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Royce Kurmelovs

@roycerk2.bsky.social

8.5K followers 1.2K following 3.3K posts

Journalist. Author of The Death of Holden (2016), Just Money (2020) and others. Buy Slick: Australia's Toxic Relationship with Big Oil (2024) now: https://www.slickthebook.com.au/ For more me: https://www.roycekurmelovs.com/

www.slickthebook.com.au

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Royce Kurmelovs @roycerk2.bsky.social · Jun 6

Slick has been given a reprint --now with a fancy sticker on the cover. If you want to understand Why We Are Like This on climate change, or read about things like that one time the oil and gas industry spied on the son of a prime minister, and you haven't picked up a copy, now's your chance!

Photo of the cover of the reprint of Slick: Australia's Toxic Relationship With Big Oil, including a fancy new sticker noting it was short-listed in the non-fiction category at the New South Wales Literary awards.

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Royce Kurmelovs @roycerk2.bsky.social · 7h

I don't think the inquiry is done yet. And I'm hoping to have some sort of analysis of the subs to date done shortly and a write up out maybe next week. There's some... interesting things there.

Reposted by Royce Kurmelovs

Alec Luhn @alecluhn.bsky.social · 9h

The Reform party seems to have already won the battle on climate by scaring the UK government away from even talking about it.
Starmer is reportedly suppressing his intel agencies' report on climate threats.
Meanwhile some advisers are telling him to skip COP30.
www.theguardian.com/environment/...

National security threatened by climate crisis, UK intelligence chiefs due to warn

Report by joint intelligence committee delayed, with concerns expressed that it may not be published

www.theguardian.com

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ABC News Bot (unofficial) @abcnewsbot.bsky.social · 11h

Two of Narrabri's three water supplies have been switched off amid claims the state government is "taking too long" to find a solution to a chemical contamination issue.

Narrabri rations water amid PFAS contamination 'crisis'

Two of Narrabri's three water supplies have been switched off amid claims the state government is "taking too long" to find a solution to a chemical contamination issue.

www.abc.net.au

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Reposted by Royce Kurmelovs

Peter Anderson @zerogeewhiz.bsky.social · 14h

I feel like this encapsulates the social media ban’s motives. It’s not actually about doing something it’s just looking like you are.

Guardian Australia @australia.theguardian.com · 16h

4chan unlikely to be included in Australia’s under-16s social media ban, eSafety commissioner says

Julie Inman Grant says message board will need to comply with other codes which will also include age assurance for sites hosting violent and adult content * Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast The eSafety commissioner is not expected to block children from accessing 4chan as part of the under-16s social media ban, despite it being labelled one of the “darker” places on the internet. The eSafety commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, was asked by independent senator Fatima Payman in Senate estimates on Wednesday night whether 4chan, the message board often referred to as the engine room of the internet, would be considered one of the sites required to prevent under-16s when the social media ban comes into effect from 10 December. Continue reading...

www.theguardian.com

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Pat Simons @patsimons.bsky.social · 13h

China is installing the wind and solar equivalent of five large nuclear power stations every week shows new research by Climate Energy Finance. The rest of the world must learn from China's incredible doubling down on clean energy. www.abc.net.au/news/science...

'Winning the race': How China plans to meet its 2030 renewables target by the end of this month

While Australia debates the merits of going nuclear and frustration grows over the slower-than-needed switch to solar and wind power, China's renewables rollout is breaking all the records.

www.abc.net.au

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Royce Kurmelovs @roycerk2.bsky.social · 17h

Another dimension is the number of people with low literacy who have treated the process like an opportunity to write an opinion letter to the local paper, and those with low familiarity with these processes who affect the role of barrister prosecuting a case.

Reposted by Royce Kurmelovs

Mark Bray @mark-bray.bsky.social · 18h

“Someone” cancelled my family’s flight out of the country at the last second.

We got our boarding passes. We checked our bags. Went through security. Then at our gate our reservation ‘disappeared.’

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Royce Kurmelovs @roycerk2.bsky.social · 18h

There is also a nuance in subs from members of anti-renewable groups, often old timers, who think they are being persecuted because the alternative possibility, that they've been made suckers or been had in some way would be hard to accept.

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Royce Kurmelovs @roycerk2.bsky.social · 18h

For one, the loudest climate deniers sure do love to tell you about their credentials. Another is the extent to which individual anti-renewables groups are spamming submissions to create the impression of much more opposition or frustration than there actually is.

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Royce Kurmelovs @roycerk2.bsky.social · 18h

Working through the submissions to the Senate inquiry on climate misinformation and the patterns emerging sure are interesting.

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Royce Kurmelovs @roycerk2.bsky.social · 1d

It's always great to sit down with The Australian for informed, balanced reporting on current events that is free from misinformation, disinformation or rabbit hole obsessions and cannot be found on social media.

Screenshot of front page of The Australian.

Screenshot of search for recent articles on "climate change" on The Australian website.

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Royce Kurmelovs @roycerk2.bsky.social · 1d

What's that got to do with an university shutting down a significant research institute that deals with climate change for unspecified reasons?

Royce Kurmelovs @roycerk2.bsky.social · 1d

I asked the same question here:

Inside the Fight to Get Australia’s Monash University to Divorce Fossil Fuels for Good

One of Australia’s most prestigious universities promised to divest from fossil fuels in 2016. It later revised this decision to say it would only divest from coal, allowing the country’s biggest oil ...

drilled.media

Royce Kurmelovs @roycerk2.bsky.social · 1d

Huh.

'Completely flawed': Monash University is scrapping its flagship sustainability institute

The uni's plans to 'streamline operational services' by closing down its flagship institute dedicated to climate action and sustainability have sparked internal backlash.

www.crikey.com.au

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Josh Marshall @joshtpm.bsky.social · 1d

I've been looking for more reporting on this. NVIDIA has an increasing number of deals where it is paying companies to buy its chips. sounds very bubbly.

Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 1d

NVIDIA and OpenAi:

Concerns that their “increasingly complex and interconnected web of business transactions is artificially propping up the trillion-dollar AI boom.“

@bloomberg.com $NVDA 👀
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...

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Mark Bray @mark-bray.bsky.social · 9d

I teach a history of antifascism course @ruhistorydept.bsky.social and figured I'd start an ongoing thread this semester to share some insights from course readings and recommend some great works on antifascism.

🧵

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Ketan Joshi @ketanjoshi.co · 2d

A complete flip of the usual pattern we see in these updates - China's and India's emissions fell, and EU and US emissions increased.....

ember-energy.org/latest-insig...

@ember-energy.org

Global CO2 emissions plateau
Global CO2 emissions from the power sector fell marginally by 12 MtCO2 (-0.2%) to 6,963 MtCO2 in the first half of 2025. The decline was possible because solar and wind power exceeded demand growth and led to a slight fall in fossil fuel use. Without solar and wind growth, emissions would have risen by an estimated 236 MtCO2 (+3.9%) globally, which is equivalent to almost all emissions (251 MtCO2) from Africa in H1-2025.

At the country level, there was significant variation. Among the four economies that account for the majority of global emissions (64%), emissions fell in China (-46 MtCO2, -1.7%) and India (-24 MtCO2, -3.6%), as clean electricity outpaced growth in demand in those countries.

In contrast, emissions rose in the EU (+13 MtCO2, +4.8%), where strong growth in solar was outweighed by shortfalls in wind, hydro and bioenergy, leading to higher gas and coal generation. Emissions also rose in the US (+33 MtCO2, +4.3%), as clean electricity growth was smaller than demand growth, leading to an increase in coal generation, which was exacerbated by gas-to-coal switching.

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Royce Kurmelovs @roycerk2.bsky.social · 2d

"The National Press Club Statement declares that Chris Hedges’ appearance was “ tentatively agreed to”. This is untrue. AFOPA received written confirmation from the NPC’s Chief Executive on 8 September 2025 as follows [...]"

Statement on Cancellation of Chris Hedges’ confirmed appearance at the National Press Club of Australia — Australian Friends of Palestine Association

AFOPA is responding to the Statement published on 4 October 2025 by the National Press Club of Australia ( NPC) in relation to their cancellation of Chris Hedges’ confirmed appearance at the National ...

www.afopa.com.au

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Keith Alexander @keithalexander.bsky.social · 2d

“We must stop expecting carbon offsetting to work at scale. […] We have assessed 25 years of evidence and almost everything up until this point has failed.”

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Carbon offsets fail to cut global heating due to ‘intractable’ systemic problems, study says

Analysis of 25 years of evidence shows most schemes are poor quality and fail to lower emissions

www.theguardian.com

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Elaine Johnson @elainejohnson.bsky.social · 2d

“Australia is facing a steeper-than-anticipated 25% slump in LNG export earnings by next financial year, dragged down by a slide in crude oil prices and oversupply that is starting to hit global gas markets, according to the federal government’s commodities forecaster.”

www.afr.com/companies/en...

Australia faces 25pc slump in LNG export earnings

New data reveals an $11 billion drop in expected LNG revenue, with gold set to overtake gas as our second most valuable export.

www.afr.com

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Hend Amry @libyaliberty.bsky.social · 2d

Pretend you’re 65 & act accordingly: save your pennies, visit friends, enjoy slow walks in your neighborhood, shrug your shoulders at old beef between family & friends, grow a garden, forgive people because they’re “still young” even if they’re not but hold all politicians accountable. Get a cat.

essencesimmone.blacksky.app @essencesimmone.blacksky.app · 6d

Those who are 35+, what advice do you have for people just entering their 30s?

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Patrick Reynolds for a greater Auckland @patrickreynolds.bsky.social · 4d

Not nearly enough is made of the incredibly impressive feat Indian Railways has made to electrify almost 100% of its 135,000km of track, while also growing renewable sourcing. Huge:

timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/ind...

Indian Railways to achieve net zero targets in 2025 itself - 5 years ahead of 2030 goal - Times of India

India Business News: Indian Railways is set to achieve net-zero targets by year-end, surpassing its 2030 goal through extensive electrification. Aiming for 95% electric tr

timesofindia.indiatimes.com

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Damian Carrington @dpcarrington.bsky.social · 3d

Global banking climate alliance folds four years after launch

- ‘Net zero’ financial sector group votes to cease operations after losing members under political pressure

#climatechange
Story by @kenzabryan.ft.com
HT @carbonbrief.org
www.ft.com/content/841f...

Global banking climate alliance folds four years after launch

‘Net zero’ financial sector group votes to cease operations after losing members under political pressure

www.ft.com

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Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 3d

‘The hundreds of billions of dollars companies are investing in AI now account for an astonishing 40 per cent share of US GDP growth this year… Outside of the AI plays, even European stock markets have been outperforming the US this decade’
on.ft.com/4pTQ3US

America is now one big bet on AI

It’s seen as the magic fix for every threat to the US economy

on.ft.com

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Royce Kurmelovs @roycerk2.bsky.social · 3d

Because no one who matters likes a negative nancy. Powerful people would invite him to their parties and tell people to read him because he told everyone how we needed to give them all the power. And if you want to get ahead, it pays to pay attention to what the people in charge are thinking.

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