Coal mining

• In Australia, there’s much talk of this nation emerging from the net-zero transition as a clean energy superpower.
• But many other countries are also racing to expand their renewable energy production.
• This got us wondering: Australia’s renewable resource potential is vast, but will we actually become the world’s biggest energy exporter?

A superpower-in-waiting

• And a lot of energy used in Australia goes towards producing goods for export such as minerals and metals.
• The threat of climate change means the world must reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.
• And these producers will have access to cheap home-grown renewable electricity to power their operations, making them more internationally competitive.
• Read more:
  Dutton wants Australia to join the "nuclear renaissance" – but this dream has failed before

But how competitive are we?

So far, so good. But many countries are developing a renewable energy capacity. Those that can produce renewable energy at least cost will come out on top. That comes down to three factors:
• We determined where renewable energy could be produced most cheaply and how costs varied across the land mass.
• Based on the lowest cost site in each region, we estimate the three most competitive global regions for producing renewable energy will be India, Western Europe and China.
• (Cheaper installation can also be the result of lower labour costs or, as in the case of Western Europe, a more competitive installation sector.)
• Read more:
  The earth might hold huge stores of natural hydrogen – and prospectors are already scouring South Australia for it

Staying competitive

• Australia’s potential to produce renewable energy at globally competitive prices promises to negate the economic pain of the energy transition.
• Other nations have competitive advantages that outweigh our bounty of wind and sun.
• The main priority is to make our installation sector more competitive.

• JINAN, China, July 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On July 18, 2023, Shandong Energy Group (Shandong Energy), Huawei, and Yunding Technology jointly launched the Pangu Mine Model, the world's first commercial large AI model for the energy sector.
• As the pioneers of the world's first commercial use of large AI models in the energy sector, Shandong Energy, Yunding Technology, and Huawei have begun implementing the first set of AI applications for mining.
• Shandong Energy has managed to address this challenge in its Lilou and Xinjulong coal mines by deploying the large AI model.
• The launch of the first commercial Pangu Mine Model has injected new impetus into the high-quality development of the mining industry and the energy sector at large."

• A warm, dry spring allowed the tinder to accumulate and lightning storms in early June lit the match, dramatically escalating 2023’s fire season.
• Canadian scientists warned about the role of climate change in fuelling wildfires in 2019.
• Climate change may not cause fires, but it does significantly increase the likelihood they will occur and, globally, wildfires are expected to increase by 50% this century.

The broader consequences of climate change

• Climate change threatens to widen inequalities within and between countries.
• This is because poorer people are typically more exposed to the effects of climate change and more vulnerable to harm as a result of them.
• Climate change is also expected to increase migration.
• Finally, climate change is expected to heighten the risk of conflict and violence.

Authoritarian populism

• Right-wing politicians have successfully exploited the narrative around these issues which climate change is inflaming: immigration, economic inequality and global insecurity.
• The absence of a global consciousness and a willingness to cooperate, which is inherent to this politics, would make maintaining a safe climate almost impossible.

The freedom that’s left

• One reason is that there is some evidence that experiencing extreme weather increases support for climate action.
• So the effects of climate change may not just push people away from an appropriate political response.
• Researchers suggest that poverty and inequality are more important drivers of conflict and migration than climate change.
• Nonetheless, understanding how climate change may indirectly influence politics is crucial to finding a politics appropriate to the challenges we face.

• NASHVILLE, Tenn., June 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum will explore the life and career of Country Music Hall of Fame member-elect Patty Loveless in a new exhibition, Patty Loveless: No Trouble with the Truth .
• "Patty Loveless achieved lasting success by merging traditional country music styles with a modern sensibility in her song choices and musical arrangements," said Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
• "As a 12-year-old, I didn't want to set the world on fire, I just wanted to play and sing music.
• Loveless has won five Country Music Association awards, two Academy of Country Music awards and two Grammys.