29 09, 2022

The Role of Hydrogen Energy in a Net Zero World

By |2023-07-10T14:51:15+00:00September 29, 2022|Climate Change, Fossil Fuels, Renewables|Comments Off on The Role of Hydrogen Energy in a Net Zero World

Hydrogen, like electricity, is an energy carrier "used to store, move, and deliver energy produced from other sources." With the global transition to net zero emissions by 2050 and aim to limit global warming to 1.5°C, hydrogen energy plays a crucial role. Hydrogen's unique properties complement other decarbonisation technologies, such as renewable power or energy efficiency improvements. Green hydrogen – produced using renewable sources – is also the only solution for "long-term, scalable, and cost-effective" deep decarbonisation in industrial sectors. [...]

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1 08, 2022

What Is Offshore Drilling and How Does It Affect Australia’s Environment?

By |2023-07-14T08:55:29+00:00August 1, 2022|Climate Change, Fossil Fuels|Comments Off on What Is Offshore Drilling and How Does It Affect Australia’s Environment?

Seventy per cent of the world’s oil and natural gas comes from onshore sites. Offshore drilling is the source of the remaining 30 per cent. The production and consumption of fossil fuels are having a profound effect on Australia’s climate because coal, oil and gas all drive global warming. However, offshore drilling is particularly problematic as the process can have calamitous environmental impacts.  Offshore drilling for oil and gas entails many risks. Most concerning, oil spills are an unavoidable possibility [...]

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7 07, 2022

Natural Gas Energy: Is It a Clean Energy Source?

By |2023-07-14T10:11:24+00:00July 7, 2022|Climate Change, Greenhouse Gases, Natural Gas|Comments Off on Natural Gas Energy: Is It a Clean Energy Source?

In May 2021, the preceding Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison, announced that his government would spend up to AUD $600 million on a new gas-fired power plant in Hunter Valley, New South Wales. This is despite that the Australian energy board chair says that this "doesn’t stack up". This is just one of many new gas projects under development in Australia that are coming under fire for being environmentally and economically damaging. Despite promises to take more action on climate, [...]

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26 04, 2022

What Is Coal Seam Gas and How Is It Extracted?

By |2023-07-10T15:17:46+00:00April 26, 2022|Climate Change, Coal|Comments Off on What Is Coal Seam Gas and How Is It Extracted?

Coal seam gas (CSG) is natural gas extracted from coal seams. It is found between 300 and 1,000 metres below the ground. The mixture of gases found in coal seams is colourless, odourless and non-toxic. Methane is the primary component, typically consisting of between 95 and 97 per cent of CSG.  Natural gas in coal seams bonds to the surface of coal particles. Water and ground pressure traps the gas with the coal. It forms a thin film on the [...]

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23 03, 2022

What Is a Carbon Footprint?

By |2023-07-10T15:21:41+00:00March 23, 2022|Climate Change, Global Warming, Greenhouse Gases|Comments Off on What Is a Carbon Footprint?

Our carbon footprint is an important metric to slow down climate change. It indicates the total amount of greenhouse gases (GHG) that human activities produce directly and indirectly. A carbon footprint is generally measured in equivalent tonnes of CO2 (CO2e). It can be associated with an individual, an organisation, a country, a product, an event, in addition to others. The world’s current carbon footprint is approximately 50 billion tonnes of CO2e each year. This is 40 per cent higher than [...]

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1 02, 2022

What Are the Causes of Climate Change?

By |2023-07-10T15:20:50+00:00February 1, 2022|Climate Change|Comments Off on What Are the Causes of Climate Change?

Identifying the causes of climate change is crucial if we want to slow down the warming of the planet. Temperatures are increasing at rapid levels worldwide, with observable effects on the environment. Glaciers are melting, sea levels are rising and heat waves are intensifying. Evidence shows that the net damage costs of climate change are likely to be significant and will only increase over time. Among other reasons, this is because temperatures will continue to rise in the decades to [...]

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22 12, 2021

Should We Be Using Coal Energy?

By |2023-07-14T10:13:21+00:00December 22, 2021|Climate Change, Coal|Comments Off on Should We Be Using Coal Energy?

Australia still uses coal energy to generate most of its electricity. The country also has some of the most inefficient coal-fired power stations worldwide. Around 76 per cent of Australia’s electricity is generated by burning fossil fuels. Coal accounts for 54 per cent, gas 20 per cent and oil two per cent. Renewable sources were used for the remaining 24 per cent of Australia’s electricity. In contrast, other rich nations are moving away from fossil fuels. For example, in 2012, [...]

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25 08, 2021

Methane Emissions in Australia: Who Is to Blame?

By |2023-07-10T15:39:22+00:00August 25, 2021|Climate Change, Natural Gas|Comments Off on Methane Emissions in Australia: Who Is to Blame?

In 2020, as the Australian government talked up a ‘gas-led recovery’ from COVID-19, 25 eminent Australian scientists led the fightback against it. Natural gas is made from methane, a greenhouse gas far worse than carbon dioxide. The scientists wrote a strongly-worded letter to Australia’s Chief Scientist, Alan Finkel. It stated, “there is no role for an expansion of the gas industry”. They said that Finkel's support for the government’s continued investment in gas put Australia at increased risk of climate [...]

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24 08, 2021

Which Gas Pipelines Should Australia Get Rid of First?

By |2023-07-10T15:39:13+00:00August 24, 2021|Climate Change, Natural Gas|Comments Off on Which Gas Pipelines Should Australia Get Rid of First?

Since 2019, Australia has been the world’s largest exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG). But, in May 2021, US LNG exports overtook Australia's. Does this herald the turning of the tide for the gas industry? Either way, it certainly raises the question of how much longer gas pipelines in Australia will be needed. This is especially pertinent given the rush of countries and corporations committing to net zero emissions by mid-century in the past year. 137 countries have set targets [...]

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24 08, 2021

Would Stopping Natural Gas Mining Halt Climate Change? (Video)

By |2023-07-14T10:41:49+00:00August 24, 2021|Climate Change, Natural Gas|Comments Off on Would Stopping Natural Gas Mining Halt Climate Change? (Video)

The US and other countries are putting pressure on Australia to set more ambitious climate change targets. However, Prime Minister Scott Morrison is resisting their demands. Instead of setting out a ‘green’ recovery, his government is leading a ‘gas-led’ recovery to the COVID-19 economic downturn. This risks missing the country’s already insufficient climate goals and leaving stranded investments in natural gas. What is natural gas mining? Natural gas mining is the extraction of natural gas from underground reserves. Like other [...]

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