Doug Hendrie

Too valuable to burn? Chemical and plastic industries will rely on oil far longer than motorists Oil is a key feedstock for everything from plastics to cosmetics. Over time, we’re likely to see less oil burned for transport – and more used to make products.

THE FUTURE of CRUDE OIL
'Oil is ... essential for advanced materials such as carbon fibre, synthetic graphite and plastics embedded in electric vehicles, wind turbines, power electronics, insulation systems and grid infrastructure.'

theconversation.com/too-valuable...

A plantation worker photographed this creature in New Guinea, thought to have been dead for 6,000 years.

👉 Read the full story: theconversation.com/meet-to...

Often a person believes himself to be so wise
and believes to gain highest fame thereby,
when the juice of the grapes has affected him negatively. 
The next one believes that he is so rich
that even the emperor might not be an equal to him. 
The third appears like an extremely hungry horse,
so no one can push enough of fresh or rotten food into the ever open mouth. 
The fourth one screams cries over his heavy sins,
and his heart is passionately in flames out of deep repentance
for strange reasons that no one can comprehend. The fifth one desires to do unchaste actions,
to which he is dedicated day and night,
once he has become addicted to the power of wine. The sixth has a miserable practice: He condemns the soul through [false] oaths so that she will be entirely exhausted when facing God.

The seventh is ready to fight, he growls like a dog held by a chain and who barks all the time; its round head is ready for a fight. The eighth becomes so happy out of drunkenness that he is ready to sell his honor, property, wife, and children; the evilness of drunkenness shows in him. The ninth helplessly becomes crazy, everything that he knows, sees, or hears, he presents openly to everyone. The tenth fights against sleep. The eleventh sings wild songs and screams totally uninhibited both in the evening and in the morning. The twelfth becomes so drunk from heavy drinking that he feels the alcohol already at the top portion of his throat and voluntarily pays a tribute to the innkeeper.

15th century poem by Oswald von Wolkenstein listing the 12 types of drunkard

The strikes on Iran show why quitting oil is more important than ever Oil isn’t a normal commodity – it shapes politics around the world.

theconversation.com/the-strikes-...

From high-tech greenhouses to fruit netting: how protected cropping can shield crops from climate extremes

People can retreat indoors from extreme weather, but crops can’t. Farmers are increasingly looking at nets, misters, polytunnels and greenhouses to protect crops.

Australia’s new fuel efficiency standards are already working to cut emissions – but the real story is behind the scenes.

👉 Read the full story: theconversation.com/how-aus...

Punch the monkey isn’t the first lonely zoo animal to capture our hearts – or raise troubling questions From the last thylacine to Mollie the drinking, smoking orangutan, little Punch the monkey is the latest in a long line of lonely zoo animals.

theconversation.com/punch-the-mo...

‘Blood cobalt’ is disappearing from batteries – and cheaper, cleaner batteries are arriving Big batteries used in electric vehicles and grid storage have long relied on metals with tarnished supply chains. But this is changing.

‘Blood cobalt’ is disappearing from batteries – and cheaper, cleaner batteries are arriving
theconversation.com/blood-cobalt...

Intense heatwaves directly threaten crops and native species. Here’s what we can do Sustained extreme heat can damage, weaken and kill all living things, from wheat crops to koalas and fruit bats.

Extreme heat is fast becoming one of the biggest threats to global food systems. Our new piece in The Conversation looks at how intense heatwaves put crops and native species at risk — and what we can actually do about it.
🔗 theconversation.com/intense-heat...

Want to boost uptake of battery EVs? Subsidise chargers at home and work – not the vehicles

It’s easy to think cheaper EVs will encourage more people to switch. But new research shows subsidising these vehicles is poor value for money. There’s a better way.

NEW ANALYSIS: China's CO2 has now been 'flat or falling' for 21 months

* Down in 2025
* Still below Mar 2024
* Clean energy wave a key factor

If this is China's peak (TBC) it's the climate story of the century so far…

www.carbonbrief.org/...

That e-bike you bought your teen might be an illegal electric motorbike – and the risks are real From serious injuries to thrill-seeking rideouts, teens on overpowered e-bikes have provoked a media frenzy. But the risks of these vehicles is very real.

E-bikes are in the news for all the wrong reasons

theconversation.com/that-e-bike-...

If Australia and Indonesia agreed to end new thermal coal mines, it could drive the green transition. If the biggest coal exporters banned new coal mines, they could drive the shift to renewables – and benefit while they do it.

Is a treaty to end thermal coal mine approvals possible?

Sounds counterintuitive, but Chris Wright argues the treaty's cartel-like logic might win industry support for climate goals.

New piece in @theconvo-bot.bsky.social explores why Indonesia + Australia alone could shift the global market.

With every extinction, we lose not just a species but a treasure trove of knowledge

Every new extinction ripples out beyond the affected species, from ecosystems to human knowledge across culture, spirituality and science.

Hidden clues in colonial journals reveal why Tasmania’s remote west keeps burning

In Tasmania’s remote southwest, dry lightning storms are starting huge conflagrations across treeless plains. Could a return to cultural burning help?

this is not behavior becoming of a FIFA Peace Prize recipient.

Primed to burn: what’s behind the intense, sudden fires burning across New South Wales and Tasmania Dozens of fires burning across New South Wales and Tasmania over the weekend claimed dozens of houses and the life of a firefighter. This is why they were so bad.

Serious fires in recent days reflect deeper shifts in climate and fuel conditions. Centre Director A/Prof Rachael Nolan explains the sequence of factors driving sudden, high-intensity fire behaviour - and what to watch for next.

theconversation.com/primed-to-bu...

#wildfire #bushfire #climaterisk

Electric container ships won’t work – but a fleet of auxiliary battery ships could clean up shipping Could container ships ever go electric? The best option might be a fleet of attendant battery vessels to power these giants directly.

Electric container ships won’t work – but a fleet of auxiliary battery ships could clean up shipping

theconversation.com/electric-con...

Long-sought environmental law reform is finally here. But will the compromise deal actually protect nature? After years of failed attempts, Australia’s environmental laws are finally getting an overhaul. But will they stop the damage done to nature?

First take on EPBC amendments in the compromise deal struck to get it passed

Justine Bell-James, @euanritchie.bsky.social, @drphilmccormack.bsky.social & me in @aunz.theconversation.com

#NativeForestLogging #MinisterialDiscretion #UnacceptableImpacts #PayToDestroy #NationalEnvironmentalStandards

Australia has dropped its bid to host the COP31 climate talks. Here’s what happened – and what’s next After a three-year push to host the 2026 climate talks with the Pacific, Australia has backed down. The news is disappointing – but there’s a small silver lining.

Australia will walk away from hosting #COP31 in a compromise in which Australia takes the presidency role and the Pacific hosts a pre-COP event. @wesmorgan.bsky.social explains what happened, the broader context, and what comes next. This is an important read. theconversation.com/australia-ha...

Brazil is trying to stop fossil fuel interests derailing COP30 with one simple measure More fossil fuel lobbyists are coming to global climate talks to try to get favourable outcomes. Now their role is in the spotlight.

My latest on Brazil's efforts at the UN climate talks to push back against the tide of fossil fuel lobbying and climate misinformation @aunz.theconversation.com @cssn.org

theconversation.com/brazil-is-tr...

This widely used chart makes the clean energy switch seem much harder than it actually is The main way we show energy use is through “primary energy”. But this metric conceals the truly enormous waste of the energy in fossil fuels.

"Graphs of primary energy make it seem almost impossible to end our long reliance on fossil fuels. But primary energy doesn’t really matter. If we focus instead on useful energy, the task ahead is much more doable."

theconversation.com/this-widely-...

Hold up

How Pacific nations plan to go from spending up to 25% of GDP on fossil fuels to running on 100% renewables Pacific nations spend billions each year importing fossil fuels for electricity. Now the region’s leaders are aiming for energy independence.

(New from us)
‘Now the Pacific is leading the way again. Island leaders have a bold plan to become the world’s first region powered entirely by renewables and energy storage.’ #ClimateCrisis #COP30

w/ @wesleymorgan.bsky.social @smartenergycouncil.bsky.social theconversation.com/how-pacific-...

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We just published the Global Carbon Budget 2025, with a mix of bad news (CO2 emissions continue to grow) and encouraging news (35 countries saw emissions decline over the past decade while growing their economies).

Read the highlights in a short article:
theconversation.com/the-worlds-c...

At some point embarrassment MUST come

In 2015, global leaders gathered in force to get the Paris Agreement done. A decade later, the geopolitical landscape is vastly different.

👉 theconversation.com/from-tr...

Australia will go to the COP30 climate talks with better emissions targets and a desire to boost flagging action.

👉 Read the full story: theconversation.com/as-glob...

Excerpt from transcript of speech given by Chris Bowen to CIS.

Bowen on coal at the CIS.

Climate change and energy minister Chris Bowen addressed the Centre for Independent Studies on climate change on Friday where he gave them a history lesson on Margaret Thatcher's views on climate change and hit them with Pascal's Wager.

Seems he also took the opportunity to troll them on coal.

As China secures its role in clean tech exports, the US is doubling down on fossil fuels – and pushing allies to buy US gas.

👉 Read the full story: theconversation.com/trump-i...