Gas producers bullying Aussie businesses

Major industry groups representing Australian manufacturers have accused the gas industry of getting around the federal government's gas price controls by withholding supply. East coast gas producers have effectively suspended new sales since the federal government announced price caps on fossil fuels, leaving many businesses out to dry and risking closure.

A trove of documents obtained by Guardian Australia under freedom of information laws shows Penny Wong insisted on sending an observer to the first meeting of countries that support a landmark United Nations treaty banning nuclear weapons. Nervous officials warned the foreign minister of “significant” risks if Australia went to the gathering in Vienna shortly after last year’s election.

Glaciers are melting faster due to climate change, putting the lives of millions around the world at risk of flash flooding, according to a new study from the UK’s Newcastle University. Most of those people reside in just four countries – India, Pakistan, Peru, and China – where glacial lakes are numerous and populations are vulnerable to climate disasters.

Gas producers accused of price gouging
Major industry groups representing Australian manufacturers have accused the gas industry of getting around the federal government's gas price controls by withholding supply, leaving some businesses at risk of closure. East coast gas producers have effectively suspended new sales since the federal government announced price caps on fossil fuels. "It's certainly the indication of a highly dysfunctional gas market where consumers have no leverage, no matter how big you are,” Energy Users Association of Australia chief executive Andrew Richards says.

Documents reveal Wong interested in UN nuclear weapons ban
A trove of documents obtained by Guardian Australia under freedom of information laws shows Penny Wong insisted on sending an observer to the first meeting of countries that support a landmark United Nations treaty banning nuclear weapons. Nervous officials warned the foreign minister of “significant” risks if Australia went to the gathering in Vienna shortly after last year’s election.

Millions of people at risk of glacial flooding
Glaciers are melting faster due to climate change, putting the lives of millions around the world at risk of flash flooding, according to a new study from the UK’s Newcastle University. Most of those people reside in just four countries – India, Pakistan, Peru, and China – where glacial lakes are numerous and populations are vulnerable to climate disasters. Glaciers are 'rivers of ice' that form over millions of years from compressed snow, and they are melting faster than originally thought.

Coal giants fail to intimidate QLD Government
Coal titans like BHP and Anglo American, along with the Queensland Resources Council have been aggressively campaigning against new coal royalties, only to have hardened the position of Queensland Treasurer Cameron Dick. The state government stated this week there will be “no change” to its new revenue collection plan; where progressive coal royalties will be reinvested into regional Queensland.

Australian solar pioneers win “Nobel Prize for engineering”
Researchers behind the revolutionary PERC solar cell have been awarded the 2023 Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering. The group was recognised for its pioneering work at UNSW Sydney to develop Passivated Emitter and Rear Cell (PERC) solar photovoltaic technology, which has opened the way for the recent exponential growth in high performance, low-cost solar electricity. The Prize, which is considered the Nobel-equivalent for engineering, is presented annually to engineers responsible for ground-breaking innovations that have been of global benefit to humanity.

EV uptake in ACT and Tasmania
Almost 10 per cent of cars sold in the ACT in 2022 were electric vehicles, representing an 80 per cent increase on sales the year prior. There were more than 1500 electric vehicles sold in the ACT in 2022, compared to 825 sold in 2021, new data issued by the Electric Vehicle Council has revealed. And in Tasmania, the number of electric vehicles on roads has increased by more than 75 per cent in the past year and it’s expected to double again over the next 12 months.

Hunter Valley’s blueprint to heal from coal
The decline of the coal industry means 17 mines in the NSW Hunter Valley will close over the next two decades. That’s more than 130,000 hectares of mining land — nearly two-thirds of the valley floor between Broke and Muswellbrook — will become available for new uses. Read on to see how the community plans to restore the land.

Biden torn between peace and climate priorities
Since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine a year ago, the Biden administration has been eager to ramp up US exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG), in an effort to free Europe from its dependence on Russian fossil fuels. However, this undercuts the president’s commitment to reduce the pollution causing climate change, and to keep energy prices low for American consumers, according to US consumer advocates.

Two major announcements about Australia’s defence force are imminent
The United States’ shooting down of a Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina over the weekend points to international security affairs being on a knife edge. Here’s what to expect Australia to announce for its defence force, from The Conversation.