Climate News: End of year Transition Towns dinner conversation: 'Climate change, we just don't get it!'

Michigan's "Tim" who declares himself "troll" says: To completely replace fossil fuels with any other energy source, we'd have to ramp up mining, replace giant fleets of machines, and rebuild a massive amount of infrastructure, not to mention inevitable changes to how we live.  Doing that will (A) burn a bunch of carbon in the short run, (B) create new waste problems in the long run, (C) take too much time, (D) be very expensive, (E) put us in greater danger of crossing other planetary boundaries, and (F) cause social backlash that threatens political institutions.  And that's just in the West. "Robert Reich"; "Why Trump won"; "Environmental Justice Australia"; "‘Time is running out’: Victoria, NSW turn to gas imports as energy crisis nears". "From sunburn to storms: How climate change is redefining the Aussie summer getaway"; "‘Devastation on the foreshore’: Where coastal erosion has almost reached homes"; "Victoria bushfires: Third town told to evacuate immediately as fire spreads"; "Grief, Hope, Joy: Faith in the Time of Climate Change"; "New year, new reads: Here are my favourite climate-related books from 2024"; "Is silence golden? What a change expert says about family climate conversations at Christmas time"; "If you’re thinking of buying or leasing an EV, now is the time"; "How to teach climate change so 15-year-olds can act"; "Average Briton causes 23 times more CO2 on Christmas Day, study reveals"; "Climate 200 puts Coalition in crosshairs, with only one Labor seat on election hitlist"; "Insuring your home has never been harder. Here’s how to do it."; "We invite you on a Transformative Journey"; "Sheep farmers are helping save Tasmania’s native grasslands: ‘We’re better off working together’"; "The New Climate Gold Rush: Scrubbing Carbon From the Sky"; "Iran’s Energy Crisis Hits ‘Dire’ Point as Industries Are Forced to Shut Down"; "This European city made public transport free a year ago. Here’s what happened next"; "‘Time is running out’: Victoria, NSW turn to gas imports as energy crisis nears"; "How are decentralised energy grids revolutionising the future of energy?"; "A series of storms will bring rain, snow and wind to the West. How long it will last?"; "Record number of protesters will be in UK prisons this Christmas"; "Christian Sawyer: “The Great Simplification in Action: Building Resilience Through Local Communities”"; "They Fell Sick After Cleaning Up a TVA Toxic Disaster. A New Book Details Their Legal Battle"; "Analysis: Why the $300bn climate-finance goal is even less ambitious than it seems"; "“This isn’t journalism – it’s fossil fuel propaganda”"; "Heatwaves and bushfires can be a dangerous mix for the electricity grid. Here’s how to shore up your supplies this summer"; "Insurers Are Deserting Homeowners as Climate Shocks Worsen"; "How to Repair the Planet? One Answer Might Be Hiding in Plain Sight"; "Construction is the world’s biggest carbon emitter, yet Labour still refuses to tackle it". "E.P.A. Allows California to Ban Sales of New Gas-Powered Cars by 2035".

Our costs jump at Christmas and so do our house gas emissions - "A pot plant tree, homemade gifts: How to have a sustainable Christmas"; "Why Trump will force Labor to delay 2035 climate target, and the Dutton challenge that follows"; "Is It Wrong to Bring a Child Into Our Warming World?"; "Arctic Tundra Shifts to Source of Climate Pollution, According to New Report Card"; "How the Renewable Energy Boom Is Remaking the American West"; "As the Clock Ticks to Act on the Climate Crisis, N.C. Activists Target a ‘Carbon Plan’"; "The Popemobile—And the U.S. Postal Service—Are Going Electric"; "Consumption is driving global greenhouse gas emissions"; "Albanese government approves four coalmine expansions as Greens condemn ‘despicable’ move"; "Mayotte volunteers face 'massive destruction' in the wake of Cyclone Chido"; "Pakistan and Bahamas join push for global pact to phase out fossil fuels"; "Jann says losing her home wasn't the worst part about Black Summer bushfires"; "Fifty years ago, Cyclone Tracy devastated Darwin. The lessons from it have still not been learnt"; "More than 1,300 Hajj pilgrims died this year when humidity and heat pushed past survivable limits. It’s just the start"; "A push to cool Australian cities may inadvertently increase our skin cancer risk, unless we act"; "Queensland authorities release dam water as flooding risks rise ahead of more rainy weather"; "The Moana effect: how small island developing states are bringing their struggle against climate change to the world"; "Just Stop Oil’s harsh sentences are the logical outcome of Britain’s authoritarian turn against protest"; "Six innovative ways to float skyscraper-sized wind turbines"; "‘We’re gobsmacked’: climate groups angered by Labor’s ‘no new coalmines’ claim"; "Integrity in the transition: the case for a new Australian carbon removals framework"; "Risky Influence: The legal implications of misaligned climate-related lobbying by Australian companies"; "Cyclone Chido map: ‘Horrific’ devastation as French island Mayotte hit by most powerful cyclone in 90 years"; "From destruction to deadly heat, photojournalists capture the reality of climate change in 2024"; "Carbon capture: The inside story of how a ‘delay tactic’ became a darling of the EU"; "Cyclone Chido: Are European countries throwing their overseas territories to the climate wolves?"; "From renewables to fossil fuels in Europe: How does your country generate electricity?"; "Want to try out climate fiction? Take your pick from the finalists of the first-ever fiction prize"; "Body heat could be the next big renewable after scientists invent ultra-thin tech to power wearables"; "Mayotte volunteers face 'massive destruction' in the wake of Cyclone Chido"; "'Forever chemicals' found in Sydney sewage by-products used in food production"; "Climate's collision course: Science meets politics"; "Australians are gripped by feelings of doom about the state of the world. It’s time to throw the phone away"; "More coal and gas, less renew

Australia's Liberal Party Leader Peter Dutton (pictured) has abandoned facts, and his party's fundamental beliefs to argue the benefits of nuclear power: "Dutton said a reactor’s waste would fill a Coke can. Try 27,000 of them"; "‘He’s scared’: Dutton demands debate as Albanese taunts ‘hiding’ opposition leader"; "Police, nurses and firefighters to be enticed to buy electric vehicles"; "Is Angus Taylor really claiming nuclear power will cut power bills by 44 per cent?"; "Dutton abandons Liberal principles in nuclear energy pitch"; "Australia’s latest brush with extreme heat shows just how good weather forecasting really is"; "Climate California Live 2024"; "Was Van Gogh an environmentalist ahead of his time?"; "Space is a human-influenced environment. We need to treat it that way."; "How Shell greenwashed gas with sham Chinese carbon credits"; "‘Fascinating and troubling’: Australians would rather save a single human life than prevent an entire species from becoming extinct"; "Japan Announces Goal to Produce Up to 50% of Energy From Renewables by 2040"; "Energy Prices Drop Below Zero in UK Thanks to Record Wind-Generated Electricity"; "The Drowning South - Why seas are surging"; "Major Win for Youth Climate Activists in Montana Supreme Court"; "Four Ways to Jump-Start Clean Hydrogen Finance in 2025"; "Guide to Climate Action in Your Local Community"; "‘Making Argentina great again’? What a year under a climate-change denying president has done for the country"; "Analysis: Only five proposals for coal plants remain across OECD’s 38 countries"; "The facts about a planet facing climate disaster are clear. Why won’t this Labour government face them?"; "Biden Sets Higher U.S. Goal Under the Climate Pact That Trump Aims to Abandon"; "Coal use to reach new peak – and remain at near-record levels for years"; "Was 2024 a breakout year for next-generation geothermal energy?"; "US EPA approves California plan to ban sale of gas-only cars starting in 2035"; "Increasing Drought Frequency Brings Threats to U.S. Wildlife, Research Finds"; "Inside the Race to the Top"; "‘Divorce’ Rates of Seychelles Warblers Linked to Rainfall Fluctuations During Breeding Season"; "How Fleets Can Electrify Light-Duty Commercial Vehicles"; "‘Forever Chemical’ TFA Detected in Mineral Water Brands in Europe"; "Social Scientist Dustin Mulvaney Discusses Solar Power, Trump and the Need to Prioritize Environmental Justice"; "1 in 4 Properties in England at Risk of Flooding by 2050: Report"; "Maryland Uses Millions in Federal Grants to Ramp Up EV Charging Network and Keep Up with Demand"; "Slowly but surely? Nearly half of EU's new cars in 2023 were hybrid and electric"; "After Ending in Overtime, COP29 Called 'Big F U to Climate Justice'"; "Scorching Temperatures Put Nearly 100 Million Under Heat Advisories"; "Factcheck: Why the recent ‘acceleration’ in global warming is what scientists expect"; "Climate anger can lead to action – or curdle into despair. We found out why"; "What It Looks Like on an Island Steamrolled by a Cyclone"; "Heatwaves and bushfires can be a dangerous mix for the electricity grid. Here’s how to shore up your supplies this summer"; "Power

Tim answers the call for comment and Peter Dutton (pictured) releases costs for nuclear power. "‘Farcical’: PM rubbishes Dutton’s nuclear plan"; "The Coalition reveals the cost of its nuclear power plan – but the devil is in the missing detail"; "Malaysia, Thailand brace for more rains after floods kill more than 30"; "Australia sweats through hottest spring on record as temperatures soar 2.5C above pre-industrial levels"; "Monday predicted to hit record high temperatures"; "How the world gave up on 1.5 degrees"; "Miguel bought a car. Then there was a $2000 cost to charge it"; "We’ve entered the era of gutless government"; "Why is everyone talking about nuclear energy?"; "Millions fewer Australians to drive electric cars or have rooftop solar under Dutton’s vision"; "The very big assumption Peter Dutton’s nuclear plan makes"; "Rare glimpse at stunning reef beside Woodside’s gas-drilling ambitions"; "Dutton abandons Liberal principles in nuclear energy pitch"; "‘Amazon of the Seas’ Threatened by Oil and Gas Developments"; "Big Oil Is Urging Trump Not to Pull Out of the Paris Accord"; "China holds the world’s climate future in its hands"; "How good! Victoria is set to gain three new massive national parks soon"; "VIDEO: Around 100 protesters rally against a proposed gas import terminal": "Britain leads the world in cracking down on climate activism, study finds"; "Rare glimpse at stunning reef beside Woodside’s gas-drilling ambitions"; "Miguel bought a car. Then there was a $2000 cost to charge it"; "Energy generators poke holes in Dutton’s nuclear plan as questions over costings pile up"; "Grattan on Friday: Dutton’s nuclear policy would have coal-fired power stations operating for a lot longer"; "Never mind that the Coalition’s nuclear proposal is a fantasy – it doesn’t even claim to reduce power bills"; "Ed Miliband pledges ‘most ambitious reforms to UK energy system in generations’"; "EPA will grant California the right to ban sales of new gas cars by 2035"; "How to stay safe in the heat"; "Global EV sales surge in November - here's how China is driving momentum"; "California conservation efforts have raised Lake Mead by 16-feet in two years, regulators say"; "Arctic Tundra Goes From Carbon Sink to Carbon Source for the First Time in Millennia: NOAA Report"; "Millions fewer Australians to drive electric cars or have rooftop solar under Dutton’s vision"; "Queensland environment minister stands by ‘scepticism’ about human-induced climate change"; "Share the nuclear free Australia petition with loved ones";' "Meltwater from Greenland and the Arctic is weakening ocean circulation, speeding up warming down south"; "Environmental-Political Collapse Accelerates"; "Excerpt: Multisolving: Creating Systems Change in a Fractured World by Elizabeth Sawin"; "Murder, mayhem, and minerals: The price of the renewable energy revolution"; "Are solar farms destroyed during storms? Experts debunk the myth that panels can’t handle the wind"; "Mission rewilding: Scotland and Wales are trailblazing Europe’s nature restoration"; "Climate change's more than €550 billion price tag is pushing up insurance costs, report says"; "Clear skies over the Atlantic: Is climate change to blame for the alarming absence of clouds?"; "That’s not cricket: Dutton nukes CSIRO’s probity"; "The Postal Service’s electric mail trucks are way behind schedule"; "US supreme court hears oil railway case with environmental protections at stake"; "I regret none of the climate policies we pushed in Ireland. But we underestimated the backlash"; "'It sounded like a war': How an ordinary December turned 'Armageddon' for these Aussies"; "<a href="htt

Carl Sagan (pictured) testified before Congress in 1985 about the perils of climate change - "Carl Sagan testifying before Congress in 1985 on climate change"; Here's the chance to listen early to the latest episode of "The Climate Revolution series coming up, with Dr Mark Diesendorf and three economists." "Peter Dutton’s bid to politicise top science agency is ‘absurd’, former CSIRO energy director says"; "Three-Quarters of Earth’s Land Got Drier in Recent Decades, U.N. Says"; "Thousands without power as Santa Ana winds bring increased fire risk for Southern California"; "Climate Café launched in Geelong"; "Climate risks could cost FIFA stadiums $800m by 2050"; "Sydney to Melbourne or 800km on a single charge: MG's premium push could introduce ground-breaking new electric car technology to Australia to best 2025 Tesla Model 3 Long Range, BYD Seal and Hyundai Ioniq 6"; "East Coast’s first atmospheric river of the season will drive wild weather this week"; "Copernicus: 2024 virtually certain to be the warmest year and first year above 1.5°C"; "Grattan on Friday: Dutton’s nuclear policy would have coal-fired power stations operating for a lot longer"; "Environmental-Political Collapse Accelerates"; "Dutton's nuclear plan a 'heroic', cherrypicked 'recipe for higher energy bills', experts say"; "Dutton’s nuclear plan: An energy grid powered by endless spin".

Dave Sweeney (pictured) stood on Melbourne's Collins St and told the crowd of about 30 why nuclear power stations are a bad idea and a step backwards for Australia. Dave, a nuclear-free campaigner with the Australian Conservation Foundation, was also the co-founder of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), two things about which he is passionate and subsequently deeply committed. He loves his work and, he believes, it helps pay his "planetary rent" The December 3, Collins St, Melbourne nuclear power station protest during which Dave spoke was organized by the city's office of "Friends of The Earth". Listen to this episode and Dave talks about why he helped set up the Nobel Peace Prize-winning ICAN and what international success means, personally and for the group

Seven years ago the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) won the Nobel Peace Prize and T,oday the Executive Director, Melissa Parke (pictured) was interviewed on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Sunday Extra program and pointed out that climate change could cause devastation equal to nuclear war, albeit slower., the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) won the Nobel Peace Prize. Today, the Executive Director, Melissa Parke (pictured). The program was called "Nobel Week Focus on Nukes". "Event: Nuclear power protestors declare it is "Too expensive. too dangerous. too slow"; "Nuclear energy debate draws stark gender split in Australia ahead of next year’s election"; "EV sales in Britain skyrocket year-on-year"; "Trump’s not a ‘fascist’, but the world is in trouble"; "Why democracies, from South Korea to France to the U.S., are in crisis"; "Divided over whether to stop making plastic, U.N. treaty talks collapse"; "INTRODUCING — The Weather That Changed Us"; "Vicious cycle: Wildfires are making climate change worse"; "A $13 billion, 30-year flop: landmark study reveals stark failure to halt Murray-Darling River decline"; "What Trump 2.0 Means for the Climate"; "Despite 2024’s ‘greenlash’, the fight against climate breakdown can still be won. Here’s how"; "Climate policy is on a collision course with physical reality"; "Storm Darragh leaves hundreds of thousands in the UK and Ireland without power, disrupts travel"; "Why so many Americans prefer sprawl to walkable neighborhoods"; "Plibersek made a vow on environmental reforms. Albanese has put that at risk"; "We finally have an explanation for 2023’s record-breaking temperatures"; "Climate Commission recommends carbon negative 2050 target"; "Why a two-year surge in global warmth is worrying scientists"; "It’s Do or Die Time for Philly Hydrogen Hub, and Some Green Groups Are Rooting for Death"; "Decline of Reflective Low Clouds May Have Contributed to Recent Record Heat"; "Have Climate Questions? Get Answers Here."; "The US is making and deploying more solar panels than ever before"; "Saving ‘old and wise’ animals vital for species’ survival, say scientists"; "Why prioritise the climate crisis given the high cost of living burdens lives in the UK right now?" "A River in Washington State Now Has Enforceable Legal Rights"; "New sodium-ion developments from CATL, BYD, Huawei"; "A rising danger in the Arctic"; "Climate tech company aims to clean up the dirtiest energy grids"; "How climate risks are driving up insurance premiums around the US – visualized"; "Fury as US argues against climate obligations at top UN court"; "How long will an EV last before it has to be replaced? A guide to electric car battery life"; "Could more charging stations help increase demand for EVs in Europe?"; "Nuclear energy debate draws stark gender split in Australia ahead of next year’s election"; "Reflections on COP29: Progress Amid Political Headwinds"; "Quarter of New Cars Sold in the UK Were Electric in November"; "‘Climate bomb’ warning over $200bn wave of new gas projects"; "Trusted partner to the Pacific, or giant fossil fuel exporter? This week, Australia chose the latter"; "Friday essay: ‘A future of dust’ – Jeff Sparrow on Gaza and why, in evil times, writers have a responsibility to take sides"; "<a href="https://www.sciencenews.org/article/climate-stress-male-spiders-gift-giving?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_term=N%2FA&amp;utm_source=D365&amp;

The Melbourne office of Friends of the Earth organized a Collins St protest outside a building that was the venue for a Federal Government inquiry into the Liberal National Party's idea that Australia should build and commission seven nuclear power stations throughout the nation. More than 30 people joined the noisy but peaceful demonstration. While passers-by were left with no doubt the nuclear power stations were too expensive, too dangerous and too slow, those attending had the chance to listen to several exciting, articulate and far-seeing speakers, including two people from the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize-winning International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), Associate Professor Tilman Ruff (pictured) and Dave Sweeney who is also with the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF). Representatives of the Melbourne-based "Lighter Footprints" and the "Kooyong Climate Change Alliance" and a passionate Danae Bosley from the Victorian Trades Hall Council also spoke.

Former NSW Liberal Party Treasurer, Matt Kean (pictured), talks with Michelle Grattan about how he felt before and after COP29 at Baku - "Politics with Michelle Grattan: Climate Change Authority head Matt Kean says ‘put more solar panels on commercial rooftops’"; "Social media can harm children's mental health. The question now is whether a ban will help or make it worse"; "A $13 billion, 30-year flop: landmark study reveals stark failure to halt Murray-Darling River decline"; "From Limits to Growth to Earth for All with Sandrine Dixson-Declève"; "Grant is a coal miner. He’s been arrested for protesting against coal exports"; "‘Everything is Country’: these 4 projects blend First Nations knowledge and science to rewrite our understanding of the past"; "To Grow or Not to Grow: That Isn’t the Question"; "Navigating Climate Catastrophe: Part 2 – The Response"; "The Third Thing"; "Australia on track to meet 2030 43% emission’s reduction target, on latest figures"; "Maine Becomes the Latest State to Sue Oil Companies Over Climate Change"; "A triumph for greed over commonsense and humanity"; "City streets flooded after ‘biggest downpours in years’"; "Are All These U.N. Climate Talks Doing Any Good?"

Transition Town's end-of-year dinner reminds us that most people can't grasp or even attempt to understand the implications and ramifications of climate change. "The struggle against climate change is foundering. Enter Trump."; "A strange new climate era is beginning to take hold"; "Post US Election Blues: Where Do We Take Our Activism from Here?"; "‘Unprecedented’ climate extremes are everywhere. Our baselines for what’s normal will need to change"; "Spain introduces paid climate leave after deadly floods"; "Six things we learned about the Australian government’s response to the climate crisis"; "Photos show record-breaking South Korea snowfall"; "Walter Jehne on urban agriculture and the climate emergency"; "Albanese kills off deal with Greens to pass ‘nature positive’ legislation after intervention by WA premier"; "Rising Tide protesters arrested in Canberra for blocking road to Parliament House"; "Labor’s term began with promise on the environment. It ends with things worse than ever"; "Australia’s electricity market is getting a big makeover – and these 3 changes will make it future-proof"; "‘A dose of nature’: each time you visit a national park, you save the health budget almost $100"; "Europe’s Cruise Ships Produce Toxic Sulphur Emissions Equivalent to 1 Billion Cars, Study Finds"; "Record renewables go into the grid in 2024, generating 45% of electricity in 2025"; "‘Silent majority’ of Australian farmers found to support renewable energy transition"; "NSW gives planning approval for giant 2 GWh battery at site of state’s likely last coal generator": "COP29 verdict: Climate summits must turn over a new leaf"; "COP29: Key outcomes agreed at the UN climate talks in Baku"; "Congo landslide kills at least nine people, most of them children"; "Guest post: How the Greenland ice sheet fared in 2024"; "Forest Areas in China Are Recovering Since the 21st Century"; "Multipolar Climate Diplomacy"; "Do EVs hold their value? Here's how electric cars fare on the second-hand market"; "Cutting-edge new charger the size of a suitcase could help curb emissions from trucks in Europe"; "Will China step up if Trump takes a step back on climate change?"; "A tax on new plastic would slash waste – if built into the global treaty on plastics"; "When climate change upends sacred rituals, the faithful adapt"; "Could China’s CO2 emissions peak by 2025? Experts optimistic about the superpower’s green transition"; "‘Put Your Head Down, Help Each Other Out’: Inside Asheville’s Helene Response"; "As American Farms Face More Drought, Storms and Flooding, a New Agriculture Secretary Will Have to Reckon With Climate Change"; "How big fossil-fuel-producing countries export emissions abroad"; "Climate denial a unifying theme of Trump’s cabinet picks, experts say"; "How to Help Those Still Devastated by Hurricane Helene"; "Gaslighting: How North Carolina’s immense natural gas buildout contributes to climate change"; "Cashing Out: The secretive system disrupting climate action and forcing big payouts to fossil fuel companies"; "How Wealthy Corporations Use Investment Agreements to Extract Millions From Developing Countries"; "Ground Truthed" - George Monbiot; "<a href="https://theconversation.com/cop29-five-critical-issues-still-left-hanging-after-an-underwhelming-un-climate-summit-in-azerbaijan-244350?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=Imagine%20161&amp;utm_content=Imagine%20161+CID_0d195923d0018146ad6ceb1642a79f49&amp;utm_source=c