"Net zero 2050" is a deadly scam justifying fossil fuel use way past 2050. It is not to be celebrated.

by David Spratt

DOWNLOAD Briefing Paper: Net zero 2050 is a dangerous illusion

Should the Australia Government be congratulated for finally, and in a completely empty manner, saying it supports a "Net zero 2050" climate target?

The answer is no, because as RenewEconomy put it today, the government's announcement is “A joke" Morrison’s net zero plan has net zero detail, and no change to policies."

Writing for RenewEconomy some weeks ago, Ketan Joshi declared that the Murdoch media empire "hasn’t seen the light on climate – they’re just updating their tactics". And the tactic of doing a 180-degree climate back-flip and with a straight face supporting "Net zero 2050" (NZ2050) is two-fold: to smooth the climate path for Prime Minister Morrison as an aid to his reelection chances; and to be on the winner's side when the architects of climate procrastination have their way in Glasgow in November.

Security leaders on Glasgow COP26: Water shortfalls mean we can’t wait for 2050

 by Chris Barrie and Ian Dunlop, first published at The Australian

[Reproduced with permission of the authors]

Net-zero emissions by 2050 will be sold as the success story of the Glasgow climate conference next month, but this may be at the expense of commitments for deep emissions cuts this decade that are of primary importance in preserving human and global security.

The problem is that 2050 is too far away and an excuse for procrastination. The chief executive of a large financial institution recently was reported as saying it was “easy for bosses to commit their companies to net-zero carbon emissions because it was ‘next, next, next, next management’s problem’”. Ditto politicians.In reality, what the world does in the short term matters most, especially when it comes to maintaining human and global security, based on water and food security, in a climate-disrupted world. 

From dust to dust

 Today's blog is  a guest post from filmmaker James Bartlett, who is looking for support for a short climate film, From dust to dust. 

Australia has long been dragging its feet on the global stage in our obligation to dramatically reduce our carbon footprint to zero. As the efforts of other nations begin to dwarf our own, it has become painfully clear that our elected government cares little about the impacts of climate change. What are the implications of this ambivalence and where are we heading?

From Dust to Dust is a third-year-graduation project by students at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School (AFTRS) that explores these issues. This 12-minute drama, with elements of absurdity and black comedy, takes place in a near future; an environment that is barely habitable after decades of abuse and ignorance. Small towns are suffering the effects of the climate crisis, where fresh water has become increasingly difficult to attain. For some rural areas of Australia, this is already a reality.