The Green Canary Podcast

Holiday six-pack

Mon, 28 Nov 2022 08:49:21 GMT

Settle back on the couch with a six-pack. No, not beer. A six-pack of stories! In our final episode for 2022, Ant and Elfy run you through their pick of the big green news stories of 2022. Some were major stories, some got a lot less airplay. Some were Australian, some were from overseas. But all of them gave real depth and insight to what was going on in the environmental arena. We hope you enjoy this recap as much as we enjoyed bringing you the green-themed news this year. Thanks and happy holidays to all our loyal listeners!

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'COPtimism'

Mon, 21 Nov 2022 07:26:32 GMT

We got there. It didn't look likely at the halfway point, but COP27 finally delivered an international fund to pay for the “loss and damage” which developing nations suffer as a result of climate change. What else was achieved? This week's guest Peter Newman (Distinguished Professor of Sustainability at Curtin University) was in Egypt, and he explains how a few rogue fossil fuel players won a small battle or two, but why they're starting to lose the war. Also this week: punishing plastic polluters, the problem with pet food, and plenty more!

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Hypocrisy in plane sight

Mon, 14 Nov 2022 10:58:11 GMT

When are we going to get serious about cutting down on air travel? And why have 1000 aviation industry heavies jetted into Melbourne this week? Alex Mungall from Flight Free Australia joins us to tell us what's going down, and explains why his group will be protesting the Melbourne event. Also this week, the latest from COP27, our provocative solution to a failed plastics recycling scheme, and guess who got arrested again? All that and more on The Canary!

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Taken for fossil fools

Mon, 07 Nov 2022 07:57:18 GMT

We're not lawyers or tax accountants, so we can't explain the intricacies of how dozens of Australia's largest fossil fuel companies manage to pay no tax. But we know someone who gets this stuff, so we asked him. In more upbeat news this week, we speak to the head of a grassroots activists group that had a massive win against state-owned logger VicForests. We also invent a new term called a "glitcher"! What's a glitcher – and do you happen to be one? All is revealed in this week's ep!

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COP This!

Mon, 31 Oct 2022 10:22:16 GMT

Can you believe it's been a year and 50 episodes since The Green Canary launched during COP26 in Glasgow? So what can we expect from the global climate talkfest this time around? We tell you what's on the menu. Also this week, the UN has a new climate report and it ain't good news, but there's one thing that did make us smile, and that's the hefty fine dished out to a company for greenwashing. Cop THAT! All that and plenty more on The Canary!

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Exploding a BoMshell

Mon, 24 Oct 2022 07:45:05 GMT

It was a public relations disaster. A mistimed, mismanaged marketing mishap that had Australians cringing and laughing in equal amounts. Why is it a green news story? Because in the fallout from the ill-advised and ill-timed BoM's rebranding exercise we've learned that our national weather agency ain't all we'd like it to be from a climate perspective. Also this week: Australia's EV uptake is increasingly (but slowly). We're rewiring the grid (hopefully a little quicker). Plus there's a special interview with Murray-Darling Basin ecologist Matt Herring. When is water too much water? Will these floods eventually do more good than harm? All that and more on The Canary!

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The beef over BBQs

Mon, 17 Oct 2022 08:10:05 GMT

They're coming for the great Aussie barbie! No more snags! No more steaks! Noooooo! Yes, the Nationals are up to their old tricks, running a scare campaign that BBQs will be no more if the Albanese govt signs up to the Global Methane Pledge. Guess what? To use a cow-related phrase, "it's bullshit!" How do we know? Because in this week's pod we interviewed a beef farmer who's cutting methane while keeping his herd thriving, that's how. Also this week, netball says no to Gina Rinehart's climate denialism, and why even well-watered lawns aren't so green. All that and more on The Canary!

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Used car salesmen save the world!

Tue, 11 Oct 2022 00:28:55 GMT

Do you despair at the price of electric vehicles? Despair no more, friends, because a group of Tassie environmental scientists have launched affordable, reliable electric vehicles to the Australian market. Yes, the Good Car company is here to save the world, and your hip pocket, supported to the tune of $10m by Boundless – a philanthropic foundation backed by Mike Cannon-Brookes – and we speak to them on the pod. Also this week, more wild weather, a new fight in Kosciuszko National Park, a better way to spend fossil fuel subsidies, plus a whole lot more, including the amazing green power of worm spit. Yes, worm spit. Only on The Canary!

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Feral peril

Tue, 04 Oct 2022 05:21:53 GMT

No more native animal extinctions. None. That's the word from Fed Enviro Minister Tanya Plibersek who launched her Zero Extinction Target in the govt's Threatened Species Action Plan. Can they really pull this off? How many damned feral cats are out there anyway? This week's interview guest reveals all. Oh, speaking of ferals, sometimes it's hard to tell between the feral people and the feral animals as our own Ant Sharwood (author of The Brumby Wars) found out in recent clashes with brumby advocates. Also this week, our largest emitting industrial facility is closing early, Qld gets serious about renewables, blueberry blues, and plenty more!

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The world's most powerful climate denier?

Mon, 26 Sep 2022 12:55:17 GMT

David Malpass has served as president of the World Bank since 2019 and was a former economic advisor to Donald Trump. Indeed, the Trump administration nominated him for his World Bank role. So what happened this week when he was asked if he accepts basic climate science? Let's just say it wasn't what you'd want someone in his role to say. Also this week, we're talking about islanders crying out in different ways for climate justice – from Vanuatu to the Torres Strait. And would you like to invest your money somewhere clean, green and ethical? Well, we might just have found the app for you... All that and more on The Canary!

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A toothless tiger finally gets teeth

Mon, 19 Sep 2022 11:24:51 GMT

The nightmare is over. The body charged with providing expert climate change advice to the Australian government will at last do exactly that. So how did the Climate Change Authority veer so far off track? And what just changed to fix it? We've got the full lowdown. Also this week, we reveal the extraordinarily large sum of money that renewables could save on a worldwide scale. We've also got the shocking results of a new survey into people's attitudes about the direct threat of climate change, plus there's good, bad and sludgy news on the Australian environmental front. All that and more on The Canary!

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It's not easy being a green king

Mon, 12 Sep 2022 12:17:27 GMT

Several days after the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, pretty much everyone but the staunchest monarchist has had enough of the 24/7 media coverage. But we can't move on quite yet without discussing the green king. Yes, King Charles III is the first avid environmentalist to bear the title of Australia's official head of state. So does this mean great things for global action on issues like climate change, sustainability and biodiversity? Or is Charles going to retreat inside his green shell? Also this week, how a bunch of bushfire survivors totally changed the game for emissions reduction laws at a state government level. And is high-speed rail an expensive pipe dream or the answer to our transport woes? All that and plenty more on The Canary!

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A one in a million year flood

Mon, 05 Sep 2022 12:21:02 GMT

We've all noticed that the one-in-100 year floods in eastern Australia seem to be happening a lot more often than once every 100 years. But Pakistan's floods have been described as "epochal", meaning once in several million years. It's impossible to describe the amount of water that has inundated a third of a country which is the same size as the Australian state of New South Wales, killing more than a thousand people and displacing millions. There are of course unmissable climate signals behind this disaster, which Ant discusses with Elfy, in her return to the pod after a few weeks away. Also this week, we cover a fascinating debate between climate scientists, there's good and bad news in the oceans, a milestone in EVs in California, and Ant does his finest killer whale impersonation. Trust us, this is all in context!

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The climate honeymoon is over

Mon, 29 Aug 2022 08:54:38 GMT

It was all looking so promising. The emissions reduction bill that passed through the Lower House wasn't perfect, but it was a sign we were on the way to meaningful climate action. Then along came Resources Minister Madeleine King's green light for a swag of potential new offshore oil and gas projects. So can we trust this government on climate? And what about the government's decision to create a market for biodiversity: is that a move we should embrace? Away from politics, we've got a fascinating interview with a High Country volunteer firefighter on the tragic loss of snow gums in climate-fuelled summer bushfires, plus some much better news on penguins and platypuses. All that and more on The Canary!

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The coalface of climate change

Mon, 22 Aug 2022 09:34:37 GMT

Excuse the pun, but this week, we journey to the coalface of climate change. Where? Europe, that's where. Scientists believe that the current European summer is the driest in 500 years, with unprecedented heat and water shortages, as the great rivers of Europe literally dry up. It's just one reason why we need to accelerate the transition to clean, green energy and this week, we're also talking about that! Australia reached a solar power milestone last week, and we share the details. We've also got great news about sea horses in Sydney Harbour, while Ant absolutely tees off at golf authorities who won't let the general public share the green space of a Melbourne pubic course. That and loads more on The Canary!

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The great bin chicken debate

Mon, 15 Aug 2022 11:27:12 GMT

We've got plenty of big, serious issues delivered the chirpy Green Canary way this week. There's amazing news out of Canberra on emissions reduction, and a pathway for First Nations people to reap benefits from the renewable energy revolution. But there's one issue which we know will really fire you up, and that's bin chickens. Oops, we mean tip turkeys. No actually, we mean ibises! Yes, the great Australian urban hooverer-upper of all leftover Macca's burgers is in our spotlight, and this week's guest is their staunchest defender. Also this week: a sizzling comment on harsh new Victorian forest protester laws, and the senseless murder of a beautiful Norwegian walrus.

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America's climate triumph

Mon, 08 Aug 2022 09:38:32 GMT

It's a great day in the USA. America's climate bill was far from perfect, much like Australia's climate legislation with its moderate 43% emissions reduction target. But the $US430 billion bill just passed through the Senate, promising more than $300 billion in investments to tackle climate change and boost clean energy. So how did it happen? In a fascinating, lively chat, Associate Professor David Smith (who is jointly appointed between the US Studies Centre and the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Sydney) breaks it all down. Also this week, how the news of record coral growth on the Great Barrier Reef turned into climate denier propaganda, plus we've got some great news on our favourite pointy-faced little critter. All that and more on The Canary!

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The owls that might save Australia

Mon, 01 Aug 2022 08:17:15 GMT

In a landmark ruling which overturned a green light given by the previous environment minister Sussan Ley, a pristine portion of Tasmania's Tarkine temperate rainforest has been saved from a toxic tailings dam which Chinese-owned mining group MMG wanted to build. How did it happen? As the Bob Brown Foundation's Adam Burling tells us, it all started with citizen scientists who found rare masked owls living there. And now that discovery could lead to many more forests being saved, because of the legal precedent this case could set. Also this week: the new energy source making waves, the ongoing climate bill saga, and three environmentally catastrophic projects we hope they never complete. This week's ep is a real hoot!

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Super villains

Mon, 25 Jul 2022 09:56:02 GMT

So you thought you were investing your super somewhere green. Think again. There's a level of deceit in the superannuation industry that totally defies belief, as this week's guest Brett Morgan (from Market Forces) tells Ant and Elfy. Also this week, we discuss the bits of the State of the Environment Report that caught our eye, and weigh up what Tanya Plibersek got right and wrong in her National Press Club response to the report. There's also big news on EVs in the ACT, and snap! There's going to be a long overdue monitoring program in Queensland's most croc-infested river. All that and more on The Canary!

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Lock it in, get it rolling

Mon, 18 Jul 2022 08:59:43 GMT

Next week, the government will try to push through the modest 43% emissions reduction pledge it took to the election. Will it get through the senate? Should it get through? Greens leader Adam Bandt (and others) will doubtless try to toughen it, and perhaps even block it. But as the ACF's Climate and Energy Program Director Gavan McFadzean tells us, there are plenty of good reasons to start low, then aim high. Also this week: Yikes! The collapsing mountain glacier that caused an avalanche! And blimey! It's an unprecedented British heatwave! What does it all mean? Ant & Elfy are back together on The Canary this week to dissect all this and plenty more!

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Will The Kids Be Alright?

Mon, 11 Jul 2022 06:32:22 GMT

Elfy is by herself this week and very lonely without Ant! Luckily, she has an interview with the amazing Dr Sophie Lewis. They talk about Sophie's life as a climate researcher, parenthood during environmental disasters, and how to think about the future.

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A flood of fury

Mon, 04 Jul 2022 10:02:21 GMT

Were the protesters from Blockade Australia justified in blocking the Sydney Harbour Tunnel to promote their calls for urgent climate action? The results of our poll are in, and Ant and Elfy weigh up the results. Meanwhile, as if on cue, Sydney is flooding again, in what is clearly yet another example of extreme weather with strong links to the changing climate, according to the meteorologist we interviewed. Also this week, the EU is set to phase out fossil fuel cars by 2035, and there's great news about Australia's rarest marsupial which was once thought extinct but is now making a comeback. All that and more on The Canary!

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Emission: Impossible

Mon, 27 Jun 2022 12:37:10 GMT

You never know, this could just work. The Australian Conservation Foundation is taking Woodside to court over the proposed Scarborough gas development, arguing that its emissions will harm the Great Barrier Reef. Will they win? Well, here's the thing. As the ACF's Gavan McFadzean tells Elfy Scott, this is a tone-setter that aims to ensure all future projects are assessed not just under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, but on their contribution to climate change. Also this week, just how big is Australia's massive new solar farm going to be? And we get aquatic, with some good news on sharks and inland river fish. All that and more on The Canary!

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How 'fossil fuel mafia' screwed the east coast

Mon, 20 Jun 2022 11:04:43 GMT

When fossil fuel companies have gamed the system to the point where everyday Australians can't keep the lights on, it's time to get angry. When a decade of government policy has only encouraged them, it's time for some seriously colourful language. Enter this week's guest. Tim Buckley is Director of Climate Energy Finance and he doesn't mince his words when explaining the origins of last week's energy crisis. And just wait'll you hear his thoughts on Resources Minister Madeleine King's push to start drilling for gas in the pristine Pilliga forest in northern NSW. This hard-hitting episode will totally bring you up to speed on the last few weeks of energy news. Also this week, are polystyrene-chomping superworms the answer to plastic waste, or the plot of a new sci-fi film? Find out in this week's Green Canary!

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Hey, who turned out the lights?

Tue, 14 Jun 2022 07:51:32 GMT

Remember when the anti-renewables crowd told us the wind doesn't always blow and the sun doesn't always shine? Well, it turns out the fossil fuel doesn't always burn either, as this week's eastern Australian power outages have shown. So what's going on? Also this week, Ant and Elfy discuss the problems with nuclear energy in Australia, and we have a whale of a time celebrating the annual east coast humpback migration. All that and more on The Canary!

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Is Scarborough fair?

Tue, 07 Jun 2022 09:47:54 GMT

It has been described as a 'carbon bomb'. Over its lifetime, Woodside Energy's Scarborough-Pluto gas project in WA will emit almost 1.4 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases, which is three times Australia’s current annual emissions. Can we really reach Net Zero by 2050 with projects like this? Oh you betcha, said Prime Minister Albanese and his new Resources Minister, WA's Madeleine King, as they green-lit the project this week. But there's still time to challenge it, as Greenpeace's Clean Energy Transition Spokesperson Jess Panegyres tells Ant and Elfy. Also on the pod, why gas prices are spiking, the ultra-long todo list for our new Environment Minister, and some much-needed perspective on this freezing cold outbreak in south-eastern Australia. All that and more on The Canary!

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'Wow. A huge day for Australia'

Mon, 30 May 2022 07:49:44 GMT

Mike Cannon-Brookes, take a bow. The tech billionaire just took a giant step to prevent Australia's largest carbon emitter, AGL, from continuing along the same old dirty path. Then he tweeted, "Wow. A huge day for Australia." So how did it happen? How did AGL's demerger get derailed? Gas analyst Bruce Robertson breaks it all down. Also this week, Ant and Elfy explain who and what is really to blame for surging power prices, why Queensland's floods were bad news for sea turtles and dugongs, but why there's better news elsewhere for bilbies and quolls. All this and more on The Canary!

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'No more bald-faced nonsense'

Mon, 23 May 2022 11:06:50 GMT

The whole picture's different now. The new Australian government has a mandate to act on climate and massively boost the renewables sector. So what will serious climate action look like? How can we accelerate the push to net zero? What happens next now that there's "no more bald-faced nonsense about strong climate action by the Australian government" as our guest Professor Andrew Blakers (Director of the ANU Centre for Sustainable Energy Systems) describes the last few years? Also this week, the World Meteorological Organisation's alarming new State of the Climate report is a reminder why we need to get cracking. Plus when it comes to creating birds sanctuaries, those Kiwis are awesome as!

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The silver ballot

Mon, 16 May 2022 11:49:45 GMT

The 2022 federal election is almost upon us, and we're not telling you which candidate or party has a cure-all silver bullet. But in this special election-themed episode, we outline the case to support whichever party or candidate you feel can best ensure Australia's future as a renewable energy powerhouse, and as a meaningful contributor to mitigating human-caused climate change. We also discuss a key issue that has never previously been a factor in any state or federal election. But it's not all politics. We also meet a scary invasive species that squirts acid in your eyes... In other words, something even scarier than a politician! All that and plenty more on the Canary.

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A vicious blowback

Mon, 09 May 2022 10:54:31 GMT

Across Australia, we're witnessing a back-to-back barrage of bullying and belligerence against the so-called teal independent candidates. Not since three independents helped Julia Gillard form a minority government in 2010 have we seen such an attack on unaligned political figures. But is it working? Pollster, pundit and political expert Peter Lewis of Essential Media joins The Green Canary with his unique perspective and tells us why it might just be backfiring. Also this week, CO2 levels hit a new high, penguins hit a new low, and why the heck won't they let us see pictures of the reef bleaching?

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What chance a Kooyong coup?

Mon, 02 May 2022 09:03:04 GMT

He's cold on climate action, but Frydenberg isn't fried yet

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Is our fossil fuel future finished?

Tue, 26 Apr 2022 03:50:37 GMT

We all know there's no future in gas and coal from the point of view of meaningful action to reduce emissions. Turns out the economic case is foundering too. Two studies this week by experts in energy and economics paint a bleak economic picture for Australian coal and gas exports. Meanwhile in the election campaign, neither leader mentioned those two little words "climate change" in the first leaders' debate. Will we ever grow up enough as a country to have an adult discussion about our energy future? At least there's one good little piece of news about plastics on our beaches. All this and more on the Canary!

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Climate of Fear

Mon, 18 Apr 2022 04:15:45 GMT

Climate scientist, IPCC author and government advisor, Professor David Karoly, was for years positioned at the red hot molten core of Australian climate action. Or more accurately, inaction. Despite his best efforts through the Climate Change Authority and other roles, he saw meaningful Federal government action on climate crumble around him. On this special Easter Monday episode, Karoly gives his unique insider's perspective on why, in his words, "The Liberal-National Government, throughout its time in office, has been making choices that make global warming worse. And that has been to the great detriment of our country". Karoly's views present a stinging criticism of this government's almost nine years of climate procrastination and worse. But we're optimists here at The Green Canary, and towards the end of this week's episode, Karoly offers a ray of hope, no matter who wins office on May 21...

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A referendum on climate?

Mon, 11 Apr 2022 08:01:36 GMT

The PM claims the May 21 election is not about him. So what is it about? Elections are always partly about the performance of government, and always partly about voters' hip pocket. But since the last national poll, we've had the Black Summer and the east coast floods. More than ever before, Australians want meaningful action on climate change. Is that the key issue in the 2022 poll? And if so, what are the parties bringing to the table? Also this week, Ant and Elfy discuss a report that went missing, a report that kicks a tiny demographic up the backside, and we share some troubling news for those of you who hate funnel web spiders...

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A glaring omission

Mon, 04 Apr 2022 09:45:40 GMT

This was the chance. One last opportunity before the election for Josh Frydenberg and Scott Morrison to show Australians that their government is prioritising climate change initiatives and paving the way for investment in renewables. So what did we get in the budget? And how did Anthony Albanese's budget reply speech compare? Also this week, Twiggy's huge hydrogen deal, a bleaching event devastates WA's NIngaloo reef, and after Sydney's beaches disappeared under water on the weekend, Ant and Elfy ask a meteorologist whether that was a climate change thing too...

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What the dam hell are they thinking?

Mon, 28 Mar 2022 10:01:33 GMT

Is that the sound of an imminent election? When the Prime Minister allocates $5.4 billion to a dam in far north Queensland that has had no environmental impact statement, you know something's up! But will the Hells Gates Dam work? Will it be a disaster? Will it even be built? Ant and Elfy weigh up the arguments. Also this week: if a tree falls in a forest that was never planted, did anyone hear it? We help you get your ahead around the allegations that Australia's carbon credits scheme is a total sham. Plus we reveal what rhymes with "ScoMo, ScoMo, you can't hide..."

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Won't someone please think of the children...

Mon, 21 Mar 2022 10:02:53 GMT

Last week, the Federal Court overturned a landmark decision, arguing that Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley does NOT have a duty of care to protect young people from the effects of climate change harm when assessing fossil fuel projects. Were the kids disappointed? You bet. Will they give up the climate fight? No way! Anjali Sharma, who led the case against Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley, is one feisty teenager, as we find out when she chats to our own Elfy Scott. Also this week, Ant gets really mad about salmon farmers shooting seals and duck hunters shooting ducks. There's steam coming out of the studio!

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Left high and NOT dry

Mon, 14 Mar 2022 09:32:47 GMT

It's the smell of her home town that gets to Lismore flood survivor Eddie Lloyd. The smell of "diesel and death and rotting meat". Lloyd has many emotions right now, from anger to fear to grief, as we discover in her raw interview with The Green Canary's Ant Sharwood. Also this week, Mike Cannon-Brookes and Twiggy Forrest have big solar plans that could benefit all Aussies, especially Northern Territorians. And in not so positive news, one of our favourite Aussie birds has just been added to the threatened species list, and we're not feeling so chirpy about that. All this and more!

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Flood of evidence

Mon, 07 Mar 2022 09:08:44 GMT

We know that we've always had droughts and flooding rains, as Dorothea McKellar wrote in her famous poem, "My Country". But we also know that a warming atmosphere holds more moisture, which makes extreme flood events like we've seen this week in NSW and Qld both more likely and more intense when they happen. This week, Ant and Elfy discuss the meteorology and climate science behind the east coast big wet. They also speak to Harry Burkitt from Give a Dam about why raising Sydney's Warragamba Dam wall may not be such a great idea. And did you know that Australia has NO offshore wind turbines? Thankfully, that's about to change... All that and plenty more on The Green Canary!

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Why don't we have a plastics treaty?

Mon, 28 Feb 2022 10:47:21 GMT

We have legally binding climate change treaties. We have international conventions and agreements on air quality, water quality, nuclear safety and even noise pollution. So what about plastics? This week on The Green Canary, Ant and Elfy discuss the upcoming UN Environment Assembly, at which the framework for a global plastics treaty might finally be put on the table. There's also a twist in the Cannon-Brookes/AGL buyout saga, and those face masks we're all throwing away are now threatening a tiny Aussie icon!

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Eraring to go!

Mon, 21 Feb 2022 21:19:59 GMT

Whoa, what just happened there? Mike Cannon-Brookes almost bought AGL. Eraring Power Station is closing seven years early. As Ant Sharwood and Elfy Scott discuss this week, it feels like the green energy revolution is finally upon us. Also in this week's pod, in the wake of the tragic death of Sydney man Simon Nellist, we speak to an expert in shark deterrents about what works and what doesn't. Hint: nets generally do more harm than good. All this and more on The Canary!

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Blowin' in the wind

Mon, 14 Feb 2022 10:32:51 GMT

You wouldn't believe it listening to certain politicians, but wind, solar and hydro now account for five times more power in Australia's grid than gas. Indeed, new data just released shows that the contribution of gas to the national power grid dropped to its lowest levels in 15 years in 2021. Also this week, Ant Sharwood and Elfy Scott follow-up last week's koala convo with news that our favourite arboreal marsupial is now listed as endangered. On face value, it's bad news, but could the new conservation status mean increased protection? Penguins and manatees are on our minds this week too, and there's a lesson from Florida's manatees for every Australian!

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The great green cash splash!

Mon, 07 Feb 2022 10:54:49 GMT

Last week it was a billion dollars for the Great Barrier Reef. This week it's $50 million for koalas. The Morrison government is sending a strong signal to voters that that it will pay to protect our priceless natural treasures. But can any amount of money make a difference without addressing the underlying causes of environmental degradation? Also this week, Ant and Elfy break down the The Greens' plans for a moratorium on new fossil fuel projects in the event of a hung parliament. Plus we celebrate Pat Cummins, the Australian men's cricket captain whose green spirit is not just limited to his iconic baggy green cap!

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An icy reception

Mon, 31 Jan 2022 11:23:09 GMT

In a clear sign the Federal election can't be far off, the government has announced a billion-dollar Great Barrier Reef package. So why is one distinguished biology professor calling it "a Band-Aid on a broken leg"? Also this week, we're off to Beijing, where the Winter Olympics begin this Friday with not a single flake of real snow in sight.

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Wrecking ball or saviour?

Mon, 24 Jan 2022 10:04:05 GMT

Ahead of the 2018 Federal election, Energy Minister Angus Taylor described Labor's emissions-reduction plan (which was largely based on a 50% renewables target) as a "wrecking ball through the economy". So guess where the wrecking ball has swung? As the proportion of renewables contributing to Australia's electricity mix grows (it was 24% in 2020, up from 21% in 2019), average annual household power bills have dropped by $128! That's right, more renewables means lower power bills. Also this week, why sharks and penguins are finding themselves uncomfortably warm, and Elfy & Ant break out the wine words and discuss the "mouth feel" of Australia's purest water.

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Don't Look Up (at those really high temperatures)

Tue, 18 Jan 2022 00:39:31 GMT

Don't Look Up is a Netflix sensation. But did the astronomical metaphor for climate change hit the spot? Fresh from a nature recharge in Kosciuszko National Park and the waters of Jervis Bay, Ant and Elfy break down what worked and what didn't. And speaking of "up", we discuss the hand of climate change in last week's record-equalling extreme Australia temperatures. Plus we speak to the co-creator of a helpful new site that lets you track Australia's emissions (without government spin).

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Flooded with emotion

Fri, 31 Dec 2021 01:36:52 GMT

This is the good news story we all need to kick-start our 2022 with a strong tinge of optimism. We hear so much doom and gloom about the state of the Murray-Darling basin. But in December 2021, as the "Low Bidgee" wetlands of Australia's 2nd longest river, the Murrumbidgee, sprang to life after heavy La Niña rains, local ecologist Matt Herring took The Green Canary on a journey of renewal and hope. And it's not just the flooded wetlands which are a good news story. Matt presents a vision of hope for the future, as he details two decades of work alongside local farmers in the Murray-Darling basin helping them unleash the conservation potential of their private land.

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The Brumby Wars!

Sun, 26 Dec 2021 05:23:20 GMT

Of all the ongoing Australian environment battles, with two sides entrenched and unyielding, none are more bitter than The Brumby Wars. Wild horses are part of the history and post-colonial culture in the Australia High Country. But they're also trampling a unique landscape to death - a special, incredibly beautiful place with plants and animals found nowhere else in the world. Elfy Scott interviews the author of The Brumby Wars (published this year by Hachette Australia), The Green Canary's own Ant Sharwood. Enjoy!

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Logging off!

Tue, 21 Dec 2021 11:36:15 GMT

As most of us wrap up our work duties for the year, Elfy and Ant dissect the Victorian government's $100 million funding boost to workers and communities affected by the phase-out of native forest logging. Now that's two types of logging-off we can all look forward to! There's also a major coal report, a worrying reef bleaching prediction, and a major river name change. See you in early 2022!

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In a flap over moths!

Tue, 14 Dec 2021 09:22:25 GMT

It's often the little things that tell the biggest stories in the natural world. And this week, Elfy and Ant lament the addition of the iconic bogong moth to the endangered species list. There's also worrying news on carbon and trees, but better news on bees and EVs!

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Rewiring an election strategy

Mon, 06 Dec 2021 23:46:23 GMT

Elfy and Ant break down Labor's newly announced climate policy into easily digestible, bite-sized chunks. The policy comes with snappy titles like "Powering Australia" and "Rewiring the Nation". But will it recharge Labor's fortunes at the ballot box in 2022? Also this week, why heatwaves deserve names like cyclones, plus new research on how green spaces benefit us all in a surprising way!

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If a tree falls...

Wed, 01 Dec 2021 18:08:11 GMT

This week, Elfy Scott and Ant Sharwood discuss how majestic mountain ash is being turned into cardboard, how the federal government just turned states' rights on climate action to pulp, and how a green energy provider was gobbled up by Big Fossil Fuel. We also share the CSIRO's grim findings on the frequency and fierceness of bushfires. But it's not all bad news on The Green Canary. We've just found a great defence against mosquitoes, and it's better than insect repellent!

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Coal Wining

Tue, 23 Nov 2021 00:13:17 GMT

The Hunter Valley, two hours north of Sydney, has had two very different industries operating at arm's length for almost two centuries. Now locals say a Chinese-owned coal company is looking at building coal mines a little too close to the grape vines.

Ant and Elfy uncork what's going on in wine country. They also discuss the scary place where climate denialisms have pivoted to, and share the results of a Danish study which reveals just how many disposable Covid masks we're throwing away every day...

All this and more on this week's Green Canary poddie!

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Good COP, Bad COP

Wed, 17 Nov 2021 06:44:09 GMT

Welcome to the Green Canary podcast. Most weeks, we'll be bringing you a rundown of all the week's environment news.

But this week, inevitably, it's all about COP26, which just wrapped up in Glasgow.

So what came out of Glasgow except a whole lot of hot air at a conference whose very purpose was to agree on ways to cool the atmosphere.

Was COP26, as Greta Thunberg said, just a load of “blah blah blah”?

Elfy Scott and Ant Sharwood break down the good things that came out of Glasgow, the not so good, and talk about the moments that had the world talking, and why. It’s two weeks of talks summarised in under 20 minutes!

So join us! Give the poddie a listen. Subscribe. Get in touch with us via social media and sign up to our newsletter. We’re here to bring you the sort of upbeat, comprehensive environmental reporting that we know people are craving.

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