Welcome to Issue #30, June 2025
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While the pundits did not see it coming, Anthony Albanese’s Labor government has been returned to power with a substantially increased majority. They must be congratulated, and with this much stronger mandate we hope that Labor can take very strong action on climate and the other well known structural issues facing our country. This once in a generation opportunity to implement major changes should not be wasted by playing it safe.
We were very, very disappointed to hear that the Labor Government has decided to allow Woodside to extend the working life of their North West Shelf gas processing plant out to 2070. So much for their commitments to combat climate change and to preserve world heritage quality ancient rock art. I simply do not understand the rationale of this decision, given that Woodside pays virtually no royalties or taxes, exports most of its gas, employs very few people and pays nothing to redress the extensive global environmental damage that they cause.
I really like the good work being done by local groups to improve our streetscapes and other public spaces – groups like Heartscapes, the Yalukit Willam Nature Association, Earthcare St Kilda, Friends of Westgate Park and Rewilding Stonnington, among several others and, of course, the Port Phillip EcoCentre. They deserve a “shout out”, and we need more of them, and they need more support and volunteers.
Our hearts go out to farmers in Southern Australia and the droughts they are experiencing. Unfortunately, they may be harbingers of our future as climate change starts to really bite. In related news, very disturbing new research suggests that the conventional global warming accounting methodologies followed by the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) may significantly under-estimate the impact of modern agriculture and farming practices on global warming. This new analysis suggests that the global warming impact of agriculture and farming may actually be more than our consumption of fossil fuels.
I was also disheartened to learn that the view at the Twelve Apostles on the Great Ocean Road is now marred by having to look at an oil rig prospecting for gas. How was this permitted?
On a brighter note, it is pleasing to see that Victoria’s policies to get off gas are starting to work. (By the way, we should call it fossil gas or methane and get away from the “natural gas” marketing hype.) I also like this “feel good” story of how a Rutherglen organic wheat farmer is vertically integrating his business to mill the grain and make bread in-house.
We were also very pleased to see that a landmark “greenwashing” legal case has led to EnergyAustralia publicly acknowledging that offsets do not undo the harms of burning fossil fuels and apologising to more than 400,000 customers about the misleading nature of its ‘Go Neutral’ carbon offsetting product.
Finally, if you are after some interesting and informative reading, take a look at the Urban Futures series by The Economist.
We now have a new Federal government….
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For more than 100 years we have had the opportunity to pump energy out of the ground virtually for free. We’ve used that cheap fuel to build the world around us, and we’ve created amazing things, wasted valuable resources, and made a mess while we were at it.
Seth Godin
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We are living and working on the unceded lands of the Yalukit Willam people. We pay our respects to the traditional owners of the land and their ongoing connection to land, waters, sky and culture.
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Electrify Southside Expo, 10am-5pm, Sunday 22 June, St Kilda Town Hall
Electrify Southside is an independent community-driven initiative dedicated to helping households, businesses and local communities transition to an all electric, fossil-fuel free future. A collective of passionate volunteers from Port Phillip, Glen Eira, Bayside and beyond working together to empower Southside residents with the knowledge, tools, and support they need to electrify their homes and lives.
Join us at the Electrify Southside Expo in partnership with the City of Port Phillip. A premier event dedicated to accelerating the transition to an all-electric future. This one-day expo will bring together industry experts, leading retailers, and innovators showcasing the latest advancements in electric vehicles (EVs), home electrification, energy efficiency, and financial solutions to help you make the switch with confidence.
We are reaching out to the PECAN membership for volunteers on the day to support this event. We will need a solid group of people to help with meeting and greeting visitors and ensuring the day runs smoothly. Please email electrifysouthside@gmail.com and sign up for a few hours on the day Sunday 22 June, 10 am – 5 pm
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Get involved with climate action
May was another big month for PECAN when our people were involved in several submissions and other activities:
- City of Port Phillip budget submission
- Balaclava and East St Kilda Precinct Plan submission
- Advocacy against Northwest Shelf gas expansion plans
Come to a meeting, or reply to this email to see how you can get involved in climate action. Also, forward this email newsletter to everybody you think it might interest.
Port Phillip Pickers had a very successful olive pick on 18 May, where 50+ volunteers picked 33 crates of olives from trees on public land in Port Phillip.
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During June, the City of Port Phillip has community consultations open for:
- Domestic animal management plan
- Carlisle street carparks and laneways
- Sport and active recreation strategy
- Road management plan
- The future of Carlisle Street and shaping the Balaclava area
As always, we strongly recommend that you Have Your Say
The St Kilda Library is also hosting a Seed Saving Workshop, 6pm-7:30pm, Tuesday 10 June. To learn more and register.
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During June our friends at the Port Phillip EcoCentre also have a lot of events happening:
- Community planting in Middle Park and St Kilda West Beach
- Share and swap shop
- St Kilda repair cafe and bike kitchen
- Several citizen science “strain the drains” activities
- Climate cafe
The EcoCentre is also hosting a Restore the Bay Community Workshop on Saturday 21 June – learn more and register here. Then, starting at 7pm, on 25 June, the EcoCentre is hosting a fundraising showing of NATURE: The Call for Reconciliation documentary at the Astor Theatre in St Kilda. Book your tickets here. It should be an excellent and informative night.
And our Environmental Leaders Acton Network friends are having a Meetup 6:30pm-8:30pm, Thursday 19 June at the Cora Graves Community Centre to welcome new graduates.
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There are some petitions that you might like to sign:
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Around the world
Ed Hawkins, a UK-based climate scientist, maintains a great series of animations about how global temperatures, ice fields and other planetary metrics have evolved in recent times. They are fascinating viewing and make climate impacts very clear. Also check out this fascinating 20-minute talk on Youtube about the history and evolution of our global energy system since before the Industrial Revolution till the present day.
The oil and gas industry is scrambling to discredit an authoritative new report indicating that, from an environmental perspective, gas is worse than the coal it’s supposed to replace. The problem is all the gas that leaks from processing facilities between digging it out of the ground and burning it in a power station. We have to remember that methane gas is about 80 times worse than carbon dioxide for heating our atmosphere, although it degrades more quickly. Australia needs to debunk the myth of clean gas.
In his thought-provoking TED talk, playwright David Finigan points out that many of us have not really thought through the consequences of climate change. How will the world of 2100 be different to today?
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Factory launched in Sydney to turn e-waste into 3-D printing filaments
On average, each Australian produces 20kg of e-waste a year, compared with the global average of 7kg, with most of it ending up in landfill. Now, electronic waste recycler Renew IT has added UNSW-designed MICROfactorie technology to its facility in Lane Cove, Sydney. It will recycle the hard plastics from items like old printers and computers into valuable filament or “ink” which will be used for 3D manufacturing and printing. Learn more.
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Habitat 67 – a different way to structure cities
The Habitat 67 concept by Moshe Safdie was well ahead of its time, and I am glad it is being revisited as a better way to achieve higher density living. Watch this video to learn more.
In another novel building concept, they have broken ground to build a 70-storey skyscaper in Miami which is clad in “500 photovoltaic-integrated windows” Learn more here
Why is it that in a supposedly world class liveable city like Melbourne, we never see new urban ideas being tried? Timid, unimaginative, risk averse and profit driven developers and governments, if you ask me.
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Upcycling and recycling is having a resurgence
There is an interesting kickstarter page for launching a new ZAPHEAP show that will pit tech teams against each other to build the craziest new machines out of old electronic waste. We always like circular economy concepts that involve the many R’s of dealing with old human artifacts. Watch this video to learn more.
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Degradable bioplastics offer a smart solution to nitrogen pollution
Wrapping fertilizer pellets in a thin plastic case is a common approach to slow the nutrient release and benefit crop plants but it leaves very polluting micro-plastic pieces that get absorbed into the food chain causing many health problems. Using biodegradable plastics can obviate many of these problems. Australia is behind other countries for regulations in this field, but you can learn more about the Melbourne University research in this field here.
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Reimagining Urban Spaces for Biodiversity
As cities expand, wildlife is adapting in surprising ways — peregrine falcons nest on skyscrapers, ibises scavenge urban scraps, and microbes evolve to digest plastic.
But as urban sprawl displaces countless species, rewilding principles offer a path to symbiotic coexistence. Green infrastructure, wildlife corridors, and conservation efforts can transform cities into thriving ecosystems for both humans and animals. Learn more here.
There is also other new research about how to rewild urban areas coming out of the University of Sydney.
In one example, communities are tackling rising temperatures with the powerful impact of tiny forests. These small, dense patches of native plants cool urban areas, restore biodiversity, and enhance well-being. Learn more.
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Nendo revamps France’s high-speed TGV train “from nose to seat”
They are now onto the 5th generation of the high speed French TGV trains, and they compete very well against planes for regional travel, and are much less polluting. See here. After riding in several, I am dismayed that we do not have the equivalent in Australia.
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Collecting Bee Venom for Medicine
Bees really do seem to be a keystone creature in Earth’s biosphere. As well as their key role in plant pollination, their venom is starting to be non-lethally harvested for a new breast cancer treatment. Watch this video to learn more.
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A bit of fun…
For a bit of visual pollution, BMW has unveiled a “Vision Dee” concept car that can dynamically change its color like a Chameleon. The body is covered in 240 individually controllable panels that use e-ink technology to change into any of 32 colors on demand. See the video about it here.
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