Blog Archives

October - Alan Finkle's recipe for moving Australia to a renewable energy future and Twiggy Forrest on the impact of rising humidity for human (and other animal) existence

31/10/2023

The sustainability group in October had one session where we examined what a previous chief scientist of Australia (Alan Finkle) thinks is the recipe for moving Australia to a renewable energy future. This was off the back of a thought-provoking book he published this year. It’s clear we are not moving fast enough to achieve the national targets.

Our second session was dominated by a video that Bev introduced. It was Twiggy Forest addressing world business leaders warning of a little discussed aspect of global warming – lethal humidity. Rising humidity may lead to areas of earth unsustainable for human (and other animal) existence. It was a sobering presentation. (Link: https://youtu.be/kigyFOj7HUw?si=IOUxXSjkFvYNOvQ )

John Lane

October 20 ... 'Member's Choice Session' resources...

20/10/2023

From John -
NS 16 Sept – Prairie Power - Link

NS 7 Oct 23 – Can China Turn the world green? -  Link

The Conversation 16 Oct 23 – A fair energy transition -  Link

The Conversation 17 Oct 23 – Hammer-head shark aggregations off Perth -  Link

The Conversation 17 Oct 23 – Cloud brightening to cool the sea (video below) -  Link

From Bev - 'I follow Peter Sainsbury who writes on the environment for John Menadue's 'Pearls and Irritations' website. In an article 'Environment: Andrew Forrest’s climate message to Biden, Modi and Xi'. (September 10, 2023) suggests...

"If you’ve got 24 minutes, I strongly recommend watching Andrew Forrest’s speech at the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference in Perth last week. Until the last seven minutes, it’s not so much what he says about global warming as the fact that Forrest is saying it, and he is clearly addressing himself to the leaders of the world’s most powerful governments, with whom he suggests he has good relations."...

"...Forrest opens by discussing the near-impossibility of avoiding warming of at least 1.5oC and that it will happen this decade. He then describes the human consequences, principally the deaths that are already occurring and the millions more that will inevitably occur soon as a result of lethal humidity (‘the next global pandemic’). He is at pains to emphasise that he is a scientist and that what he is saying is backed up by the best science.

While Forrest is extremely concerned about the future, he doesn’t think it is too late to avert a complete disaster. He is clear about the cause of the problem and what needs to happen:

Global warming is caused by ‘business’: ‘It’s business that will kill your children. It’s business that is responsible for lethal humidity. But it’s policies which guide business. You must hold us to account’;
Governments must:
- Match policy settings to risk immediately
- Develop policies to guide ‘business’
- Take down all barriers to green energy manufacturing
- Abolish fossil fuel subsidies.

In particular, the governments of China, the USA and India, who all fully understand the magnitude of the risks posed by global warming, must put aside their geopolitical struggles and establish a ‘Green Armistice’ to ‘put a handbrake not on our survival but on that which is killing us, global warming’. Forrest explicitly identifies Biden, Modi and Xi as the people responsible for getting the ball rolling and suggests that they ‘announce the intention to render illegal any action which would prevent mitigation of global warming’.

Forrest has a very clear message for the governments of the world: ‘You must hold us to account. Business guided by government will either save or destroy this planet. Hold us to account. The power of you. Make us change. That’s all I’m asking you to do. Make us change.’

Stock & Land

Sustainability (& Stock and Land)

Full sustainability is only achieved when our society achieves this in three spheres of our activity: Social, Economic and Environmental. Sustainability in each of these three spheres is far from being achieved. This has become the concern of governments and ordinary people world-wide and has resulted in many questions about the sustainability of our present lifestyle.

This course aims to explore topics such as global warming and climate change, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, clean energy options, the challenge associated with population change, sustainable agricultural practices, water use, natural resource use, energy efficient building design, improving the social condition of people, wealth distribution and various economic issues. No prior knowledge of these topics is required, just a general interest in the issues around sustainability.

Note: In 2026 the Sustainability Group will continue to be combined with the Stock and Land Group. Some sessions will be devoted to Stock and Land issues.

Convenors and contact details

John Lane
0474 936 460

Meeting Times

1st and 3rd Friday
10 am to 12 midday
U3A Meeting Room 1

Convenor 2008-2021

John Lloyd - Thank you John!

Local Links

Benalla Sustainable Future Group:

Renewable Energy Benalla - website