Until our governments acknowledge that we are already in the deep-diarrhoea end of the climate change pool, and that this is an all of planet problem requiring brave, bold and politically unpalatable responses (no ifs, ands, or buts), we are destined for drowning.

Instead, it seems we remain reliant on a cheap set of colourful floaties, and the political strategy to: keep treading water folks….this country has a natural abundance of floaties!

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The Beetaloo gas fracking project in Australia’s Norther Territory (NT) is perhaps the biggest indication of political acumen in assessing and responding to the unfolding global climate collapse.

I have written a short post about Beetaloo here.

Now, the NT government has approved the significant expansion of operations in Beetaloo by the US gas company Tamboran Resources.

No need for environmental scrutiny of this operation:

• Despite Tamboran being fined last year for pollution violations.
• Despite Tamboran already spraying contaminated drill rig water around the site because its storage dam was full (source).
• Despite the planned fracking involving the extraction of 375 million litres of water each year.
• Despite plans to store 34 million litres of contaminated wastewater in open storage ponds.
• Despite the projected emissions of 170,000 tonnes of greenhouse gasses each year.

Nah. Its fine. No need for any independent environmental impact assessments. You know, to make sure Tamboran complies with national environmental laws and suchlike.

Tamboran have their own Environmental Management Plan (EMP).
What could possibly go wrong?

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Meanwhile… The Guardian reports on the official opening of the Australian ski season.
Only one problem. The snow…is a no go.

It was a grassy start to Australia’s ski season, with one resort trying to remain upbeat “although we may not have snow on the ground” and a few pockets of human-made alternatives to play on elsewhere. –The Guardian.

Hang on, I hear some people saying, it is not unheard of to have a late start to the ski season.
In response I would point them to a new report warns that at this late stage in time, even if we were to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions radically, the average length of ski seasons in Australia will fall from 105 days to 81 days by 2030
….and to 70 days by 2050!
You can read the report here.