Climate change driving insurance premiums, adding to cost of living pressure and inflation
Climate change is driving an enormous increase in the cost of insurance with premiums massively outpacing price rises for nearly all other goods and services, making it unaffordable for many Australians.
August 2024
Taxes on tampons, tax breaks for luxury utes: gender in the budget
Last week, the federal government announced plans to define menstrual products as “lifestyle-related” and exclude them from NDIS funding.
July 2024
Renewable hydrogen: Superpower, or green mask for fossil super villains?
My children are aged three and four. They love anything with super powers – Spiderman, vampires, Paw Patrol, everything.
June 2024
Don’t listen to this podcast
The Coalition’s nuclear ‘plan’ is a cynical, Trump-like distraction – so why does the media (and this podcast) fall for the trap?
The Minerals Council REALLY wants you to feel good about coal: Spin Bin | Video
The Minerals Council recently released an ad promoting the coal industry in Australia, which uses some figures that don’t stack up.
Bring out yer dead! Amid nuke hype Tanya Plibersek approves Gina Rinehart’s gas pipeline
Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has just approved a new coal seam gas pipeline in Queensland.
Majority of Australians back digital free-to-air sports coverage
Australia Institute research has found a majority (56%) of Australians want free-to-air sports coverage to be available on the internet.
May 2024
WA Gas Royalties Set to Plummet: Budget Analysis
Australia Institute analysis of the 2024 WA Budget shows the meagre contribution of gas royalties to state government revenue will plumet to just 0.6% over the next 4 years.
Fossil fuel subsidies make government priorities clear
If Australia is to use and produce more fossil fuels than we are now, the rest of our climate policy amounts to tinkering at the edges, writes Rod Campbell.
Fossil fuel subsidies hit $14.5 billion in 2023-24, up 31%
New research from the Australia Institute has found that state and federal governments provided $14.5 billion in subsidies to fossil fuel producers and major consumers in 2023-24 – the equivalent of $27,581 for every minute of every day, or $540 for every person in Australia.
April 2024
Fire ants economic bite underestimated in government modelling: $2.5b per year in costs by 2035
New research by The Australia Institute finds the threat posed by fire ants has been significantly understated, identifying a compelling economic case for their eradication.
Nuclear power in Australia is a really bad idea. The ban ensures that is all it is
You can’t prevent people from having bad ideas and you can’t prevent people from talking about their bad ideas.
March 2024
F1 Grand Prix: Victorians finish last. Again.
The $100m lost by the Grand Prix could double funding for community sport and pay the airfares of all international and interstate visitors.
November 2023
The Tasmanian salmon industry’s talk about boosting the economy does not include paying tax
The Tasmanian salmon industry talks a big game about its importance to the economy, but it is rather quiet when it comes to paying tax
October 2023
Is Consultant a ‘Profession?’
As the Senate Inquiry into the management and assurance of integrity by consulting services continues, Labor senator Deb O’Neill and Greens senator Barbara Pocock have been applying the pressure to consulting firms in the hotseat. This was recorded on Wednesday 4th October 2023 and things may have changed since recording. The Australia Institute // @theausinstitute
September 2023
WA emissions weigh down the rest of the nation
Western Australia’s rising emissions means the efforts by other states to reduce emissions are being cancelled out.
Don’t mention the coal: Australian Government tries to walk both sides of climate policy. Again
While Australia’s Foreign Minister attends the UN Secretary General’s Climate Ambition Summit in New York, the nation’s Environment Minister will be in court fighting for new coal mines.
Consulting firms a corrosive and conflicted influence on NSW Government
New research from The Australia Institute reveals the corrosive and conflicted influence of consulting firms on NSW Government processes.
August 2023
The Environmental Fight you probably haven’t heard of
While you might not think native duck hunting is a big issue in Australia, it actually has extensive detrimental effects on our ecosystems. And it isn’t even that popular among Australians. This was recorded on Tuesday 6th June 2023 and things may have changed since recording. The Australia Institute // @theausinstitute Guests: Rod Campbell, Research
Multinational miners rue the day Palaszczuk and Dick delivered for Queenslanders
Queensland’s revised coal royalty system has delivered billions to the state, and NSW could be following suit. But as always, the mining industry is keen to let hysteria get in the way of a good policy.
A Trojan Horse for Fossil Fuels
The Environment Protection (Sea Dumping) Amendment (Using New Technologies to Fight Climate Change) Bill currently before Parliament sounds promising. But as it turns out, the name of the bill is hiding a lot of ugly truths. This was recorded on Thursday 11th August 2023 and things may have changed since recording. The Australia Institute //
The Northern Territory is the world leader for per-capita emissions
The Australian Government would like the other states to help offset the Northern Territory emissions. That’s a big ask given the NT is already the heaviest emitter of CO2 per capita in the world
_July 2023
The Con of Carbon Capture and Storage
Relying on carbon capture and storage to reduce emissions is like trying to empty a swimming pool with a thimble
You must be coking! Are new coalmines OK if they help make steel?
Some critics argue we should lay off metallurgical coalmines because they’re used for steel, not energy. But that ignores the big picture.
June 2023
Nordic Talks: The Role of First Nations Communities in the Clean Energy Transition [Webinar]
Australia has all the ingredients for a green industrial revolution; abundant rare minerals, plentiful wind and sun, manufacturing capabilities, while Sweden is a global leader in green industry practices and production. But how can First Nations communities participate in the clean energy transition? This talk will unpack how Sweden and Australia can better balance the
May 2023
Consultancy firms boast of action on climate change while advocating for more coal mines
Consultancy companies like to boast they are committed to action on climate change, but they much prefer overstating the benefits of coal mines
April 2023
Forecasts for fossil fuel production and exports – good for mining companies, bad for the climate
The latest forecast for gas and coal exports show no sign of any shift away from fossil fuels
January 2023
No economic benefit from NT cotton: submission
Research released today by The Australia Institute shows that a cotton industry in the Northern Territory would not bring significant employment or tax payments. The findings were submitted to the NT Government’s water policy consultation process, which closed yesterday. Key points: The cotton industry does not create significant employment in Australia. Cotton growing employs just
November 2022
Australia has the power to guide the world’s transition away from fossil fuels
In the drive to electrifty everything, Australia is positioned to be a world power
..March 2022
Are fossil fuel subsidies ending or accelerating?
Australia has committed to reach net zero emissions by 2050. The United Nations Secretary General has said that it’s time to end fossil fuel subsidies, so are fossil fuel subsidies in Australia ending or accelerating? The Australia Institute has crunched the numbers. This episode was recorded on Tuesday 29 March 2022, prior to the federal
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