A 20-year old Aboriginal woman takes her message to the banks“Deep breath, I tell myself, whizzing up in the lift to meet with representatives of the world’s biggest investment banks. By the time I step out and shake hands I’ve calmed my nerves and pulled myself together. It’s game time, and I’ve been sent here to get results. As a 20-year-old Aboriginal woman, and spokesperson for my people, the Wangan and Jangalingou, traditional owners of central Queensland, I know I am going to have to challenge some preconceptions. I am here to tell the banks not to fund a huge coal mine – the biggest in Australian history – that will rip the heart out of my country,” writes Murrawah Johnson in Mamamia. Suggested Tweet: A 20-year old Aboriginal woman takes her message against #Adani #coal mine to global banks http://bit.ly/1BTu5Yf #climate Global Coal Markets: When Does a Seasonal Trend Become a Structural Decline?“Coal imports into China—the world’s recent former largest coal-import market—have halved in the past 18 months. How long till a seasonal bit of weakness becomes a structural trend? I think we’re past that point. But wait, there’s India, which is now the world’s largest coal import market. But didn’t the Indian energy minister recently say stockpiles of imported coal were at record highs in May? And wasn’t domestic coal production in India up a record 12 percent year-over-year, according to Coal India? And isn’t the government pushing hard to add 175 gigawatts of renewable energy through a program that has drawn recent heft from investors … These questions of course are rhetorical and none of them bode very well for seaborne coal markets,” writes Tim Buckley from the Institute for Energy Economics & Financial Analysis. Suggested Tweet: Global #coal markets: when does a seasonal trend become a structural decline? http://bit.ly/1NxDWn6 Tim Buckley @ieefa_institute #India The ‘Australian Coal Can Save India’s Poor’ Argument Fails On Every Front“The recently released report by the Institute of Public Affairs (IPA) [an Australian industry funded think tank] loudly claims that increasing coal imports from Australia to energy starved India is a worthy cause. It argues that the supply of Australian coal to India will allow at least 82 million Indian people each year to access regular and reliable source of electricity. Recent trends and evidence in India strongly refute these assertions,” writes Srinivas Krishnaswamy, the CEO of the Vasudha Foundation in New Delhi, in RenewEconomy. Suggested Tweet: @renew_economy The ‘Australian #coal can save India’s poor’ argument fails on every front http://bit.ly/1ehXyA2 #auspol #climate #India Why Are The US Government’s Energy Forecasts So Bad?“In 2009, the federal government’s Energy Information Administration made a forecast for the next two decades: US wind power would grow modestly, reaching 44 gigawatts (GW) of generating capacity in 2030, while solar power would remain scarce, inching up to 12 GW. Just six years later, US wind capacity is already up to 66 GW, and solar has shot up to 21 GW. There’s now enough installed wind and solar to power 25 million American homes— more than three times what the EIA expected before President Obama took office. Oops,” writes Michael Grunwald in Politico. Suggested Tweet: Why are the US government’s energy forecasts so bad? asks @MikeGrunwald of @EIAgov http://politi.co/1LmHQRk |