Day: October 26, 2021

Climate change is accelerating. Global warming is forecast to exceed 1.5˚C during the 2030s—an urgent challenge that demands Australia achieve net zero by 2035.  Climate scientists have observed with mounting concern the continuing emissions and the rise in atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. For decades, they have issued dire warnings about what is at stake and what is required to curb global warming. Yet global temperatures continue to rise, along with damages from extreme weather.  This report “Aim High, Go Fast: Why Emissions Need to Plummet this Decade” is the Climate Council’s science-backed vision for what Australia’s best effort could look like. Australia is a nation of currently high emissions but rich renewable energy resources. The country has been ravaged by unprecedented bushfires, droughts, and floods in recent years, and decision makers should not ignore these warnings.

Just days before COP26, Australia’s long-awaited climate plan has been slammed by civil society, scientists and opposition politicians as void of substance and full of spin.  For years now, the Australian Government led by climate denier Scott Morrison, has been seen as a climate laggard, one still deeply addicted to dirty fossil fuels and an outlier when it came to concerted international action on climate.  Let’s not forget that the Government is led by the same Scott Morrison who, when Treasurer of Australia, brought a lump of coal into the House of Representatives supplied by the Minerals Council of Australia.  “This is coal,” he told his bemused fellow parliamentarians. “Don’t be afraid. Don’t be scared.”

Solar power has again delivered more than 100 per cent of local demand in South Australia, in what is expected to become an increasingly regular occurrence.  The combination of rooftop solar (1275MW, or 80.9 per cent of local demand) and large scale solar (331MW, or 21 per cent) delivered a combined 101.9 per cent of local state demand for a 5-minute period.  At the time there was a little bit of wind generating (just 22.2MW), and about 275MW of gas generation. The state’s three big batteries were charging (72MW) and a total of 326MW was being exported to Victoria.  And while the 100 per cent level was reached for just one five minute period, from 1030 to 1530 – a period of five hours – solar contributed more than 90 per cent of state demand.

A community of urban researchers and city makers recently launched 17 keys for sustainable and just cities. The keys provide practical ways for urban decision makers, administrators, activists and urban planners to tackle the twin challenges of injustice and unsustainability.  In order to build sustainable cities, we need to get to the root of injustice. The keys open paths for decision makers to shape a better future for their cities. Each key comes with a wealth of resources, including videos, podcasts, wikis and publications, through which users can delve into innovative approaches and governance arrangements.

For over fifty years, governments around the world, including in Canada, have discussed the importance of sustainability or sustainable development.  One of the more prominent undertakings was the Rio Summit in Brazil in 1992, which led to the creation of Agenda 21.  Subsequently, the Millennium Development Goals were adopted by the United Nations in 2000, which were then followed by the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015.  While these global forums and commitments have made a difference in putting economic prosperity and environmental conservation on a more equal footing, the international community routinely fails to achieve the sustainability priorities it has set for itself. As a case in point, we are unlikely to achieve any of the 17 SDGs by the target date of 2030.

Pacific island nations have shaped the international response to climate change. At the United Nations summit in Glasgow, they’ll draw a line in the sand.  Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum, Fiji prime minister Frank Bainimarama, has said Pacific island countries ‘refuse to be the canary in the world’s coal mine.’   The Pacific Islands are at the frontline of climate change. But as rising seas threaten their very existence, these tiny nation states will not be submerged without a fight.  For decades this group has been the world’s moral conscience on climate change. Pacific leaders are not afraid to call out the climate policy failures of far bigger nations, including regional neighbour Australia. And they have a strong history of punching above their weight at United Nations climate talks – including at Paris, where they were credited with helping secure the first truly global climate agreement.

Ward 99 consists of Hyde Park in Mitchells Plain and parts of Khayelitsha. The neglected state of Hyde Park, in Tafelsig, validates its status as the Lost City.  Mitchells Plain is a sprawling Cape Town suburb whose inhabitants range from the middle class to the poorest of the poor. In the Hyde Park area of Mitchells Plain residents grapple with a lack of infrastructure, housing and rampant crime. Hyde Park, Freedom Park and parts of Tafelsig are referred to as Lost City.  Hyde Park presents a poverty pattern that has remained largely unchanged for years. The only significant improvement, voters said, is the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) homes built between 2008 and 2010.

As a result of increased agricultural activity brought about by the expansion of the wine industry, the biodiversity of the floral kingdom is under threat in the Cape Winelands. A conservation programme by the WWF is now helping to ensure that wine farms decrease their impact on the environment.  Wine farmers in the Cape Winelands are increasingly turning to alternative farming methods, which are helping to preserve the two global biodiversity hotspots in the region.  About 95% of South Africa’s wines are produced in the Cape Winelands, which is in the Cape Floral Kingdom and includes the Succulent Karoo biome. Unesco has recognised it as one of the world’s six floral kingdoms and it is the smallest and most diverse plant kingdom.

If you haven’t tried a shampoo or beauty bar yet, Christchurch based company Ethique are now giving Aucklanders a great incentive to do so now. $20 off – no minimum spend required (and there are many products under $20). Ethique is a company who is not only getting great recognition in NZ, but also on the global stage and is now selling in countries all over the world. They want to say ‘thanks’ to those of us in Tāmaki Makaurau for doing the hard yards in lockdown. All you need to do is type AUCKLAND as the coupon code, and the discount is yours.

The theme of this year’s Sustainability Summit is Social Responsibility: Cultivating Civic Engagement.  Sustainability is a system thinking approach that addresses equity (people), the economy (prosperity) and the environment (planet). All three are interconnected. If one of these areas is ailing, then eventually they all will be affected.  This year’s conference examines the idea that citizens have a social responsibility to make a positive contribution to their community. And it offers suggestions for how to make that contribution.

Join us for our event with ING, where we consider the role banks can play in fighting climate change. Since 2018, ING has committed to steering its lending portfolio towards the goals of the Paris agreement. One year after making this commitment, ING published its first Terra report, a detailed description of its portfolio current emission intensity and the bank strategy to reach its climate goals – a world-wide first of its kind. Since then, ING increased its ambitions by committing to Net-Zero by 2050 through the Net Zero Banking Alliance. In this presentation, Alberto and Stefanie will share how ING uses the Terra approach to measure and steer its lending book. They will deep dive into a few sectors on which ING reports to demonstrate how they work with methodologies. Looking towards the future, Alberto and Stefanie will also share their outlook for sustainability in banking, including the challenges and opportunities that banks and financial institutions are facing.

Boris Johnson has been accused of having ‘completely lost the plastic plot’ after telling schoolchildren that recycling ‘doesn’t work’ as a means to ease the climate crisis.  The Recycling Association reacted with astonishment at the Prime Minister’s remarks during a Downing Street press conference for pupils, saying they were ‘very disappointing’.  Number 10 had to tell the public to continue recycling after Mr Johnson said ‘recycling isn’t the answer’ and stressed the need to reduce the amount of plastic that is used.  The PM said: ‘It doesn’t begin to address the problem. You can only recycle plastic a couple of times, really. What you’ve got to do is stop the production of plastic.’

Here’s a recent news headline: “Bear attacks couple, dog on Blue Ridge Parkway, officials say.”  Here’s a second headline covering the same incident: “Spots along Blue Ridge Parkway closed after bear attacks 2 during picnic in NC mountains.”
But if you take a quick glance at either story, it’s clear that the headlines and the coverage are a fair bit misleading.  The couple was picnicking with their large German Shepard, when the unleashed dog charged the bear and started barking.  As one news report notes, “The bear acted defensively toward the dog and the couple, likely aggravated by the dog, officials said.”  It’s also worth noting that the couple and the dog are perfectly safe.