Climate risks and opportunities for Victoria - the Climate Commission comes to Melbourne

I attended the Climate Commission public forum in Melbourne last Tuesday night with my daughter. I felt that it was important that she came along to see the charts on the screen, to hear from the Climate Commissioners and climate scientists directly, and perhaps question them about her future. Because global warming will have an increasing impact on the climate of the future, and the life of the kids of today, and eventually their children and future generations.

Victorian Environment and Climate going backwards under Premier Ted Baillieu

Victorian Environment groups gathered to protest the Environment and climate actions of the Baillieu Victorian State Government on Sunday November 13, 2011 on the steps of State Parliament. To highlight the direction the Government is taking Victoria's environment, the protesters marched backwards to the Treasury Gardens.

Related: Flickr Photos from Friends of the Earth | Takver

Background: Coalition’s 2km wind farm veto sets a risky precedent | Retreating on climate policy - Victorian Government stops discussions on Hazelwood closure | Victorian Government needs to come clean on plan to achieve 20 percent emissions cut by 2020

Health and military professionals call for urgent action on climate change

A statement calling for urgent action on climate change has been issued by doctors, health professionals and military personnel participating in a London conference on the health and security implications of climate change convened by the British Medical Journal.

Professor Hugh Montgomery, Professor of Intensive Care Medicine at the University College London and Director of the UCL Institute for Human Health and Performance, talking to OneClimate at The Health and Security Perspectives of Climate Change conference that he helped to organise in London, 17th October 2011.

Related: A Stark Choice between climate justice and climate war where Canadian journalist Naomi Klein discusses militarism and climate change - Peoples Conference on Climate Change, Bolivia, April 2010.

Earth relay action on climate change entertains Sydney Road motorists

Motorists, pedestrians and tram passengers were entertained by environmentalists from Climate Action Moreland during Saturday mid morning shopping traffic snarl on Sydney Road, Brunswick. Wielding a huge blow up planet earth, the activists asked motorist to honk for climate action, cyclists to ring their bell, and pedestrians to sign a petition against the proposed HRL coal fired power station. See Images on Flickr

Abbott's 'Community Forum' in Bendigo neither open nor community focussed

On Wednesday October 5 Tony Abbott attended a 'community forum' at the Capital Theatre in Bendigo (See Report in Bendigo Advertiser - Bendigo forum a chance for some sticky questions). Attendance was by a selected audience of about 190 who attended by invite only. Unfortunately the 'community forum' was neither representative of the community nor very open. About 100 people, mainly younger families with children, were not allowed to enter and had to make do holding up a few placards outside the hall. (See Report in Bendigo Advertiser - Abbott gives Bendigo party the slip).

Tony Abbott, cheered by the largely elderly audience inside the hall, was driven around to enter and leave the event from a backdoor. His minders were too afraid for him to confront people who disagree with his policies on tackling climate change.

Thousands attend Moving Planet Climate change actions in Australia and globally

Did you miss the action over the weekend? Thousands of people around the world from Cairo to Canberra participated in events to move the planet beyond fossil fuels. There were over 2000 events in more than 175 countries with more than 40 Moving Planet events taking place across Australia from the Blue Mountains, Hobart, Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth, Darwin, Sydney and Melbourne joining the thousands of events taking place around the globe.



Melbourne photos by Takver | Moving Planet

The US 'normal climate' just got hotter

For the USA the 'normal climate' just got warmer. Every decade the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) updates a range of climate measures averaged over the previous 30 years. These measures are called the climate normals.

From July 2011 the latest climate normals will be for the 30 years from 1981 to 2010. Climate measures for the 1970s has been dropped and the first decade of the 21st century, the hottest on record has been added. This has resulted in both maximum temperatures and minimum temperatures being about 0.5F warmer on average in the new normals. "The climate of the 2000s is about 1.5 degree F warmer than the 1970s, so we would expect the updated 30-year normals to be warmer,” said Thomas R. Karl, L.H.D., National Climate Data Centre director.


Caption: Comparing average temperatures year round, every state experienced warmer temperatures in 1981–2010 compared to 1971–2000. Image by NOAA.

Climate change blamed in extreme shift from drought to flood in China

An extreme shift in weather in June across much of southern and eastern China has been put down to the effects of global warming and climate change. Usually light rains start in June in the middle and lower Yangtze valley leading in to the summer monsoonal rains and typhoon season, but this year torrential rains and storms struck on June 3 and have continued unleashing devastating floods, the worst in over 50 years.

Chen Zhenghong, senior engineer at the Meteorological Bureau of Central China's Hubei province, said the sharp shift between drought and flood in East and Central China was a result of global warming, according to a Xinhua News Agency report in China Daily on 17 June.

Ferguson and Gillard feeding HRL's coal gasification technology in Melbourne

Just as Australia is about to get a price on carbon, the Federal Government is funding a new coal fired power station for Victoria. On Monday a little bit of street theatre for the media was enacted in Treasury Place outside the Prime Minister's Melbourne offices.

Report from Indymedia: Look at Fergo and Gillard did!

Missouri River floods endanger nuclear power plants

Large parts of the US midwest are experiencing heavy rainfall and flooding, not unlike what Queenslanders saw in December and January this year when Brisbane was inundated. A major problem with urban infrastructure on flood plains is the risk of innundation during flood events, flood events likely to become more frequent with climate change. In Nebraska two nuclear power Stations are threatened by floodwaters.

The Climate Show 14

An engaging radio show from New Zealand discussing the latest on climate change. This episode discusses the latest Christchurch earthquakes, ash clouds from Volcanoes in Chile and Eritrea disrupting flights, extreme weather in the US and the impact of La Nina, massive flooding in the Mississippi, drought impacts on France's nuclear plants most of which are located next to drought affected rivers, warmest May on record for New Zealand, new UN report on black carbon and how a reduction could cut future warming, Australian climate scientists cearing up the climate debate, Summer predictions for Arctic sea ice, John Cook from Skeptical Science on John Christy's climate crocks and an interactive history of climate science and large reductions in the cost of solar panels in the USA to the point where solar may be cheaper than fossil fuels in the next few years much more.

Read more at the Climate Show website.

Judge rules in favour of Hunter Valley coal protesters

Charges were dismissed against 49 climate activists under a section 10 ruling by an East Maitland Court magistrate yesterday. The protesters had committed non-violent civil disobedience at a climate camp against a new coal fired power station being built in the Hunter Valley in December 2010. The section 10 ruling means they have no conviction recorded, no criminal record and their fines dropped.

World Bank dirty investments fueling climate change claims Friends of the Earth report

Amid the latest UN climate talks taking place in Bonn Germany Friends of the Earth International have released a report highly critical of the role of the World Bank in continuing to fund dirty energy investment in developing countries and continuing to push carbon markets and offset programs which essentially privatise developing country forests in the process of generating carbon offsets.

The World Bank was made interim trustee of the new Green Climate Fund in December 2010 in Cancun. The Fund was established to assist developing countries to adapt to the impacts of global warming.

Related: Interview with Sarah-Jayne Clifton, coordinator of the Climate Justice and Energy Program of Friends of the Earth International | Follow the Bonn climate talks: Adopt a Negotiator Project; Climate Action Network; Friends of the Earth.

Legal Challenge to Xstrata Ulan Coal mine expansion

An expansion of the Xstrata owned Ulan coal mine near Mudgee in the upper Hunter Valley of New South Wales is being challenged partly based upon it's long term impact of exacerbating global anthropogenic climate change.

Xstrata has applied for a doubling in coal production to 20MT/annum and a 21 year lease but is being challenged in the NSW Land and Environment Court by the Hunter Environment Lobby with assistance from the Environmental Defenders Office. The appeal was lodged in January 2011 citing that the former NSW Government approved the Part 3A development without conducting a Planning Assessment Commission to independently assess the effect of the mine expansion.

Update: 8 Dec 2011 - Xstrata Ulan coal mine expansion required to offset greenhouse gas emissions

Climate scientists rap attack on climate sceptics

Those iconaclastic young journalists of the ABC's Hungry Beast program presented this humourus comedy rap - I am a Climate Scientist - during this weeks program (No 28) broadcast on May 11. Written and performed by Dan Illic and Duncun Elms with several Australian climate scientists, including lead IPCC author Professor Roger Jones. The story was titled 'CLIMATE SCIENCE RAP- there are climate change believers and deniers, but what do the climate change scientists say?'

The song is an attack on climate sceptics who continue to deny that climate change is occurring and is being contributed to by human caused emissions. Journalist Andrew Bolt and Radio talkback compare Alan Jones get special mentions in the song.

You can read about Climate scientist rappers reveal why they did it at Graham Readfearn's Blog. You can read the lyrics, play or download from Dan Ilic's page on Soundcloud - I'm A Climate Scientist - Extended NSFW

Queensland climate becoming more extreme according to coral reef record

The Queensland climate is becoming more extreme with more frequent rain and drought events since the nineteenth century according to research on coral reef cores published in the scientific journal, Paleoceanography by Dr Janice Lough from the Australian Institute of Marine Science in April 2011.

Penguin numbers suffering with krill decline due to Global Warming

A new study of declining penguin populations shows a strong correlation between penguin numbers and krill availability. Krill availability is affected by reduced sea ice conditions due to global warming and climate change.

"For penguins and other species, krill is the linchpin in the food web. Regardless of their environmental preferences, we see a connection between climate change and penguin populations through the loss of habitat for their main food source," said Dr. Wayne Trivelpiece, lead author and seabird researcher of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Antarctic Ecosystem Research Division. "As warming continues, the loss of krill will have a profound effect throughout the Antarctic ecosystem."

Related: On the brink: Penguins face an uncertain climate future (Oct 2010)

Government foyer occupied to stop new Victorian coal power station

A group of five climate protesters walked into the foyer of the Victorian State Government ministerial offices at 1 Treasury place and locked on to a ladder. Outside the building another 100 protesters gathered. The protest called for the withdrawal of funding for HRL's proposed new coal fired power station in the Latrobe Valley.

Climate rally in Brisbane for a price on pollution

People gathered in King George Square in Brisbane's CBD on Saturday calling for a price on pollution and in support of the Gillard Government's proposed carbon tax. The protest was organised by Getup! and follows similar protests in Melbourne and Sydney. The rally featured face painting and music for children and was advertised as a family friendly event.

Photos: Skeptical Science - Brisbane Rally for Climate Action

Getup! to challenge the climate sceptic hosts dominating Talk Back Radio

Getup! is launching proceedings against climate sceptic talk back radio hosts following on from the ABC Mediawatch program on the lack of balance in the climate debate as presented by talk back radio hosts in Australia.

Jonathon Holmes of Mediawatch takes on the lack of balance in the climate change debate on Australian talk back radio dominated by climate sceptic hosts such as Greg Cary and Gary Hardgrave on 4BC, Alan Jones and Chris Smith on 2GB, Jason Morrison, David Oldfield and Michael Smith on 2UE, and Howard Sattler on 6PR.Watch the program broadcast on March 21 and read the transcript at the ABC Mediawatch: Balancing a Hot Debate including extra related material.