Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Pat Simons @patsimons.bsky.social · 4h

John Quiggin argues Australia needs a strategic vision for mining and steelmaking after string of bailouts for highly profitable companies www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

If government bailouts of miners and steelmakers are the new normal, Australia needs a better strategic vision | John Quiggin for The Conversation

It is one thing to abandon the dogmas of neoliberalism. It is quite another to develop a coherent alternative

www.theguardian.com

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Pat Simons @patsimons.bsky.social · 8h

I'm pretty sure we can all understand Lidia Thorpe was speaking using a metaphor www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10...

AFP probes Lidia Thorpe's 'burn down Parliament House' remark

The Australian Federal Police has issued a rare statement confirming it is investigating whether independent senator Lidia Thorpe broke any laws by saying she was prepared to "burn down Parliament Hou...

www.abc.net.au

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Friends of the Earth Australia @foe.org.au · 17h

This is a big week for Treaty in Victoria, with the state-wide Treaty being debated in the Victorian Parliament from Tuesday morning.

This a key time for ally organisations to activate in support of Treaty.

www.melbournefoe.org.au/treaty_debat...

Treaty debate this week

Mobilise! Resist! Transform!

www.melbournefoe.org.au

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Dave Earley @earleyedition.bsky.social · 3d

An Australian woman who has not agreed to sign a waiver acknowledging she sought to 'illegally break Israel’s naval blockade' on Gaza will be “indefinitely detained” in Israel’s Ketziot prison unless she agrees to sign the waiver.

Australian woman on pro-Palestinian aid flotilla will be ‘indefinitely detained’ by Israel unless she signs waiver

Madeleine Habib, who captained the Conscience ship, was arrested by Israeli forces on 8 October and detained in Israel’s Ketziot prison

www.theguardian.com

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Alleen Brown @alleenbrown.bsky.social · 3d

An anti-protest law in Australia that was first used to go after climate activists is being used to go after pro-Palestine protesters

7news.com.au/news/south-a...

Pro-Palestine protesters locked up under strict ‘draconian’ laws

Protesters may have to miss national rallies under strict bail conditions.

7news.com.au

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Ben Eltham @beneltham.bsky.social · 3d

I see America is now at the “dissident professors fleeing the regime” stage

Mark Bray @mark-bray.bsky.social · 3d

Our plane to Spain is in the air!

🙌🙌

Thank you so much to the countless people supporting us in every way and in particular all of the Rutgers students and faculty who have supported us every step of the way.

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Guardian Australia @australia.theguardian.com · 3d

Former Wallabies star David Pocock booted from parliamentary sports club

Exclusive: Senator accused of bringing social club into disrepute after raising concerns about its association with betting lobby Independent ACT senator David Pocock – a former Wallabies captain – been banned from attending parliament house’s social sports club after raising concern about its sponsorship by the gambling industry. The former rugby star was on Thursday night told he was no longer welcome at Australian Parliament Sports Club events, and accused of politicising the organisation. He has been removed from group chats discussing its events. Continue reading...

www.theguardian.com

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Friends of the Earth Australia @foe.org.au · 3d

As oil & gas production in the Bass Strait winds down, what will happen to rig infrastructure?
Owners ExxonMobil Australia & Woodside (the Joint Venture), are legally obliged to remove them but a clause buried in the guidelines might offer them a way out.

www.melbournefoe.org.au/rigs_to_reef...

Abandoned rigs: helpful habitat or cynical spin?

Mobilise! Resist! Transform!

www.melbournefoe.org.au

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Pat Simons @patsimons.bsky.social · 4d

You haven't signed up yet? Everybody's doing it!

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The Australia Institute @australiainstitute.org.au · 4d

Steel and aluminium manufacturers are feeling the effects of high gas prices driven up by exports.

Australia Institute research shows gas exports have TRIPLED Aus gas prices and DOUBLED electricity prices.

📺 Deputy Director Ebony Bennett on ABC News Breakfast
@ebonybennett.bsky.social #auspol

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Pat Simons @patsimons.bsky.social · 4d

@smartenergycouncil.bsky.social CEO John Grimes says China has decarbonised its grid as quickly as Australia despite facing a much more difficult task due to its massive energy needs "They have clear targets and every part of their government is harnessed to deliver the plan," he said.

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Pat Simons @patsimons.bsky.social · 4d

China is installing the wind and solar equivalent of five large nuclear power stations every week shows new research by Climate Energy Finance. The rest of the world must learn from China's incredible doubling down on clean energy. www.abc.net.au/news/science...

'Winning the race': How China plans to meet its 2030 renewables target by the end of this month

While Australia debates the merits of going nuclear and frustration grows over the slower-than-needed switch to solar and wind power, China's renewables rollout is breaking all the records.

www.abc.net.au

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Jill Blake @biscuitkitten.bsky.social · 4d

“the girlfriend of one of the founders of antifa”

Ingrid Bergman as Ilsa Lund in Casablanca

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The Australia Institute @australiainstitute.org.au · 4d

Our gas expert and Principal Advisor @markogge.bsky.social joins this webinar next week to talk about LNG expansion, tune in if you can!

International Institute for Sustainable Development @iisd.org · 4d

What does #LNG expansion mean for Canadian households & businesses?

Join experts from @americanprogress.bsky.social,
@australiainstitute.org.au, & @pembina.org as they share insights from the U.S. & Australia + how these cases can inform Canadian policy.

Register: www.iisd.org/events/econo...

Webinar. Economic Risks of Canada's LNG Expansion: Case studies from Australia and the U.S. Tuesday, October 14, 2025. 4:00 p.m. Ottawa. 10:00 p.m. Geneva. Speakers: Ian Sanderson, Pembina Institute; Mark Ogge, Australia Institute; and Shannon Baker-Branstetter, Center for American Progress.

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Fahad Ali @fahad-s-ali.bsky.social · 4d

Palestine Action Group has lost the legal challenge over this Sunday’s march. This does not mean the march is prohibited — it means that it will not have immunity for eg. obstructing traffic.

They should march to the Opera House anyway. Minns made it a symbol, so we should too.

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Pat Simons @patsimons.bsky.social · 4d

Renewables are now outpacing coal globally as China massively ramps up wind and solar, and exports technology to the global south. It's in the US and Europe where progress is slowing theconversation.com/renewables-h...

Renewables have now passed coal globally – and growth is fastest in countries like Bhutan and Nepal

Even as clean energy progress slows in the US and EU, developing nations such as Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the Maldives are surging ahead.

theconversation.com

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Pat Simons @patsimons.bsky.social · 5d

Australia is sinking billions into bailing out refineries and smelters. Money that could be spent putting these facilities in public hands and transforming them to cut emissions www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10...

Why more metals facilities could put their hands up for a bailout

The bailout of another metals facility — this time in Queensland — is unlikely to be the last, with pressures on the sector driven by China to keep up for years.

www.abc.net.au

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Pat Simons @patsimons.bsky.social · 5d

ACT government's 100% renewables policy is receiving income from its wind projects, protecting consumers in Canberra from high fossil fuel prices reneweconomy.com.au/act-went-fir...

reneweconomy.com.au

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Albert Pinto @70sbachchan.bsky.social · 21d

As the US withdraws from green tech industries & pressures its allies to follow suit,Chinese firms are stepping in to power the whole world’s green transition
I interview Mathias Larsen, lead author of our new Hopkins report. A BRI 2.0
www.phenomenalworld.org/interviews/t...
bsky.app/profile/70sb...

Albert Pinto @70sbachchan.bsky.social · 29d

the amount of Chinese investment in green manufacturing plants around the developing world is mind boggling.
www.netzeropolicylab.com/china-green-...

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stranger @strangerous.bsky.social · 13d

Carly Lubicz-Zaorski uses Gina Rinehart as an example of why we need greater disclosure laws on who funds Anti Climate groups such as Advance & the IPA, after we only found out Rinehart funds the IPA bcoz it was revealed in court
Michelle Ananda-Rajah “2.3 million?”😳(in 1 year) #Estimates

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Yes2Renewables @yes2renewables.bsky.social · 5d

GOOD NEWS: Hybrid solar battery project approved in NSW despite planning objections hundreds of kilometres away. This is a pattern delaying renewables across the country, good to see it beaten here

reneweconomy.com.au/biggest-sola...

reneweconomy.com.au

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Renew Economy @reneweconomy.com.au · 5d

The biggest solar-battery hybrid project in NSW gets planning approval from IPC after being the target of a number of long-distance objectors.

reneweconomy.com.au

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climatecouncil.org.au @climatecouncil.org.au · 5d

Wondering why you're coming across so much negative commentary about renewable energy and climate change lately? Read about 'the playbook': https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/oct/07/media-political-attacks-australia-emissions-target-climate-obstruction-playbook-newscorp-business-council

Media and political attacks on Australia’s emissions targets ‘straight out of the climate obstruction playbook’, expert says

Prof Christian Downie points to the Business Council of Australia and News Corp newspapers as examples of deliberate obs

www.theguardian.com

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Tom Haddon @tomh-analyst.bsky.social · 6d

Number 2:

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Global renewable energy generation surpasses coal for first time

Record solar expansion and steady wind growth driving world’s shift away from fossil fuels in 2025, report finds

www.theguardian.com

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Ketan Joshi @ketanjoshi.co · 6d

A complete flip of the usual pattern we see in these updates - China's and India's emissions fell, and EU and US emissions increased.....

ember-energy.org/latest-insig...

@ember-energy.org

Global CO2 emissions plateau
Global CO2 emissions from the power sector fell marginally by 12 MtCO2 (-0.2%) to 6,963 MtCO2 in the first half of 2025. The decline was possible because solar and wind power exceeded demand growth and led to a slight fall in fossil fuel use. Without solar and wind growth, emissions would have risen by an estimated 236 MtCO2 (+3.9%) globally, which is equivalent to almost all emissions (251 MtCO2) from Africa in H1-2025.

At the country level, there was significant variation. Among the four economies that account for the majority of global emissions (64%), emissions fell in China (-46 MtCO2, -1.7%) and India (-24 MtCO2, -3.6%), as clean electricity outpaced growth in demand in those countries.

In contrast, emissions rose in the EU (+13 MtCO2, +4.8%), where strong growth in solar was outweighed by shortfalls in wind, hydro and bioenergy, leading to higher gas and coal generation. Emissions also rose in the US (+33 MtCO2, +4.3%), as clean electricity growth was smaller than demand growth, leading to an increase in coal generation, which was exacerbated by gas-to-coal switching.

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