda
    (Loren Legarda is an alternate member for Asia Pacific of the Green Climate Fund board. A former senator, she is now a deputy speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives, where she represents Antique province)
    https://climatechangenews.com/2019/09/10/poor-countries-will-hold-rich-account-climate-finance/

    what was omitted about Loren Legarda:

    Wikipedia: Loren Legarda
    Loren Legarda was a 2001 UNEP Laureate as declared by the United Nations Environment Programme, and a 2008 Regional Champion for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaption for Asia and the Pacific as declared by the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction. She was declared by the United Nations as a UN Global Champion for Resilience in 2015. She chaired the Climate Vulnerable Forum, which encompasses 20 climate vulnerable countries…
    She was named by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change as a National Adaptation Plan (NAP) Champion in 2017…
    In 2018, Legarda became a Commissioner of the newly-formed international organization, ***Global Commission on Adaptation (GCA)…
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loren_Legarda

    ***Global Commission on Adaptation has a report out in time for the NY climate summit!

    10 Sept: Reuters: Investing in climate adaptation can spur trillions in benefits: report
    by Valerie Volcovici
    WASHINGTON – Investing $1.8 trillion between 2020 and 2030 in projects to help communities adapt to the worsening impacts of climate change could yield $7.1 trillion in economic benefits, according to a report released on Tuesday by a high-level international commission.
    The report was written by the ***Global Commission on Adaptation – a group of political and business leaders led by former U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and World Bank CEO Kristalina Georgieva, which was tasked with “raising the visibility of climate adaptation on the global agenda” ahead of the upcoming UN Climate Action Summit in New York on Sept. 23…
    https://www.reuters.com/article/us-un-climatechange/investing-in-climate-adaptation-can-spur-trillions-in-benefits-report-idUSKCN1VV0A0

    11

    • #
      pat

      is adaptation the new CAGW meme?

      10 Sept: Guardian: Australian natural disasters minister David Littleproud: ‘I don’t know if climate change is manmade’
      Minister tells Guardian he is unsure of causes of crisis, saying he wants farmers to have tools to ***adapt to change
      by Paul Karp
      The remarks by the minister for water resources, drought, natural disaster and emergency management are likely to anger political opponents, including the Greens who have targeted Littleproud and fellow members of the National party for refusing to acknowledge a link between human-induced climate change and bushfires.
      Littleproud’s position was supported by the Nationals deputy leader, Bridget McKenzie, the minister for resources and northern Australia, Matt Canavan, and the environment minister, Sussan Ley, all of who denied knowledge of or downplayed the link…

      On Monday, Littleproud told ABC’s Radio National that Australia has been ***“adapting to a changing climate since we first settled this country and we’ll have to continue to do that and do that with the best science we’ve got available”.
      When asked whether human-induced climate change is making bushfires more intense, Littleproud replied: “We’re ***adapting to it as the climate continues to change and we’ll continue to equip our service workers … Whether it’s manmade or not is irrelevant.”…

      Asked by Guardian Australia why he had avoided taking a position on the effect of manmade climate change, Littleproud replied: “I don’t know if climate change is manmade.
      “I’m about practical outcomes, whether that’s about having a cleaner environment or giving farmers and emergency services the right tools to ***adapt,” he said.
      “I am responsible for making sure we have the tools we need to ***adapt to a changing climate.”…
      https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/sep/10/david-littleproud-australian-minister-disaster-climate-change-man-made

      31

  • #
    pat

    says UTS!

    10 Sept: SMH: Extreme heat a far greater threat for most Australians than extreme cold weather, study finds
    by Peter Hannam
    Extreme heat is a far greater threat for most Australians than extreme cold weather, with the risks falling largely on the elderly.
    Research published on Tuesday in the Climatic Change journal (LINK) examined the deaths of 1.717 million Australians between 2006-2017. It found about 2 per cent were attributable to heat, while “close to zero” were caused by cold days, said Thomas Longden, a senior researcher at the University of Technology, Sydney, and author of the paper…

    Dr Longden’s research took aim at a 2015 study in The Lancet that examined 384 locations globally – including Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney – and found a warming world would generally be beneficial, claiming mortality from cold was greater than hot weather.
    That study used data from 1988-2009 and was based on a so-called minimum mortality temperature. In Melbourne’s case, some 90 per cent of its days were treated as cold, based on a 22.4 degree average daily temperature.
    “It such a bizarre result to find more cold deaths to heat in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney,” Dr Longden said.

    His study used median daily temperatures in six climate zones across the country, and found 2 per cent of mortality in Sydney was associated with heat and a near-zero linkage to cold weather. Melbourne showed similar results…

    “Australians are rightly concerned about more extreme heat waves, droughts and bushfires, and they want the Morrison government to show leadership on climate change and do more to prepare for the impacts that are already locked in,” said Zali Steggall, the independent MP for Warringah, who launched the report.
    https://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/extreme-heat-a-far-greater-threat-for-most-australians-than-extreme-cold-weather-study-finds-20190909-p52ph1.html

    11

    • #
      Another Ian

      Pat

      “says UTS!”

      Appropriate, as around here that acronym stands for

      “Up to Sh**”

      10

    • #
      Robert Swan

      His study used median daily temperatures in six climate zones across the country, and found 2 per cent of mortality in Sydney was associated with heat and a near-zero linkage to cold weather. Melbourne showed similar results…

      Ok, so what is the median daily temperature? In a climate zone? Sheesh. And I thought the mean was bad.

      Dr Longden might find it useful, when trying to correlate deaths to temperature extremes, to include the extreme temperatures in his analysis! But hearing about zones and medians tells me that he employs modern statistical techniques which magically work out all the information you’ve left out.

      20

  • #
    pat

    10 Sept: Daily Mail: Cricketers may have to wear shorts and play later in the day to keep cool as climate change raises temperatures on the pitch, report warns
    By Danyal Hussain
    The ‘Hit for Six’ report, which has been briefed to the World Cricket Committee, also recommends developing helmets, gloves and pads that keep players cool, as well as more hydration breaks…
    Professor Mike Tipton, from the University of Portsmouth and one of the report’s authors, said: ‘Above 35C the body runs out of options to cool itself and for batsman and wicketkeepers even sweating has limited impact as the heavy protective cladding creates a highly humid micro-climate next to their bodies…
    Professor Tipton said the the UK would not see the same level of threat from heat compared to places such as India and Australia…
    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-7444433/Cricketers-wear-shorts-play-later-day-cool-climate-change.html

    ABC loves it:

    10 Sept: ABC: Hit for Six report demands new protections for cricketers at all levels playing in extreme heat
    By senior national sport reporter David Mark
    The disruptions at Australian clubs come as a new report, Hit for Six, is released today at Lords in England about the impact of climate change and extreme heat on cricket (LINK TO 38 PAGE REPORT…
    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-10/report-warns-of-dangers-of-extreme-heat-in-cricket/11493914

    11

  • #
    pat

    deceptive headline, note the dates, but never mind. and note: an attorney upped the money he gives to Earthjustice!

    9 Sept: Axios: Exclusive: Fundraising by environmental groups spikes under Trump
    by Amy Harder, Harry Stevens
    Driving the news: Between 2015 and 2017, donations to 10 of America’s most influential environmental groups increased between 20% and 149%.
    •That’s the last full year before Trump’s election and the first full year since his victory. (2017 is the most recent year with widely available forms.)
    •This chart, adjusted for inflation, shows 10 of the total 18 we analyzed. All but two saw growth…CHART WITH THE TERRIFYING FIGURES, INCL $955M FOR NATURE CONSERVANCY

    By the numbers:
    •Oceana’s 149% increase was by far the biggest. Its CEO, Andy Sharpless, says its fundraising jumped partly because of its campaign to stop the Trump administration’s plans to expand offshore oil drilling, and also because of big donations by Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Wyss Foundation to expand ocean conservation efforts around the world…

    Yes, but: It’s hard to confirm a direct line of causation between the increased donations and Trump’s election. Several factors could be going into this, including an improving economy.
    •Nonetheless, the data shows a notable increase after Trump’s election when comparing it to earlier years going back to 2013…

    The intrigue: In addition to big donations from deep-pocketed institutional donors like Bloomberg Philanthropies, individuals are also changing how they give, according to interviews and conversations we’ve had. Here’s one.
    •Bob Finnegan, a 65-year-old attorney in Connecticut, has decided to donate one bigger pile of money to one environmental group — Earthjustice — instead of smaller donations to several groups.
    •“I decided I really like what Earthjustice was doing the most because they are really going after these people,” Finnegan said in a recent phone interview.
    •Finnegan says he typically gives $1,000-$1,500 a year, and although that number hasn’t increased recently, his single donation to Earthjustice has. He also says he plans to up his donations in the coming years…
    https://www.axios.com/exclusive-fundraising-by-environmental-groups-spikes-under-trump-8cab9cde-e3cd-472b-aa7b-6583b506f539.html

    21

  • #
    Hank Phillips

    What is it tax collectors offer as a choice? Your money or your life?

    40

  • #
    TdeF

    The best survey would be to ask if people thought the climate where they live had changed in their lifetimes?

    Then if the sea level had changed in their lifetime.

    Or the temperature.

    Or the rainfall.

    And if they did notice any change at all, whether they thought it was of any consequence or beyond normal variation.

    I believe most would say no. So what is it all about? It’s not only not a crisis, there isn’t any climate change, anywhere.

    80

    • #
      Yonniestone

      The real crisis is the subversive political overturning of our constitutional process and the use of the MSM as a fifth column that’s allowed this sham to occur.

      100

      • #
        PeterS

        The only reason why the MSM and education system is being allowed to perpetuate the scam is because most voters can’t be bothered to do their own research and so we end up trusting and believing what they broadcast and teach. Then we end up with politicians who fall for all the associated crap, such as reducing our emissions and staying with the Paris Agreement. We get the government we deserve.

        50

    • #
      David Wojick

      The answers would depend on how you asked the questions and what e weather was when you asked. It would be easy to generate yeses as some polls have done.

      30

      • #
        TdeF

        Of course, agreed. That is Yes Minister stuff, the business of manipulating the polls to get the answer you want. Apart from the very small numbers, the very accurate degree of confidence set by assuming a normal distribution and not the choice of respondent, you get leading questions.

        40

    • #
      theRealUniverse

      ‘The best survey would be to ask if people thought the climate where they live had changed in their lifetimes?’
      I think it depends on when your born. If you were young kid in a drought you would relate to frequency of droughts like in your youth, or floods / storms which ever is the case. Then go on to think it wasnt like that in my youth worst than I can remember..

      20

  • #
    Kalm Keith

    Any debate about the “cost of living” is just misdirection because the real issue is “lack of income”.

    For decades now successive governments have focused on getting elected and then getting re_elected with no concern about building our nation.
    We have been massively de industrialised and have seen manufacturing and even call centers and other office work sent offshore.
    Apart from mining, the “smart country” has its major focus on providing “social security” for the growing ranks of jobless.

    And please don’t mention the growing employment in government funded education/ universities and public service.

    On the international stage our productivity is measured by other countries in the value they place on the Australian Dollar.

    It has gone from a brief peak of U.S.$1.05 to 0.684 in the last decade.

    Well done Aussie pollies.

    KK

    60

    • #
      Another Ian

      KK

      “It has gone from a brief peak of U.S.$1.05 to 0.684 in the last decade. ”

      Just remember in the “Wisdom of Whitlam” era about 1975 it got to $US1.49 to $A1.00

      20

      • #
        Kalm Keith

        Do you mean that it dropped by a third?

        If that’s the case it might be a good indicator of what the world thought of us. I remember Khemlani and that era too well.

        KK

        10

        • #
          Another Ian

          I was in US at the time. In my collection is a copy of currency exchange rates from the time that has it at $US 1.45.

          Comment at the time was that it was cutting my expenses at the moment but I’d likely be paying for it for the rest of my life.

          20

  • #

    If Australian politics in any way resemble those in the UK, on climate issues not contradicting the rabid consensus is a greater priority than representing the voters. The opinion of the collective “anointed” comes before prior to serving the best interests of the nation and the majority.

    90

  • #
    Another Ian

    Around this area

    “Delingpole: Climate Hysteria Is Destroying Germany’s Car Industry”

    https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2019/09/10/delingpole-climate-hysteria-is-destroying-germanys-car-industry/

    50

    • #
      PeterS

      Climate hysteria is destroying the West period. It appears we have to suffer a lot more before people wake up to that fact.

      90

      • #
        el gordo

        Climate hysteria is destroying the Christian West and will continue until the people become aware of millenarian madness. Do you think my theory has credibility?

        62

        • #
          PeterS

          The Christian West was destroyed a long time ago. However, the West does permit it and many other faiths to be preached.

          40

          • #
            el gordo

            Its a Christian subcultural meme and the other faiths came onboard because they are also virtue signallers.

            10

            • #
              PeterS

              Don’t exclude the atheists. They are just as strong if not stronger believers in the CAGW nonsense.

              20

              • #
                el gordo

                Name a heretic who believes in AGW?

                20

              • #
                PeterS

                Lots of heretics on all sides so I don’t understand your question.

                20

              • #
                el gordo

                I’m getting pedantic, ignore my question.

                On another matter, Scotty is snubbing the climate junket.

                ‘Scott Morrison will not attend the UN climate action summit this month, despite being in the US at the same time. The foreign affairs minister, Marise Payne, will represent Australia instead.’ Guardian

                20

  • #
    Tom

    That Newspoll table shows just how deluded the Libs are about what matters to the Australian electorate. ScoMo thought he had a killer issue to bash Labor with in border security — which it WAS last May — but the downstream issues from the subversion of the Australian economy by political radicals are now top-of-mind in voterland.

    If ScoMo wants to be a prime minister for the ages he has to figure out a way to take on the use of cynical propaganda techniques by the climate scammers to frighten the electorate. Until that happens, the Australian economy will remain in a recession masked by the massive ramp-up in federal and state government spending and debt.

    60

  • #
    Robber

    New Headline: 80% of Australian voters want the Government to focus on priorities other than climate change.
    Despite all the protest marches and some local councils declaring it is now a “climate emergency”, only 20% of Australians think that climate change should be the top priority of government. Sanity still exists!
    And 56% of Australians want governments focused on cost of living/economic management.
    So let’s get the government focused on energy costs.
    There is a head in the sand approach to the costs of intermittent wind and solar (it’s “free”, it’s now the lowest cost option.)
    How hard is it to understand that if you invest $450 million in 75 wind towers near Ararat with a nameplate capacity of 240 MW and an average generation of 72 MW, you must also invest in 72 MW of dispatchable generation capacity for when the wind doesn’t blow? So double the investment, with the only saving being the incremental fuel cost for the reliable generator.
    Or consider the Numurkah Solar Farm in Vic. Nameplate capacity 100 MW with investment of $200 million. Average generation 25 MW, but must be 100% backed up by a reliable generator to meet peak evening demand when the sun doesn’t shine.
    These investments only continue to be made because of government policies that are driving up energy costs. Sheer madness.

    90

    • #
      Kalm Keith

      It’s beyond madness Robber when it’s presented as a virtuous endeavour while in truth being the complete opposite.

      How is it that our governments can get away with what is plainly a failure or outright refusal to govern in the best interests of the people.

      Something Evil has taken over Australia.

      KK

      50

  • #
    Maptram

    Polls, particularly the online polls, also depend on screening of participants so they get a representative sample.

    20

  • #
    pat

    behind paywall:

    New QLD bushfire taskforce to investigate fires
    Courier Mail Brisbane – 10 Sept 2019
    A CRACK police taskforce will be drafted to target firebugs exacerbating the…Katarina Carroll announced a similar unit — Taskforce Overcross… The Courier-Mail ***revealed last week that Taskforce Vulcan, a successful joint venture between authorities to prevent and investigate suspicious … had been created to help prevent “deliberately or recklessly” lit fires…

    ***Bushfire taskforce scrapped as blazes rage
    Courier Mail – 5 days ago
    “Taskforce Vulcan, a multi agency task force targets deliberately lit fires,” Queensland Police said in a statement in November 2018

    Gold Coast fires: Teenage girls arrested for allegedly starting fire
    Gold Coast Bulletin – 10 Sept 2019
    TWO teenage girls have been arrested after allegedly deliberately starting a fire at bushland in the Gold Coasts north this morning. … Gold Coast fires: Teenage girls arrested for allegedly starting bushland fire at Ormeau…

    10 Sept: MyPoliceQld: Taskforce Overcross established to prevent, disrupt and investigate Queensland fires
    The Queensland Police Service (QPS) has established a task force to prevent, disrupt and investigate suspicious fires across Queensland.
    Taskforce Overcross incorporates investigative, intelligence and other specialist resources as required.
    Commissioner Katarina Carroll said as part of the task force, the QPS State Crime Command would coordinate all investigations into suspicious fires around the state.
    “Taskforce Overcross will be proactive in working to prevent deliberately or recklessly lit fires.
    “Some of the fires could be down to carelessness or a misunderstanding of conditions. However, it appears other fires have been deliberately lit with the intention of causing damage or worse.
    “Arson is a very serious offence that can lead to life imprisonment and police will be relentless in investigating any suspicious fires…
    https://mypolice.qld.gov.au/ipswich/2019/09/10/taskforce-overcross-established-to-prevent-disrupt-and-investigate-queensland-fires/

    30

    • #
      pat

      not convinced Prof Read needed to psychoanalyse to such an extent:

      10 Sept: LakesMail: Arson suspected in Qld statewide emergency
      by Warren Barnsley, AAP
      The majority of bushfires raging across Queensland amid a statewide emergency have been deliberately lit, an expert believes.
      Police have set up a special task force probing several blazes as the state reels from days of property damage and displacement which is set to continue into the weekend…

      On Monday, three young boys were arrested for lighting a fire in a stormwater drain on the Gold Coast, while a 63-year-old man was charged with lighting an unauthorised fire after allegedly back-burning just outside Rockhampton on Sunday.
      A 12-year-old boy was being questioned on Tuesday over a deliberately-lit fire which destroyed bushland and a section of a Logan City Council storage facility at Woodridge on Monday night.
      Police are also appealing for information about three suspicious fires west of the Sunshine Coast on Saturday.
      The behaviour has occurred despite ‘very high’ fire ratings amid windy and dry weather conditions…

      “We have a number of people across the state who are not exercising prudent care with fire,” Chief Superintendent Ben Marcus said.
      “People are still throwing cigarette butts out the window, people are still operating grinders, people are still producing ignition sources.”…

      Paul Read, a director of the National Centre for Research in Bushfire and Arson, believes around 50 per cent of all Australian bushfires are confirmed or suspected arson, with only 15 per cent occurring naturally.
      He speculated up to 95 per cent of current bushfires in Queensland were caused by human activity such as arson, reckless use of machinery or land clearing.
      “Usually, there’s a portion that are lightning strikes. There have been no lightning strikes,” Prof Read, from Monash University, told AAP.

      Professor Read believes adult arsonists were “embittered” and depressed, often from loss of employment or the break-up of a relationship.
      Children would deliberately lights fires because they have developmental disorders or were playing only for the fire to get out of control, with lack of education a factor, he said.
      Other children were “truly malicious” and were “heading towards developing full blown psychopathy”.
      “That group needs to be handled by the justice system,” Prof Read said.
      https://www.lakesmail.com.au/story/6377487/arson-suspected-in-qld-statewide-emergency/?cs=7

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      • #
        pat

        10 Sept: SMH: Top cop blames children, arsonists for starting Queensland bushfires
        By Toby Crockford and Jocelyn Garcia; with AAP
        A special police taskforce has been set up to investigate eight suspicious bushfires, with the state’s top cop blaming children playing with fire, arsonists and reckless behaviour for several blazes…
        Queensland Police Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said across the state, 17 houses have been destroyed, four severely damaged, 27 moderately damaged and 36 suffered minor damage…

        Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll announced on Tuesday that Taskforce Overcross would investigate at least eight suspicious bushfires which had started during the past week.
        It came after police announced last week that Taskforce Vulcan – a police, fire service and parks and wildlife operation established in 2012 to target arsonists – had not been operating for two years and had been scrapped and merged into the everyday responsibilities of detectives.

        The blazes under the microscope of the new taskforce included those burning at Geebung in Brisbane’s north, Stanthorpe near the New South Wales border and others in central and south-east Queensland.
        “Some of the behaviour has been unfortunately reckless and other behaviour has been purposeful,” Commissioner Carroll said.
        “Some of the fires have involved children playing and obviously the consequences are dire as a result of that and, as I said, some of them have been purposeful and malicious…

        Two 14-year-old girls have been arrested in relation to an allegedly deliberately lit fire in bushland at Ormeau on the Gold Coast on Tuesday morning, which was quickly extinguished.
        A 12-year-old boy will be dealt with under the Youth Justice Act after he allegedly lit a fire that destroyed bushland and part of a Logan City Council storage facility at Woodridge on Monday.

        On Monday, police identified five children as the alleged culprits as part of an investigation into several alleged deliberately lit fires in the Gold Coast suburb of Pimpama.
        Investigators spoke to three boys – aged 9, 10 and 11 – about the fires and two older boys will be dealt with under the Youth Justice Act.

        In addition, a man will face court in relation to a fire at Mount Archer, in the Somerset Region north-west of Brisbane, after a tip-off from a member of the public.
        A 63-year-old Lakes Creek man was issued with a notice to appear at the Rockhampton Magistrates Court on October 8 for the offence of lighting an unauthorised fire…
        https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/top-cop-blames-children-arsonists-for-starting-queensland-bushfires-20190910-p52pv0.html

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        • #
          pat

          this big one is being investigated too:

          10 Sept: RedlandCityBulletin: Police to investigate how the Sarabah bushfire started
          by Larraine Sathicq
          AS residents from Binna Burra and Beechmont begin to take stock of the damage caused by the Sarabah bushfire, the Queensland Police Service has announced the creation of a special taskforce to investigate fires burning across the state.
          Scenic Rim mayor Greg Christensen said today that the final damage tally had yet to be determined.
          “What we have confirmed is that 11 houses have been lost, five commercial structures including those at Binna Burra and three houses have been severely damaged,” he said.
          “There are also a lot of other structures like chicken coops and shed affected.”

          At a press briefing in Canungra this morning, Assistant Police Commissioner Ben Marcus said the Sarabah fire was first reported by trail bike riders but it was unknown precisely how the fire started.
          “What we do know is that there are a number of people across the state who are not exercising prudent care with fires,” he said.
          “People are still throwing cigarette butts out the window, people are still operating grinders and still producing ignition sources.
          “Now is the time for everyone to exercise extreme care with any source of ignition.
          “We will be investigating fires across the state and this one won’t be any different.”…

          QPD said Taskforce Overcross would incorporate investigative, intelligence and other specialist resources as required.
          Commissioner Katarina Carroll said as part of the task force, the QPS State Crime Command would coordinate all investigations into suspicious fires around the state…
          If you have information for police, contact Policelink on 131 444 or provide information using the online form 24hrs per day…
          https://www.redlandcitybulletin.com.au/story/6377599/police-task-force-to-investigate-cause-of-sarabah-bushfire/

          10

      • #
        Kalm Keith

        When are they going to arrest those responsible for this fire threat?

        Those in government who are preventing proper management of the land should be arrested for reckless endangerment of life, animals and property.

        KK

        40

    • #
      David-of-Cooyal-in-Oz

      I find it interesting that a number of fires are deliberately lit on the same day, by groups of children. Are these the same one who’ve been encouraged to go on strike from school and do something to “save the planet”?

      30

  • #
    graham dunton

    This will likely interest all
    Sep 11 at 8:01am
    Unlocked
    Is Google Manipulating You In An Attempt to Subvert Democracy? with Special Guest Zach Vorhies
    History will regard Zach Vorhies as an American hero. Once just a computer software developer, Zach threw away financial and personal security to expose the evil corruption that permeates the internet through the truly ubiquitous empire of Google. Zach joins me to detail his findings and spread the word.

    https://www.patreon.com/posts/is-google-you-in-29868969?utm_medium=post_notification_email&utm_source=post_link&utm_campaign=patron_engagement&token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJyZWRpc19rZXkiOiJpbnN0YW50LWFjY2Vzczo4YTMxYWRiMC02NzkyLTRlZWItOTczMS1iNmY0NjE3ZjYxZjYifQ.U40jR5tVsvuI_c0F9XifWzU_hS6dyAIn1rUzkd9cSlA

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    • #
      theRealUniverse

      Yes, I saw that, very enlightening. Several alt media commentators have also said this, but hes a genuine whistle blower.

      20

  • #
    Dennis

    There are many issues but electricity and water supply should be top of the list of nation building projects.

    Without adequate and affordable electricity and water national prosperity will continue to decline.

    40

    • #
      TdeF

      And ancient societies focused on water storage and water transportation. Rome, Egyptians, Nabateans, ancient Iraqis, Chinese

      In Australia rely for so much of our agriculture on the very few rivers in this huge arid land.

      Where are the capture systems, the canals, the dams, the pipelines, the harvesting networks?

      We have vast amounts of water where we don’t need it and very little where we do. But we are not allowed build these things and if we dare imprison water, we have to have ‘environmental flows’ because we don’t have dams. Consider the Murray is always full because it has 26 locks and water is managed. The last lock was built in 1939.

      In this brave new world of Green ecology, we are forced to flush fresh water away because people believe it is wrong to have locks and imprison water and fish and crabs have rights. Compared to other countries, we are imbeciles with water, at least since Greens stopped everything, their only skill.

      So we are dependent on the coal power stations built by our fathers, the dams and canals built by our fathers and wonder why in a soaring population which is now 26million and not the 9.5Million when these things were built, why we run out of everything? Thoughtless, selfish, posturing, virtue signalling professional politicians who have never done a day’s work in their lives. And not just the Greens.

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  • #
    pat

    11 Sept: Australian: Exclusive: Albanese’s pain as voters wish activists would GetUp and go
    By Geoff Chambers & Greg Brown
    The Labor Party is fracturing internally under pressure from left-wing activists and the centre-right Coalition as the Australian public drifts away from ideological anti-mining protests and GetUp’s progressive social agenda.
    Anthony Albanese was forced to shut down internal division in his partyroom on Tuesday after opposition MPs spoke against Scott Morrison’s farm vandals legislation, telling colleagues “vegan terrorists” do not reflect Labor’s support base.

    The latest clash over Labor’s future agenda follows months of splits inside the party over its policies on mining, taxes, social reforms, climate change, border protection and approach to China, with Mr Albanese declaring the ALP needed to embrace change to avoid another defeat at the next election…
    Victorian Left faction MPs Kim Carr and Ged Kearney called on the party to open up a fight on the farm invaders legislation, which they claimed could have unintended consequences, including preventing media and union officials from attending farms…

    As Labor struggles to present a coherent policy platform and stay focused on its attacks on the government over the economy, new polling obtained by The Australian reveals voters are turning on GetUp and anti-mining activists.
    Liberal Party polling conducted shortly after the May 18 election indicated a growing number of voters were hardening their opposition to GetUp’s claim of “independence”.

    The polling, based on a sample size of 2000 voters across the nation, revealed 50 per cent of Australians regarded GetUp — which also ran campaigns against coalmining and Adani — as working either mostly or entirely in the interests of Labor and the Greens.
    The Liberal Party data showed that, even among Labor and Greens voters, only 22 and 30 per cent of supporters respectively believed the left-wing activist group was “fully independent”.
    Post-election research released by the Minerals Council of Australia today also highlights a surge in support for the sector, which continues to drive the economy, with favourability for mining growing six points since March and net support up to 55 per cent across the nation…

    Opposition NDIS spokesman Bill Shorten said Labor did not have a choice but to support the (farm vandals) bill: “There are a lot of farmers out there who feel anxious that somehow their livelihoods are being targeted by militant protesters.”…

    Liberal Party federal director Andrew Hirst said more Australian voters were hardening their views on GetUp, whose claims of independence were attacked by Scott Morrison last month.
    “It’s good to see a growing number of Australians see GetUp for what it really is — the campaign arm of the Labor Party and the Greens. GetUp claims to be independent but it only ever campaigns against Coalition MPs and governments,” Mr Hirst told The Australian.

    Minerals Council chief executive Tania Constable said the majority of Australians were “backing mining and regional communities instead of a noisy minority of activists”…
    “While activists block city streets and bully and intimidate resources companies and their suppliers with extreme tactics, the quiet Australians are getting on with their lives while recognising the value and importance of Australian mining,” Ms Constable told The Australian.
    https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/albaneses-pain-as-voters-wish-activists-would-getup-and-go/news-story/e469e3a517a702540be906c55e759bd1

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    • #
      Maptram

      A few days ago there was news of the vegan from WA who took her neighbours to court to try and stop them from having BBQs in their backyards because the smell of the food cooking upset her. She lost twice. The follow up news was that someone had put post in social media proposing to have a street BBQ outside the woman’s house, and 1000s indicated interest. The woman’s lawyer recently posted a statement on the Facebook event claiming anyone who attended could face criminal charges.
      “Any person who seeks to attend Ms Carden’s property on Saturday October 19, 2019 or at any other time in relation to this event or matter will be referred to the WA police on the ground of trespass,” he wrote.

      So while the leftists are willing to use trespass laws when it suits them they will break the laws when it suits them, like invading farms and labor is again caught between a rock and a hard place, like Shorten was with Adani before the election. The CFMEU wanted labor candidates to sign a pledge supporting Adani while the Greens and the like were opposed, so Shorten couldn’t support or oppose. Now they can’t support any proposed invasion laws because it might stop union access to farms but they can’t oppose the same laws because they think they still need the Greens support

      50

  • #
    John

    Hopefully people start to see through the lie that renewable power is cheaper.

    You’d think people would twig to it with every $800 power bill, but apparently not yet…

    40

    • #
      Chad

      You’d think people would twig to it with every $800 power bill, but apparently not yet…

      Hey !… have you been reading my mail ??
      My power bill for this qtr is $800 + .. litterally double the previous qtr (heating )
      ….and i have solar too !! ( F’ing useless in the winter )

      10

  • #
    Hanrahan

    I’m surprised border security is so low. Must be a case of “you din’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone” to me. Let labor back in and it will rocket up the list.

    30

  • #
    pat

    10 Sept: SocialistWorkerUK: We need mass action over severe climate threat
    Earth is careering towards climate change so severe that there will be an “irrefutable toll on human life”.
    That’s the finding of a new report by the Global Commission on Adaptation (GCA)…
    It said a “revolution” in understanding, planning and finance was urgently needed before the COP26 climate talks in December 2020…
    The report comes ahead of the 20 September strike for the climate (see pages 10&11) and Extinction Rebellion’s International Rebellion from 7 October.
    These mobilisations are set to see tens of thousands take to the streets to demand urgent action…
    A bigger movement involving a mass of people can win the change we need.
    https://socialistworker.co.uk/art/48920/We+need+mass+action+over+severe+climate+threat

    10 Sept: Deutsche Welle: Heathrow Airport warns climate activists against flying drones
    by ls/rt (Reuters, dpa)
    Climate protesters have said they plan to deploy toy drones to ground flights and draw attention to aviation emissions. But authorities say they are working on plans to keep planes in the sky.
    London’s Heathrow Airport on Tuesday said it is working with law enforcement to ensure drones are not deployed by climate protesters to disrupt air traffic.
    “We have in place the dynamic risks assessment programs which are carried out by airfield and security experts and at no time will safety be compromised,” according to a statement issued by airport authorities. “Alongside drone detection capabilities, we will mitigate the impact of this illegal action and operate in a way that is safe at all times.”…

    Heathrow Pause, a splinter group of Extinction Rebellion, said last month that “the looming catastrophe of airport expansion gives us no choice and compels us to act.”…
    “This is a symbolic action, using a legal loophole and participants’ self-sacrifice to draw attention to the most serious and urgent crisis humanity has ever faced,” said the group…

    The British government has also strengthened law enforcement capabilities to deal with drone threats at airports.
    https://www.dw.com/en/heathrow-airport-warns-climate-activists-against-flying-drones/a-50370788

    11 Sept: Spiked: The plane snobbery of environmentalists
    A plan to disrupt flights at Heathrow Airport is part of an effort to make us ashamed of air travel
    by Tim Black
    This Friday a group called Heathrow Pause plans to fly toy drones ‘at a maximum height of six feet, outside flight paths’ close to Heathrow Airport, forcing air traffic control to ground all flights. The point, so Heathrow Pause puts it, is not just to put a stop to government plans to expand Heathrow Airport, but also ‘to draw attention to the most serious and urgent crisis humanity has ever faced’.
    But, as ever with greens, there seems to be another, deeper campaign being waged. A war against us, against our behaviour…

    Heathrow Pause does not go as far as the Guardian’s George Monbiot did in 1999, when he claimed transatlantic flights should be deemed as ‘unacceptable’ as child abuse…
    If they could, they would no doubt insist on a graphic image of environmental devastation on every plane ticket, alongside the reminder that ‘Flying Kills’.

    But failing that, they will content themselves with merely making air travel just that little bit more exclusive again. For that is always the real effect of the green-branded war on consumption habits, from cheap meat to cheap flight: green taxes and price rises. They want air travel to become what it used to be. Something only a small, privileged minority can enjoy – guiltily but necessarily, as they fly to the latest Extinction Rebellion protest.
    https://www.spiked-online.com/2019/09/11/the-plane-snobbery-of-environmentalists/

    10

    • #
      Another Ian

      “A plan to disrupt flights at Heathrow Airport is part of an effort to make us ashamed of air travel”

      What a grand way to raise the reading of the “pissedoff meter”

      20

  • #
    TdeF

    Tony Abbott’s successor, a true shallow thinker

    “I still can’t afford electric car

    Zali Steggall says she hasn’t fulfilled her promise of changing to an electric car, saying she would “appreciate” it if the government made EVs cheaper.”

    So the ‘government‘ should pay for her car and presumably her expensive electricity and build charging stations because she is busy.

    This muddled thinking is what caused the disaster in the first place. I’m important now and need an electric car, because it doesn’t use coal and electricity comes from windmills. Sure it does. Perhaps public servant Zali could listen to Margaret Thatcher just once.

    100

  • #
    pat

    10 Sept: Swissinfo: Activists dye River Limmat green in Zurich
    PIC: Around 30 demonstrators floated down the bright green river in central Zurich between the Münster and Rathaus bridges on Tuesday
    Environmental activists poured green dye into the river flowing through Switzerland’s biggest city on Tuesday in protest at “the impending collapse of our ecosystem”.
    The police are reportedly investigating the incident in the centre of Zurich. NZZ reported that, based on initial findings, the city police said there was no danger to the public.

    The environmental group Extinction Rebellion Zurichexternal link said on its Facebook page that it had been behind the action to draw attention to “impending collapse of the ecosystem and the toxic system in which we find ourselves”…
    The group said the dye was “harmless uranine, which has the toxicity of table salt”. Uranine is a yellow, green fluorescent water-soluble dye, which is used to test leaks in walls, pipes and tanks.
    The group said it will stage similar actions across the country over the next ten days.

    Zurich police said they have submitted a report to the city prosecutor’s office after investigating potential violations of the water protection act. The authorities are considering whether to lay preliminary charges against ***persons unknown…
    https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/environment_activists-dye-river-limmat-green-in-zurich/45218254

    ***persons unknown who could have been arrested & then known as they floated down the river!

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  • #
    Rupert Ashford

    Problem is the sheeple don’t connect the 2 topics of cost of living/economy and climate change yet – that the two are exact opposites. The cost of living issue is not enough of a pain yet as the social security net is masking the effects. A great example of this is the US economy under Pres Trump vs under Pres Obama – majority of what Trump did was to “free” the economy from some of the constraints of the climastrology policies of Paris and Obama, but the barrage of negative news from the MSM about anything associated with Trump is effectively hiding that. And the coalition will have to come up with a VERY savvy campaign if they want to take this up as they will also be overwhelmed by the media if they take this stance.

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    • #
      John

      You even hear people saying that cost of living is expensive precisely because we still have coal. Once we have enough solar cells and batteries the power will be free, and we’ll have so much more money to spend! Right?

      50

  • #
    OldOzzie

    In the meantime the reality of Green Climate Religion strikes in Germany

    Delingpole: Climate Hysteria Is Destroying Germany’s Car Industry

    Green hysteria is on the verge of destroying Germany’s car industry, the CEO of Volkswagen has warned. Since motor manufacturing is Germany’s biggest industry sector, this effectively means: Auf Wiedersehen to the German economy.

    VW chief Herbert Diess has told Spiegel Online (translated by the Global Warming Policy Forum) that the combination of climate protests against cars in general and stricter CO2 emission limits imposed by the EU are pushing Europe’s car industry to the “brink of collapse.”

    He said:

    “The current campaign against individual mobility and thus against conventional cars is reaching existence-threatening proportions.”

    Diess also called out the nonsense of trying to force everyone to shift from petrol-driven cars to electric ones: the electricity that supplies them will still come largely from fossil fuels, so where will be the environmental benefit?

    “Instead of using petrol or diesel, we’ll basically use coal, even if we’re electrically powered, and in the worst case we’ll use even lignite,” he said. “That drives the idea of electric mobility ad absurdum!”

    The VW boss’s concerns are shared across the European car industry.

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    • #
      Hanrahan

      And if the EU breaks up, and it might, things will go from bad to worse – They will revert to The Deutsche Mark which will trade higher against US$ than the Euro. They will lose the benefit of an undervalued currency.

      Mind you I think there is fat profit on their over priced cars that they could trim.

      30

      • #
        theRealUniverse

        Writing is on the wall for the EU bureaucracy, Italy id pissed off, Deutschland is pissed off, even France to extent, when the UK exits however it happens, then BANG!

        20

    • #
      theRealUniverse

      He is so right. Good wards from a chief car executive.

      10

  • #
    TdeF

    So front page of the Australian, the inability to supply ‘environmental’ flows in the Murray Darling basin. There are a lot of problems here but the question is why we are speding $6Billion a year on German windmills and Chinese solar panels for other people so they can sell their special electricity to us at inflated prices and save them from Carbon Dioxide while we do not have the infrastructure to grow our food. One year of that money would bring a vast amount of fresh water every day from the NT and forever. There is no vision in Australian politics. Governments are about taxation, hidden taxation preferably and spending on themselves and to make fringe Green voters happy.

    Of course then there’s Snowy II, as useless as it is expensive. Our $60Bn of new submarines which are slower than the old ones and run on diesel when we import all our diesel and only have week in reserve. Meanwhile the world’s nuclear submarines can run for a decade without refuelling and can run at 80km/hr.

    Paul Keating may have been right about public policy. It’s the sign that we are a Green Banana Republic.

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    • #
      Hanrahan

      There is no point building an expensive pipe/channel to a river that only floods for a week every few years. The only sources of “Syd Harbs” of water that I am aware of are the Ord and the proposed Hells Gate dam on the Burdekin. There may be others of course.
      Lake Argyle is 88M ASL while Hells Gate is 641 M ASL* which could gravity feed into the Warrego.
      * According to google earth.

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      • #
        el gordo

        Freshwater from the Ord to Bourke would cost about $4 billion and pumping stations will be required.

        40

        • #
          TdeF

          We paid $6Billion to have our French nuclear submarines redesigned to run WWII diesel. Snowy II will be $12Billion. The RET is $6Billion a year, $3Billion of it heading overseas forever. We get nothing for that. Then paying off 5 desalination plants from the French over 25 years will cost $100Bn. In Victoria we spent $800million on a pipe line which was used only once, after the drought was over and to make the flood in the Goulburn river much worse.

          Money is flowing like water and we have done nothing in the last 40 years about water. It’s all about useless windmills and Conroy’s $60Bn NBN. By the time that’s finished, it will be obsoleted by 5G, if not already.

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        • #
          TdeF

          As for pumping stations, we could use windmills. Pumping water is not a time critical thing. It’s what was used in the outback for a century and in Holland.

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          • #
            Kalm Keith

            Hit the wrong tick.

            30

          • #
            Peter Fitzroy

            Would it not be cheaper to relocate farms to where the water is plentiful? After all any pipe, will need ongoing maintenance, whereas moving a crop (like cotton) is a one off.

            16

            • #
              Dave

              WOW

              Would it not be cheaper to relocate farms to where the water is plentiful? After all any pipe, will need ongoing maintenance, whereas moving a crop (like cotton) is a one off.

              Are you for real Peter?

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              • #
                Peter Fitzroy

                Yep – it would be cheaper to move an industry like cotton to an area where water is not scarce. What is wrong with this proposal?

                17

              • #
                AndyG55

                Ignorance of other climate needs, hey PF.

                Not surprise you don’t know or comprehend.

                Maybe think why they chose to grow cotton where they do in Australia.

                Or in your case, probably just not bother thinking at all. !!

                82

              • #
                TdeF

                Kerry Packer started a huge cotton farm on the Ord river, advised by the world’s best men. Logically it was perfect.
                Too bad about the local bugs which ate all the cotton plants and destroyed a multi billion $$ investment.

                All you need to grow plants is almost trivial. CO2 and H2O and sunshine. A few metals. Nitrogen in abundance in the air but a minor part of the weight.
                A desert is fine, if you can get your hands on water lots of water. Most plants and people are water. What is also good about a desert is that there are no bugs.

                What is really nuts is the hatred for CO2 from carbon lifeforms who are made entirely from CO2 with only trace elements. Which is why there is nothing left over after cremation, except oxides of metals like Calcium. Trees, plants, all life on earth is made from hydrated carbon dioxide, known as carbohydrates.

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            • #
              Peter C

              Ok for cotton and tropical fruit.

              Wheat grows better in a temperate climate.

              40

            • #

              Platonists teaching birds how to fly. 🙁

              30

            • #
              • #
                Peter Fitzroy

                Stupid not to relocate cotton

                15

              • #
                AndyG55

                maybe if , but, LATER, when we have done some more study. etc etc

                Let me guess, yet again you have failed to read or comprehend the links you post.

                If it was worth doing, they would have done it.

                They are not FOOLS like you are.

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            • #
              Tel

              Any farmer can choose to plant cotton or not plant cotton, based on their own independent judgement about water supply.

              Most of the places were cotton is grown in Australia are already in places where water is USUALLY not scarce but you will get good years and bad years like any farming. Since the rainfall in Australia is haphazard, being able to store water and move water around is quite useful, it will land in a different place and different amounts every year. Farming is always somewhat speculative, but having more options available makes it less speculative.

              There are a number of problems though, one is that the people further South would prefer that the people further North give the water over to them, and have demanded that government step in to break up dams and/or prevent any new dams. This has nothing to do with the scarcity of water, but only with how existing water resources are managed. We almost got over this argument with the idea of water permits and trading but government kept interfering and with any distribution scheme there will be winners and losers … who inevitably demand government once more steps in and redistribute.

              The other main problem is continuous demand for more and more fresh water to be dumped into the ocean (the so called “environmental flows” that don’t do anything for the environment as best anyone can determine). These exist only as a political entity and no attempt at rational relocation of anything will solve this one.

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              • #
                Peter Fitzroy

                In the selfish libertarian world you inhabit, that might make sense. I would be in favour of it, however, if it was conducted in a true market. But what you are promoting is that upstream users trump anyone else.

                Yours is a truely depressing post

                07

              • #
                AndyG55

                Only selfish people are the far-left, expecting everybody to give them everything for free.

                I doubt you would even know what a true market was.

                All your posts are truly juvenile and idiotic.

                51

              • #
                Graeme No.3

                Now, now, Andy, I think that one of his posts wasn’t both truly juvenile and idiotic.

                40

              • #
                AndyG55

                I must have missed it.

                41

          • #
            Chad

            As for pumping stations, we could use windmills.

            FFS ! .. dont give them any more ideas, you just know some idiot will try it !.

            50

            • #
              TdeF

              It’s a great use for windmills. Electricity is not.

              50

            • #
              Another Ian

              Chad

              Calm down!

              The windmill fleet for that job will have to pump an awful lot of water if irrigation is the object.

              IIRC the pumps for the Ord 1 station put out something like 160,000 gallons/minute.

              A 25 foot Southern Cross “R Pattern” mill with a 14 inch cylinder lifting 23 feet hadaverage gallons per day of 104,500.

              For MDB irigation quantities the windmill fleet would make the one needed for totally wind electricity look attainable.

              10

              • #
                Another Ian

                A couple of IIRC’s

                There was a kit to take “R Pattern” mills out to 30 feet wind wheels.

                And they don’t make those mills any more

                10

              • #
                Another Ian

                Update

                The flow out of Lake Argyle is 1440 megs/day for the hydro, most apparently goes out to sea.

                So it would seem that Ord 2 will get some of that water.

                Definitive figure on the pump output for Stage 1 coming

                00

        • #
          robert rosicka

          Lake Argyle could be made bigger than what it already is easy enough and that extra water could be pumped over to the Murray Darling system , it’s not a matter of inventing the wheel it’s a matter of politics.
          As for cost it would be less than the troubled NBN .

          60

          • #
            TdeF

            My point exactly. We should be debating what we need, what is good for everyone, not leaving it to politicians who cannot add or multiply or the Greens who have no idea what science is about. Most politicians are lawyers, which is why they should not make science decisions but have given us non nuclear submarines, a 20th century internet, a useless national grid which no one needs or wants and thousands of windmills which don’t work.

            There was a time polticians asked engineers and scientists for advice. Now Professor Tim Flannery advises on nuclear power, when his degree was in English in Latrobe in 1977. You see a degree in English makes you a scientist and one of our “leading thinkers”. Being competent in mathematics, physics, chemistry, meteorology is counter productive. Ignorance is strength.

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      • #
        Another Ian

        H

        Two of our boys work around Kununurra and they finally got me up there for a look.

        Three impressions

        You only realise how big Lake Argyle is when you fly over it

        Ord 2 is big and there is more than enough water for that as is

        And if more water is needed the current dam wall can be raised to about the level of the lookouts over the wall

        50

        • #
          AndyG55

          If you look at the food growing records from the Ord irrigation schemes, you will generally find they are struggling to produce as expected.

          41

          • #
            Another Ian

            The Hoochery seems to do all right

            20

            • #
              AndyG55

              very small scale sugar cane, put to a good use. 🙂

              Most of the sugar cane experiment died around 2008.

              Sandalwood seems to be the go to product in the Ord at the moment.

              10

              • #
                Another Ian

                Andy

                They can’t get local cane anymore, and have some difficulty getting high sugar molasses, which they get from a Qld mill now

                (You can tell I’ve been a “turon”)

                10

  • #
    pat

    9 Sept: City-Journal (Manhattan Institute): Environmental Playacting
    Today’s youth will fight climate change, we’re told—but they’re no more willing to give up luxuries than anyone else.
    by Heather Mac Donald
    (Heather Mac Donald is the Thomas W. Smith Fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a contributing editor of City Journal)
    Youth will save the planet, according to the elite narrative about global warming. It was young voters who were “asking the tough questions” and holding “Democrats’ feet to the fire” at last week’s Democratic climate-change pontificon, reported the New York Times…
    The claim about youth’s transformative commitment to radical environmental change is—based on informal observation—bunk. The cardinal rule when it comes to environmental virtue-signaling is that people give up what they’re willing to give up. Young people are no different. If being environmentally sound required sacrificing anything that a self-described environmental warrior actually valued, the conversation would quickly change to a different topic. One’s own habits are necessary; it’s everyone else’s that need to change…READ ON
    https://www.city-journal.org/todays-youth-climate-change

    9 Sept: FrontPageMag: Save California, Ban Environmentalists
    Hold the straws, legalize the rats.
    by Daniel Greenfield
    While California is drowning in filth and disease, its Democrat elites are focused on the environment.
    They caused a drought for the environment. They let fires happen for the environment. Now they’re going to cause a rat infestation and typhus epidemic for the environment. It’s the environmentalist way.
    And, if you’re an environmentalist, people dying of preventable diseases is good for the environment…
    https://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/274841/save-california-ban-environmentalists-daniel-greenfield

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  • #
    pat

    VIDEO: 10 Sept: Daily Mail: Bizarre scenes as Labour MPs break into socialist anthem The Red Flag in the Commons chamber as they lead opposition MPs in boycott of prorogation ceremony
    • They held an impromptu socialist singalong in the Commons this morning
    •The song is the Labour anthem and hails the fight for workers’ rights
    •SNP sang ‘Scots Wha Hae’, considered by them an alternative national anthem
    By David Wilcock
    In scenes captured on video by shadow minister Danielle Rowley they sang the protest song The Red Flag which is the party anthem and is usually performed at the end of each of its annual conferences.
    Its lyrics hail the fight for workers’ rights, saying it was used to shroud the bodies of ‘our martyred dead’. In the footage the MPs could be heard singing the chorus lines: ‘Though cowards flinch and traitors sneer, We’ll keep the red flag flying here.’
    The Midlothian MP said: ‘I know you’re not meant to film in the chamber, but everyone on the opposition benches is singing and this moment was beautiful.’…
    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7447063/Bizarre-scenes-Labour-MPs-break-socialist-anthem-Red-Flag-Commons.html

    10 Sept: RiverineHerald: AAP: LNP senator fights back against activists
    A new Queensland Liberal senator has vowed to fight back against activists living hundreds of kilometres from mining projects holding towns to ransom.
    Paul Scarr, who topped the LNP Senate ticket at the May federal election, took aim at those railing against development against the wishes of local communities…
    “Their futures – the future of their towns, their communities, and their children – should not be held to ransom.”
    He said mining approvals like Adani’s Queensland Carmichael project and Roy Hill in WA shouldn’t take a decade.
    “We are better than that. We must be better than that.”…
    https://www.riverineherald.com.au/national/2019/09/10/800713/lnp-senator-fights-back-against-activists

    10 Sept: Townhall: Democrats Once Again Embrace Population Control to Save the Planet
    by Stephen Moore, senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation
    https://townhall.com/columnists/stephenmoore/2019/09/10/democrats-once-again-embrace-population-control-to-save-the-planet-n2552815

    30

    • #
      beowulf

      Breaking news. The prorogation of the UK parliament has just been declared illegal by a Scottish Court of Appeal. An English court is in disagreement with the Scottish court on the issue, therefore it will go to the Supreme Court for a determination. It’s on again for young and old folks. The geniuses on Team Johnson will be wishing they had stopped the anti-Brexit Bill in the Lords the other day when they could have done so easily. Still waiting for that master-plan Boris.

      20

  • #
    yarpos

    I wonder how many people would have said “climate change” at all if it wasn’t one of the pre selected multiple choice responses? Just a few % of virtue signallers and change.

    50

  • #
    pat

    10 Sept: EchoNet,Byron Bay: Film screening in Byron Bay to ignite climate strike on September 20
    by Paul Bibby
    The Global Climate Strike event in Byron on September 20 will kick-off with the screening of a powerful, locally produced film about a devastating fire in Tenterfield – one of the town’s most affected by the recent fires across the Eastern seaboard.
    Quoll HQ – the Inferno will be shown at 8.30am at the Beach Hotel on the day of the strike.
    The film, produced by the owner of GoPro Byron bay, Danny Harris, tells the story of a devastating bushfire that struck a spotted Quoll sanctuary in Tenterfield in February this year.
    ‘Fires are a really important part of the Australian bush,’ the owner of the sanctuary (Quoll Headquarters) Steve Haslam told Mr Harris in an interview about the film.
    ‘What we got [on February 12] was something totally different… It caused a fire storm, it caused an inferno and it’s caused permanent ecological damage to this property.’…

    ‘The main event of the day is the march at 10am,’ Mr Owens said.
    ‘The idea is that people will watch the film and then head down and join the march.
    ‘As the former head of the chamber I’d like to think that the businesses will get behind this’…
    The Global Climate Strike is an event inspired by Greta Thornberg…
    Hundreds of Byron school students are expected to hit the streets, ***despite the fact that the march is happening on the first day of the HSC maths exam.
    Local school student and climate activist, Mia Thum, will speak briefly at the film screening.
    https://www.echo.net.au/2019/09/film-screening-byron-bay-ignite-climate-strike-september-20/

    11 Sept: EchoNet: The future of climate change is here
    by Aslan Shand
    ‘We are the driest inhabited continent on Earth, with around 77 per cent of the country classified as arid or semi-arid,’ Dr Joelle Gergis told Byron Shire councillors, staff, and members of the public last Friday in Mullumbimby.
    Dr Gergis, who is one of the Australian scientists contributing to the sixth IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ) report due out in 2021, describes herself as fairly centre-of-the-road when it comes to her approach to climate change but even she is saying, ‘We need to be talking about putting the brakes on as quickly as possible. Global emissions need to peak as soon as possible.’
    Acting on the emergency climate declaration passed last year, Byron councillors and staff had their first workshop on Friday to look at how to develop a climate emergency response strategy, Cr Cate Coorey told The Echo…

    Dr Gergis, who lives in Byron Shire, pointed out that almost all of the water that fell during ex-cyclone Debbie fell in 24 hours, making this an unusual weather event for the north coast. ‘This made me think that this is a glimpse of the future. Think about ex-cyclone Debbie and think of that as the new average,’ she said…

    ‘Under current predictions there will be a 23–40cm ocean rise by 2050. Sea-level rise (SLR) will make things worse, so planned retreat of vulnerable areas, flood risks, and the impact of droughts need to be planned for.
    ‘A combination of higher rainfall intensity and sea levels will amplify the distressing impacts of storm surges, resulting in coastal inundation and beach erosion on a scale that hasn’t been witnessed by modern Australian society,’ she said…
    https://www.echo.net.au/2019/09/future-climate-change/

    21

    • #
      Graeme No.3

      “Dr Gergis, who is one of the Australian scientists contributing to the sixth IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ) report due out in 2021, describes herself as fairly centre-of-the-road when it comes to her approach to climate change”

      I have my doubts about her ability to navigate.

      40

      • #
        AndyG55

        She’s just driving in the middle lane on the wrong side of a six lane highway.

        And still hasn’t figured it out yet.

        41

  • #
    pat

    10 Sept: RenewEconomy: Australians fear extinction and drought, food, water problems from climate change
    by Sophie Vorrath
    The Australia Institute’s Climate of the Nation 2019 report, published on Tuesday, found that more than three quarters of Australians (77%) agree that climate change is occurring, the equal highest number ever recorded (tied with 2016), since the annual survey began in 2007…
    The TAI report also showed that more Australians also agree that one of the best ways to mitigate the severity of climate change is to phase out coal-fired power, with 70 per cent supporting a plan for orderly coal plant closure and replacement with clean energy.
    This is true even in Queensland, where 73 per cent of respondents agreed that coal fired power stations should be phased out either as soon as possible (24%) or gradually (49%)…

    And it shows that Australians overwhelmingly are coming down on the side of science on the subject of climate change, and not the mainstream media which continues to present the topic as if it were undecided, and up for debate.
    This is the same mainstream media this week celebrating the legal victory of climate sceptic physics professor Peter Ridd, who was last week awarded $1.2 million in damages for what a Federal Court judge ruled was his unlawful dismissal by James Cook University.

    Ridd – as a triumphant 2GB Radio report frames it – was sacked in 2017 by JCU for questioning global warming’s impact on the Great Barrier Reef. From the point of view of the University, however, it was for repeatedly questioning colleagues’ research on the impact of global warming on the Great Barrier Reef, which he criticised as untrustworthy and “misleading”.
    Ridd sought compensation via the court, arguing that the controversy surrounding his sacking had put an end to his academic career – even if, at the same time, it had elevated his status and currency in Conservative media circles…
    James Cook University has announced it will appeal the Federal Court decision.
    https://reneweconomy.com.au/australians-fear-extinction-and-drought-food-water-problems-from-climate-change-28037/

    behind paywall:

    10 Sept: UK Times: Coastal homes ‘must be sacrificed to the sea’, the Global Commission on Adaptation says
    by Ben Webster
    Thousands of coastal homes will have to be sacrificed to rising seas and entire communities in the UK may need to be relocated to higher ground because of climate change, an international commission has warned.
    Urgent action is needed to help millions of people around the world adapt to the impacts of climate change, a report from the Global Commission on Adaptation says…
    https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/7342b53a-d341-11e9-9149-9833d870d22d

    21

  • #
    pat

    10 Sept: BBC: COP26: Glasgow to host UN climate change summit in 2020
    PIC: (climate protest) Up to 30,000 delegates are expected to attend
    The UK has won the bid to host the 26th Conference of the Parties, known as COP26, following a partnership with Italy.
    Up to 30,000 delegates are expected to attend the event at Glasgow’s Scottish Events Campus (SEC) at the end of next year.
    It is designed to produce an international response to the climate emergency.

    The UK will host the main COP summit while Italy will host preparatory events and a significant youth event, as part of the agreement…
    Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the announcement was a “vote of confidence” from the UK’s international partners.
    He added: “The UK is leading the world in tackling climate change. We’re the first major economy to pass laws to end the UK’s contribution to global warming…
    The conference has been described as the most important gathering on climate change since the Paris agreement was signed in 2015…
    2020’s conference is seen as a major crossroads in the battle against global climate change. It will likely be held just after the next US presidential election…

    Analysis by BBC News Science Editor David Shukman (SHORT & SILLY)
    https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-49650909

    10

  • #
    pat

    aticle discussed earlier in the comments:

    AUDIO: 3min32sec: 11 Sept: ABC AM: Govt appears ‘unprepared’ for climate change, say top bureaucrats
    By Michael Slezak on AM
    AM has contacted Environment Minister Sussan Ley, but has not received a response.
    Featured:
    Ken Thompson, former deputy commissioner, New South Wales Fire Service
    Professor Andy Pitman, head, Centre for Excellence on Climate Extremes, Australian Research Council
    Ian Dunlop, climate action advocate and former coal executive
    https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/am/govt-appears-unprepared-for-climate-change-say-top-bureaucrats/11499126

    10

  • #
    pat

    11 Sept: SBS: AAP: Labor slams ‘climate change denier’ David Littleproud over bushfire comments
    Labor has accused Natural Disasters Minister David Littleproud of being a ‘climate change denier’ for saying he was not sure if human activity is behind it…
    Shadow Agriculture and Resources Minister Joel Fitzgibbon said Mr Littleproud’s position distorted the reality of the problem.
    “The climate is changing and human activity is making a contribution so it’s pretty hard to expect any meaningful action from a government when the person in charge of drought strategy is a climate change denier,” he said…
    LINK Climate change is bringing a new world of bushfires

    The debate coincides with The Greens announcing a push for a parliamentary motion declaring a climate emergency.
    Greens MP Adam Bandt said record drought and fearsome bushfires at the start of spring underscore exactly how pressing the issue really is.
    “Yesterday the Senate passed a motion … that accepted we are facing a climate emergency,” he said.
    “We are hopeful that if there is a conscious(sic) vote… that this motion can pass.”…

    The attempt has won the support of former Liberal Leader John Hewson, who urged the Coalition to allow its MPs to have a conscience vote over the matter.
    “Climate was an emergency some 30 years ago,” he said…
    PIC: Former member for Wentworth John Hewson speaks to the media at the Bondi Markets in Sydney.

    The Greens’ motion is supported by most of the lower house crossbench.
    Independent MP Zali Steggall has backed calls for a conscience vote on both sides of parliament…
    But Social Services Minister Anne Ruston has accused The Greens of using the “personal tragedy” of the bushfires to push a climate agenda.
    “They’ve done it forever and they’ll probably keep on doing it,” she said…

    Almost three million Australians are living in areas where their local councils have declared climate emergencies and pledged greater action to combat climate change, including a target of 100 per cent renewable energy and zero net emissions.
    Countries including Britain, France and Canada have also made the call.
    Queensland Fire and Emergency Services is standing by its grim forecasting, maintaining the present “fire weather has never been as severe this early in Spring.”
    https://www.sbs.com.au/news/labor-slams-climate-change-denier-david-littleproud-over-bushfire-comments

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    • #
      Deplorable Lord Kek

      “Climate was an emergency some 30 years ago,”

      30 years ago we had 10 years left to act

      15 years ago we had 10 years left to act

      NOW we have 10 years left to act…

      The story never changes.

      60

      • #
        Hanrahan

        It’s the same timeline with ethanol: It will be competitive if oil rises 10%. Trouble is, cane farmers burn a lot of diesel so if oil goes up, so does their costs.

        40

      • #
        PeterS

        If we only have 10 years left even if every coal fired power station in the world was shut down today it would not help even if the CAGW story were true, which of course it’s not – it’s pure crap. Yet we also know more coal fired power stations are being built in many other countries. Most intelligent people know all that to be true. Yet we have leaders running around here proclaiming we must keep reducing our emissions. M00r0ns and bordering on being traitors to our prosperity.

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  • #
    neil

    Of the 20% who consider climate change to be an issue only half of them consider it a big enough concern to vote Greens, and of those how many are worried enough to be activists? 2 or 3%? Maybe 50,000 people and only 15,000 of them are members of the Greens. Extinction Rebellion could only muster 100 for their protest on Friday.

    Yet this vocal minority are who the major parties are pandering to. If some one were to organise a counter ‘Cost of Living’ rally to coincide with the next Extinction Rebellion/Climate Change rally I’m sure they would get far greater numbers.

    50

  • #
    Oksanna

    Over one million Australian households under mortgage stress according to Martin North of Digital Finance Analytics. But just two question, why would I vote for the party that introduced bank Bail-in laws in February 2018 to allow the theft of ordinary Pinter’s savings to save a failing bank? Why would I vote for a party that is pushing ahead with the proposed cash ban laws, to trap Aussies in the bank system when interest rates go negative, we get charged on our deposits and are all trying to get our money out? So that rules out The Greens, Labor and Libs who backed and will back both the above. The only choice lies with the minors like One Nation, and independent candidates. Go on, argue with me on that one.

    60

    • #
      Deplorable Lord Kek

      they snuck the [proposed] cash ban in on the quiet.

      seems a very dubious law that would prevent people spending legal tender as they wish.

      20

  • #
    pat

    11 Sept: Michael Smith News: Viv Forbes with uncommon common sense on Queensland bushfires
    Bushfire Sense and Nonsense
    https://www.michaelsmithnews.com/2019/09/viv-forbes-with-uncommon-common-sense-on-queensland-bushfires.html

    11 Sept: BrisbaneTimes: Firefighters given two-day reprieve as Sunshine Coast residents return home
    By Toby Crockford and Jocelyn Garcia
    Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll said 21 bushfires were under investigation by Taskforce Overcross, set up this week to target arsonists.
    Ten of those fires were deliberately lit and the offenders in eight cases have been identified, with most of the perpetrators being youths.
    “Some of those [juveniles] have been cautioned, others are being dealt with through youth conferencing, others were given notices to appear in court and one arrest was made as well,” Ms Carroll said…
    https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/evacuated-sunshine-coast-residents-return-home-as-bushfires-contained-20190911-p52q5j.html

    10

  • #
    el gordo

    Shades of Yes Minister

    ‘Professor Andy Pitman, head of the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes, said wargaming future scenarios was exactly what the public service should be doing.

    “Climate change is really, in the context of the government, simply a risk. And risks should always be thoroughly examined,” Professor Pitman said.

    “The consequences of climate change are here now and are not something to be thought of as just in the future. But obviously with the emissions trajectories as they are it’s inevitable that risks will continue.”

    ABC

    10

    • #
      Bill in Oz

      So many risks
      So many studies needed
      So many studyers
      Multipying like Lilliputians
      Tying down all good policies !
      Bugger !
      Governmnet pollies !
      Just STAND UP !

      30

  • #
    pat

    AUDIO: 8min53sec: 11 Sept: 2GB: Ray Hadley: ‘Coal is here to stay’: State government’s major energy announcement
    Legislation is being prepared to prolong the life of the state’s coal-fired power stations and support new mines.
    This would address coal supply issues at the Mt Piper plant near Lithgow, which produces about 15 per cent of the state’s electricity.
    Energy Minister Matt Kean tells Ray Hadley his priority is securing supply.
    “Coal is absolutely here to stay, for decades to come, in New South Wales.

    “All my policy decisions will be driven by two objectives; keeping the lights on and driving power prices down.
    “That’s exactly what we’re going to do.”

    But the Minister insisted the government won’t building new power supply sources itself, whether that’s coal, renewables or otherwise.
    “With regard to building new generation in NSW, we’re not going to pick a winner.
    “There are plenty of opportunities for the market to decide these things.”
    https://www.2gb.com/coal-is-here-to-stay-state-governments-major-energy-announcement/

    30

  • #
    pat

    11 Sept: 7News: Queensland bushfires: Two teens charged over devastating Peregian blaze
    by Emily Olle
    More than 5000 people from 2500 homes in the Peregian area were evacuated due to the fire, as firefighters worked tirelessly to protect properties…
    A 14-year-old Peregian Springs boy and a 15-year-old Coolum Beach girl have been charged with endangering particular property by fire.
    Investigations are continuing…

    The Youth Justice Act allows a child to be let off with a caution if they have no criminal history, with community service and restorative justice orders also available to authorities.
    A 12-year-old boy was dealt with under the Act on Tuesday over a deliberately-lit fire which destroyed bushland and a section of a storage facility at Woodridge on Monday night…
    Three young boys were also arrested for lighting a fire in a stormwater drain at Pimpama on the Gold Coast…
    Two girls were also questioned following an alleged deliberately-lit fire in bushland at Ormeau on the Gold Coast.
    https://7news.com.au/news/disaster-and-emergency/queensland-bushfires-two-teens-charged-over-devastating-peregian-blaze-c-447981

    30

    • #
      Hanrahan

      If 14 – 15 yr olds are too immature to know that fires are destructive, how are they considered mature enough to know, in just a couple of years, that driving cars down the road can also be destructive? Two years is not long.

      10

  • #
    pat

    11 Sept: Air conditioning for all? Hotter world faces risk of ‘cooling poverty’
    by Laurie Goering
    OXFORD, England (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – As climate change brings more frequent and extreme heatwaves around the world, demand for air conditioners is soaring, with 10 new units sold every second on average – but the poor may be left to swelter, said a University of Oxford researcher.
    By 2050, energy use for cooling is projected to triple, while in hot countries like India, China, Brazil and Indonesia, it is expected to grow five-fold, the World Bank has said.

    “By the end of the century, global energy demand for cooling will be more than it is for heating,” said Radhika Khosla, who leads an Oxford Martin School program on future cooling.
    But not everyone will be able to afford to beat the heat.
    “Traditionally, energy poverty has been defined as people not having heating. Now that is potentially going to shift, and we could have cooling poverty,” Khosla warned on the sidelines of a conference on efforts to slash planet-warming emissions…

    Making less power-hungry, affordable air conditioners will be crucial, Khosla believes.
    Most machines for sale now – ***the majority built in China – are half as energy-efficient as they could be, she said…READ ON
    https://www.reuters.com/article/us-climate-change-cooling/air-conditioning-for-all-hotter-world-faces-risk-of-cooling-poverty-idUSKCN1VV2HI

    11 Sept: Reuters: China out in force at Frankfurt car show, led by battery builders
    by Christoph Steitz, Joseph White
    FRANKFURT: Chinese suppliers and manufacturers have stepped up their presence at the Frankfurt auto show, capitalizing on a strong position in electric technologies forced on European carmakers by regulators seeking to curb pollution.
    Though the number of exhibitors has fallen to 800 in 2019 from 994 in 2017, ***Chinese automakers and suppliers now make up the biggest foreign contingent, with 79 companies, up from 73.

    Several European and Japanese carmakers including Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Nissan and Toyota have skipped the show as the industry cuts costs…
    Europe’s automakers face multibillion-euro investments to develop electric and autonomous cars, forcing them to rely on Chinese companies for key technologies such as lithium ion battery cell production, an area where Asian suppliers dominate…
    German firms are striking major deals with Chinese suppliers to help them meet stringent EU anti-pollution rules…

    China’s Great Wall Motor may consider building car manufacturing facilities in the European Union once its sales there hit 50,000 units a year, its chairman told Reuters at the show…
    Electric cars made up only 1.5% of global sales last year, or 1.26 million of the 86 million passenger vehicles sold, JATO Dynamics said…READ ALL
    https://www.reuters.com/article/us-autoshow-frankfurt-china-electric/china-out-in-force-at-frankfurt-car-show-led-by-battery-builders-idUSKCN1VW0Q2

    on Sky tonite, a politician (Labor, I think) was responding to some of the mocking of Zali Steggall wanting the Govt to provide more incentives (via the taxpayer) for EVs and he added that the market will decide. he went on to say how EVs were becoming more affordable, with China planning to churn out millions of them annually, suggesting Australians would be among those buying them.

    with every passing day, it seems Trump was right when he tweeted:

    Tweet: Donald J. Trump
    The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive.
    6 Nov 2012
    https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/265895292191248385?lang=en

    except he didn’t go far enough, because it makes all Western manufacturing non-competitive.

    add the way China has infiltrated our universities – the very places which produce so much of the CAGW propaganda, and which seem to detest Western civilisation – and you have a good case for proving Trump’s point.

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    pat

    when will Greenpeace protest at China’s ports?

    11 Sept: Reuters: Polish coast guard boards Greenpeace ship in coal protest
    by Zuzanna Szymanska in Gdansk; Additional reporting by Krzysztof Kopec
    GDANSK – Armed Polish border guards boarded a Greenpeace ship blocking a delivery of coal in the port of Gdansk late on Monday and detained two activists, officials said on Tuesday.
    The environmental group said it staged the protest to highlight Poland’s continued dependence on air-polluting coal and to pressure it to phase out coal as a source of energy by 2030…
    Greenpeace’s Rainbow Warrior arrived in Gdansk at 1600 GMT on Monday and the ship anchored around midnight, trying to prevent a shipment of coal from Mozambique from being unloaded, according to Gdansk coastal border guard spokesman Tadeusz Gruchalla…

    A move away from coal, with mining still a major employer in southern Poland, is a divisive issue in central Europe’s largest economy, where imports almost doubled in 2018 compared to 2017 and whose government envisions only a gradual reduction in the share of coal in power production…
    The overnight intervention by a special unit was part of standard procedure after the activists refused to subject Rainbow Warrior to control, spokesman Tadeusz Gruchalla said.
    Out of the 22 activists that took part in the action, two have been detained by border guard officials and were awaiting the prosecutor’s decision, Gruchalla said.
    https://www.reuters.com/article/us-climate-change-poland-greenpeace/polish-coast-guard-boards-greenpeace-ship-in-coal-protest-idUSKCN1VV1VQ

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    pat

    Carbon Brief’s Jocelyn Timperley with an endless piece of virtue-signalling at BBC:

    10 Sept: BBC Future: Climate Emotions Climate change: Why ‘flight shame’ is making people swap planes for trains
    The flight shame movement is about feeling accountable for your carbon footprint – but it is also about rediscovering the joy of slow travel, writes Jocelyn Timperley.
    Last month I stepped into an aeroplane for the first time in five years…
    I was leaving my home in London and taking a flight across the Atlantic to join my partner in Costa Rica. The last time I flew was in 2014, while living in Bordeaux, France…

    The reason I have avoided flying for so long is its hefty carbon footprint. Since I was a teenager I’d had a growing niggling guilt about the emissions from flying, as I found out more and more about climate change and its impacts…
    And I’m not alone…
    This growing resistance to aviation has reinvigorated rail travel, with some rediscovering the attraction of night trains, and it is increasing pressure on politicians to address aviation’s climate impact…

    Academia is another flight-heavy industry where people are making changes. Several noted climate scientists are already very public about their efforts to fly less both for work and their personal lives, while 650 academics are supporting a campaign to greatly reduce flying (LINK)…
    http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20190909-why-flight-shame-is-making-people-swap-planes-for-trains

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    pat

    10 Sept: Financial Times Alphaville: Voters care about the planet, but not enough to pay
    Dr. Ashley Nunes is an academic at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, previously he led research projects sponsored by the Department of Defense and the Department of Transportation. In this article he argues that to deal with climate change, consumers must accept that there will be some form of financial cost.

    Climate change took centre stage in New York last week. Over seven hours (yes seven), Democratic presidential hopefuls touted their vision for how best to address rising temperatures ETC ETC
    But words must be backed up by deeds. Public outrage must be turned into legislative action. When it comes to tackling climate change, don’t expect either anytime soon. That’s because a climate-conscious public — though admittedly growing — is also its own worst enemy.
    Take aviation. While offering comfort and convenience, air travel exacts a heavy environmental toll…
    The solution? Carbon offsetting…
    Carbon offsetting sounds good in practice except for one problem: few people use it.

    According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the program’s ‘uptake’ rate — the proportion of passengers who freely offset their carbon footprint — hovers around just two per cent of online ticket sales. And shopping online is how the majority of passengers buy their tickets. To put it simply, voluntary carbon offsetting doesn’t work. In fact, so weak is the public’s willingness to act that organisations are turning to behavioural interventions — ‘nudging’ if you prefer — to increase enthusiasm for carbon offsetting programs. That doesn’t really work either. It’s probably just as well. According to the European Commission, the vast majority of such programs fail to curb emissions in any meaningful way…

    Nor does carbon taxation. While embraced by economists (some argue it sends a “powerful price signal that harnesses the invisible hand of the marketplace to steer economic actors towards a low-carbon future”), pricing pollution faces the same challenge as carbon offsetting: the public isn’t enthused by it. The most dramatic example was seen last fall when French President Emmanuel Macron proposed hiking gas taxes to curb emissions but later retreated after nationwide protests by the gilets jaunes…

    Take Canada. Though its carbon tax has been championed by the liberal government, it remains — by the government’s own account — inadequate to meet the country’s climate ambitions. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau could support a tax increase but Canadians worry about rising energy prices and Trudeau knows who butters his bread…

    So do Democratic presidential hopefuls who sparred on climate policy last week. While roundly demonising the fossil fuel industry, none called out the American public for embracing a ‘do as I say, not as I do’ mentality. None acknowledged that energy has been far too cheap for far too long. And none admitted that if we really want to tackle climate change, we must be willing to pay for it.
    https://ftalphaville.ft.com/2019/09/09/1568046648000/Voters-care-about-the-planet–but-not-enough-to-pay/

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    pat

    Reuters totally downplays “plastic” to push the CAGW propaganda – see report details in second link:

    10 Sept: Reuters: No more burgers and coke? Climate fears hit meat, drink sales
    by Emma Thomasson
    BERLIN – Consumers worried about the environment are cutting their spending on meat and bottled drinks and trying to reduce plastic waste, and this trend is set to accelerate as climate concerns mount, a global survey showed on Tuesday.
    About a third of people surveyed in 24 countries in Europe, Latin America and Asia are alarmed about the environment, with half of those – or 16% of the global total – taking active steps to reduce their imprint.

    “We’re already seeing small reductions in spending on meat, bottled drinks and categories such as beauty wipes,” data analytics firm Kantar said in a report on the survey.
    “As markets get wealthier, the focus on issues of environmentalism and plastics increases. In the future, we could expect to see the share of ‘eco active’ shoppers rising in countries that experience growing gross domestic product.”

    The poll of more than 65,000 people showed that consumers in western Europe were most likely to seek to reduce their environmental impact, while a majority of the population in Asia and Latin America has little to no interest in the issue.
    Chile is the exception in Latin America and the country with the most environmentally engaged consumers in the world, with 37% of those surveyed actively taking trying to make a change.
    Austria and Germany have the next most concerned shoppers, with Britain not far behind, Kantar said, predicting that sales of fresh meat in Britain could drop by up to 4% in the next two years if environmentalism keeps spreading…

    The U.N.’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said last month that global meat consumption must fall to curb global warming and that plant-based foods could contribute to reducing emissions of carbon dioxide…
    https://www.reuters.com/article/us-environment-consumers/no-more-burgers-and-coke-climate-fears-hit-meat-drink-sales-idUSKCN1VV1GV

    report is almost entirely about plastic, tho meat is quite well represented.
    download at right required registration, but I managed to download it without complying. 27 page PDF:

    10 Sept: Kantar New publication out: Consumer response to plastic waste
    Whether it’s the influence of the media, or public demonstrations against climate change, the impact of plastic on the environment has captured the attention of consumers worldwide…
    Kantar, in collaboration with Europanel and GfK, has surveyed more than 65,000 people in 24 countries— exploring how they feel about the use of plastics by FMCG companies…
    https://www.kantarworldpanel.com/global/News/Who-Cares,-Who-Does-Consumer-response-to-plastic-waste

    as far as I know, the Kantar above is the Kantar below; so many ownership/name changes, but am confident it’s the same company.
    lol:

    1 Aug 2017: TheLocalGermany: More Germans fear climate change than terrorism, poll shows
    A new survey ahead of the national election in September shows Germans are more concerned about the future state of the environment than they are about more headline-grabbing topics like terrorism or the refugee crisis.
    The survey released on Tuesday conducted by research group Kantar Emnid Institute on behalf of publishing group Funke Mediengruppe found that 71 percent of respondents said they were most personally concerned about climate change. This worry ranked higher than the possibility of new wars, listed by 65 percent of survey participants, and also above terror attacks, listed by 63 percent…
    https://www.thelocal.de/20170801/more-germans-are-fear-climate-change-than-terrorism-poll

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    pat

    going offline as Sky Australia is doing a massive PR piece on the call for the Govt to declare a climate emergency. unbearable. saying the call comes as concern grows worldwide ahead of the NYC climate summit. switching it off now.

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    TdeF

    ‘Climate Science’ is consensus science where proof is never needed. Rapid sea level rise, rapid temperature rise, more and stronger storms, more and longer droughts ( a contradiction), more refugees, more wars all due to CO2 and now, quietly, CH4. All fossil fuels and now meat. This is only believed in democratic Western economies and Chile it seems above.

    All addressed by having gender flexibility, no nuclear, no fossil fuel, no farming, no manufacturing, no travel, electric cars, windmills, solar panels and Green jobs and a vegan lifestyle. It’s such a fantastic story invented over a mere 30 years without any evidence, it is amazing anyone believes it. Especially as it is obviously not true to the man in the street. For the Green believers and frequent flyers, it means easier business class travel on holidays and cheaper beach front real estate.

    It is pushed solely by hard left politicians everywhere and the media. If you are on the hard left of politics, man made Climate Change is self evident. On the right of politics, it is extreme nonsense. So it is fact free Political Science, not real science. You don’t have to prove anything.

    And now the Australian Labor party, along with all the leftist extreme parties in the world, wants all fossil fuels, travel and meat and plastics gone from the world in the next 30 years. Amazing. And they and the US Democrats wonder why they lost the last election?

    As the Galaxy song from Monty Python ends, “and pray that there is intelligent life up there in space because there’s bugger all down here on Earth”.

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