Are you feeling NATURE POSITIVE?!
Corporate spin and complex markets distract from real solutions to Australia’s climate and biodiversity crisis, says Greg Jericho.
Super-powered nukes: Aussie funds and weapons of mass destruction
Australian superannuation funds have been investing in nuclear weapons, according to new research.
The government’s coal approvals could make the housing crisis worse
By choosing to extend three coal mines, the government could be inadvertently redirecting construction workers from building houses to the fossil fuel industry.
September 2024
Offsetting into oblivion with George Monbiot
By relying on uncertain and unethical carbon offsets to combat the climate crisis, society is setting itself on a path to destruction, George Monbiot says.
Mining’s big temper tantrum
The mining industry had a pre-election sook last week about government policy, but its claims about being the ‘backbone’ of the economy are more spin than substance.
June 2024
A nuclear nothingburger
The faux-debate over nuclear energy is a distraction from the main game – reducing our emissions to address the climate crisis, says Greg Jericho.
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?
Australia’s great gas giveaway
Gas is a finite resource – so why is Australia essentially giving it away?
April 2024
The Knitting Nannas redefining the face of activism
As the government shelves important reform to the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act, the Knitting Nannas are getting out into their communities and demanding an end to fossil fuel projects.
Backing the renewable horse
The government is under fire for trying to ‘pick winners’, but green manufacturing could be the pony to get behind, says Greg Jericho.
March 2024
The Coalition goes nuclear
After scarcely mentioning it for nearly a decade while in government, the Coalition are now hot to trot on nuclear power – but why?
Great expectations: will Australia walk the talk on climate change?
The Albanese government came to power with big expectations around climate action, but are the government’s actions falling short of their rhetoric?
Robodebt, repeated? How government is failing the nation on climate
The ‘robodebt’ debacle was a shameful episode for the federal government, but was it an anomaly? Our guest today says the same behaviours that enabled robodebt have been playing out for decades in our climate policymaking and questions whether the government has appetite to implement its proposed integrity reforms. australiainstitute.org.au // @theausinstitute Guest: Polly Hemming, Director,
A Bad Case of Gas
The gas industry likes to tell us it’s vital to the Australian economy. But when people are paying more in GST for Taylor Swift merch than many companies are paying in company income tax per year, and the government collects more from HECS than the PRRT, you know something is seriously wrong. Greg Jericho is
February 2024
The Great Gas Rort: Fixing the Petroleum Resources Rent Tax
Every year, the Commonwealth collects more revenue from HECS than it gets from the Petroleum Resource Rent Tax. The PRRT is so weak that gas companies love it! Mark Ogge explains the Government’s proposed changes, and how we can fix it to tax our gas companies fairly. This was recorded on Tuesday 6th February 2024
January 2024
Heat: Life and Death on a Scorched Planet with Jeff Goodell | Summer Series
Our summer podcast series brings you some of the best conversations from our webinars and live events in 2023. Extreme heat is the most direct and deadly consequence of our hellbent consumption of fossil fuels. It is a first order threat that drives all other impacts of the climate crisis. And as the temperature rises,
December 2023
Big Petrostate Energy
The United Nations annual climate conference, COP28, is wrapping up, and it’s crunch time. Is there going to be a mention of actually phasing out fossil fuels? Or will we have more of avoiding the issue? This was recorded on Tuesday 12th December 2023 and things may have changed since recording. australiainstitute.org.au // @theausinstitute Guest: Polly
November 2023
Clive Palmer of…Singapore?
Clive Palmer, one of Australia’s richest men, is suing Australia for $41.3bn, claiming it breached the ASEAN free trade agreement in relation to coal exploration permits. But he’s doing so…as a foreign investor? Stephen Long explains how Clive Palmer’s controversial legal strategies challenge Australia’s trade agreements and environmental laws. Stephen Long is a Senior Fellow
September 2023
There are still climate refugees in Lismore [Politics in the Pub]
As the Northern Hemisphere experiences extreme heatwaves and Australia prepares for a “horror summer”, and the new RBA Governor Michelle Bullock warns climate change poses a “particularly acute” challenge for the Australia economy, listen back to the launch of the 2023 Climate of the Nation Report at Politics in the Pub. This was recorded on
Who should pay the cost of Climate Change? [Climate of the Nation 2023]
As many Australians are facing rising cost-of-living, which is being made worse by climate change, fossil fuel companies are making record profits. So how can our Government make them pay the bill? This was recorded on Tuesday 12th September 2023 and things may have changed since recording. The Australia Institute // @theausinstitute Guest: Liz Morison,
August 2023
An Eventful Trip to Fiji
The Labor Government has been campaigning for Australia to host COP31, the UN climate conference, in partnership with a Pacific Island nation. But Pacific Islanders have several concerns, mainly due to Australia’s track record with new fossil fuels, and lacklustre climate policy. This was recorded on Wednesday 30th August 2023 and things may have changed
What Transition?
The lifecycle emissions resulting from Tamboran Resources’ proposed Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) processing and export facility in the Northern Territory would be equivalent to 12 coal-fired power stations every year when operating at full capacity. Not exactly on the transition to net-zero… This was recorded on Wednesday 16th August 2023 and things may have changed
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 //
July 2023
The Shell Game Behind Carbon Credits with Nick Feik [Webinar]
In his new essay “The Great Stock ‘n’ Coal Swindle” for The Monthly, Nick Feik takes a deep dive into Australia’s carbon offsets industry and its links to fossil fuel expansion. This was recorded on Wednesday 8th March 2023 and things may have changed since recording. The Australia Institute // @theausinstitute Guests: Nick Feik, Writer, journalist
June 2023
Australia’s Olympic Moment on Greenwashing
The Australian Government has proposed that Australia host the 2026 UN Climate Conference, in “partnership” with Pacific nations. But can Australia be considered a credible host for a COP31 while it continues to subsidise and approve fossil fuel expansion? This was recorded on Wednesday 14th June 2023 and things may have changed since recording. The
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
Funding our own Destruction
Despite fossil fuel usage contributing to the destruction of our climate, the Australian government still hands out billions every year in fossil fuel subsidies. But where is the money going, and how much is being spent exactly? This was recorded on Tuesday 2nd May 2023 and things may have changed since recording. The Australia Institute
April 2023
The Great Gas Rip-off
The PRRT, or Petroleum Resource Rent Tax, is a tax on profits of petroleum products, including crude oil and petroleum gas. But through accounting tricks and loopholes, gas corporations are avoiding paying their fair share of tax. Research mentioned: https://australiainstitute.org.au/report/reforming-the-petroleum-resource-rent-tax/ This was recorded on Monday 19th April 2023 and things may have changed since recording.
March 2023
Final Warning
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or IPCC, just released a report with a a very clear message; there is a rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all. One of the key messages in the report is that new fossil fuel projects are incompatible with a net zero
February 2023
What is Climate Integrity?
The Climate Integrity Summit 2023 brought together leading experts to discuss and address integrity risks that could jeopardise Australia’s emissions reduction policies. The Australia Institute’s Polly Hemming unpacked what climate integrity really is, and why it is the antidote to the Australian government’s state-sponsored greenwash. This was recorded on Wednesday 15th February 2023 and things
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