--- title: Morrison Government fails to read writing on the wall on climate mitigation and disaster response description: "As the election draws closer, the tired old tropes about “keeping the lights on” and “reliable, affordable supply” are being bandied about. When even the coal generators themselves have a more realistic stance than the Federal Government on the energy transition, it raises the question - will the electorate buy the scaremongering this time around?\n\nIn another grim repetition of recent history, a coalition of former emergency chiefs has dubbed the Morrison Government’s failure to heed warnings ahead of the mega-floods as “the Black Summer all over again.”\n\nAs the saying goes, those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. Unfortunately for Australians, it’s the rest of us who pay the price for our government’s poor memory." --- [![Greenpeace](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/hs-fs/hubfs/GPAP-Master-Logo-Green-RGB_Web-1.png?width=2259&height=348&name=GPAP-Master-Logo-Green-RGB_Web-1.png "Greenpeace")](https://www.greenpeace.org.au) [![Canopy Logo](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/hubfs/raw_assets/public/gpap-main-theme/images/the-canopy/the-canopy-logo.png)](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy) The Canopy is a weekday morning email newsletter provided by the team at Greenpeace Australia Pacific. # Morrison Government fails to read writing on the wall on climate mitigation and disaster response Monday, 14 March 2022 As the election draws closer, the tired old tropes about “keeping the lights on” and “reliable, affordable supply” are being bandied about. When even the coal generators themselves have a more realistic stance than the Federal Government on the energy transition, it raises the question - will the electorate buy the scaremongering this time around? In another grim repetition of recent history, a coalition of former emergency chiefs has dubbed the Morrison Government’s failure to heed warnings ahead of the mega-floods as “the Black Summer all over again.” As the saying  goes, those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. Unfortunately for Australians, it's the rest of us who pay the price for our government’s poor memory. [Why coal is an each-way bet for a government that both backs and undermines it ahead of federal election](http://link.newsletter.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=76fKcEeh4PVItpSA9Cs-2FOEMGnd77r-2F-2FG-2BxtUbsljffpOmNl6jT-2BkMchtskQWQbf-2Bjq05Yvir-2FGufDy8WoRaciYfb2NaXhpm3SjG6PJgbdHdn1jp3x3tsgDOtzx4hDfEwLjqY2T8cpfiwTFjx2n9Q9QjRC0LU0ProsSmNx74ua9yJ5RLLkrTc4-2FspkeKyQUoDBEYK7qHPedFPmu-2Ful-2FnSly42WGoMmeDYlE2qwlZeYKD8-2FwYjjtswEM7QwO9aQA6jpFrm54a93OFZz8znOoYIQTuK-2BfVOhhnC98PrHcLEulwRe2XAZQ59RTILzet1DM45YfXO2J-2FwUE-2F6V9H-2BMtKeCDWVJXDJQ92Vp45-2BvR3wG6GUJ0T9impOceM9BbLxfTK4pD8if0vPqnxyaaLWLVxM62xo5eoYNfGV2aNrBmC7ghGfglojT2zitiB1yfH97laYqPOnVT9nGgHUyywiS2Z0xGsXg5icOJOER8UIpTNzqbVskD7ikh47sDaSUo1y9lO3P51WKf2fZRugsS3g9ipJTydOl8g00BKULYZ0iC-2Bd8SHkzdyYMksdlTXfJzUJIERLnaJw5VlTmuwg3ZVQRyHinsFKmlmQOeevIa-2BpyeQ0gV-2BMH0pDQgIiIslPxijlEbbE6D-2BqZT9HUQqMRPPmAcOY3Q6ahfZGJPWdu1qhTylbSRVr-2FfbLlG4yy6gs1aMmGk8n-2FQ1FwOCEuTTkNEp8rAJZ8qdmvWryyx3b4asbqtgj5Hj3cE5Qn5gq039-2BcGRT-2BbgmuRmws7grUCowUiF9ipwLxA-3D-3DflX9_phcJM9ByNNX6Qh3ejjqXmun6IAaDhqC7v9tBWdyDVwHBJNIpiovf9GVZzDamNCgxfLw27GXvnBPsL7GgH8wMQOJ7ud6wSc3wy5GgKWwyC2fEmeOb3ri67PJFKBuPOpQorJpkWIQOwSTZ6NOx-2BuA-2F4ERKNX72B9lNXf7ICS-2FMlR4c6MscCXhyOm3l462z4WuuiTcy0OPV-2FFbh4DkfjkOkt1o0rtJZQHmFNcuFVUZXIuXOZ7inRmDY0niV3hWvxVWjHXYrKhBC0VoGoNXxc-2BX1zN5D-2Fp2a-2FS9FxWkw55HeLfll5xNetNUs49VkdyBVww2J49fE5qrxxHXW6SkPRum5WVZXAQYKo-2BvRD8H9cDxozcnKKYeSRN-2BGHA-2BZqYmTIktV)With a federal election likely to be called sometime in the next fortnight, keeping the lights on once again is destined to become a major swing vote issue, writes Ian Verrender. [Green tech's mining boom with the 'new coal'](http://link.newsletter.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=76fKcEeh4PVItpSA9Cs-2FOEMGnd77r-2F-2FG-2BxtUbsljffpOmNl6jT-2BkMchtskQWQbf-2Bjq05Yvir-2FGufDy8WoRacibOksuiA6D0kk9e6RXOQZRgnvaxXAMK8RLNOzG1og-2BFm-2Bh7s21IbT1rDs1OpWILdz4GBt7VhPJQm-2FBJvpTP5i3-2BlIYs2Xx2p8t6m0-2FoyEFfVtZzTwVL4tTX9GsLzizA5gIRIKwwqaFaYA37e-2FF12uzpwQgrF6I5byzvCix3dcbEJ0PjuSTgruVSli7bz0dfLEOoTUNb5g672vbR91zmbzyYODv8OzgDRZBqSdwS752NHA0UYQjAZH97Gp1pmebp86NK3Zw8j7Z-2FI6oGTYv05v49DmY0ngQf-2FEmxUXhrYoplWKFNrAwF0cx-2B77CT9ehanh2eQfXElooimAHGPVfzWN-2FKeOz2S1FMHm9VQqgOHc7ktXQdHM0cC0sncyEP0BhU-2FX92bSocbDmGpp-2FVwanjCnXFtrZFlOUjf6KiC1ShOgr7Cd1EAVV4TsYVsYtLq-2BopL5EXpuIyk3I7H-2Be22nYgzGlma2hTdqxh0-2FMtu7Fib1vpEztZSn8V7GxQczY2ryRxf1v-2BX0Pt-2FWVNv6aedF3KfEfP769v4iT7ILfSnZFB7VsXC82GH-2FI0u1RlO0wxhjTjxovLLsKbgB8lJO5AetptW5hHS7-2FsVbO9AjD6HjfgRzF4v3-2FGhGlSjnujCzpsbsSledObPZnqvvYFVo240govNBg7IyLZbZSey2xtE8-2BvenxXEuzfx_phcJM9ByNNX6Qh3ejjqXmun6IAaDhqC7v9tBWdyDVwHBJNIpiovf9GVZzDamNCgxfLw27GXvnBPsL7GgH8wMQOJ7ud6wSc3wy5GgKWwyC2fEmeOb3ri67PJFKBuPOpQorJpkWIQOwSTZ6NOx-2BuA-2F4ERKNX72B9lNXf7ICS-2FMlR4c6MscCXhyOm3l462z4WuuiTcy0OPV-2FFbh4DkfjkOktwSjBBbFbMh4-2BVlX9ZeKyk-2FmzEFFxl8p-2BID3W2PDDIB6XVeddjcLJrBhQIqn77E62Bdk5bEwSW28FohY7z5014SYZGSxfKFh2Dx1EB9FWmeH-2Fy0fvMY9wqwdUwJ5HrTblyE6z2DmSWsKQ7-2BHOPVyuZ-2FWk1SeGqKv9PHnS1OJmBCZ)Mining for metals and rare earth elements will be a crucial part of a renewable energy future despite the environmental risks, University of Newcastle experts say. [In Queensland’s food bowl, farmers fear the gas bores from next door](https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/mar/13/in-queenslands-food-bowl-farmers-fear-the-gas-bores-from-next-door)Tension between agriculture and resources is bubbling over as farmers seek urgent clarity on who owns the ground beneath their properties. [Flood disaster response is Black Summer all over again, ex-fire and emergency chiefs say](http://link.newsletter.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=76fKcEeh4PVItpSA9Cs-2FOEMGnd77r-2F-2FG-2BxtUbsljffpOmNl6jT-2BkMchtskQWQbf-2Bjq05Yvir-2FGufDy8WoRaciYmTQOrGSWorxAc11CuYB-2BvfS3bXnXlSU0ihbiFq6P6lWT2yNNPu-2BqE1fDVUjMeKFXIsvqacI-2FJajscAlzY-2BgLSuIacUBL0RaCBcj8RYO87RCjVVK9MKmdrwMGO-2BJaJx-2B3gYTyFtpXQayrAv9JS32oLthZOCtIYvn9u91QgvB-2BpRWxjoZz6xQ9nRZbvULdbTmLLmlOs9Ko3vakEdCx0X-2FNS1OJOCUk5xhicnSn6xAjPcyRy74RiLvmunhYbSilvSdMGkvuYYvF-2FmJnmKXRLmmzbnuwOwb5z9vz3Aqmy5iFWU-2FhPLyjV-2FZ8aF4BF8S-2BcoOQ1O25NeqHAvw642EgPAEoNuH0PGqEvNJLPcgFiUrHfG7WQMAXSajryrp15NhAhBVI0TtKOt3jdO28c749o8bWjAlCwBQxSaqjhyz74ZnkV64mWAasKpaZiVmdoCX4gK5emARdWnlCqij6tzeYAzJ66fdmU3nJSR52Pgwa1PVDIMtHx5bZ23U-2FV18Y3-2BwEGXI1p6JruvFsZYk1lRiIb6euuAqlFcVcesaS-2Be1CwKE9uvHzeb2DXeGpVbPAsEEvh8D0TmRaUauGodtt-2BS-2BevJpLIfx3ADFuozN3LSSCNKX9JQCOuN7MD1mjie7Z6pcZOgDmwq0LK0u3Mil-2F5NRG3cGpUL6XLIs6dqEptbFUWgQ6n3oM89fN7hox3azllY06Udf9Z-2BUOEgGfBX5pMuCZGdzrc-3DDj-q_phcJM9ByNNX6Qh3ejjqXmun6IAaDhqC7v9tBWdyDVwHBJNIpiovf9GVZzDamNCgxfLw27GXvnBPsL7GgH8wMQOJ7ud6wSc3wy5GgKWwyC2fEmeOb3ri67PJFKBuPOpQorJpkWIQOwSTZ6NOx-2BuA-2F4ERKNX72B9lNXf7ICS-2FMlR4c6MscCXhyOm3l462z4WuuiTcy0OPV-2FFbh4DkfjkOkt9YT3bddPKZqgJS-2BJcwg-2FySzCvAskzCKSvsnY6n9Z2WD2520ExF04Rki7nzJBv8drrniRErR3vN3V6fNEQ-2BhZd0m-2BAH1heLP5OZmxELNydoygZt5mD-2FU9-2F-2F-2Bb17AFPbib-2Bpz4nDnIHARunZdRh5NZ41kmLDjLM10vus8LP4dFMq1)A coalition of ex-fire and emergency services chiefs has accused the federal government of "fumbling" the east coast flood crisis, repeating the mistakes of Black Summer by failing to heed warnings in the months before disaster struck. 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