PLEA Network

6 September 2023, The Guardian: Australia’s export of fossil fuels like selling drugs to ‘maintain’ lifestyle, former top fire chief says. Exclusive: Greg Mullins calls for fossil fuel subsidies to be torn up as he blasts Labor over ‘incomprehensible’ coalmine approvals. The former New South Wales fire chief Greg Mullins has accused the Albanese government of an “incomprehensible” decision to continue approving new coalmines despite accepting global heating is adding to bushfire risk. In an interview on Tuesday, Mullins – a member of the Emergency Leaders for Climate Action group – likened Australia’s continued export of fossil fuels to selling drugs, after he delivered a briefing to the crossbench about the coming bushfire season. Mullins, the Greens and independent MPs including Sophie Scamps are calling for more decisive action on global heating, including tearing up fossil fuel subsidies. The International Monetary Fund recently calculated fossil fuels cost the Australian budget $65bn a year – although most of the cost ($55.6bn) is indirect subsidies for failing to recoup the environmental and health costs from polluters. Earlier in September, the federal environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, approved an expansion of the Gregory Crinum coalmine in central Queensland, which produces metallurgical coal used in steelmaking. Coalmine expansions and developments approved in Australia so far this year are expected to add nearly 150m tonnes of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere over their lifetimes. Climate scientists and bushfire experts have warned the country faces an elevated risk of bushfires this spring and summer compared with the past three wet years, with a predicted El Niño likely to deliver drier and hotter conditions. Mullins said a degree of warming was “baked into the system … until 2050” but what happened after was “entirely reliant” on what the government does to reduce emissions today. Read more here