tag:theconversation.com,2011:/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414/articlesUNSW Sydney2024-03-28T05:51:32Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2268092024-03-28T05:51:32Z2024-03-28T05:51:32ZCould spending a billion dollars actually bring solar manufacturing back to Australia? It’s worth a shot<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/584924/original/file-20240328-21-3cqu7u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=7%2C7%2C5104%2C2866&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/top-view-solar-panel-assembly-line-2204939257">IM Imagery/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Solar SunShot is well named. The Australian government <a href="https://www.pm.gov.au/media/solar-sunshot-our-regions">announced today</a> it would plough A$1 billion into bringing back solar manufacturing to Australia, boosting energy security, swapping coal and gas jobs for those in the solar industry, and guarding against supply chain shocks and geopolitical tension. </p>
<p>The announcement is big. At a stroke, the federal government is proposing to directly invest in manufacturing the main technology Australia will rely on to make its power. By 2050, solar should provide most of our electricity – but only if we have enough panels. </p>
<p>What would that look like? Australia was once a world leader in solar energy technology. But while our solar researchers are still highly regarded, we only have one company commercially manufacturing solar panels. That means the SunShot program will likely start by boosting efforts to make modules here using imported cells and module components, before building out the supply chain to make glass for the panels, aluminium frames and, eventually, the solar photovoltaic cells themselves and the pure polysilicon needed to make them. </p>
<p>If we had a solar manufacturing industry able to make a gigawatt’s worth of panels annually, we <a href="https://arena.gov.au/knowledge-bank/apvi-silicon-to-solar-detailed-and-overview-reports/">would create</a> around 750 jobs and meet about 20% of our current demand for solar. More jobs would come as the ecosystem grows, including manufacturing glass and aluminium frames. </p>
<p>Critics will say it’s pointless to compete with China’s dominant renewable energy industry. But as climate change worsens and global efforts to go green intensify, we can’t rely on a single country. The backdrop, of course, is the increasing popularity of <a href="https://www.thomasnet.com/insights/what-is-onshoring/">reshoring</a>, where Western countries use public funding to try to bring back manufacturing from nations such as China, as the United States is aiming to do with its <a href="https://theconversation.com/made-in-america-how-bidens-climate-package-is-fuelling-the-global-drive-to-net-zero-214709">mammoth Inflation Reduction Act</a>. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-new-dawn-becoming-a-green-superpower-with-a-big-role-in-cutting-global-emissions-216373">Australia's new dawn: becoming a green superpower with a big role in cutting global emissions</a>
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<h2>Can we compete with cheap panels?</h2>
<p>In 1983, UNSW professor Martin Green invented the first PERC solar cell (which stands for Passivated Emitter and Rear Contact). <a href="https://solarmagazine.com/solar-panels/perc-solar-panels/">This cell</a> was better at converting sunlight to electricity than previous cells. His invention is now in use in about 90% of the world’s installed solar panels.</p>
<p>Australian researchers have long been at the forefront of solar development. But where we’ve struggled is in commercialisation and manufacturing. The world’s first solar billionaire, Shi Zhengrong, did his PhD at UNSW before returning to his native China <a href="https://www.themonthly.com.au/eric-knight-shi-zhengrong-sun-king-eric-knight-3363">to found</a> the multinational solar giant SunTech. Even now, many of China’s top solar firms have connections with Australian researchers. </p>
<p>China became dominant in renewables not simply because of its enormous domestic market and a deep manufacturing base. The Chinese government has long funded solar firms to make their products more competitive. </p>
<p>That’s where Australia’s SunShot would come in, by helping to create the market of suppliers needed to make solar panel manufacturing a reality.</p>
<p>Australia wouldn’t be trying to go for global market share, but rather to substitute its own imports. Currently, only about 1% of the millions of panels we install annually are made in Australia. Even so, as the solar industry surges worldwide, there may well be room for more entrants. </p>
<h2>What would Australian solar manufacturing look like?</h2>
<p>We can’t run before we can walk. Bringing manufacturing back won’t happen overnight. Today’s announcement is short on detail. But we know it draws on work done last year by the Australian PV Institute in a report titled <a href="https://arena.gov.au/blog/silicon-to-solar-plan-australias-manufacturing-opportunities/">Silicon to Solar</a>, which this article’s lead author worked on. </p>
<p>Realistically, what we’ll have to start with is working with our single existing solar panel manufacturer, Tindo, as well as boosting other market entrants such as the startup SunDrive.</p>
<p>Tindo doesn’t make solar panels from scratch. Instead, it imports cells from overseas and assembles them into modules. </p>
<p>The first step, then, is to grow the market for Australian-made modules using imported products. This is the quickest step in the supply chain to establish.</p>
<p>Then we can begin helping suppliers of other components, such as the special glass to cover the panels, and the aluminium frames. </p>
<p>The next step would be to establish solar cell production lines in Australia and scale them to meet the demand from our own module production lines.</p>
<p>We could then move to the next challenge, turning silicon ingots into the wafers used for cells. Establishing these capabilities in Australia might allow Australia to export these materials to other markets such as the US and Europe.</p>
<p>The final step – and one that will take years and more investment, even if we start planning now – would be to have our own polysilicon factories. A multibillion-dollar factory near Townsville is being planned, with support from the <a href="https://www.pv-magazine.com/2024/03/25/quinbrook-to-build-polysilicon-factory-in-australia/">Queensland government</a>.</p>
<p>Turning lower-grade metallurgical silicon into 99.9999% pure polysilicon is hard and expensive. You can’t build a small polysilicon factory – scale is important. But it can be done. The size of the factory needed means most of the polysilicon it produces will need to be exported to regions like the US and Europe. We could begin to substitute polysilicon for exports of coal and gas.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/584920/original/file-20240328-30-j3heel.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="solar production line" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/584920/original/file-20240328-30-j3heel.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/584920/original/file-20240328-30-j3heel.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=421&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584920/original/file-20240328-30-j3heel.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=421&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584920/original/file-20240328-30-j3heel.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=421&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584920/original/file-20240328-30-j3heel.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=529&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584920/original/file-20240328-30-j3heel.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=529&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584920/original/file-20240328-30-j3heel.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=529&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Building up our solar manufacturing capabilities will take many steps.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/automated-production-line-modern-solar-silicon-47536699">06photo/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<h2>What are the benefits?</h2>
<p>The government will <a href="https://www.pm.gov.au/media/solar-sunshot-our-regions">spruik jobs</a> in the regions, especially where retiring coal plants such as Liddell in New South Wales will take jobs with them. </p>
<p>But there are other benefits. We could take better advantage of the talent and research knowhow in Australia to begin building next-generation cells. </p>
<p>If we can kickstart a viable solar industry, it would help us unlock other parts of the green economy. Cheap and plentiful solar power could make it viable to crack water to make green hydrogen or make green steel and aluminium. </p>
<p>Many of these initiatives have to be set in train now to gain the benefits in five or ten years’ time. Today’s announcement is just the start. But in a sun-drenched country, it makes sense to aim for the skies. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/albanese-just-laid-out-a-radical-new-vision-for-australia-in-the-region-clean-energy-exporter-and-green-manufacturer-186815">Albanese just laid out a radical new vision for Australia in the region: clean energy exporter and green manufacturer</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/226809/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Brett Hallam is a senior consultant for ITP renewables and was involved in the ARENA Silicon to Solar report.
</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Fiacre Rougieux does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>What would it mean to bring solar manufacturing back on shore in Australia?Brett Hallam, Associate professor, UNSW SydneyFiacre Rougieux, Senior Lecturer, Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2264012024-03-28T01:37:12Z2024-03-28T01:37:12ZQuantum computing just got hotter: 1 degree above absolute zero<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/584893/original/file-20240327-26-7h2dj1.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=11%2C2%2C1985%2C1266&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Diraq</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>For decades, the pursuit of quantum computing has struggled with the need for extremely low temperatures, mere fractions of a degree above absolute zero (0 Kelvin or –273.15°C). That’s because the quantum phenomena that grant quantum computers their unique computational abilities can only be harnessed by isolating them from the warmth of the familiar classical world we inhabit.</p>
<p>A single quantum bit or “qubit”, the equivalent of the binary “zero or one” bit at the heart of classical computing, requires a large refrigeration apparatus to function. However, in many areas where we expect quantum computers to deliver breakthroughs – such as in designing new materials or medicines – we will need large numbers of qubits or even whole quantum computers working in parallel.</p>
<p>Quantum computers that can manage errors and self-correct, essential for reliable computations, are anticipated to be gargantuan in scale. Companies like Google, IBM and PsiQuantum are preparing for a future of entire warehouses filled with cooling systems and consuming vast amounts of power to run a single quantum computer.</p>
<p>But if quantum computers could function at even slightly higher temperatures, they could be much easier to operate – and much more widely available. In new research <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07160-2">published in Nature</a>, our team has shown a certain kind of qubit – the spins of individual electrons – can operate at temperatures around 1K, far hotter than earlier examples.</p>
<h2>The cold, hard facts</h2>
<p>Cooling systems become less efficient at lower temperatures. To make it worse, the systems we use today to control the qubits are intertwining messes of wires reminiscent of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ENIAC">ENIAC</a> and other huge computers of the 1940s. These systems increase heating and create physical bottlenecks to making qubits work together.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-long-before-quantum-computers-can-benefit-society-thats-googles-us-5-million-question-226257">How long before quantum computers can benefit society? That's Google's US$5 million question</a>
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<p>The more qubits we try to cram in, the more difficult the problem becomes. At a certain point the wiring problem becomes insurmountable. </p>
<p>After that, the control systems need to be built into the same chips as the qubits. However, these integrated electronics use even more power – and dissipate more heat – than the big mess of wires. </p>
<h2>A warm turn</h2>
<p>Our new research may offer a way forward. We have demonstrated that a particular kind of qubit – one made with a quantum dot printed with metal electrodes on silicon, using technology much like that used in existing microchip production – can operate at temperatures around 1K.</p>
<p>This is only one degree above absolute zero, so it’s still extremely cold. However, it’s significantly warmer than previously thought possible. This breakthrough could condense the sprawling refrigeration infrastructure into a more manageable, single system. It would drastically reduce operational costs and power consumption.</p>
<p>The necessity for such technological advancements isn’t merely academic. The stakes are high in fields like drug design, where quantum computing promises to revolutionise how we understand and interact with molecular structures.</p>
<p>The research and development expenses in these industries, running into billions of dollars, underscore the potential cost savings and efficiency gains from more accessible quantum computing technologies.</p>
<h2>A slow burn</h2>
<p>“Hotter” qubits offer new possibilities, but they will also introduce new challenges in error correction and control. Higher temperatures may well mean an increase in the rate of measurement errors, which will create further difficulties in keeping the computer functional. </p>
<p>It is still early days in the development of quantum computers. Quantum computers may one day be as ubiquitous as today’s silicon chips, but the path to that future will be filled with technical hurdles. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-quantum-computation-and-communication-technology-7892">Explainer: quantum computation and communication technology </a>
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<p>Our recent progress in operating qubits at higher temperatures is as a key step towards making the requirements of the system simpler.</p>
<p>It offers hope that quantum computing may break free from the confines of specialised labs into the broader scientific community, industry and commercial data centres.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/226401/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andrew Dzurak works at Diraq. Through Diraq, he receives funding from Australian Research Council (ARC), UNSW Sydney, US Army Research Office (ARO), the US Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) and the Australian Government, among other organisations.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andre Saraiva works at Diraq. Through Diraq, he receives funding from Australian Research Council (ARC), UNSW Sydney, US Army Research Office (ARO), the US Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) and the Australian Government, among other organisations.</span></em></p>Quantum computers that work at slightly higher temperatures could be cheaper and more accessible.Andrew Dzurak, Scientia Professor Andrew Dzurak, CEO and Founder of Diraq, UNSW SydneyAndre Luiz Saraiva De Oliveira, Solid State Physicist, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2267302024-03-27T06:34:25Z2024-03-27T06:34:25ZDraft NDIS bill is the first step to reform – but some details have disability advocates worried<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/584681/original/file-20240327-18-1r405e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C8%2C5991%2C3979&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/happy-down-syndrome-man-his-psychologist-2139861125">Drazen Zigic/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Since the <a href="https://www.ndisreview.gov.au/">review</a> of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) released its recommendations in December, there has been a series of Town Hall events to discuss them around the country – but no actual changes. Today the government introduced a new <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/Bills_Search_Results/Result?bId=r7181">bill</a> to make way for NDIS reform. </p>
<p>Disability minister Bill Shorten <a href="https://ministers.dss.gov.au/media-releases/14256#:%7E:text=The%20Bill%20addresses%20priority%20recommendations,settings%2C%20and%20quality%20and%20safety">said</a> “legislation and rule changes are the key to unlocking a trustworthy and sustainable NDIS and will enable the government to drive change”.</p>
<p>What changes does the bill suggest? And what do people with disability need to know about what might happen next?</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/states-agreed-to-share-foundational-support-costs-so-why-the-backlash-against-ndis-reforms-now-226620">States agreed to share foundational support costs. So why the backlash against NDIS reforms now?</a>
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<h2>Why now?</h2>
<p>Although the NDIS Review set out a five-year timeframe for reform, many of the items within this bill are needed to modify the NDIS Act and to allow for those changes to take place. One big motivator for action is the government’s commitment to <a href="https://theconversation.com/health-and-housing-measures-announced-ahead-of-budget-and-ndis-costs-in-first-ministers-sights-204675">moderate cost growth of the NDIS</a> – rather than see it <a href="https://ministers.dss.gov.au/speeches/14261">grow to more than one million participants</a> and cost up to A$100 billion a year by 2032.</p>
<p>Some in the disability community have expressed concern about legislation being introduced <a href="https://greens.org.au/news/media-release/secretive-ndis-changes-be-introduced-parliament">without co-design</a> with them. Reports suggest disability advocates who did see the bill before its introduction were subject to non-disclosure agreements. The government says <a href="https://ministers.dss.gov.au/media-releases/14256">co-design</a> will take place over an 18-month period to flesh out the changes.</p>
<p>Although states and territories asked the government to <a href="https://theconversation.com/states-agreed-to-share-foundational-support-costs-so-why-the-backlash-against-ndis-reforms-now-226620">delay</a> introducing this legislation because of concerns over foundational supports, the bill does not mention them. It is mostly focused on the scheme and the work of the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) that administers it.</p>
<h2>What changes are outlined in the legislation?</h2>
<p>There are a large number of changes outlined in the bill and there will be a lot to unpack in coming weeks. Broadly these focus on:</p>
<ul>
<li>how people access the scheme and plans are created</li>
<li>how participants can spend funds</li>
<li>how the NDIA can step in if they have concerns funds are not being spent effectively</li>
<li>the powers of the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.</li>
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<p>The first big change is in how people will be assessed for entry to the scheme. </p>
<p>At the moment the scheme <a href="https://ourguidelines.ndis.gov.au/home/becoming-participant/applying-ndis/list-conditions-are-likely-meet-disability-requirements">lists impairments</a> that are likely to give people access to the scheme, for example permanent blindness or severe intellectual disability. </p>
<p>The review argued this was unfair because people may have a similar level of need as a result of a condition that isn’t listed. They have had to provide more evidence, which can be difficult to obtain and expensive. It has also meant access has been driven via diagnosis rather than the impact on function and daily activities.</p>
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<img alt="An NDIS sign on a building." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/584683/original/file-20240327-24-v9clgo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/584683/original/file-20240327-24-v9clgo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584683/original/file-20240327-24-v9clgo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584683/original/file-20240327-24-v9clgo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584683/original/file-20240327-24-v9clgo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584683/original/file-20240327-24-v9clgo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584683/original/file-20240327-24-v9clgo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">There will be changes to how people with disability are assessed.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/geelong-victoria-october-26-2019-signage-1533593543">jadecraven/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<h2>A new type of assessment</h2>
<p>The changes outlined in the bill will move the NDIS towards a needs-based assessment. </p>
<p>This will be supported by the use of functional assessment tools, removing some need for individuals to collect evidence from medical professionals. </p>
<p>“Your needs assessment will look at your support needs as a whole,” Shorten said. “And we won’t distinguish between primary and secondary disabilities any longer.”</p>
<p>Many of the tools needed for this process do not yet exist. But some in the community are wary given the controversy over proposals to introduce <a href="https://theconversation.com/ndis-independent-assessments-are-off-the-table-for-now-thats-a-good-thing-the-evidence-wasnt-there-164163">Independent Assessments</a> a few years back. Those plans were shelved after significant backlash suggested they could become dehumanising and traumatising.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/i-want-to-get-bogged-at-a-beach-in-my-wheelchair-and-know-people-will-help-micheline-lee-on-the-way-forward-for-the-ndis-213348">'I want to get bogged at a beach in my wheelchair and know people will help'. Micheline Lee on the way forward for the NDIS</a>
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<h2>Tightening control on budgets and supports</h2>
<p>The bill also outlines changes to how individuals can spend their plans. </p>
<p>At the moment plans are made up of a number of categories of funding and line items that set out how plans should be spent. The NDIS Review noted this process is often confusing for individuals and limits how they can spend funds. The changes will allow participants to spend funding allocations in more flexible ways.</p>
<p>The bill defines what constitutes an NDIS support and links to the <a href="https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/disability-rights/united-nations-convention-rights-persons-disabilities-uncrpd">United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities</a> for the first time. Examples <a href="https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22legislation%2Fems%2Fr7181_ems_f83281ef-0f46-4fbb-a59f-2e19439dcacb%22">include</a> “supports that facilitate personal mobility of the person in the manner and at the time of the person’s choice”. </p>
<p>However, holidays, groceries, payment of utility bills, online gambling, perfume, cosmetics, standard household appliances and whitegoods <a href="https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/legislation/ems/r7181_ems_f83281ef-0f46-4fbb-a59f-2e19439dcacb/upload_pdf/JC012589.pdf;fileType=application%2Fpdf">will not qualify as NDIS supports</a>. Participants will only be able to spend funding on those things identified as an NDIS support and which a participant requires as a result of their impairment.</p>
<p>The bill would give the NDIA more power over how participants manage plans. These powers will be used if the NDIA have concerns that an individual is not able to use their plan effectively or someone else might be trying to exploit or coerce them to use their funds in a way that isn’t consistent with their best interests. </p>
<p>The Quality and Safeguards Commission has previously been <a href="https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/health/2023/10/14/ndis-commission-the-brink#hrd">criticised</a> for insufficient action. The review suggested a new model of regulation that would be scaled according to the level of participant risk. A <a href="https://www.dss.gov.au/disability-and-carers-standards-and-quality-assurance/ndis-provider-and-worker-registration-taskforce">taskforce</a> examining provider and worker registration will report back some time in the middle of this year. So there are no changes to provider registration in this bill.</p>
<p>There is an expansion of the commission’s compliance and enforcement powers. They will be able to scale up efforts and restrict employment of a support worker when they have been banned by an approved quality auditor.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/recommendations-to-reboot-the-ndis-have-finally-been-released-5-experts-react-215805">Recommendations to reboot the NDIS have finally been released. 5 experts react</a>
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<h2>More legislative changes ahead</h2>
<p>These won’t be the last changes we will see to the NDIS legislation in the near future. </p>
<p>The government has already indicated it is likely there will need to be <a href="https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22legislation%2Fems%2Fr7181_ems_f83281ef-0f46-4fbb-a59f-2e19439dcacb%22">further changes</a> following engagement with the disability community. </p>
<p>Co-design requires trust and the government will be hoping that releasing this legislation without significant engagement with the disability community hasn’t damaged relationships too badly.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/226730/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Helen Dickinson receives funding from ARC, NHMRC and CYDA</span></em></p>Although the NDIS Review set out a five-year timeframe for reform, many of the items within this bill are needed to modify the NDIS Act and to allow for changes to take place.Helen Dickinson, Professor, Public Service Research, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2267132024-03-27T03:24:35Z2024-03-27T03:24:35ZThe consequences of the government’s new migration legislation could be dire – for individuals and for Australia<p>The Albanese government came to power with <a href="https://twitter.com/AlboMP/status/1154510763433684992?lang=en">a promise</a> to be “strong on borders without being weak on humanity”. </p>
<p>But there was little humanity in parliament yesterday as the government tried to force through some of the most draconian migration laws this country has seen in decades. The draft legislation was distributed to MPs and introduced in the lower house for debate <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-26/government-suddenly-brings-on-legislation-deportation-powers/103632704">just hours</a> later.</p>
<p>Today, the senate <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-27/coalition-wont-support-immigration-legislation/103638462">stopped the bill</a> in its tracks, referring it to a committee instead of passing it just before a parliamentary break.</p>
<p>In a radical departure from the existing framework, the government is seeking to further criminalise the migration system. The consequences could be disastrous.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-government-is-fighting-a-new-high-court-case-on-immigration-detainees-whats-it-about-and-whats-at-stake-226120">The government is fighting a new High Court case on immigration detainees. What's it about and what's at stake?</a>
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<h2>What would the laws do?</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/Bills_Search_Results/Result?bId=r7179">Migration Amendment (Removal and Other Measures) Bill</a> proposes amendments to the Migration Act to deal with situations where non-citizens subject to removal are not cooperating with government authorities, or where their own government refuses to take them back. </p>
<p>It is widely understood to be a response to the High Court’s ruling in <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-high-court-has-decided-indefinite-detention-is-unlawful-what-happens-now-217438">November 2023</a> that found indefinite immigration detention to be unlawful. </p>
<p>It’s also considered an attempt to pre-empt <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/government-sweats-on-critical-new-court-challenge-on-immigration-detainees-20240315-p5fcro.html">further litigation</a> scheduled in the High Court. The case of an Iranian man refusing to cooperate in his deportation is due before the court <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-government-is-fighting-a-new-high-court-case-on-immigration-detainees-whats-it-about-and-whats-at-stake-226120">next month</a>.</p>
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<p>However, the amendments introduced in the bill go far beyond addressing this issue. They have wide-ranging impacts for how non-citizens are treated in Australia, and indeed for Australia’s relationship with governments around the world. </p>
<p>As such, it is particularly concerning the government tried to rush the bill through parliament without the opportunity for proper scrutiny or review. While a senate committee hearing is a welcome development, it won’t fix everything. </p>
<h2>Criminalising non-cooperation</h2>
<p>The bill gives the minister new powers to compel people who have exhausted their options to stay in Australia to cooperate and take steps towards their own removal. This would apply not only to people affected by the High Court’s ruling last year, but also to certain bridging visa holders. </p>
<p>Extraordinarily, it would also apply to “any other non-citizens” the minister might seek to designate through the migration regulations. </p>
<p>The powers include directing individuals to sign and submit documents to facilitate their departure, attend appointments, and provide any other information as required. In the case of families, if the parents are affected non-citizens, they can be directed to help facilitate the removal of their children, irrespective of whether it is in the child’s best interests.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/government-rushing-through-bill-to-crack-down-on-uncooperative-non-citizens-it-is-trying-to-remove-226615">Government rushing through bill to crack down on 'uncooperative' non-citizens it is trying to remove</a>
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<p>Anyone who fails to comply with these directions without a “reasonable excuse” will face a mandatory jail term of between one and five years, a A$93,900 fine, or both. The fact that someone faces a real risk of persecution or other serious harm will not be considered a reasonable excuse. </p>
<p>These are extraordinary provisions without precedent in Australia. Even in the context of terrorism offences, a failure to comply with a direction does not result in mandatory imprisonment. </p>
<p>The closest comparisons are offences under various state laws concerning failure to disclose identity, which may be punished by up to 12 months’ imprisonment. In some states, reportable offenders, such as child sex offenders, who fail to produce electronic devices when directed by police, may face up to five years in prison. </p>
<p>However, in all these cases, these are maximum sentences, not a mandatory minimum sentence. As the Law Council of Australia President <a href="https://lawcouncil.au/media/media-releases/removal-bill-causes-rule-of-law-and-human-rights-concerns">put it</a>: “In effect, this Bill will implement mandatory sentencing”.</p>
<h2>Concerns for fast-track asylum seekers</h2>
<p>Section 199D of the bill attempts to ensure that the new powers are not used to remove individuals to a country where they would face a real risk of persecution or other serious harm. </p>
<p>But there is a risk the bill could still lead to people who do have protection claims being forced to return to countries where their life or freedom is threatened. There are particular concerns for people assessed under Australia’s fast-track asylum processes. </p>
<p>The Labor party has acknowledged these processes have not been <a href="https://alp.org.au/media/2594/2021-alp-national-platform-final-endorsed-platform.pdf">“fair, thorough and robust”</a>, meaning people with genuine refugee claims may have been denied protection. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-the-governments-preventative-detention-bill-heres-how-the-laws-will-work-and-what-they-mean-for-australias-detention-system-219226">What is the government's preventative detention bill? Here's how the laws will work and what they mean for Australia's detention system</a>
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<p>Others could also be at risk of removal contrary to Australia’s protection obligations if their personal circumstances or the situation in their home country has changed since their original protection claim was determined. </p>
<p>The Refugee Council of Australia has warned about these risks and shared its <a href="https://www.refugeecouncil.org.au/new-legislation-puts-refugees-failed-by-fast-track-process-at-risk/">concerns</a> that “those who do have strong claims, but have not had a fair hearing or review, will be sent back to real harm.” </p>
<h2>Countries can be blacklisted</h2>
<p>The bill also gives the minister a new power to “blacklist” entire countries and prevent their citizens from applying for Australian visas.</p>
<p>This is a discretionary power that requires little consultation and is unlikely to be subject to administrative or judicial review. The only limitations on this power are that the minister first consults with the prime minister and minister for foreign affairs. The immigration minister must also detail why they think it is in the national interest to make such a decision.</p>
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<p>The travel bans are intended to force targeted countries to cooperate and accept the return of their own nationals. But in practice, they will prevent people who may wish to work, study in or visit Australia from leaving – through no fault of their own. </p>
<p>Travel bans could also have unintended consequences. Diplomatic relations between countries may sour following such decisions, and countries may opt to <a href="https://sgp.fas.org/crs/homesec/IF11025.pdf">retaliate</a> in other ways, whether through trade, tourism or other matters of international concern. </p>
<p>The issue of international cooperation concerning the return of nationals to their home country is a diplomatic one that should be negotiated in good faith between political leaders. It is quite likely that inducements rather than threats would work better. </p>
<p>Other countries may also simply be unmoved to take any further steps to facilitate returns, or may even welcome their citizens not being able to visit Australia. It is important to remember that not all countries wish for their citizenry to be able to leave.</p>
<h2>Walking the walk</h2>
<p>At a time when the immigration minister has <a href="https://minister.homeaffairs.gov.au/AndrewGiles/Pages/refugee-communities-assoc-aust-conf-21092023.aspx">emphasised</a> the “importance of lived experience in shaping national and international dialogue and policy” and claimed that the “government walk the walk on meaningful participation for refugees”, it is disappointing to see attempts to rush this bill through parliament without any consultation with refugee communities and other stakeholders, and very limited scrutiny. </p>
<p>The Albanese government is continuing the tradition of governments before it by attempting to ram legislation through parliament that severely curtails human rights and is disproportionate to its stated objectives. Both the government and the opposition have a vested interest in passing laws that further expand the minister’s discretionary powers, which are already ill-suited to a liberal democracy. </p>
<p>But the changes will have far-reaching consequences for both our migration program and our foreign policy objectives, and demand further democratic scrutiny.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/226713/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jane McAdam receives funding from the Australian Research Council. She is a member of the expert sub-committee of the Ministerial Advisory Council on Skilled Migration. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Daniel Ghezelbash receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the NSW Government. He is a member of the management committee of Refugee Advice and Casework Services and Wallumatta Legal, and a Special Counsel at the National Justice Project.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Madeline Gleeson and Tristan Harley do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The government has failed in its attempt to ram unprecedented changes to the migration act through parliament. The laws, now being reviewed by a senate committee, could be disastrous.Jane McAdam, Scientia Professor and Director of the Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, UNSW SydneyDaniel Ghezelbash, Associate Professor and Deputy Director, Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, UNSW Law & Justice, UNSW SydneyMadeline Gleeson, Senior Research Fellow, Andrew & Renata Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, UNSW SydneyTristan Harley, Senior Research Associate, Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2266032024-03-27T03:02:07Z2024-03-27T03:02:07Z8 aspek penting untuk memastikan keberlanjutan industri nikel dari hulu ke hilir<p>Isu mengenai hilirisasi nikel Indonesia tengah panas beberapa tahun ke belakang. Ambisi Presiden Joko Widodo untuk menjadikan Indonesia sentra produksi baterai kendaraan listrik (EV) dunia membuat aktivitas seputar komoditas tambang ini jadi sorotan.</p>
<p>Semenjak Undang Undang Nomor 3 tahun 2020 tentang Perubahan UU Pertambangan Mineral dan Batubara disahkan, <a href="https://www.esdm.go.id/assets/booklet/tambang-2020/Booklet-Nikel-FA.pdf">produksi</a> dan <a href="https://databoks.katadata.co.id/datapublish/2024/03/07/ekspor-nikel-indonesia-kian-tinggi-pada-2023-tembus-rekor-baru">ekspor</a> nikel Indonesia naik tajam. Tak berhenti di situ, <a href="https://databoks.katadata.co.id/datapublish/2023/04/27/pemerintah-berambisi-bangun-53-smelter-pada-2024-ini-rinciannya">pemerintah menargetkan 30 smelter baru nikel beroperasi</a> tahun ini, jauh di atas 2023 yakni 13 smelter.</p>
<p>Di balik itu semua, segudang kontroversi membayangi sektor nikel. Dampak lingkungan dan sosial penambangan dan hilirisasi nikel–mulai dari <a href="https://www.mongabay.co.id/2023/02/27/kala-pemerintah-gencar-kembangkan-industri-nikel-lingkungan-dan-masyarakat-jadi-perhatian/">deforestasi, susutnya biodiversitas, pencemaran air dan udara</a> hingga <a href="https://www.mongabay.co.id/2023/02/27/kala-pemerintah-gencar-kembangkan-industri-nikel-lingkungan-dan-masyarakat-jadi-perhatian/">pergeseran ruang hidup masyarakat</a>–<a href="https://www.kompas.id/baca/nusantara/2023/10/11/ironi-pertumbuhan-dua-digit-di-provinsi-paling-bahagia">kerap menjadi topik pemberitaan</a>. Belum lagi gonjang-ganjing larangan ekspor nikel yang membuat <a href="https://theconversation.com/pakar-menjawab-apa-jadinya-jika-wto-tolak-banding-indonesia-soal-larangan-ekspor-nikel-196658">Indonesia digugat ke Organisasi Perdagangan Dunia (WTO)</a>, hingga <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2024-03-07/nickel-prices-may-soon-recover-from-indonesia-induced-slump">ambruknya harga nikel</a> karena pasokan melampaui kebutuhan.</p>
<p>Isu nikel bahkan sempat <a href="https://www.kompas.id/baca/ekonomi/2024/01/25/gaduh-nikel-diributkan-elite-dikeluhkan-warga">terpolitisasi dan jadi ajang saling serang</a> selama Pemilu 2024. Presiden dan wakil presiden terpilih, Prabowo Subianto dan Gibran Rakabuming Raka, jelas <a href="https://www.cnbcindonesia.com/news/20240124210208-8-508768/video-hilirisasi-nikel-bakal-dilanjutkan-ini-rencana-prabowo-gibran">menunjukkan niatnya melanjutkan program nikel</a> Jokowi.</p>
<p>Bagi Indonesia—negara <a href="https://databoks.katadata.co.id/datapublish/2024/02/13/indonesia-negara-penghasil-nikel-terbesar-di-dunia-pada-2023">produsen</a> dan <a href="https://databoks.katadata.co.id/datapublish/2024/02/13/indonesia-kantongi-cadangan-nikel-terbesar-global-pada-2023">pemilik cadangan nikel terbesar di dunia</a> berdasarkan data Badan Survei Geologi Amerika Serikat (USGS)—hilirisasi tampak menjadi keniscayaan. Namun, proses ekstraksi dan pemberian nilai tambah yang berkelanjutan masih menjadi pertanyaan.</p>
<p>Untuk menjawab hal ini, <em>The Conversation Indonesia</em> mewawancarai Putra Adhiguna, <em>Managing Director</em> Energy Shift Institute; Putra Hanif Agson Gani, kandidat doktor <em>Minerals and Energy Resources Engineering</em> dari UNSW Sydney; dan Krisna Gupta, <em>senior fellow</em> dari Center of Indonesian Policy Studies (CIPS) untuk membedah aspek-aspek apa saja yang penting untuk menjamin industri nikel yang berkelanjutan dari hulu ke hilir.</p>
<p>Berikut rangkuman kami.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/584601/original/file-20240326-24-bo1852.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Keberlanjutan industri nikel" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/584601/original/file-20240326-24-bo1852.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/584601/original/file-20240326-24-bo1852.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584601/original/file-20240326-24-bo1852.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584601/original/file-20240326-24-bo1852.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584601/original/file-20240326-24-bo1852.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584601/original/file-20240326-24-bo1852.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584601/original/file-20240326-24-bo1852.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Olahan penulis</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
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<h2>1. Meluruskan narasi industri nikel</h2>
<p>Putra mengatakan bahwa persoalan keberlanjutan industri nikel di Indonesia cukup rumit mengingat isu ekonomi, sosial, dan lingkungan yang berkelindan. Masalah menjadi kian kusut karena potensi konflik kepentingan akibat pejabat dan aparat <a href="https://majalah.tempo.co/edisi/2695/2024-03-03/investigasi">tingkat nasional</a> maupun <a href="https://theconversation.com/riset-temukan-bagaimana-elit-meraup-cuan-dari-sengkarut-tata-kelola-nikel-sulawesi-tengah-210684">daerah</a> terlibat dalam pengelolaan nikel. Kepentingan kekuasaan berisiko membuat diskursus tentang nikel mudah digiring ke isu tertentu yang cenderung sempit.</p>
<p>Sebagai contoh, narasi hilirisasi nikel yang selama ini digaungkan Jokowi acap dikaitkan dengan <a href="https://www.voaindonesia.com/a/jokowi-resmikan-pembangunan-pabrik-baterai-kendaraan-listrik-pertama-di-indonesia/6229679.html">ambisi Indonesia sebagai produsen baterai EV dunia</a>. Padahal, <a href="https://data.kompas.id/data-detail/kompas_statistic/6410117d8d55587bd97e2619">sebanyak 70% nikel Indonesia</a> digunakan untuk pembuatan baja antikarat (<em>stainless steel</em>), diikuti oleh penggunaan lainnya seperti logam campuran (8%), pelapisan logam (8%), pengecoran (8%), baterai (5%), dan lainnya (1%). Baja antikarat merupakan bahan utama berbagai jenis barang rumah tangga seperti sendok, garpu, hingga gedung pencakar langit dan kincir angin.</p>
<p>“Di gambaran saya, kita tidak akan pernah menjadi raksasa kendaraan listrik dunia. Itu yang menurut saya <em>misleading</em>,” ujar Putra. Saat ini, penelitian Putra menunjukkan bahwa Indonesia hanya menguasai <a href="https://energyshift.institute/work/0-4-of-global-battery-production-capacity-indonesias-battery-and-ev-developments-are-far-out-of-step-with-its-nickel-exploitation-promise/">0,4% dari kue baterai listrik dunia</a>.</p>
<p>Menurut Putra, kuatnya narasi industri nikel untuk pengembangan baterai EV membuat diskusi keberlanjutan ekonomi dan lingkungan industri nikel tak bisa menyeluruh. Walau begitu, hilirisasi nikel untuk bahan baku baterai tetap perlu dilakukan bersamaan dengan produk turunan lainnya, sembari pemerintah meluruskan ambisi dan narasi yang terlanjur menjadi percakapan publik.</p>
<h2>2. Insentif untuk dekarbonisasi dan pengolahan limbah</h2>
<p>Menurut Hanif dari UNSW Sydney, industri pertambangan dan pengolahan pada hakikatnya sulit untuk bisa benar-benar “bersih” secara lingkungan.</p>
<p>Di sisi hulu, selama proses penambangan, emisi muncul dari proses langsung maupun tak langsung dari <a href="https://theconversation.com/3-cara-mengurangi-emisi-karbon-pertambangan-mineral-kritis-indonesia-208184">peralatan tambang maupun kebutuhan energi dalam pemrosesannya</a>. Pengerukan lahan juga turut mengubah bentang alam sehingga dapat berdampak pada <a href="https://www.iucn.nl/en/blog/nickel-mining-in-indonesia-economic-prosperity-and-ecological-disaster/">kehidupan liar di dalamnya</a>.</p>
<p>Sementara, di sisi hilir, proses pengolahan nikel di smelter dengan metode pirometalurgi (melalui proses pembakaran) <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11367-016-1085-x">mengeluarkan emisi tinggi dan menghasilkan gas buang yang mencemari udara</a>. Sementara, pengolahan dengan hidrometalurgi—ekstraksi nikel dengan larutan kimia, umumnya untuk menghasilkan bahan baku baterai—<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304389421013868">menghasilkan limbah yang berisiko mengotori air dan tanah</a>.</p>
<p>Menurut Hanif, untuk mengurangi dampak lingkungan dari industri nikel, perusahaan perlu memadukan sumber listriknya dengan <a href="https://theconversation.com/3-cara-mengurangi-emisi-karbon-pertambangan-mineral-kritis-indonesia-208184">sumber yang berasal dari energi terbarukan</a>. <a href="https://theconversation.com/3-cara-mengurangi-emisi-karbon-pertambangan-mineral-kritis-indonesia-208184">Berinvestasi pada peralatan yang minim emisi</a>) juga dapat menjadi solusi. </p>
<p>Tak hanya itu, perusahaan juga dapat <a href="https://theconversation.com/3-cara-mengurangi-emisi-karbon-pertambangan-mineral-kritis-indonesia-208184">mengelola ataupun mendaur ulang limbahnya</a> agar bisa digunakan kembali. Contohnya dengan <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1557/s43581-022-00042-y">memproses gas buang dari <em>smelter</em> menjadi hidrogen</a> yang dapat digunakan kembali sebagai sumber energi.</p>
<p>Namun, proses pengelolaan dampak lingkungan itu menambah biaya sehingga sebagian besar perusahaan tambang di Indonesia pun cenderung menghindarinya. Tuntutan industri tambang “hijau”, kata Hanif, hanya dipenuhi dengan penggunaan biodiesel yang diwajibkan <a href="https://industri.kontan.co.id/news/begini-curhatan-pengusaha-tambang-soal-efek-penggunaan-b30-pada-alat-berat-1">Kementerian Energi dan Sumber Daya Mineral (ESDM)</a>—itu pun <a href="https://industri.kontan.co.id/news/begini-curhatan-pengusaha-tambang-soal-efek-penggunaan-b30-pada-alat-berat-1">memerlukan ongkos yang mahal</a>.</p>
<p>Dalam aspek inilah industri nikel membutuhkan uluran tangan pemerintah.</p>
<p>“Kalau untuk dari pemerintah itu sendiri menurut saya, ya harus ada insentif untuk <em>emission reduction</em> (pengurangan emisi),” tukas Hanif.</p>
<h2>3. Menciptakan tekanan dari konsumen</h2>
<p>Putra dari Energy Shift Institute mengatakan, upaya untuk meningkatkan aspek kelestarian lingkungan industri nikel tak cukup dilakukan oleh pemerintah. Konsumen nikel Indonesia juga dapat turut serta menuntut proses penambangan dan pengolahan yang berkelanjutan.</p>
<p>Pengguna produk nikel Indonesia, misalnya, bisa mencontek <a href="https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32023L2413&qid=1699364355105">kebijakan Uni Eropa</a> yang mengharuskan penggunaan bioenergi dari komoditas <a href="https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/forests/deforestation/regulation-deforestation-free-products_en">bebas deforestasi dan dikelola secara berkelanjutan</a>. Kebijakan tersebut memang menciptakan ketegangan dengan produsen kelapa sawit di Indonesia. Namun, pada akhirnya, aturan keras itu <a href="https://download.garuda.kemdikbud.go.id/article.php?article=799632&val=13075&title=INDONESIAN%20SUSTAINABLE%20PALM%20OIL%20ISPO%20A%20WAY%20TO%20REACH%20THE%20EUROPEAN%20UNION%20RENEWABLE%20ENERGY%20DIRECTIVE%20EU%20RED%202009%20AND%20BOOSTING%20INDONESIAN%20PALM%20OIL%20MARKET%20TO%20EUROPEAN%20UNION%20EU%202009-2014">membuat kewalahan sehingga perusahaan harus menyesuaikan diri</a>.</p>
<p>Putra mengatakan, tuntutan nikel berkelanjutan paling memungkinkan diajukan oleh produsen dan konsumen kendaraan listrik berikut komponennya—seperti baterai. Perusahaan produsen ini juga dapat mengajukan tuntutan bersama, meski pelaksanaannya tidak mudah karena ada tensi perdagangan antara Cina dan negara lainnya <a href="https://www.eiu.com/n/an-eu-china-trade-war-is-brewing/">tengah memanas</a>.</p>
<p>Cara lainnya yang dapat dilakukan, kata Putra, adalah tuntutan dari konsumen <em>nickel pig iron</em> (nikel hasil olahan untuk bahan baku baja tahan karat). Konsumen ini dapat menuntut pengusaha smelter untuk beroperasi lebih ramah lingkungan, termasuk mengolah bijih yang ditambang secara berkelanjutan. </p>
<p>“Sembari itu, tekanan juga sangat diperlukan untuk produk stainless steel dan turunannya,” ujar Putra.</p>
<h2>4. Membatasi ekspansi</h2>
<p>Untuk mengatasi dampak lingkungan, menjaga kelangsungan cadangan, dan memperbaiki harga nikel yang jeblok di pasaran, Putra menganggap pembatasan ekspansi industri nikel patut menjadi jalan keluar.</p>
<p>Putra mengatakan anjloknya harga nikel menjadi bukti yang mementahkan argumen pemerintah bahwa <a href="https://www.cnnindonesia.com/ekonomi/20231102153150-532-1019208/jokowi-tangkis-kritik-negara-tak-dapat-apapun-dari-hilirisasi-nikel-cs">eksploitasi nikel bertujuan untuk memakmurkan rakyat</a>. Penambangan nikel besar-besaran <a href="https://betahita.id/news/detail/7982/investasi-nikel-lika-liku-mimpi-produksi-hingga-baterai-otomotif.html?v=1664294356">sejak 2013</a> justru membuat pasokan melimpah sehingga harganya tak <a href="https://www.ifishdeco.com/nickel-market/">sekinclong satu dekade silam</a>. </p>
<p>Putra menambahkan, lagi-lagi, pembatasan ekspansi sebaiknya bermula dari sisi hilir alias smelter. Sebab, produksi bijih nikel turut terpengaruh dengan permintaan fasilitas pengolahan. Walhasil, pembatasan smelter, menurut dia, lambat laun akan memperbaiki harga bijih nikel.</p>
<p>“Semakin cepat pertumbuhan smelter, pertumbuhan <em>ore</em> (bijih) dan deforestasi mau gak mau harus mengikuti…Setiap kita tambah satu smelter ya itu <em>growth rate</em>-nya untuk deforestasi harus tambah,” ia menambahkan.</p>
<h2>5. Memperkuat eksplorasi dan data cadangan nikel</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSL8N3BW4WU/">Asosiasi Penambang Nikel Indonesia (APNI)</a> sempat menyatakan bahwa cadangan bijih nikel kadar tinggi Indonesia, umumnya untuk pembuatan baja, akan habis dalam enam tahun. Meski pernyataan APNI <a href="https://ekonomi.bisnis.com/read/20231107/44/1711692/cadangan-nikel-ri-disebut-habis-6-tahun-lagi-ini-kata-esdm">ditepis pemerintah</a>, ini bisa menjadi catatan bahwa nikel Indonesia tidak abadi.</p>
<p>“Cek dengan benar cadangan nikel Indonesia. Apakah ada eksplorasi baru? Apakah lokasi tambang baru ada di daerah hutan lindung?,” ujar Krisna dari CIPS.</p>
<p>Hanif dari UNSW Sydney pun turut menggarisbawahi pengurangan dampak lingkungan penting dimulai sejak tahap pencarian sumber daya. Eksplorasi yang mempertimbangkan dampak lingkungan, menurut dia, dapat menciptakan desain tambang yang minim deforestasi dan risiko lingkungan lainnya.</p>
<h2>6. Pasar yang berkelanjutan: evaluasi larangan ekspor dan perkuat kerja sama</h2>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/584606/original/file-20240326-30-hbmu17.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="WTO" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/584606/original/file-20240326-30-hbmu17.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/584606/original/file-20240326-30-hbmu17.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584606/original/file-20240326-30-hbmu17.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584606/original/file-20240326-30-hbmu17.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584606/original/file-20240326-30-hbmu17.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584606/original/file-20240326-30-hbmu17.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584606/original/file-20240326-30-hbmu17.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Markas pusat WTO di Jenewa, Swiss. Pada awal 2021, Uni Eropa menggugat larangan Indonesia karena menutup keran ekspor nikelnya.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/geneva-switzerland-5-apr-2019-view-1497838454">Shutterstock/EQRoy</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Keberlanjutan ekonomi industri nikel tak semata seputar aktivitas produksi. Situasi pasar dan nilai keekonomian nikel pun harus menjadi perhatian. Tanpa keuntungan yang memadai, transisi menuju keberlanjutan besar hanya tampak seperti angan-angan.</p>
<p>Menurut Krisna, pemerintah perlu mengevaluasi apakah <a href="https://majalah.tempo.co/read/laporan-utama/170636/insentif-smelter-nikel">keringanan pajak (<em>tax holiday</em>)</a> dan kewajiban pengusaha smelter <a href="https://theconversation.com/evaluasi-subsidi-kendaraan-listrik-bagaimana-sepeda-motor-bersubsidi-belum-mampu-gaet-masyarakat-miskin-207743">menyerap produk lokal</a> benar-benar mendorong keberlanjutan. Apalagi, di tengah tuntutan tersebut, pemerintah justru memberikan <a href="https://theconversation.com/evaluasi-subsidi-kendaraan-listrik-bagaimana-sepeda-motor-bersubsidi-belum-mampu-gaet-masyarakat-miskin-207743">insentif pajak bagi kendaraan listrik berbaterai non-nikel</a>.</p>
<p>“Jika memang insentif-insentif ini tidak <em>sustainable</em>/tidak bikin industri lebih maju dari posisi saat ini, sebaiknya dipertimbangkan untuk direvisi,” ujar dia.</p>
<p>Evaluasi ini, kata Krisna, juga perlu diikuti dengan kajian perbandingan menyeluruh: apakah keuntungan dari kebijakan insentif untuk smelter lebih besar dari manfaat ekspor bijih nikel.</p>
<p>“Bisa jadi ini malah lebih rugi daripada ekspor nikel mentah aja. Perlu dipikirkan apakah insentif-insentif ini <em>sustainable</em> mengingat <em>trajectory</em> hilirisasi menuju EV (dengan baterai nikel) sepertinya belum terlihat jelas,” tambahnya.</p>
<p>Krisna turut menganjurkan pemerintah memperkuat kerja sama rantai pasok nikel antarnegara alih-alih <a href="https://theconversation.com/klaim-sukses-hilirisasi-nikel-berbasis-larangan-ekspor-masih-memiliki-segudang-masalah-177735">melarang ekspor yang tak selamanya menguntungkan Indonesia</a>.</p>
<p>“Seharusnya investasi yang masuk ke Indonesia terkait hilirisasi nikel bisa lebih bersaing dan (nikel Indonesia) diperebutkan perusahaan-perusahaan dari berbagai negara, alih-alih cuma dari beberapa negara saja. Keinginan Indonesia tergabung dengan OECD (Organisasi untuk Kerja Sama Ekonomi dan Pembangunan) bisa jadi membantu, jika pemerintah Indonesia bisa merasionalisasi aturan-aturan investasi di negara-negara OECD,” tutur Krisna.</p>
<h2>7. Menyusun peta jalan yang matang</h2>
<p>Baik Krisna maupun Putra mempertanyakan sejauh apa sebetulnya Indonesia bisa menerapkan hilirisasi nikel. Apalagi, menurut Putra, Cina tengah mengalami <a href="https://www.eiu.com/n/solar-and-ev-battery-overcapacity-are-risks-to-china/">kelebihan pasokan baterai listrik</a>.</p>
<p>“Aku rasa pertanyaan sekarang adalah <em>roadmap</em> seperti apa yang sebenarnya realistis bisa Indonesia capai untuk hilirisasi nikel, itu yang belum terjawab,” ujar Putra.</p>
<p>Sementara, menurut Krisna, Indonesia perlu <a href="https://theconversation.com/isu-lingkungan-dan-perkembangan-teknologi-ancam-ambisi-kendaraan-listrik-berbasis-nikel-indonesia-apa-yang-harus-dilakukan-pemerintah-201186">mengecek kembali sejauh mana minat investor mengembangkan hilirisasi nikel di Indonesia</a>. “Jika tidak bisa sampai mobil, mungkin motor juga oke. Jika sampai <em>batre</em>, ya, sudah. Atau bahkan jika sampai <em>stainless steel</em> juga rasanya bukan hal buruk kok,” kata dia.</p>
<p>Hanif dari UNSW Syndey berpendapat sudah waktunya pemerintah mencari turunan produk nikel lainnya yang berpotensi memberikan nilai tambah—tak melulu untuk baterai. Pasalnya, <a href="https://nickelinstitute.org/en/about-nickel-and-its-applications/consumer-products/">nikel banyak digunakan</a> dalam kehidupan sehari-hari mulai dari peralatan dapur sampai peralatan elektronik, hingga kebutuhan lain yang menyokong berbagai sektor industri.</p>
<h2>8. Praktik pertambangan berkelanjutan</h2>
<p>Dengan memadukan berbagai aspek di atas, menurut Hanif, sudah waktunya istilah <em>sustainable mining practices</em> (SMP) atau praktik tambang berkelanjutan tak hanya jadi jargon. Pengawasan dari Kementerian ESDM pun perlu diketat.</p>
<p>Indonesia dapat meniru negara-negara lain yang terbilang berhasil menerapkan praktik berkelanjutan. Hanif mencontohkan usaha <a href="https://www.ieabioenergy.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/CountryReport2021_Canada_final.pdf">Kanada yang melakukan elektrifikasi peralatan tambang dengan sumber energi biomassa.</a> </p>
<p>Perusahaan juga bisa membeli <a href="https://en.antaranews.com/news/302238/use-of-renewable-energy-certificates-increased-by-75-percent-pln">International Renewable Energy Certificates</a>. Sertifikat ini berguna untuk menunjukkan seberapa besar kapasitas listrik mereka berasal dari energi terbarukan.</p>
<p>“Selain sebagai penghasil bahan yang dapat membantu untuk memajukan <em>renewable energy</em> di Indonesia, ada baiknya juga industri nikel dalam proses dalam proses eksplorasi, eksploitasi serta teorisasinya juga mengacu ke <em>sustainable mining practice</em>,” tutup Hanif.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/226603/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
Banyak kontroversi dan dampak serius di balik ambisi hilirisasi nikel Indonesia. Sudah waktunya kita melepaskan diri dari narasi baterai kendaraan listrik dan berfokus pada aspek keberlanjutan nikel.Robby Irfany Maqoma, Environment EditorAnggi M. Lubis, Business + Economy EditorLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2245152024-03-27T00:47:11Z2024-03-27T00:47:11ZGangs, kidnappings, murders: why thousands of Rohingya are desperately trying to escape refugee camps by boats<p>Late last week, a boat crammed with Rohingya refugees fleeing a squalid camp in Bangladesh capsized off the coast of Indonesia. Around 75 people were rescued, including nine children, but <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-25/three-rohingya-found-at-sea-indonesia-aceh/103626938">more than 70 are missing and presumed dead</a>. </p>
<p>This tragedy isn’t an isolated incident. The number of Rohingya people trying to escape refugee camps by boat has skyrocketed in recent months. </p>
<p>According to the <a href="https://data.unhcr.org/en/situations/myanmar">UN High Commissioner for Refugees</a>, 1,783 Rohingya refugees boarded boats from Bangladesh from January to October 1, 2023. Since then, around 3,100 people have embarked on these treacherous journeys – an increase of nearly 74%.</p>
<p>Since January 2023, around 490 Rohingya have been reported dead or <a href="https://data.unhcr.org/en/situations/myanmar">missing</a>, including 280 since October 1. </p>
<p>Their attempts to reach countries like Malaysia and most recently Indonesia are <a href="https://reliefweb.int/report/indonesia/rohingya-refugees-facing-hostile-reception-aceh">being met with refusals and pushbacks</a>, leaving many Rohingya stranded at sea and vulnerable to exploitation, trafficking and even death.</p>
<p>Why are so many Rohingya trying to flee in recent months? And how should the international community respond to this increasingly desperate humanitarian crisis? </p>
<p>In a <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/379050392_As_long_as_we_are_stateless_we_will_have_tension_Idioms_of_distress_amongst_Rohingya_Refugees_in_Cox's_Bazar_Bangladesh">new article</a> recently submitted for peer review, we (two Australian academics and six anonymous Rohingya activists) describe the “push factors” that have been identified in community-based research in the camps, which are forcing many people to board boats to try to reach safety. </p>
<h2>Living with constant tension</h2>
<p>The nearly 1 million Rohingya refugees now living in Bangladesh are survivors of a massive Myanmar military operation in 2017 aimed at driving them from their homes in western Rakhine state. </p>
<p>Estimates of the number of people killed during the operation range from around <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(19)30037-3/fulltext">7,800</a> to <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3242696">24,000</a>. The United Nations has called it a “<a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2017/09/564622-un-human-rights-chief-points-textbook-example-ethnic-cleansing-myanmar">textbook example of ethnic cleansing</a>” and <a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/02/1133597">genocide</a>.</p>
<p>Even before they were forced across the border, the Rohingya people had been subjected to decades of discrimination, denial of citizenship, exclusion from schools and work, restrictions on freedom of movement and <a href="https://www.amnesty.org.uk/myanmar-apartheid-against-rohingya">violence</a> from authorities. </p>
<p>Now, trapped in limbo in the refugee camps in Cox’s Bazaar, Bangladesh, they are experiencing many of the same things.</p>
<p>In 2019, we conducted on-the-ground interviews with 27 Rohingya community experts living in Cox’s Bazaar, including teachers, mothers, religious leaders, spiritual healers, youths and activists. We wanted to know how Rohingya people understand and describe the psychological impacts of genocide and displacement. </p>
<p>This understanding is important because most mental health services are based on Western terminology like “depression”, “anxiety” or “stress”. But these may not properly fit the Rohingya experience. Instead, we found the English word “tension” (in Rohingya, <em>sinta</em>) was used by many refugees, which conveys feelings of worry, concern and anxiety and captures the experience of being stateless.</p>
<p>As two anonymous adolescent Rohingya women described it to us:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>There is no opportunity to do anything, all we do is stay inside.</p>
<p>Tension is loss. We’ve lost land, children, husband, that’s why we feel tension. </p>
<p>Tension is neck pain. Tension is throat, shoulders and head pain. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>After conducting our interviews, we then developed a pictorial model of “tension”, as Rohingya is an oral language. The model (below) showed how being “opportunity-less” – from lack of work, education or freedom of movement – sits at the centre of tension. </p>
<p>Our interview subjects told us lack of opportunity leads to thinking too much, pain in the body and conflict in the family, between families and with the Bangladeshi community. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/584619/original/file-20240327-28-4jjhqs.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/584619/original/file-20240327-28-4jjhqs.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=530&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584619/original/file-20240327-28-4jjhqs.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=530&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584619/original/file-20240327-28-4jjhqs.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=530&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584619/original/file-20240327-28-4jjhqs.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=666&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584619/original/file-20240327-28-4jjhqs.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=666&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584619/original/file-20240327-28-4jjhqs.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=666&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Why the situation has become even more dire</h2>
<p>The six Rohingya activists who helped us to conduct this research have since described to us how these sources of tension have worsened since 2019.</p>
<p>Like so many in their communities, they have personally experienced arbitrary arrest, fabricated legal cases and <a href="https://www.fortifyrights.org/bgd-inv-2023-08-10/">imprisonment</a> by the Bangladeshi authorities.</p>
<p>After dark, the “night government” (armed groups) roam the camps, kidnapping and demanding ransoms from families, threatening people in their <a href="https://www.arabnews.com/node/2417091/world">homes</a>, trafficking <a href="https://www.asianews.it/news-en/Armed-Rohingya-gangs-kill,-abduct-and-sow-fear-in-Cox's-Bazar-57510.html">drugs</a> and killing anyone who tries to <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/3/16/armed-group-behind-rohingya-leaders-murder-bangladesh-police">speak up</a>. Women and girls are targeted for <a href="https://www.thedailystar.net/opinion/closer-look/news/why-are-rohingya-women-and-girls-so-unsafe-refugee-camps-2911316">assault and trafficking</a>. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1453331896407138307"}"></div></p>
<p>The camps are also fenced off, like open-air prisons. This means the refugees are trapped when fires break out, which happens frequently. In January, a huge fire <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-02-12/rohingya-refugees-fire-coxs-bazar-january/103415134">spread quickly</a> in the congested encampments, destroying some 800 shelters and leaving 7,000 people homeless. </p>
<p>And with civil war raging inside Myanmar across the border, some Rohingya in Bangladesh have even been killed by <a href="https://www.thedailystar.net/news/cross-border/news/2-killed-ghumdhum-mortar-shell-myanmar-explodes-bangladesh-3536756">stray mortar shells</a>.</p>
<p>Bangladesh, one of the most <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344470001_COVID-19_pandemic_dengue_epidemic_and_climate_change_vulnerability_in_Bangladesh_Scenario_assessment_for_strategic_management_and_policy_implications">densely populated and poorest</a> countries in the world, cannot address these push factors in the camps without support. International aid for the Rohingya, meanwhile, continues to <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/3/13/un-makes-appeal-calling-for-more-than-850-mn-for-rohingya-refugees">rapidly decline</a>. </p>
<h2>What Australia and regional partners should do</h2>
<p>What can – and should – the international community do to find a durable solution to this problem?</p>
<p>As a well-resourced regional partner, Australia can play a much bigger humanitarian role not focused solely on punishing people smugglers or the refugees themselves through <a href="https://www.refugeecouncil.org.au/asylum-boats-statistics/">boat turnbacks</a>.</p>
<p>When people are faced with such dire conditions, they will move, no matter the cost. As recent refugee boat arrivals in <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-02-19/beagle-bay-residents-on-asylum-seeker-arrivals-in-wa/103483398">Australia</a> and Indonesia demonstrate, boat turnbacks and arrests fail to address the root causes of forced migration. They do not “stop the boats”.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/amid-a-worsening-refugee-crisis-public-support-is-high-in-both-australia-and-nz-to-accept-more-rohingya-199504">Amid a worsening refugee crisis, public support is high in both Australia and NZ to accept more Rohingya</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Here are our recommendations for what Australia, New Zealand and their regional partners should do instead to help the Rohingya people:</p>
<p>1. Exert diplomatic pressure on the Myanmar junta to recognise Rohingya citizenship and facilitate a peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict in Rakhine state so the refugees can return home.</p>
<p>2. Address the shortfall in <a href="https://humanitarianadvisorygroup.org/the-silent-decay-of-international-aid-to-rohingya-refugees/">funding</a> to humanitarian organisations working in Bangladesh to address the immediate needs of Rohingya refugees, including food, shelter, health care, proper education and psychosocial support. Invest in the resilience of refugees.</p>
<p>3. Increase pressure on Bangladesh to improve conditions in the refugee camps and provide livelihood opportunities for Rohingya refugees. This includes advocating for policies that allow refugees to work legally and contribute to the local <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/aug/23/five-years-rohingya-refugees-2017-bangladesh-myanmar-military-crackdown">economy</a>.</p>
<p>4. Prioritise resettlement opportunities for Rohingya refugees in third countries, especially those who have been displaced since the 1990s. Resettlement offers a durable solution for those in need of international protection, providing them with the opportunity to rebuild their lives in safety and with dignity.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224515/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The number of Rohingya trying to escape Bangladesh by boat has risen 74% since October. Increasing lawlessness in the camps is one of the major push factors.Ruth Wells, Senior research fellow, Psychiatry and Mental Health, UNSW SydneyMax William Loomes, Senior Researcher, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2266202024-03-26T06:31:36Z2024-03-26T06:31:36ZStates agreed to share foundational support costs. So why the backlash against NDIS reforms now?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/584308/original/file-20240326-28-6cpw93.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=10%2C0%2C7002%2C4763&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/group-people-holding-hand-together-park-600881606">Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>On Monday evening Australia’s state premiers and territory chief ministers <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/premiers-revolt-over-federal-ndis-law-fearing-cost-time-bomb-20240325-p5ff4x.html">got together and called on</a> the federal government to delay or amend draft laws to overhaul the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). The laws are to determine how states provide “foundational supports”, a key recommendation of the <a href="https://www.ndisreview.gov.au/resources/reports/working-together-deliver-ndis">NDIS Review</a>. </p>
<p>There was a sense of optimism in December when National Cabinet agreed the states and Commonwealth would <a href="https://theconversation.com/whats-the-difference-between-reasonable-and-necessary-and-foundational-supports-heres-what-the-ndis-review-says-216074">split the funding of foundational supports</a> and the Commonwealth would <a href="https://theconversation.com/states-agree-to-do-more-heavy-lifting-on-disability-in-exchange-for-extra-health-and-gst-funding-219321">add billions to strengthen Medicare</a>. This was meant to ease the costs of specialist support within the NDIS. </p>
<p>So why are the details proving controversial now? And does the backlash mean NDIS reforms might fall over at the first hurdle? </p>
<h2>Creating other avenues of support</h2>
<p>Last year’s NDIS Review was tasked, among other things, with considering the financial sustainability of the scheme. </p>
<p>The review argued there is no single issue driving the growing cost pressure of the NDIS. But the lack of accessible and inclusive mainstream services for people with disability was pushing them into the NDIS. This means more people are on the scheme than was originally intended. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/recommendations-to-reboot-the-ndis-have-finally-been-released-5-experts-react-215805">Recommendations to reboot the NDIS have finally been released. 5 experts react</a>
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</em>
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<p>We have seen particular growth in the number of young people with autism and developmental delay <a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-rates-of-autism-should-be-celebrated-but-real-life-impact-not-diagnosis-should-determine-ndis-support-217921">entering the NDIS</a>. <a href="https://www.ndis.gov.au/about-us/publications/quarterly-reports">One in ten boys</a> aged between five and seven have an NDIS plan when starting school.</p>
<p>While this could indicate the original scheme estimates were not correct, it’s likely a significant proportion of demand is being driven by a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/dec/07/ndis-review-costs-national-disability-insurance-scheme-bill-shorten">lack of other available supports</a> through mainstream services.</p>
<h2>Supports the states used to provide</h2>
<p>The NDIS was never intended to provide services to all people with disability and about 86% of disabled Australians <a href="https://www.ndis.gov.au/understanding/ndis-each-state">do not have NDIS plans</a>. Those without NDIS plans access the same mainstream services as the rest of the population – be they schools, health services or public transport. </p>
<p>But mainstream services are not always accessible to people with disability. <a href="https://library.bsl.org.au/bsljspui/bitstream/1/13113/1/Olney_etal_Tier2_tipping_point_support_without_individual_NDIS_funding_2022.pdf">Research</a> from the University of Melbourne in 2022 shows the vast majority of Australians with disability who don’t have NDIS plans can’t access the services and supports they need. When this happens people have to go without or pay for additional supports such as taxis, mobility equipment or domestic assistance themselves.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/whats-the-difference-between-reasonable-and-necessary-and-foundational-supports-heres-what-the-ndis-review-says-216074">What's the difference between 'reasonable and necessary' and 'foundational' supports? Here's what the NDIS review says</a>
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</em>
</p>
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<p>Since the <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-decade-on-the-ndis-has-had-triumphs-challenges-and-controversies-where-to-from-here-208463">establishment of the NDIS</a> over a decade ago, states and territories have pulled back from providing some services for people with disability. </p>
<p>Home and community care programs to support people under 65 years of age with less intensive disability needs, for example, are inconsistent and underfunded in many places. So if a person with disability needs help with some shopping or cleaning, their only option for support may well be to apply to join the NDIS. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="The NDIS’s current system is disconnected and has a support gap." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/564083/original/file-20231207-27-hiqzt.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/564083/original/file-20231207-27-hiqzt.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=466&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/564083/original/file-20231207-27-hiqzt.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=466&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/564083/original/file-20231207-27-hiqzt.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=466&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/564083/original/file-20231207-27-hiqzt.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=585&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/564083/original/file-20231207-27-hiqzt.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=585&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/564083/original/file-20231207-27-hiqzt.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=585&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The NDIS’s current system is disconnected and has a support gap.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.ndisreview.gov.au/resources/reports/working-together-deliver-ndis">NDIS Review</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Are these reforms a surprise?</h2>
<p>The NDIS Review acknowledges the scale of reform outlined in its recommendations are significant and should be transitioned to over a five-year period. But many of the changes that will take place within the NDIS are dependent on having foundational services in place outside the scheme. <a href="https://www.ndisreview.gov.au/resources/reports/working-together-deliver-ndis/part-one-unified-system-support-people-disability-0">Foundational supports</a> are a key priority in the reform process. </p>
<p>The development of a foundational supports strategy should not have taken states and territories by surprise. The day before the NDIS Review was launched in December, National Cabinet reached its decision to share foundational support costs equally between the Commonwealth and states and territories. And at the end of January, the Commonwealth committed A$11.6 million over two years to support the development and implementation of the foundational supports strategy. </p>
<p>Although fresh reports say state and territory leaders fear “uncosted” foundational supports, premiers were <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/dec/06/albanese-strikes-105bn-deal-with-states-to-split-cost-of-non-ndis-disability-services-in-return-for-gst-funding">reportedly given an indication of additional costs</a> at the December National Cabinet meeting. </p>
<p>Since then, state and territory governments will have been working to determine exactly what foundational services are needed in their jurisdictions and how many people might want to access these. Given the NDIS Review <a href="https://www.ndisreview.gov.au/resources/reports/working-together-deliver-ndis/preface/recommendations-and-actions">recommended better and more detailed data collection</a>, many of these governments likely don’t have good enough data to easily understand what the demand for these services might be and therefore what they might cost. </p>
<p>While states and territories appear to have signed up to the general direction of reform, the latest reports suggest premiers are concerned at the speed and the scale of the changes. In a context of <a href="https://www.afr.com/politics/another-12b-debt-blowout-in-victoria-sets-scene-for-horror-budget-20240308-p5faxz">tight state budgets</a> there are likely also fears of extra budgetary pressures from developing new systems of support. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/there-is-overwhelming-gender-bias-in-the-ndis-and-the-review-doesnt-address-it-220042">There is overwhelming gender bias in the NDIS – and the review doesn't address it</a>
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</em>
</p>
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<h2>Future disability reform</h2>
<p>Debates over <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-tussle-between-the-federal-and-state-governments-over-disability-supports-is-looming-what-should-happen-next-217839">which parts of government should fund which services</a> are not new. But focusing on who pays for what misses the bigger picture. </p>
<p>Getting a system of foundational supports in place is essential not only for the sustainability of the NDIS but also for all those disabled Australians who are currently going without necessary supports to live their lives. As a signatory to the <a href="https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/disability-rights/united-nations-convention-rights-persons-disabilities-uncrpd">United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability</a>, Australia has a commitment to protect the rights of people with disabilities and ensure their full inclusion in society. </p>
<p>The NDIS is one part of realising this commitment, but it will not be able to achieve this on its own. If they can’t access mainstream services, disabled people are shut out from participation in aspects of daily life we should all be able to take for granted. </p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/dougie_herd/status/1772429314794897516">Disability advocates</a> argue delaying tactics from states and territories are unacceptable and <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/radionational-breakfast/-distressing-premiers-push-to-delay-ndis-overhaul/103632124?utm_campaign=abc_listen&utm_content=twitter&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_source=abc_listen">reform needs to happen now</a>. The federal government seems committed to the top recommendation of the NDIS Review. It remains to be seen whether the states and territories are ready to move at the same pace.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/226620/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Helen Dickinson receives funding from ARC, NHMRC and CYDA.</span></em></p>If states and territories agreed to share the cost of foundational supports in December, why are they baulking now?Helen Dickinson, Professor, Public Service Research, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2256742024-03-25T19:05:50Z2024-03-25T19:05:50ZIf you’ve got a dark roof, you’re spending almost $700 extra a year to keep your house cool<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/584001/original/file-20240325-26-6somxa.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=24%2C66%2C4025%2C2969&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Sebastian Pfautsch</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>If you visit southern Greece or Tunisia, you might notice lots of white rooftops and white buildings to reflect the intense heat and keep residents cooler. </p>
<p>It’s very different in Australia. New housing estates in the hottest areas around Sydney and Melbourne are dominated by dark rooftops, black roads and minimal tree cover. Dark colours trap and hold heat rather than reflect it. That might be useful in winters in Tasmania, but not where heat is an issue.</p>
<p>A dark roof means you’ll pay considerably more to keep your house cool in summer. Last year, the average household in New South Wales paid A$1827 in electricity. But those with a lighter-coloured cool roof <a href="https://www.unsw.edu.au/content/dam/pdfs/unsw-adobe-websites/arts-design-architecture/built-environment/our-research/high-performance-architecture-research-cluster/2022-08-22282-UNSW-Cool-Roofs-Project-Report-WEB.pdf">can pay</a> up to $694 less due to lower cooling electricity needs. Put another way, a dark roof in Sydney drives up your power bill by 38%. </p>
<p>When suburbs are full of dark coloured roofs, the whole area heats up. And up. And up. This is part of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-western-sydney-is-feeling-the-heat-from-climate-change-more-than-the-rest-of-the-city-201477">urban heat island effect</a>. In January 2020, Penrith in Western Sydney was the <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/the-sydney-suburbs-that-hit-50c-last-summer-20201002-p561by.html">hottest place on Earth</a>. </p>
<p>Cool roofs have <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2022.112577">many benefits</a>. They slash how much heat gets into your house from the sun, keep the air surrounding your home cooler, boost your aircon efficiency, and make your solar panels work <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0960148123013939?via%3Dihub">more efficiently</a>.</p>
<p>State governments could, at a stroke, penalise dark roofs and give incentives for light-coloured roofs. Scaled up, it would help keep our cities cooler as the world heats up. But outside South Australia, it’s just not happening. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/583606/original/file-20240322-18-1dka8v.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="infrared image of housing estate showing dark roofs becoming much hotter than light" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/583606/original/file-20240322-18-1dka8v.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/583606/original/file-20240322-18-1dka8v.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=283&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583606/original/file-20240322-18-1dka8v.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=283&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583606/original/file-20240322-18-1dka8v.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=283&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583606/original/file-20240322-18-1dka8v.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=356&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583606/original/file-20240322-18-1dka8v.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=356&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583606/original/file-20240322-18-1dka8v.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=356&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">You can clearly see here the difference roof colour makes. On the left, you can see the real view of a new housing estate. On the right, an infrared camera shows you the difference in heat (redder = hotter, green = cooler.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Sebastian Pfautsch</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Why won’t state governments act?</h2>
<p>To date, our leaders show no interest in encouraging us to shift away from dark roofs. </p>
<p>In New South Wales, plans to ban dark roofs were <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/apr/09/plan-to-ban-dark-roofs-abandoned-as-nsw-government-walks-back-sustainability-measures">axed abruptly</a> in 2022 after pushback from developers. </p>
<p>The current NSW planning minister, Paul Scully, has <a href="https://www.nsw.gov.au/media-releases/basix-pause-to-help-home-buyers-and-builders">now paused upgrades</a> to the state’s sustainability building standards which would have <a href="https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/nonsense-call-leaves-millions-vulnerable-to-summers-silent-killer/news-story/d4f9221eb33157f8d6df4b6213e4c1e3">encouraged light-coloured roofs</a>. Other Australian states and territories have <a href="https://www.absa.net.au/notes/ncc-2022/">also paused</a> the rollout of new, more ambitious building sustainability standards. </p>
<p>This is short-sighted for several reasons: </p>
<ol>
<li>it costs the same for a light- or dark-coloured roof </li>
<li>owners will pay substantially higher electricity bills to keep their houses cool for decades</li>
<li>keeping the building status quo makes it harder to reach emission targets</li>
<li>dark roofs <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2023.111948">cut how much power</a> you get from your rooftop solar, especially when it’s hot. This is doubly bad, as blackouts are most likely during the heat. </li>
</ol>
<p>At present, South Australia is the only state or territory acting on the issue. Early this year, housing minister Nick Champion announced dark roofs <a href="https://www.premier.sa.gov.au/media-releases/news-items/northern-suburbs-housing-hotspots-cooler-future">will be banned</a> from a large new housing development in the north of Adelaide. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-great-australian-dream-new-homes-in-planned-estates-may-not-be-built-to-withstand-heatwaves-166266">The Great Australian Dream? New homes in planned estates may not be built to withstand heatwaves</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What’s at stake?</h2>
<p>At present, the world’s cities <a href="https://ghgprotocol.org/ghg-protocol-cities">account for 75%</a> of all energy-related carbon dioxide emissions. It’s vitally important we understand what makes cities <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/resources/factsheets">hotter or cooler</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/583603/original/file-20240322-30-hbnhwz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="chart showing city design and built infrastructure make cities hotter while trees and proximity to water make it cooler" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/583603/original/file-20240322-30-hbnhwz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/583603/original/file-20240322-30-hbnhwz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583603/original/file-20240322-30-hbnhwz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583603/original/file-20240322-30-hbnhwz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583603/original/file-20240322-30-hbnhwz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=634&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583603/original/file-20240322-30-hbnhwz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=634&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583603/original/file-20240322-30-hbnhwz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=634&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">These are the main factors making cities hotter or cooler.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/figures/chapter-10/faq-10-2-figure-1">IPCC</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Brick, concrete, tarmac and tiles can store more heat than grass and tree-covered earth can, and release it slowly over time. This keeps the air warmer, even overnight. </p>
<p>Built-up areas also block wind, which cuts cooling. Then there’s transport, manufacturing and air-conditioning, all of which increase heat. </p>
<p>Before aircon, the main way people had to keep cool was through how they designed their homes. In hot countries, buildings are often painted white, as well as having small windows and thick stone walls. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/583975/original/file-20240325-30-bm2jka.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="mykonos greece panorama, white rooftops" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/583975/original/file-20240325-30-bm2jka.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/583975/original/file-20240325-30-bm2jka.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583975/original/file-20240325-30-bm2jka.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583975/original/file-20240325-30-bm2jka.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583975/original/file-20240325-30-bm2jka.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583975/original/file-20240325-30-bm2jka.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583975/original/file-20240325-30-bm2jka.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">White rooftops are common in hot regions, such as Mykonos in Greece.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/mykonos-greece-panoramic-view-town-cyclades-1916571950">Izabela23/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The classic <a href="https://www.architectureanddesign.com.au/features/list/why-queensland-architecture-is-celebrated">Queenslander house</a> was lifted off the ground to catch breezes and had a deeply shaded veranda all around, to reduce heat. </p>
<p>But after aircon arrived, we <a href="https://archive.curbed.com/2017/5/9/15583550/air-conditioning-architecture-skyscraper-wright-lever-house">gradually abandoned</a> those simple cooling principles for our homes, like cross-ventilation or shade awnings. We just turned on air conditioning instead. </p>
<p>Except, of course, the heat doesn’t go away. Air conditioning works by exchanging heat, taking the heat out of air inside our house and putting it outside. </p>
<p>As climate change intensifies, it makes hot cities even hotter. Heatwaves are projected to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL081004">be more frequent</a>, including in spring and autumn, while overnight temperatures will also increase. </p>
<p>As cities grow, suburbs can push into hotter areas. The 2.5 million residents of Western Sydney live at least 50km from the sea, which means cooling sea breezes don’t reach them. </p>
<p>Sweltering cities aren’t just uncomfortable. They are dangerous. Extreme heat <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2021.102671">kills more people</a> in Australia than all other natural disasters combined. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/western-sydney-will-swelter-through-46-days-per-year-over-35-c-by-2090-unless-emissions-drop-significantly-177056">Western Sydney will swelter through 46 days per year over 35°C by 2090, unless emissions drop significantly</a>
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<hr>
<h2>How can we cool our cities?</h2>
<p>We don’t have to swelter. It’s a choice. Light roofs, light roads and better tree cover would make a real difference. </p>
<p>There’s a very practical reason Australians prize “leafy” suburbs. If your street has established large trees, you will experience less than half the number of days with extreme heat compared on residents <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/11/9/945">on treeless streets</a>. If you live in a leafy street, your home is also <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016920461200299X">worth more</a>.</p>
<p>Blacktop roads are a surprisingly large source of heat. In summer, they can <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2024-01-24/why-australia-builds-dark-roads-despite-heatwaves-climate-change/103375122">get up to 75°C</a>. Our research shows reflective sealants can cut the temperatures <a href="https://doi.org/10.26183/hstd-bj72">up to 13°C</a>. Some councils <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2024-01-24/why-australia-builds-dark-roads-despite-heatwaves-climate-change/103375122">have experimented</a> with lighter roads, but to date, uptake has been minimal. </p>
<p>Cool roofs markedly reduce how much energy you need to cool a house. When used at scale, <a href="https://www.unsw.edu.au/arts-design-architecture/our-schools/built-environment/our-research/clusters-groups/high-performance-architecture/projects/study-on-the-cool-roofs-mitigation-potential-in-australia">they lower</a> the air temperatures of entire suburbs. </p>
<p>The simplest way to get a cool roof is to choose one with as light a colour as possible. There are also high-tech options able to reflect <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378778823003614">even more heat</a>.</p>
<p>Soon, we’ll see even higher performance options available in the form of daytime radiative coolers – <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/3/1110">exceptional cooling materials</a> able to reflect still more heat away from your house and cut glare.</p>
<p>Until we choose to change, homeowners and whole communities will keep paying dearly for the luxury of a dark roof through power bill pain and sweltering suburbs.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-western-sydney-is-feeling-the-heat-from-climate-change-more-than-the-rest-of-the-city-201477">Why Western Sydney is feeling the heat from climate change more than the rest of the city</a>
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</em>
</p>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225674/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Riccardo Paolini has received funding from the Department of Industry, Science and Resources</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sebastian Pfautsch does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>We could make our hot cities cooler with white roofs and light roads. But progress has been glacially slow.Sebastian Pfautsch, Research Theme Fellow - Environment and Sustainability, Western Sydney UniversityRiccardo Paolini, Associate Professor, School of Built Environment, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2258802024-03-19T04:27:53Z2024-03-19T04:27:53ZWhy scrapping the term ‘long COVID’ would be harmful for people with the condition<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582695/original/file-20240319-28-gsqe8u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C6000%2C3988&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/lonely-young-woman-feeling-depressed-stressed-636183893">kitzcorner/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The assertion from Queensland’s chief health officer <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-15/long-covid-symptoms-queensland-chief-health-officer-john-gerrard/103587836">John Gerrard</a> that it’s time to stop using the term “long COVID” has made waves in <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/breaking-news/long-covid-should-be-scrapped-over-fears-its-probably-harmful-qld-chief-health-officer/news-story/61d3a2328dbfb0e3e0a79b02474bac3e">Australian</a> and <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/03/14/lifestyle/no-such-thing-as-long-covid-health-agency-says-in-shock-claim-unnecessary-fear/">international media</a> over recent days.</p>
<p>Gerrard’s comments were related to <a href="https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1037611">new research</a> from his team finding long-term symptoms of COVID are similar to the ongoing symptoms following other viral infections.</p>
<p>But there are limitations in this research, and problems with Gerrard’s argument we should drop the term “long COVID”. Here’s why.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1768403811704750300"}"></div></p>
<h2>A bit about the research</h2>
<p>The study involved texting a survey to 5,112 Queensland adults who had experienced respiratory symptoms and had sought a PCR test in 2022. Respondents were contacted 12 months after the PCR test. Some had tested positive to COVID, while others had tested positive to influenza or had not tested positive to either disease. </p>
<p>Survey respondents were asked if they had experienced ongoing symptoms or any functional impairment over the previous year. </p>
<p>The study found people with respiratory symptoms can suffer long-term symptoms and impairment, regardless of whether they had COVID, influenza or another respiratory disease. These symptoms are often referred to as “post-viral”, as they linger after a viral infection. </p>
<p>Gerrard’s research will be presented in April at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. It hasn’t been published in a peer-reviewed journal.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/i-have-covid-how-likely-am-i-to-get-long-covid-218808">I have COVID. How likely am I to get long COVID?</a>
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<p>After the research was publicised last Friday, some experts highlighted flaws in the study design. For example, <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/co-lead-of-long-covid-clinic-says-qld-study-on-covid-is-an-unusual-approach-to-public-health/vi-BB1jV5oA#details">Steven Faux</a>, a long COVID clinician interviewed on ABC’s television news, said the study excluded people who were hospitalised with COVID (therefore leaving out people who had the most severe symptoms). He also noted differing levels of vaccination against COVID and influenza may have influenced the findings. </p>
<p>In addition, Faux pointed out the survey would have excluded many older people who may not use smartphones.</p>
<p>The authors of the research have acknowledged some of these and other limitations in their study.</p>
<h2>Ditching the term ‘long COVID’</h2>
<p>Based on the research findings, <a href="https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1037611">Gerrard said in a press release</a>: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>We believe it is time to stop using terms like ‘long COVID’. They wrongly imply there is something unique and exceptional about longer term symptoms associated with this virus. This terminology can cause unnecessary fear, and in some cases, hypervigilance to longer symptoms that can impede recovery.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>But Gerrard and his team’s findings cannot substantiate these assertions. Their survey only documented symptoms and impairment after respiratory infections. It didn’t ask people how fearful they were, or whether a term such as long COVID made them especially vigilant, for example.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A man sits on a bed, appears exhausted." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582697/original/file-20240319-18-aci07e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582697/original/file-20240319-18-aci07e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582697/original/file-20240319-18-aci07e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582697/original/file-20240319-18-aci07e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582697/original/file-20240319-18-aci07e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582697/original/file-20240319-18-aci07e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582697/original/file-20240319-18-aci07e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Tens of thousands of Australians, and millions of people worldwide, have long COVID.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/depressed-overweight-man-on-bed-home-1575723550">New Africa/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>In discussing Gerrard’s conclusions about the terminology, Faux noted that even if only 3% of people develop long COVID (the survey found 3% of people had functional limitations after a year), this would equate to some 150,000 Queenslanders with the condition. He <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/co-lead-of-long-covid-clinic-says-qld-study-on-covid-is-an-unusual-approach-to-public-health/vi-BB1jV5oA#details">said</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>To suggest that by not calling it long COVID you would be […] somehow helping those people not to focus on their symptoms is a curious conclusion from that study.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Another clinician and researcher, Philip Britton, <a href="https://www.scimex.org/newsfeed/expert-reaction-long-covid-may-be-no-different-to-other-long-term-virus-effects">criticised Gerrard’s conclusion</a> about the language as “overstated and potentially unhelpful”. He noted the term “long COVID” is recognised by the World Health Organization as a valid description of the condition.</p>
<h2>A cruel irony</h2>
<p>An <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/science.adl0867">ever-growing body of research</a> continues to show how COVID can cause harm to the body across organ systems and cells. </p>
<p>We know from the experiences shared by people with long COVID that the condition can be highly disabling, preventing them from engaging in study <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/daniel-has-long-covid-it-has-cost-him-more-than-100-000/j8e18pxji">or paid work</a>. It can also harm relationships with their friends, family members, and <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-12-27/long-covid-mecfs-health-damaging-relationships-crisis/103205564">even their partners</a>.</p>
<p>Despite all this, people with long COVID have often felt gaslit and unheard. When seeking treatment from health-care professionals, many people with long COVID report they have been <a href="http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/1/e050979.abstract">dismissed</a> or turned away. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/social-media-activism-trucker-caps-the-fascinating-story-behind-long-covid-168465">Social media, activism, trucker caps: the fascinating story behind long COVID</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Last Friday – the day Gerrard’s comments were made public – was actually <a href="https://www.longcovidawareness.life/">International Long COVID Awareness Day</a>, organised by activists to draw attention to the condition. </p>
<p>The response from people with long COVID was immediate. They shared their anger <a href="https://twitter.com/SMpwrgr/status/1768456837861618005?s=20">on social media</a> about Gerrard’s comments, especially their timing, on a day designed to generate greater recognition for their illness.</p>
<p>Since the start of the COVID pandemic, patient communities have <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35307048/">fought for recognition</a> of the long-term symptoms many people faced. </p>
<p>The term “<a href="https://theconversation.com/social-media-activism-trucker-caps-the-fascinating-story-behind-long-covid-168465">long COVID</a>” was in fact coined by people suffering persistent symptoms after a COVID infection, who were seeking words to describe what they were going through. </p>
<p>The role people with long COVID have played in defining their condition and bringing medical and public attention to it demonstrates <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7850205/">the possibilities of patient-led expertise</a>. For decades, people with invisible or “silent” conditions such as ME/CFS (myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome) have had to fight ignorance from health-care professionals and stigma from others in their lives. They have often been told their disabling symptoms are <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10819994/">psychosomatic</a>.</p>
<p>Gerrard’s comments, and the media’s amplification of them, repudiates the term “long COVID” that community members have chosen to give their condition an identity and support each other. This is likely to cause distress and exacerbate feelings of abandonment.</p>
<h2>Terminology matters</h2>
<p>The words we use to describe illnesses and conditions are incredibly powerful. <a href="https://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2020/10/01/why-we-need-to-keep-using-the-patient-made-term-long-covid/">Naming a new condition</a> is a step towards better recognition of people’s suffering, and hopefully, better diagnosis, health care, treatment and acceptance by others.</p>
<p>The term “long COVID” provides an easily understandable label to convey patients’ experiences to others. It is well known to the public. It has been routinely used in news media reporting and and in many reputable <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adl0867">medical journal articles</a>. </p>
<p>Most importantly, scrapping the label would further marginalise a large group of people with a chronic illness who have often been left to struggle behind closed doors.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225880/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Deborah Lupton is affiliated with OzSAGE.</span></em></p>People with long COVID have already fought hard to become visible.Deborah Lupton, SHARP Professor, Vitalities Lab, Centre for Social Research in Health and Social Policy Centre, and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2257342024-03-18T04:45:43Z2024-03-18T04:45:43ZMengenal hidrogen hijau: jenis, manfaat, dan tantangannya untuk transisi energi Indonesia<p>Hidrogen hijau menjadi primadona energi bersih untuk mempercepat transisi energi terbarukan. Seluruh dunia berlomba-lomba memproduksi sumber energi ramah lingkungan ini.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/data-tools/hydrogen-production-projects-interactive-map">Badan Energi Internasional (IEA)</a> mencatat ada sekitar 1.894 proyek pengembangan hidrogen di dunia hingga 2030 mendatang, termasuk di Indonesia. Sejumlah produsen kendaraan terkemuka seperti <a href="https://www.toyota.com/mirai/">Toyota</a> dan <a href="https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/usa/article/attachment/T0020216EN_US/38951">BMW</a> bahkan sudah merilis mobil berbahan bakar hidrogen. </p>
<p>Di Indonesia, perusahaan energi pelat merah, <a href="https://indonesia.go.id/kategori/editorial/8013/17-titik-sumber-hidrogen-di-indonesia-dan-prospeknya?lang=1">Pertamina dan PLN</a>, juga mengembangkan energi hidrogen dari hulu (produksi) ke hilir (isi ulang daya).</p>
<p>Sebenarnya, apa yang membuat hidrogen hijau begitu diminati? Apa saja perannya untuk mendukung pelestarian Bumi? Berikut ini rangkuman kami atas beragam analisis ahli yang telah terbit di <em>The Conversation</em>.</p>
<h2>Warna-warni sumber hidrogen</h2>
<p>Pakar teknik produksi hidrogen University of North Dakota di Amerika Serikat, Hannes van der Watt, mengemukakan hidrogen adalah sumber energi potensial karena setiap molekulnya adalah agen pembawa energi yang sangat efektif. Hidrogen umumnya berupa gas tapi bisa menjadi cair apabila didinginkan dalam suhu tertentu.</p>
<p>Nah, seberapa ramah hidrogen ini terhadap lingkungan amat tergantung dengan dari mana elemen tersebut berasal.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/07/clean-energy-green-hydrogen/">Hidrogen hijau</a>, kata Hannes dalam analisisnya, adalah jenis hidrogen yang paling bersih karena diproduksi dari listrik energi terbarukan seperti angin, matahari, maupun air melalui proses elektrolisis. Hidrogen hijau sama sekali tidak melepaskan emisi gas rumah kaca.</p>
<p>“Hidrogen sering digambarkan dengan warna untuk menunjukkan seberapa bersih, atau bebas CO₂nya. Yang paling bersih adalah hidrogen hijau,” tulis <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-hydrogen-and-can-it-really-become-a-climate-change-solution-204513">Hannes</a>.</p>
<p>Ada juga hidrogen kelabu (<em>grey hydrogen</em>) yang diproduksi dari gas bumi. Jika proses produksi hidrogen kelabu diikuti dengan penangkapan karbon yang terlepas, maka sebutannya akan berbeda lagi: <a href="https://energy-cities.eu/50-shades-of-grey-and-blue-and-green-hydrogen/#:%7E:text=Grey%20hydrogen%20accounts%20for%20most,per%20kg%20of%20hydrogen%20production">hidrogen biru</a>.</p>
<p>Awal 2024, profesor bidang geofisika dari Royal Holloway University of London, David Waltham, mengemukakan jenis hidrogen baru yang muncul yaitu hidrogen emas. Hidrogen ini terpendam di bawah tanah dalam bentuk gas dan tersebar di banyak negara, meski kita membutuhkan banyak penelitian untuk melihat seberapa jauh hidrogen emas bisa digunakan.</p>
<p>Salah satu cadangan hidrogen emas terbesar yang baru ditemukan berlokasi di timur laut Perancis. “Cadangan tersebut mungkin mengandung 250 juta ton hidrogen alami,” tutur David dalam <a href="https://theconversation.com/gold-hydrogen-natural-deposits-are-turning-up-all-over-the-world-but-how-useful-is-it-in-our-move-away-from-fossil-fuels-220230">analisisnya</a>.</p>
<h2>Aneka manfaat hidrogen</h2>
<p>Hidrogen sebenarnya sudah jamak dipakai untuk beberapa proses produksi pupuk ataupun pengolahan minyak bumi. Namun, hidrogen ini masih berasal dari sumber fosil sehingga tidak ramah lingkungan. Karena itulah, transisi energi terbarukan menjadi peluang besar untuk bersih-bersih jejak emisi hidrogen.</p>
<h1>1. Pembuatan pupuk</h1>
<p>Pengajar senior bidang teknik kimia dari University of Aberdeen di Inggris, Tom Baxter, mengemukakan bahwa hidrogen adalah salah satu elemen kunci untuk pembuatan bahan kimia bermanfaat bagi manusia. Salah satunya adalah pembuatan pupuk.</p>
<p>Dalam industri pupuk, hidrogen digunakan sebagai bahan baku pembuatan amonia. Walhasil selain sumber energi, secara tidak langsung hidrogen adalah tulang punggung ketahanan pangan global.</p>
<p>Tom mengatakan, hidrogen hijau potensial betul untuk mengurangi jejak karbon industri pupuk. “Tindakan hidrogen pertama yang harus kita lakukan adalah mendekarbonisasi produksi hidrogen yang menghasilkan CO₂,” <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-hydrogen-energy-has-seduced-a-generation-of-politicians-157983">paparnya</a>.</p>
<p>Di Indonesia, hidrogen hijau juga direncanakan menjadi bahan baku pembuatan amonia hijau sebagai bahan baku pupuk. <a href="https://www.esdm.go.id/id/media-center/arsip-berita/kementerian-esdm-dukung-pengembangan-hidrogen-hijau">Proyek tersebut diinisiasi</a> oleh Augustus Global Investment, PT Pupuk Indonesia (Persero), dan PT PLN (Persero) untuk menghidupkan kembali sentra ekonomi di Lhokseumawe, Aceh, pada 2023.</p>
<h1>2. Transportasi</h1>
<p>Sebagai sumber energi, hidrogen sangat unggul karena memiliki <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1364032121004688">kerapatan energi (<em>energy density</em>) sekitar 33,33 kilowatt jam per kilogram</a>. Semakin tinggi kerapatan energi, maka semakin banyak energi yang tersimpan dalam volume tertentu sehingga produksi energi bisa lebih besar.</p>
<p>Menurut peneliti dari Centre for the Global Hydrogen Economy, Particles and Catalysis Research Laboratory, UNSW Sydney di Australia, Denny Gunawan, angka tersebut jauh lebih tinggi dari baterai kendaraan listrik. </p>
<p>Kendaraan dengan bahan bakar hidrogen pun, kata Denny, hanya membutuhkan waktu <a href="https://afdc.energy.gov/fuels/hydrogen_basics.html">3-5 menit</a> untuk proses isi ulang hingga penuh. Ini jauh lebih cepat dari <a href="https://www.transportation.gov/rural/ev/toolkit/ev-basics/charging-speeds">isi ulang daya baterai pada kendaraan listrik</a> yang memakan waktu 20 menit - 1 jam untuk DC <em>fast charging</em> atau 4-10 jam untuk <em>home charging</em>.</p>
<p>Walau begitu, Denny menganggap hidrogen akan jauh lebih bermanfaat meredam emisi dari bus, truk, dan kapal. Ketiga moda transportasi ini yang memiliki <a href="https://data.bloomberglp.com/professional/sites/24/BNEF-Hydrogen-Economy-Outlook-Key-Messages-30-Mar-2020.pdf">beban kerja dan jarak tempuh lebih besar</a>. “Sehingga lebih layak menggunakan hidrogen yang lebih ringan dengan waktu isi ulang lebih cepat,” tulis dia.</p>
<h1>3. Listrik dan penyimpanan energi</h1>
<p>Profesor bidang katalis dan material penyimpanan energi dari Utrecht University Belanda, Petra de Jongh, mengatakan hidrogen dapat diandalkan untuk menjadi penyimpan kelebihan energi listrik tenaga surya maupun angin. Sebaliknya, saat angin melemah ataupun awan mendung, penyimpanan energi hidrogen dapat bekerja menopang produksi listrik yang berkurang.</p>
<p>“Dibandingkan dengan baterai, kapasitas penyimpanan hidrogen tidak terbatas—elektroliser yang memproduksinya dari air tidak pernah terisi penuh. Hidrogen juga dapat diubah kembali menjadi listrik menggunakan sel tunam (<em>fuel cell</em>), meskipun cukup banyak energi yang hilang dalam prosesnya,” ujar Petra dalam <a href="https://theconversation.com/hydrogen-where-is-low-carbon-fuel-most-useful-for-decarbonisation-147696">analisisnya</a>.</p>
<h1>4. Industri berat</h1>
<p>Pengajar bidang fisika energi dari University of South Wales, Stephen Carr, mengatakan hidrogen adalah energi yang menjanjikan untuk membuat sektor industri lebih ramah lingkungan. Dia mencontohkan <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/824592/industrial-fuel-switching.pdf">industri keramik</a> yang membutuhkan energi panas untuk menyalakan tungku.</p>
<p>Saat ini, pelaku industri keramik masih menggunakan gas alam untuk menyalakan tungku tersebut. Ke depannya, gas ini bisa digantikan hidrogen supaya proses produksi keramik lebih ramah lingkungan.</p>
<p>“Mengganti gas alam dengan hidrogen dalam tungku bakar secara keseluruhan bisa lebih murah, dan hanya memerlukan sedikit perubahan pada peralatan,” tulis <a href="https://theconversation.com/hydrogen-where-is-low-carbon-fuel-most-useful-for-decarbonisation-147696">Stephen</a>..</p>
<h2>Mengembangkan ekosistem hidrogen nasional</h2>
<p>Sebagai negara dengan potensi energi terbarukan yang besar, Indonesia memiliki modal kuat untuk memproduksi lebih banyak hidrogen hijau.</p>
<p>Langkah ini sudah dimulai oleh PT Pertamina (Persero) yang membangun fasilitas produksi hidrogen hijau berbasis panas bumi di <a href="https://www.cnbcindonesia.com/news/20220803172902-4-360878/pertamina-bidik-produksi-hidrogen-100-kg-hari-mulai-2023">Ulubelu, Lampung</a> dan prastudi di <a href="https://www.pertamina.com/id/news-room/energia-news/proyek-pengembangan-hidrogen-hijau-pertamina-nre-tepco-lolos-seleksi-nedo">Sulawesi Utara</a>. </p>
<p>Berdasarkan pemetaan perseroan, ada <a href="https://indonesia.go.id/kategori/editorial/8013/17-titik-sumber-hidrogen-di-indonesia-dan-prospeknya?lang=1">17 wilayah kerja panas bumi</a> yang bisa dimanfaatkan sebagai sarana produksi hidrogen hijau.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Pertamina bekerja sama dengan Toyota untuk membangun stasiun pengisian hidrogen di Jakarta.</span></figcaption>
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<p>Selain Pertamina, PLN juga berusaha memproduksi panas bumi menghasilkan hidrogen dari Pembangkit Listrik Tenaga Panas Bumi di <a href="https://web.pln.co.id/media/siaran-pers/2024/02/suplai-hidrogen-hijau-ke-hrs-pln-pltp-kamojang-jadi-yang-pertama-di-asia-tenggara">Kamojang, Garut</a>. Hidrogen hijau dari Kamojang akan memasok stasiun pengisian hidrogen hijau di Senayan, Jakarta Pusat. </p>
<p>Denny dari UNSW Sydney mengatakan, Pertamina dan PLN perlu berkolaborasi menyusun rencana teknis agar pengembangan rantai pasok hidrogen hijau sektor transportasi lebih harmonis. Menurut dia, ada dua opsi kerja sama rantai pasok. Pertama, hidrogen hijau bisa diproduksi terpusat dekat pembangkit listrik energi terbarukan milik Pertamina atau PLN. Kemudian, hidrogen hijau didistribusikan melalui truk/trailer ke stasiun pengisian hidrogen. </p>
<p>“Dalam hal ini pengalaman Pertamina dalam produksi hidrogen berskala besar berperan penting,” ujar dia melalui pesan tertulis pada Kamis, 14 Maret 2024.</p>
<p>Kedua, hidrogen hijau bisa diproduksi langsung di stasiun pengisian kedua perseroan untuk menghemat biaya transportasi. Dalam opsi ini, peran PLN cukup penting untuk menyediakan infrastruktur distribusi listrik energi terbarukan ke stasiun pengisian hidrogen. </p>
<h2>Tantangan dan peluang pengembangan hidrogen hijau</h2>
<p>Hidrogen hijau memang sedang <em>hype</em> di seluruh dunia. Namun, laporan terbaru <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/iea-lowers-renewables-forecast-clean-hydrogen-2024-02-01/">IEA</a> mengatakan laju perkembangan proyek-proyeknya ternyata tidak secepat yang diharapkan. </p>
<p>Di banyak negara, proyek-proyek hidrogen hijau masih kekurangan dukungan kebijakan mendetail untuk mengatasi mahalnya ongkos produksi dan keterbatasan infrastruktur. <a href="https://www.irena.org/Publications/2023/Aug/Renewable-Power-Generation-Costs-in-2022">Penurunan biaya rata-rata</a> produksi energi terbarukan global yang kian murah tidak dibarengi dengan biaya produksi dan penyimpanan hidrogen hijau yang jauh lebih mahal dibandingkan hidrogen kelabu. </p>
<p>Hannes dari University of North Dakota mengatakan kebijakan insentif pajak hidrogen dapat membuat pasar lebih melirik hidrogen hijau. Di Amerika, insentif pajak berlaku hingga US$3 (sekitar Rp47 ribu) per kilogram hidrogen. </p>
<p>Cara lainnya disampaikan oleh Deputi Direktur Program Energi dan Perubahan Iklim Grattan Institute Australia, Alison Reeve. Menurut dia, usaha membuat energi fosil lebih mahal dengan menerapkan pungutan emisi juga patut dijajaki agar pasar kian meminati hidrogen hijau.</p>
<p>Untuk Indonesia, Denny mengatakan insentif untuk pembelian kendaraan hidrogen transportasi juga sama pentingnya dengan kendaraan listrik. Guna mengembangkan transportasi umum berbasis hidrogen, pemerintah bisa memulai proyek percontohan bersama produsen luar negeri Volvo atau Mercedes-Benz untuk bus, serta Alstom untuk kereta.</p>
<p>Pemerintah daerah, kata Denny, juga dapat saling bermitra menyokong pembangunan jaringan stasiun pengisian hidrogen bersama badan usaha di sepanjang jalan arteri ataupun jalan tol yang menghubungkan daerah. Contohnya sudah ada. Di Australia, negara bagian New South Wales, Victoria, dan Queensland untuk mengembangkan ekosistem stasiun pengisian hidrogen <a href="https://www.energy.nsw.gov.au/business-and-industry/programs-grants-and-schemes/hydrogen-refuelling-network-funding">“Hume Hydrogen Highway”</a> di pantai timur Australia. Pemerintah memberikan hibah dengan total $20 juta (Rp205 miliar) untuk mendukung inisiatif ini. </p>
<p>Terakhir, Denny mengingatkan ekosistem hidrogen hijau di Indonesia tak akan optimal tanpa dibarengi peningkatan produksi listrik energi terbarukan. “Bila hidrogen hijau yang digunakan masih dari gas alam atau batu bara, maka tentu upaya ini tidak menguntungkan lingkungan,” kata dia.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225734/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
Ada ribuan proyek hidrogen di seluruh dunia, termasuk di Indonesia. Bagaimana peran hidrogen untuk menopang transisi energi terbarukan?Robby Irfany Maqoma, Environment EditorAnggi M. Lubis, Business + Economy EditorLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2195982024-03-14T19:25:08Z2024-03-14T19:25:08ZMeet the kowari: a pint-sized predator on the fast track to extinction<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581179/original/file-20240312-24-tb4sa3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Ariana Ananda</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Australia is home to <a href="https://www.publish.csiro.au/book/7010/">more than 350 species</a> of native mammals, <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.1417301112">87% of which are found nowhere else on Earth</a>. But with 39 of these species <a href="https://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicthreatenedlist.pl">already extinct</a> and a further <a href="https://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicthreatenedlist.pl">110 listed as threatened</a>, there’s every chance many will vanish before you even knew they existed. So here’s one we think you simply must know (and save), before it’s too late. </p>
<p>The charismatic <a href="https://teamkowari.com.au/kowari/">kowari</a> is a small carnivorous marsupial. It was once common inland but is now found only in the remote deserts of southwest Queensland and northeastern South Australia, in less than 20% of its former range. </p>
<p>This pint-sized predator fits in the palm of your hand. Its bright eyes, bushy tail and big personality make it the perfect poster child for the Australian outback. But with just 1,200 kowari left in the wild, the federal government upgraded its conservation status in November from <a href="http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicspecies.pl?taxon_id=329">vulnerable to endangered</a>. </p>
<p>Reversing the decline of the kowari is within our grasp. But we need public support and political will to achieve this. It requires limiting grazing of cattle and sheep, while keeping feral cat numbers under control. </p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Introducing the kowari (Arid Recovery)</span></figcaption>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/threatened-species-recover-in-fenced-safe-havens-but-their-safety-is-only-temporary-200548">Threatened species recover in fenced safe havens. But their safety is only temporary</a>
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<h2>Meet the kowari</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://teamkowari.com.au/kowari/">kowari</a> (<em>Dasyuroides byrnei</em>) is a skilled hunter that stalks mice, tarantulas, moths, scorpions and even birds. Alert and efficient, they attack their prey voraciously.</p>
<p>Formerly known as the brushy-tailed marsupial rat, or Byrne’s crest-tailed marsupial rat, the kowari is more closely related to Tasmanian Devil and quolls. </p>
<p>The Wangkangurru Yarluyandi People use the name kowari, while the Dieri and Ngameni peoples use the similar-sounding name kariri.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581171/original/file-20240312-18-mlrrfx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Closeup of the gibber plain showing areas of flat interlocking red pebbles" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581171/original/file-20240312-18-mlrrfx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581171/original/file-20240312-18-mlrrfx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581171/original/file-20240312-18-mlrrfx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581171/original/file-20240312-18-mlrrfx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581171/original/file-20240312-18-mlrrfx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581171/original/file-20240312-18-mlrrfx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581171/original/file-20240312-18-mlrrfx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The red stony gibber plains could be mistaken for the surface of Mars.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Katherine Moseby</span></span>
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<p>Kowaris live in stony deserts. They mainly inhabit remote treeless “gibber” plains. These areas of flat, interlocking red pebbles form vast pavements that could be mistaken for the surface of Mars. </p>
<p>In the outback, where temperatures can exceed 50°C, kowaris beat the heat by sheltering in burrows dug into sand mounds. At night they emerge to race across the plains, their head and distinctive brushy tail held high, pausing regularly to scan for predators and prey. </p>
<p>During chilly winter days, kowaris slow their metabolism to conserve energy. They go into a state of <a href="https://theconversation.com/torpor-a-neat-survival-trick-once-thought-rare-in-australian-animals-is-actually-widespread-146409">torpor</a>, which is a daily version of hibernation. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/torpor-a-neat-survival-trick-once-thought-rare-in-australian-animals-is-actually-widespread-146409">Torpor: a neat survival trick once thought rare in Australian animals is actually widespread</a>
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<p>At the two main South Australian sites, the number of animals captured in trapping surveys declined by <a href="https://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jzo.12605">85% between 2000 and 2015</a>. At this rate, the species could disappear from the area within two decades.</p>
<p>The entire population is estimated to number as few as 1,200 individuals scattered over just 350 square kilometres. That’s a combined area of less than 20km x 20km. </p>
<p>Based on this evidence, the conservation status of kowaris was upgraded from <a href="http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicspecies.pl?taxon_id=329">vulnerable to endangered</a> in November last year.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581170/original/file-20240312-18-r54i0o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A kowari standing in the desert facing the camera with its long bushy tail stretched out to the right" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581170/original/file-20240312-18-r54i0o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581170/original/file-20240312-18-r54i0o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581170/original/file-20240312-18-r54i0o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581170/original/file-20240312-18-r54i0o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581170/original/file-20240312-18-r54i0o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581170/original/file-20240312-18-r54i0o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581170/original/file-20240312-18-r54i0o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Kowari are now restricted to refuge populations in northeast South Australia and southwest Queensland.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Andrea Tschirner</span></span>
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<h2>Shrinking populations in the stony desert</h2>
<p>Kowaris have been declining for a while but are suddenly on the fast track to extinction. How can that be, when they live in one of the most vast and remote parts of Australia? </p>
<p>Threats include land degradation from pastoralism, and predation from introduced feral cats and foxes. </p>
<p>But it’s complicated. Threats can combine, having a synergistic effect (greater than the sum of their parts). And then there are climate influences. </p>
<p>Heavy rain in the desert triggers a cascade of events that culminates in an <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-10-10/feral-cats-tear-through-last-wild-bilby-population/5803252">explosion of feral cat numbers</a>. </p>
<p>When conditions dry out again, the cats switch to eating larger or more difficult prey such as bilbies and kowaris, often causing local extinctions. In southwest Queensland, feral cats most likely wiped out one population of kowaris and decimated another. </p>
<p>Huge efforts to control cat plagues have saved the kowari and bilby populations in <a href="https://bioone.org/journals/australian-journal-of-zoology/volume-70/issue-2/ZO22027/Does-reducing-grazing-pressure-or-predation-conserve-kowaris-A-case/10.1071/ZO22027.full">Astrebla Downs National Park</a> from local extinction so far, but other areas have succumbed.</p>
<p>In SA, all the remaining kowari populations are on <a href="https://www.nespthreatenedspecies.edu.au/publications-and-tools/the-kowari-saving-a-central-australian-micro-predator">pastoral stations used for grazing cattle</a>. </p>
<p>Cattle can trample kowari burrows. They can also compact the sand mounds, making it difficult for kowaris to build burrows in the first place. And they eat the plants on the mounds, reducing the availability of both food and shelter. This makes kowaris easy prey. </p>
<p>Over the past few decades, pastoralism has intensified. <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/research/completed/pastoral-leases#:%7E:text=Pastoral%20leases%20exist%20on%20around,to%20facilitate%20and%20support%20pastoralism.">Nearly half of Australia (44%)</a> is covered in pastoral leases where many threatened species occur. </p>
<p>Domestic stock usually graze close to watering points such as bores and troughs. More and more watering points are being established, to make more of the pastoral lease accessible to stock. So the area protected from grazing is shrinking as cattle encroach further into kowari territory. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581168/original/file-20240312-16-mabhg4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A sand mound surrounded by the stony desert gibber plain" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581168/original/file-20240312-16-mabhg4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581168/original/file-20240312-16-mabhg4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581168/original/file-20240312-16-mabhg4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581168/original/file-20240312-16-mabhg4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581168/original/file-20240312-16-mabhg4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=592&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581168/original/file-20240312-16-mabhg4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=592&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581168/original/file-20240312-16-mabhg4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=592&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Kowari burrow in sand mounds that can be trampled and compacted by cattle.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Katherine Moseby</span></span>
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<h2>How can we save the kowari?</h2>
<p>We have the knowledge and tools required to save this species from extinction. We just need decisive leadership and sufficient funding to put these plans into action. </p>
<p>State governments should provide more resources for desert parks so rangers can monitor feral cat numbers and respond rapidly to plagues. We can make use of new technology such as remote camera traps checked via satellite. These measures would also protect the last remaining stronghold of the bilby in Queensland, another nationally threatened mammal. </p>
<p>The pastoral industry and governments must work together to review watering-point placement and reduce grazing pressure in known kowari habitat. </p>
<p>By closing some pastoral watering points and ensuring a portion of each lease (possibly 20%) is away from waters, we can reduce the harm of stock and provide refuges for threatened species. Pastoral companies could show leadership and implement these actions themselves rather than waiting for governments to act.</p>
<p>In the meantime, reintroductions into safe havens is one stopgap measure helping to prevent imminent kowari extinction. In 2022, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/watch/?ref=search&v=409398861174893&external_log_id=2222a528-17bb-4f25-b0d5-d45d296c0c73&q=ecological%20horizons">12 kowaris were successfully reintroduced</a> to the 123 square km <a href="https://aridrecovery.org.au/kowari/">fenced Arid Recovery Reserve</a> in northern SA. The population has <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AridRecovery/videos/1165149370645281">expanded since release</a>. Removing cats, foxes and domestic stock from the reserve has given kowaris a chance to reclaim a small portion of their former range. </p>
<p>But safe havens are small and we need to act on a larger scale. If we don’t, the kowari may become yet another Australian species lost before you’ve even seen it.</p>
<p><em>Thanks to Genevieve Hayes, former ecologist at Arid Recovery, for coordinating the reintroduction of the kowari at Arid Recovery and commenting on the draft of this article.</em></p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/so-you-want-to-cat-proof-a-bettong-how-living-with-predators-could-help-native-species-survive-170450">So you want to cat-proof a bettong: how living with predators could help native species survive</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/219598/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Katherine Moseby is co-founder and chief scientist at Arid Recovery. She receives contract work from Arid Recovery to assist with conservation and restoration works. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Katherine Tuft is Chief Executive at Arid Recovery which has received grant funding from the federal government and other sources to support research and conservation for the kowari.</span></em></p>Blink and you’ll miss it. The kowari is a charismatic marsupial carnivore that needs our help.Katherine Moseby, Associate Professor, UNSW SydneyKatherine Tuft, Visiting Research Fellow, University of AdelaideLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2256502024-03-14T04:02:49Z2024-03-14T04:02:49ZRelease of ‘missing papers’ from 2003 shines a light on how Australian troops were sent to fight the Iraq War<p>On March 14, the National Archives of Australia (NAA) released documents from the Howard Government’s National Security Committee (NSC) of cabinet. They all relate to Australia’s entry into the Iraq War in 2003. </p>
<p>This tranche goes beyond the archive’s release of a selection of the records of full cabinet on January 1 2024. </p>
<p>So what do they tell us about the decision to send Australia to war?</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/cabinet-papers-2003-howard-government-sends-australia-into-the-iraq-war-217812">Cabinet papers 2003: Howard government sends Australia into the Iraq war</a>
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<h2>What was the National Security Committee?</h2>
<p>Australian cabinets have usually been assisted by standing and ad hoc committees. The NSC was the peak decision-making body for national security and major foreign policy matters during the Howard government (1996 to 2007). </p>
<p>Its meetings were attended by relevant ministers and senior officials. These officials included the heads of the departments of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and Defence, the Chief of the Defence Force and the head of the Office of National Assessments. Unlike other cabinet committees, decisions of the NSC did not require the endorsement of the cabinet itself. </p>
<p>In the release of cabinet records from 2003, discussion of Iraq was scant. This made clear that a full appreciation of the work of a federal cabinet requires including the documents and records of important cabinet committees.</p>
<p>For the Howard government, that was the NSC. Future releases of cabinet records from Kevin Rudd’s government might need to include the Strategic Priorities Budget Committee (SPBC) or “Gang of Four”. </p>
<p>The release of 2003 cabinet records in January 2024 was followed by a concerted media campaign for the full release of government records on Iraq. The prime minister intervened, ordering a review conducted by former senior public servant, Dennis Richardson. One of the review’s key recommendations concerned the National Archives. This was that its yearly proactive release of cabinet records <a href="https://www.pmc.gov.au/resources/review-transfer-2003-cabinet-records-pmc-national-archives-australia">should include</a> those of the NSC. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1741670728603181531"}"></div></p>
<h2>What do the 2003 NSC documents tell us?</h2>
<p>The NSC records reveal planning for Australian military involvement in Iraq was under way well before the formal cabinet decision to join President George W. Bush’s “coalition of the willing” on March 18 2003. For some historians, this will confirm <a href="https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/masterful-blunder-john-howards-iraq-war-of-choice/">Australia effectively made the decision</a> to join the war at least as early as 2002. </p>
<p>In a record of a meeting on January 10 2003, the minister for defence, Robert Hill, and the defence force chief noted that some deployment of Australian Defence Force (ADF) units would be necessary within a month to meet indicative planning from US Central Command “on the likely time-frame for possible military action against Iraq”.</p>
<p>At the same meeting, the NSC agreed to approve specific forward deployments of ADF units from a list the committee had previously agreed on August 26 and December 4 2002. These ADF units were admittedly not to engage in any military action against Iraq unless the government expressly authorised it. But the reference to decisions to forward deploy the ADF in 2002 points to the necessity for these records to be made public. </p>
<p>In the meeting on January 10, Howard made clear any Australian decision formally to commit the ADF in Iraq would be referred to the full cabinet. He also noted he had “foreshadowed to the governor-general the general direction of steps under consideration by the government in relation to Iraq”. </p>
<p>These steps, we know, did not include Howard’s originally planned reference of the Iraq matter to the governor-general via the executive council. The decision not to do so was probably because the governor-general, Peter Hollingworth, had <a href="https://www.naa.gov.au/explore-collection/cabinet/latest-cabinet-release/2003-cabinet-papers-context">asked for legal advice</a> on the war from the attorney-general. </p>
<p>Howard later advised Hollingworth that reference of the Iraq decision to the governor-general was unnecessary, and the ADF could be deployed under section 8 of the Defence Act. </p>
<p>Another of the NSC files includes the minute of March 18 2003, containing full cabinet’s authorisation of military action in Iraq. The full cabinet file had nothing else. The NSC file includes a submission from Hill, “circulated in the cabinet room on 17 and 18 March” seeking cabinet agreement on a national policy for possible military operations in Iraq.</p>
<p>Hill’s submission indicated that before the Australian government had received a formal request for support for Coalition operations, it had authorised the ADF to conduct “prudent contingency planning” for a range of capabilities in Iraq. US targeting strategy, Hill reported, included supporting “regime change” along with incapacitating Iraq’s “delivery of weapons of mass destruction (WMD)”. </p>
<p>This document illustrates the tensions between Australian and US war aims in Iraq. The paramount US objective was regime change. Australian policy was not to foster regime change, “although the Government has recognised this may be a desirable, even inevitable, outcome of military action”. </p>
<p>The file also includes the “memorandum of advice” constituting the legal justification for Australian participation in Iraq. The advice was authored not by the solicitor-general but by first assistant secretaries in DFAT and the Attorney-General’s Department. </p>
<p>When published, the memorandum was sharply criticised by legal scholars and former solicitor-general <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/opinion/this-war-is-illegal-howards-last-top-law-man-20030321-gdggwb.html">Gavan Griffith</a>. The later release of departmental documents will permit us to see what other legal opinions on the war were held in the two departments.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/iraq-war-20-years-on-how-the-world-failed-iraq-and-created-a-less-peaceful-democratic-and-prosperous-state-200075">Iraq war, 20 years on: how the world failed Iraq and created a less peaceful, democratic and prosperous state</a>
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<h2>Now we need to know more</h2>
<p>The proactive digitisation of NSC documents on Iraq is a welcome development for which the National Archives should be congratulated. It should be commended, too, for foreshadowing the release of other NSC records from 2003. </p>
<p>However, fuller understanding of how and why Australia went to war in Iraq requires the release of NSC documents from 2002 and 2001.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225650/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>David Lee was the National Archives of Australia's cabinet historian for the releases of records from 2002 and 2003 and is a member of Australian s for War Powers Reform. </span></em></p>New papers released by the National Archives of Australia reveal how the decision was made for Australia to join the US’s “coalition of the willing”.David Lee, Associate Professor of History, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2251832024-03-13T01:35:19Z2024-03-13T01:35:19ZAustralian music festivals are increasingly affected by climate change. But is the industry doing enough to mitigate its impact?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581150/original/file-20240312-24-cpokru.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=20%2C0%2C3430%2C5178&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/man-performing-on-stage-OUm4v3mWzoc"> Maxwell Collins/Unsplash</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The Pitch Music and Arts Festival in Moyston, Victoria, <a href="https://www.noise11.com/news/pitch-festival-punters-warned-to-leave-ahead-of-fire-danger-20240309">was cancelled</a> while festival-goers were already on site this weekend, after an extreme fire danger warning was issued.</p>
<p>Cancellations like these have become all too familiar.</p>
<p>The live music and festival industry is currently struggling with <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-are-so-many-australian-music-festivals-being-cancelled-223559">significant challenges</a>, including expensive insurance premiums and the cost of living crisis impacting ticket sales. </p>
<p>In particular are the challenges associated with climate change, as extreme weather events becoming more frequent, severe and unpredictable.</p>
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<p>I looked at news reports over 2022 and 2023 and found at least 22 music festivals in Australia cancelled or disrupted due to extreme weather conditions.</p>
<p>This trend of weather-related interruptions appears to be on the rise: over the seven years between 2013 and 2019, <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1329878X231184913">only ten music festivals</a> in Australia were affected by extreme weather.</p>
<p>Severe weather impacts on music festivals and concerts have ranged from delays and cancellations, to the evacuation of venues and areas mid-festival or mid-performance. This will be a growing challenge for the industry.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/climate-change-is-transforming-australias-cultural-life-so-why-isnt-it-mentioned-in-the-new-national-cultural-policy-198881">Climate change is transforming Australia’s cultural life – so why isn’t it mentioned in the new national cultural policy?</a>
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<h2>Death, injury and cancellations</h2>
<p>This is not limited to Australia, and not all extreme weather-related events result in a cancellation. In my research, I also looked at where and why events were being cancelled in the United States, finding at least 21 cancellations in 2022–23. </p>
<p>I also found similar cases in <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/elton-john-concert-cancelled-amid-rain-fans-evacuated-from-mt-smart/DB2LP7S2DJEALFDUNT4LHTJBYQ/">New Zealand</a>, <a href="https://www.dancemusicnw.com/wildfire-bc-state-of-emergency-2023/">Canada</a>, <a href="https://news.sky.com/story/tiree-music-festival-cancelled-and-fans-stranded-in-ferry-terminal-during-extreme-weather-12916774">the United Kingdom</a>, <a href="https://accessaa.co.uk/primavera-sound-pulls-out-of-madrid-for-2024/">Spain</a> and <a href="https://edmmaniac.com/awakenings-cancels-storm-2023/">the Netherlands</a>.</p>
<p>In November, we saw the tragic death of a fan due to extreme heat at Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour <a href="https://theconversation.com/taylor-swifts-brazil-concert-was-hammered-by-extreme-heat-how-to-protect-crowds-at-the-next-sweltering-gig-218341">in Brazil</a>. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/taylor-swifts-brazil-concert-was-hammered-by-extreme-heat-how-to-protect-crowds-at-the-next-sweltering-gig-218341">Taylor Swift's Brazil concert was hammered by extreme heat. How to protect crowds at the next sweltering gig</a>
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<p>There were more than 100 hospitalisations following a hailstorm at a <a href="https://uk.movies.yahoo.com/movies/louis-tomlinson-devastated-hail-cancels-100600789.html">Louis Tomlinson concert</a> in Colorado last June. </p>
<p>At a Taylor Swift performance in Sydney, fans were <a href="https://x.com/10NewsFirstSyd/status/1760926131526726105?s=20">temporarily evacuated</a> and the show was delayed due to lightning strikes.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1760926131526726105"}"></div></p>
<p>In Australia, severe weather has recently led to the postponement of major events such as the abrupt ending to Sydney’s Good Things festival <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/sydney-music-festival-evacuated-as-wild-storm-sweeps-through-20231202-p5eok4.html">due to a storm</a> in December, and cancellation the of Strawberry Fields festival, scheduled for October 2022, due to <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-27/strawberry-fields-music-festival-cancelled-flooding/101477202">flooding in southern NSW</a>.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="TiktokEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://www.tiktok.com/@taakereii/video/7307952015840267521"}"></div></p>
<p>Extreme weather events are <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/chapter/chapter-11/">closely linked</a> to climate change. This trend is likely going to get worse. Australia has witnessed a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969720340432">marked increase</a> in the intensity, frequency and duration of heatwaves over the past 67 years, with a significant uptick observed in recent decades.</p>
<h2>The environmental impact of festivals</h2>
<p>There has not yet been a comprehensive <a href="https://noco2.com.au/noco2-business-certification/carbon-footprint-carbon-audit/">carbon footprint audit</a> of the Australian music industry, but we do know how much music can contribute to carbon emissions through research in the UK.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://theface.com/music/music-industry-climate-change-touring-cop26-vinyl-carbon-emissions-nfts-festivals-streaming-the-1975-massive-attack-billie-eilish-coldplay-olivia-rodrigo">UK’s live music industry</a> produces 405,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually.</p>
<p>The primary sources of these emissions are audience travel, accounting for 43%, and the operations of live music venues, contributing another 23%. This means nearly three-quarters of industry’s emissions <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/5/1/014019">are linked</a> to live music performances. </p>
<p>The average touring DJ is <a href="https://theface.com/music/music-industry-climate-change-touring-cop26-vinyl-carbon-emissions-nfts-festivals-streaming-the-1975-massive-attack-billie-eilish-coldplay-olivia-rodrigo">responsible</a> for 35 tonnes of CO₂ a year – more than 15 times the personal <a href="https://www.flightnook.com/should-you-be-thinking-about-your-personal-carbon-budget">carbon budget recommended for individuals</a> and nearly eight times the average.</p>
<p>In 2019 alone, <a href="https://cleanscene.club/report.pdf">1,000 touring DJs</a> took more than 51,000 flights around the world, generating as much CO₂ as over 20,000 households. </p>
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<h2>Music festivals can make a change</h2>
<p>There are signs of a <a href="https://onimpact.com.au/music-industry-increasingly-considers-its-carbon-footprint/">growing consciousness</a> within the live music industry towards mitigating environmental impacts. </p>
<p>The UK’s live music sector has committed to reaching <a href="https://theface.com/music/music-industry-climate-change-touring-cop26-vinyl-carbon-emissions-nfts-festivals-streaming-the-1975-massive-attack-billie-eilish-coldplay-olivia-rodrigo">net-zero emissions</a> by 2030. </p>
<p>In Australia <a href="https://woodfordfolkfestival.com/about/environmental-statement/">Woodford Folk Festival</a> and <a href="https://www.womadelaide.com.au/news/2022/6/womadelaide-2022-sustainability-report">WOMADelaide</a> have banned single-use plastics and promote recycling to minimise waste.</p>
<p>The live music industry can reduce its environmental impact by adopting more renewable energy, and using sustainable transport options for artists <a href="https://www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/news/caloundra-music-festival-transport-and-sustainability-options-unpacked">and audiences</a>. </p>
<p>Engaging audiences in sustainability efforts, such as <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10824-015-9265-2">incentivising carbon offset</a> contributions, can also amplify impact.</p>
<p>Other environmental concerns at festivals are less obvious but also important. Attendees often enjoy wearing glitter, not realising it is made of <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2019/06/25/world/plastic-waste-emissions-music-festivals-intl/index.html">microplastics</a>. Switching to biodegradable glitter is a practical solution.</p>
<p>Festivals also see waste from abandoned <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-environmental-cost-of-abandoning-your-tent-at-a-music-festival-120198">low-quality camping gear</a>. These one-time-use tents and accessories contribute to environmental degradation and create waste management challenges. There needs to be more efforts in educating attendees on the importance of sustainable camping practices and encouraging the use of high-quality, reusable camping gear.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-environmental-cost-of-abandoning-your-tent-at-a-music-festival-120198">The environmental cost of abandoning your tent at a music festival</a>
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<p>Tree planting has emerged as a popular strategy for <a href="https://woodfordia.org/festivals/the-planting/">music festivals</a> and <a href="https://onetreeplanted.org/pages/coldplay">bands</a> to offset their carbon footprint and <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781315558189-12/greening-music-festival-scene-exploration-sustainable-practices-influence-youth-culture-joanne-cummings">contribute positively to the environment</a>. </p>
<p>Incorporating carbon offsets into ticket pricing or offering them as voluntary options presents strategy for festivals and artists to <a href="https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/AAM-10-2020-0046/full/html?casa_token=ty5KSvbHzEsAAAAA:AIUo7RQl5evieVT15IGullYqdybtx5aZPEujl1wCWpoGzZ8Uvi_D1WQ-yWXO_7oF5gnRGqJs2PJpsEE12ybR2CT-6kHc3sEwh2xjykJ7prbjEXqT46vq">mitigate their environmental impact</a>.</p>
<p>Challenges such as <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-are-so-many-australian-music-festivals-being-cancelled-223559">rising supply chain costs and the cost of living</a> are testing the viability of festivals. Amid these challenges, severe weather can introduce additional uncertainties. </p>
<p>It is important the event industry and festival-goers acknowledge their contributions to these escalating challenges, and take proactive steps towards greening music festivals.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225183/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Milad Haghani receives funding from the Australian Research Council (Grant No. DE210100440). </span></em></p>Cancellations of Australian music festivals, such as the abrupt end to Pitch Music Festival due to extreme heat, have become all too familiar.Milad Haghani, Senior Lecturer of Urban Mobility, Public Safety & Disaster Risk, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2250802024-03-12T19:15:10Z2024-03-12T19:15:10ZAI is creating fake legal cases and making its way into real courtrooms, with disastrous results<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581132/original/file-20240312-16-84kk3r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=30%2C24%2C4082%2C2713&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/lady-justice-on-digital-background-concept-1044578125">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>We’ve seen deepfake, explicit images of <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/26/arts/music/taylor-swift-ai-fake-images.html">celebrities</a>, created by artificial intelligence (AI). AI has also played a hand in <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-ghosts-of-the-past-pop-music-is-haunted-by-our-anxieties-about-the-future-218555">creating music</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/bringing-ai-up-to-speed-autonomous-auto-racing-promises-safer-driverless-cars-on-the-road-214208">driverless race cars</a> and spreading <a href="https://theconversation.com/misinformation-how-fact-checking-journalism-is-evolving-and-having-a-real-impact-on-the-world-218379">misinformation</a>, among other things.</p>
<p>It’s hardly surprising, then, that AI also has a strong impact on our legal systems.</p>
<p>It’s well known that courts must decide disputes based on the law, which is presented by lawyers to the court as part of a client’s case. It’s therefore highly concerning that fake law, invented by AI, is being used in legal disputes. </p>
<p>Not only does this pose issues of legality and ethics, it also threatens to undermine faith and trust in global legal systems.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/lawyers-are-rapidly-embracing-ai-heres-how-to-avoid-an-ethical-disaster-221135">Lawyers are rapidly embracing AI: here's how to avoid an ethical disaster</a>
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<h2>How do fake laws come about?</h2>
<p>There is little doubt that generative AI is a powerful tool with transformative potential for society, including many aspects of the legal system. But its use comes with responsibilities and risks.</p>
<p>Lawyers are trained to carefully apply professional knowledge and experience, and are generally not big risk-takers. However, some unwary lawyers (and <a href="https://reason.com/volokh/2023/11/13/self-represented-litigants-use-ai-to-write-briefs-produce-hallucinated-citations/">self-represented</a> litigants) have been caught out by artificial intelligence.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581133/original/file-20240312-16-rhmkk1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="ChatGPT on a smartphone screen in front of the same website on a laptop screen" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581133/original/file-20240312-16-rhmkk1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581133/original/file-20240312-16-rhmkk1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581133/original/file-20240312-16-rhmkk1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581133/original/file-20240312-16-rhmkk1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581133/original/file-20240312-16-rhmkk1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581133/original/file-20240312-16-rhmkk1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581133/original/file-20240312-16-rhmkk1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Generative AI tools, like ChatGPT, can provide incorrect information.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/chatgpt-chat-bot-screen-seen-on-2237655785">Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>AI models are trained on massive data sets. When prompted by a user, they can create new content (both text and audiovisual). </p>
<p>Although content generated this way can look very convincing, it can also be inaccurate. This is the result of the AI model attempting to “fill in the gaps” when its training data is inadequate or flawed, and is commonly referred to as “<a href="https://www.csiro.au/en/news/All/Articles/2023/June/humans-and-ai-hallucinate">hallucination</a>”.</p>
<p>In some contexts, generative AI hallucination is not a problem. Indeed, it can be seen as an example of creativity. </p>
<p>But if AI hallucinated or created inaccurate content that is then used in legal processes, that’s a problem – particularly when combined with time pressures on lawyers and a lack of access to legal services for many. </p>
<p>This potent combination can result in carelessness and shortcuts in legal research and document preparation, potentially creating reputational issues for the legal profession and a lack of public trust in the administration of justice.</p>
<h2>It’s happening already</h2>
<p>The best known generative AI “fake case” is the 2023 US case <a href="https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/new-york/nysdce/1:2022cv01461/575368/54/">Mata v Avianca</a>, in which lawyers submitted a brief containing fake extracts and case citations to a New York court. The brief was researched using ChatGPT. </p>
<p>The lawyers, unaware that ChatGPT can hallucinate, failed to check that the cases actually existed. The consequences were disastrous. Once the error was uncovered, the court dismissed their client’s case, sanctioned the lawyers for acting in bad faith, fined them and their firm, and exposed their actions to public scrutiny.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/ai-is-everywhere-including-countless-applications-youve-likely-never-heard-of-222985">AI is everywhere – including countless applications you've likely never heard of</a>
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<p>Despite adverse publicity, other fake case examples continue to surface. Michael Cohen, Donald Trump’s former lawyer, gave his own lawyer cases generated by Google Bard, another generative AI chatbot. He believed they were real (they were not) and that his lawyer would fact check them (he did not). His lawyer <a href="https://www.reuters.com/legal/ex-trump-fixer-michael-cohen-says-ai-created-fake-cases-court-filing-2023-12-29">included the cases</a> in a brief filed with the US Federal Court.</p>
<p>Fake cases have also surfaced in recent matters in <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/lawyer-chatgpt-fake-precedent-1.7126393">Canada</a> and <a href="https://www.legalfutures.co.uk/latest-news/litigant-unwittingly-put-fake-cases-generated-by-ai-before-tribunal">the United Kingdom</a>.</p>
<p>If this trend goes unchecked, how can we ensure that the careless use of generative AI does not undermine the public’s trust in the legal system? Consistent failures by lawyers to exercise due care when using these tools has the potential to mislead and congest the courts, harm clients’ interests, and generally undermine the rule of law.</p>
<h2>What’s being done about it?</h2>
<p>Around the world, legal regulators and courts have responded in various ways. </p>
<p>Several US state bars and courts have issued guidance, opinions or orders on generative AI use, ranging from responsible adoption to an outright ban. </p>
<p>Law societies in the UK and British Columbia, and the courts of New Zealand, have also developed guidelines. </p>
<p>In Australia, the NSW Bar Association has a <a href="https://inbrief.nswbar.asn.au/posts/9e292ee2fc90581f795ff1df0105692d/attachment/NSW%20Bar%20Association%20GPT%20AI%20Language%20Models%20Guidelines.pdf">generative AI guide</a> for barristers. The <a href="https://lsj.com.au/articles/a-solicitors-guide-to-responsible-use-of-artificial-intelligence/">Law Society of NSW</a> and the <a href="https://www.liv.asn.au/Web/Law_Institute_Journal_and_News/Web/LIJ/Year/2023/09September/How_lawyers_are_using_generative_AI.aspx">Law Institute of Victoria</a> have released articles on responsible use in line with solicitors’ conduct rules.</p>
<p>Many lawyers and judges, like the public, will have some understanding of generative AI and can recognise both its limits and benefits. But there are others who may not be as aware. Guidance undoubtedly helps. </p>
<p>But a mandatory approach is needed. Lawyers who use generative AI tools cannot treat it as a substitute for exercising their own judgement and diligence, and must check the accuracy and reliability of the information they receive.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/do-you-trust-ai-to-write-the-news-it-already-is-and-not-without-issues-216909">Do you trust AI to write the news? It already is – and not without issues</a>
</strong>
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</p>
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<p>In Australia, courts should adopt practice notes or rules that set out expectations when generative AI is used in litigation. Court rules can also guide self-represented litigants, and would communicate to the public that our courts are aware of the problem and are addressing it.</p>
<p>The legal profession could also adopt formal guidance to promote the responsible use of AI by lawyers. At the very least, technology competence should become a requirement of lawyers’ continuing legal education in Australia. </p>
<p>Setting clear requirements for the responsible and ethical use of generative AI by lawyers in Australia will encourage appropriate adoption and shore up public confidence in our lawyers, our courts, and the overall administration of justice in this country.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225080/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Vicki McNamara is affiliated with the Law Society of NSW (as a member).</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michael Legg does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Generative AI can be a useful tool, but it can also create inaccurate information. Here’s how to safeguard Australian courts against fake cases, like we’ve already seen overseas.Michael Legg, Professor of Law, UNSW SydneyVicki McNamara, Senior Research Associate, Centre for the Future of the Legal Profession, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2246322024-03-08T05:51:37Z2024-03-08T05:51:37ZInsurance is the latest weapon financial abusers use against their partners. Here’s how we fix it<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579740/original/file-20240305-22-zho482.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=20%2C10%2C6689%2C4456&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/shocked-stressed-young-woman-reading-document-1639896217">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><blockquote>
<p>They knew we had separated. Why did they let him cancel the policy and refund him the money without giving me a call to let me know the house and contents were no longer insured, or not do it before speaking to me first?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>These are the words of Maddy (not her real name). Her experience of domestic and family violence was compounded by the acts of the insurance company she thought would give her financial protection.</p>
<p>Maddy’s former partner cancelled their home and contents insurance with a simple phone call. He received a refund of the premiums she had paid just a few months earlier. She didn’t know – not until well after he threatened to burn down the house with Maddy and the children in it. </p>
<blockquote>
<p>If he had followed through with his threat I would have been punished too and made to pay the mortgage for a house that we couldn’t live in and not be able to rebuild because insurance wouldn’t cover it.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Maddy is one of the women who described how insurance is being misused as a weapon of financial abuse, for my second <a href="https://cwes.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/CWES_DTD-GI_Issue2_FINAL_Singles.pdf">Designed to Disrupt report</a>. Their personal accounts highlight the need for systemic change.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/banks-put-family-violence-perpetrators-on-notice-stop-using-accounts-to-commit-abuse-or-risk-being-debanked-208575">Banks put family violence perpetrators on notice. Stop using accounts to commit abuse or risk being 'debanked'</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Insurance as a weapon</h2>
<p>General insurance is designed to provide financial protection from unexpected events. It’s supposed to be an affordable way to repair or replace an asset that is lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed. </p>
<p>But too often, victim-survivors of domestic and family violence find they don’t have the coverage they thought. They may be left without a car, or a home, and with no or limited means to pay to restore their financial safety and economic security.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580043/original/file-20240306-20-aplow4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A man pointing out terms in some paperwork to a woman" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580043/original/file-20240306-20-aplow4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580043/original/file-20240306-20-aplow4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580043/original/file-20240306-20-aplow4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580043/original/file-20240306-20-aplow4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580043/original/file-20240306-20-aplow4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580043/original/file-20240306-20-aplow4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580043/original/file-20240306-20-aplow4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Domestic violence victim-survivors can find they have less insurance coverage than they thought, or none at all.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/real-estate-agent-closes-deal-client-2256175877">Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>There is limited data about the extent of the problem. But through desktop research and consultation with those with who’ve experienced it, and with consumer advocates and industry, we found the biggest issue is with joint policies. </p>
<p>Financial abusers exploit general insurance policies and procedures to deny access to information, cancel policies, interfere with the claims process, and to steal, limit or withhold payouts to the victim-survivor. </p>
<p>They aim to exert control by leaving their partner with no money, damaged or irreparable property and assets, and the accompanying emotional toll. </p>
<h2>Differing policies and procedures</h2>
<p>While some insurers have specialist teams to deal with these sorts of cases, there is a lack of standardised practices across the industry. </p>
<p>Results of our survey reveal wild variations in data between companies, with the number of domestic violence and financial abuse cases reported ranging from 11 to more than 2,000 in the 2021–22 financial year.</p>
<p>This means some victim-survivors will receive support that is empathetic and understands the affects of trauma, with flexibility for individual solutions. Others continue to struggle with dismissive or judgemental staff, risks to their safety, or compounding financial hardship. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/higher-unemployment-and-less-income-how-domestic-violence-costs-women-financially-204688">Higher unemployment and less income: how domestic violence costs women financially</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>We asked whether any insurance company used modelling to estimate the risk or extent of property damage related to domestic and family violence. None did. </p>
<p>Yet it has been estimated that “consumption costs” (such as replacing damaged property, defaulting on bad debts, and the cost of moving) of partner violence against women and their children in 2021–22 could be $3.5 billion, including $202 million in damaged and destroyed property. <a href="https://www.dss.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/05_2012/vawc_economic_report.pdf">Most</a> of these costs are borne by victim-survivors and family and friends.</p>
<h2>What needs to happen?</h2>
<p>To address these issues with joint policies, three changes are needed:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>close the loopholes that enable perpetrators to cancel insurance policies without the knowledge or consent of victim-survivors</p></li>
<li><p>introduce a “conduct of others” clause as a standard part of every insurance contract, enabling victim-survivors to make a claim when perpetrators deliberately damage property</p></li>
<li><p>modernise the law so insurance products can be redesigned with features that protect against financial abuse. </p></li>
</ul>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580045/original/file-20240306-24-akojh8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="The silhouette of a woman looking down in a dark room" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580045/original/file-20240306-24-akojh8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580045/original/file-20240306-24-akojh8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580045/original/file-20240306-24-akojh8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580045/original/file-20240306-24-akojh8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580045/original/file-20240306-24-akojh8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580045/original/file-20240306-24-akojh8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580045/original/file-20240306-24-akojh8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Financial abuse through insurance can compound the negative affects of domestic and family violence.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/trouble-problem-concept-domestic-violence-upset-2076039835">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>As a starting point, every general insurer should denounce financial abuse in their terms and conditions – following the lead of the Australian banking industry. So far, 14 banks have adopted this recommendation and are refusing to tolerate misuse of their products as a tactic of coercive control. </p>
<p>These changes would build on the significant progress the general insurance industry has made to support victim-survivors and drive greater consistency. The General Insurance Code of Practice sets a benchmark for self-regulation, and detailed guidance outlines better customer service practices for those experiencing domestic and family violence. All insurers are required to have a domestic and family violence policy, and some insurers have set up specialist teams and provided extra training. </p>
<p>The law also needs to be modernised because it’s stifling changes that would give victim-survivors better protection. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/when-care-becomes-control-financial-abuse-cuts-across-cultures-70754">When care becomes control - financial abuse cuts across cultures</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The Insurance Contracts Act was written in 1984, just ten years after the first modern women’s refuge was established in Australia and well before domestic and family violence became an urgent national conversation. </p>
<p>Despite calls in <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/sites/default/files/2022-08/p2004-review-insurance-contracts-act-1984-final-report_1.pdf">2004</a> and <a href="https://financialrights.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/210823_FamilyViolenceResearch_FINAL.pdf">2021</a> for the law to address cases in which a victim-survivor was denied a claim because of a wilful act or other breach by the perpetrator, legislation remains unchanged. Yet this type of behaviour is one of the <a href="https://www.allianz.com.au/content/dam/onemarketing/aal/au_site/documents/about-us/understanding-family-violence-and-the-risks-of-insurance.pdf">most common</a> ways insurance is used in family violence. </p>
<p>Two insurers, <a href="https://www.aami.com.au/aami/documents/personal/home/aami-home-building-insurance-pds.pdf">AAMI</a> and <a href="https://www.suncorp.com.au/content/dam/suncorp/insurance/suncorp-insurance/documents/home-and-contents/home/suncorp-insurance-home-contents-insurance-product-disclosure-statement.pdf">Suncorp</a>, have introduced a “conduct of others” clause to provide flexibility to pay a claim in these cases, even where there is no legal requirement to do so. </p>
<p>While these are positive moves, it’s slow progress. It’s time Australian insurers and regulators addressed this gap.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224632/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Catherine Fitzpatrick is Founder and Director of Flequity Ventures, a social enterprise which aims to disrupt financial abuse and gender bias through more flexible, safe and equitable product and service design. She received funding from the Centre for Women's Economic Safety to write the Designed to Disrupt report and continues to be affiliated. She is a former bank executive with roles managing customer complaints including those related to general insurance, domestic violence support and government relations. She has previously been engaged by the Insurance Council of Australia to provide guidance on safety by design in insurance.</span></em></p>Insurance is supposed to be a safety net, but it can be weaponised in domestic and family violence situations. There’s a lot we can do to better protect victim-survivors.Catherine Fitzpatrick, Adjunct Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2244942024-02-29T19:06:47Z2024-02-29T19:06:47ZWe discovered a ‘gentle touch’ molecule is essential for light tactile sensation in humans – and perhaps in individual cells<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578809/original/file-20240229-16-loeyq2.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=36%2C0%2C2692%2C2570&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/womans-hand-fern-leaf-man-nature-2190358695">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>You were probably taught that we have five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste and touch. This is not quite right: “touch” is not a single sense, but rather several working together. </p>
<p>Our bodies contain a network of sensory nerve cells with endings sitting in the skin that detect an array of different physical signals from our environment. The pleasant sensation of a gentle touch feels distinct from the light pressure of our clothes or the hardness of a pencil gripped between our fingers, and all of these are quite different from the pain of a stubbed toe.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-do-you-feel-your-sense-of-touch-is-several-different-senses-rolled-into-one-169344">How do you feel? Your 'sense of touch' is several different senses rolled into one</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>How do these sensory neurons communicate such a wide range of different inputs? </p>
<p>In <a href="http://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adl0495">new research published in Science</a>, the two co-authors of this article and our colleagues have found a force-sensing molecule in nerve cells called ELKIN1, which is specifically involved in detecting gentle touch. This molecule converts gentle touch into an electrical signal, the first step in the process of gentle touch perception.</p>
<h2>How we sense gentle touch</h2>
<p>Sensing gentle touch begins with tiny deformations of the skin due to a light brush. While they may not seem like much, these deformations generate enough force to activate sensory molecules that are found in specialised nerve endings in the skin. </p>
<p>These molecular force sensors form a pore in the surface of the cell that is closed until a force is applied. When the cell is indented, the pore opens and an electrical current flows. </p>
<p>This electrical current can generate a signal that moves along the sensory nerve to the spinal cord and up to the brain. </p>
<p>Our new research, led by Gary Lewin and Sampurna Chakrabarti from the Max Delbruck Center in Berlin, showed the force sensor ELKIN1 is necessary for us to detect very gentle touch.</p>
<p>They found mice lacking the ELKIN1 molecule did not appear to sense a cotton bud being gently drawn across their paw. The mice retained their ability to sense other environmental information, including other types of touch.</p>
<h2>Different molecules for different kinds of touch</h2>
<p>This new finding reveals one reason we can sense multiple types of “touch”: we have multiple, specialised force-sensing proteins that can help us distinguish different environmental signals. </p>
<p>ELKIN1 is the second touch-receptor molecule discovered in sensory neurons. The first (PIEZO2) was found in 2010 by Ardem Patapoutian, who was later awarded the Nobel Prize for the work. PIEZO2 is involved in sensing gentle touch, as well as a sense known as “proprioception”. Proprioception is the sense of where our limbs are in space that helps us regulate our movements.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578782/original/file-20240228-30-4t2s64.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A microscope image showing blobs of cyan, yellow and magenta." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578782/original/file-20240228-30-4t2s64.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578782/original/file-20240228-30-4t2s64.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578782/original/file-20240228-30-4t2s64.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578782/original/file-20240228-30-4t2s64.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578782/original/file-20240228-30-4t2s64.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578782/original/file-20240228-30-4t2s64.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578782/original/file-20240228-30-4t2s64.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Mouse neurons with the new ion channel ELKIN1 (cyan), which is responsible for touch sensation, nucleus (yellow) and the already known ion channel PIEZO2 (magenta).</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Sampurna Chakrabarti / Max Delbrück Center</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Identifying these force-sensing molecules is a challenge in itself. We need to be able to study nerve cells in isolation and measure electrical currents that flow into the cell while simultaneously applying controlled forces to the cells themselves. </p>
<h2>Do cells feel?</h2>
<p>While much of our research studied mouse neurons, not all scientific data obtained from mice can be directly translated to humans. </p>
<p>With team members at the University of Wollongong, one of us (Mirella Dottori) tried to determine whether ELKIN1 worked the same way in humans. They reprogrammed human stem cells to produce specialised nerve cells that respond to “touch” stimuli. In these human cells, ELKIN1 had similar functional properties of detecting touch. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578781/original/file-20240228-24-4t2s64.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A photo of a glass electrode prodding some cells in a Petri dish." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578781/original/file-20240228-24-4t2s64.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578781/original/file-20240228-24-4t2s64.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578781/original/file-20240228-24-4t2s64.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578781/original/file-20240228-24-4t2s64.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578781/original/file-20240228-24-4t2s64.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578781/original/file-20240228-24-4t2s64.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578781/original/file-20240228-24-4t2s64.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Experiments on sensory neurons confirmed the role of the ELKIN1 molecule.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Felix Petermann / Max Delbrück Center</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>While this research expands our understanding of how we make sense of the world around us, it also raises an additional, intriguing possibility. </p>
<p>ELKIN1 was first identified by one of us (Kate Poole) and her team at UNSW, with Gary Lewin and his team, while studying how melanoma cells break away from model tumours and “feel” their way through their surroundings. This could mean these tiny molecular force sensors give not only us, but our individual cells, a nuanced sense of touch.</p>
<p>Future research will continue to search for more molecular force sensors and endeavour to understand how they help our cells, and us, navigate our physical environment.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224494/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kate Poole receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council, the Australian Research Council and the US Air Force Asian Office of Aerospace Research and Development
</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mirella Dottori receives funding from the Australian Research Council, Medical Research Future Fund, Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance and Friedreich Ataxia Research Association. </span></em></p>Our bodies have a dedicated channel for sensing only the very lightest of touches.Kate Poole, Associate Professor in Physiology, UNSW SydneyMirella Dottori, Professor, University of WollongongLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2246142024-02-28T19:15:46Z2024-02-28T19:15:46ZWhat we know about last year’s top 10 wild Australian climatic events – from fire and flood combos to cyclone-driven extreme rain<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578474/original/file-20240228-28-s80sff.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=18%2C0%2C3085%2C2120&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Japan Meteorological Agency, Himawari-8</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Fire. Flood. Fire and flood together. Double-whammy storms. Unprecedented rainfall. Heatwaves. Climate change is making some of Australia’s weather more extreme. In 2023, the country was hit by a broad range of particularly intense events, with economy-wide impacts. Winter was the warmest in a record going back to 1910, while we had the driest September since at least 1900.</p>
<p>We often see extreme weather as distinct events in the news. But it can be useful to look at what’s happening over the year. </p>
<p>Today, more than 30 of Australia’s leading climate scientists <a href="https://climateextremes.org.au/the-state-of-weather-and-climate-extremes-2023/">released a report</a> analysing ten major weather events in 2023, from early fires to low snowpack to compound events. </p>
<p>Can we say how much climate change contributed to these events? Not yet. It normally takes several years of research before we can clearly say what role climate change played. But the longer term trends are well established – more frequent, more intense heatwaves over most of Australia, marine heatwave days more than doubling over the last century, and short, intense rainfall events intensifying in some areas. </p>
<h2>What happened in 2023?</h2>
<p><strong>January. Event #1: Record-breaking rain in the north (NT, WA, QLD)</strong></p>
<p>The year began with above-average rainfall in northern Australia influenced by the “<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-64950045">triple-dip</a>” La Niña phase. </p>
<p>Some parts of the country were already experiencing heavy rainfall even before Cyclone Ellie arrived. From late December 2022 to early January 2023, Ellie brought heavy rainfall to Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland, resulting in a one-in-100-year flooding of the Fitzroy River. Interestingly, Cyclone Ellie was only a “weak” Category 1 tropical cyclone. So why did it cause so much damage? In their analysis, climate scientists suggest it was actually low wind speeds in the mid-troposphere which allowed the system to stall and keep raining.</p>
<p><strong>February–March. Event 2: Extreme rain and food shortages (NT, QLD)</strong></p>
<p>Climate scientists observed the same behaviour from late February to early March 2023, when a persistent slow-moving low-pressure system known as a monsoonal low dumped heavy, widespread rain over the Northern Territory and north-west Queensland. The resulting floods cut transport routes in the NT, and led to <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-06/flooding-logistics-freight-issues-nt-wa-food-supplies-rail-road/102057556">food shortages</a>.</p>
<p><strong>June–August. Event 3 and 4: Warmest winter, little snow (NSW)</strong></p>
<p>After a wet start to the year, conditions became drier and warmer in southern and eastern Australia. New South Wales experienced its warmest winter on record, with daily maximums more than 2°C above the long-term average. </p>
<p>The unusual heat and lack of precipitation translated into the <a href="https://www.weatherzone.com.au/news/snow-season-hanging-in-there-by-a-thread/1466746">second-worst</a> snow season on record (the worst was 2006). </p>
<p><strong>September. Event 5: Record heatwave (SA)</strong></p>
<p>In September, South Australia faced a record-breaking heatwave. Temperatures reached as high as 38°C in Ceduna. As warming continues, scientists suggest unusual heat and heatwaves during the cool season will become more frequent and intense. </p>
<p>September also saw <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/enso/wrap-up/archive/20230919.archive.shtml">El Niño and a positive Indian Ocean Dipole</a> declared by the Bureau of Meteorology. When these two climate drivers combine, we have a higher chance of a warm and dry Australia, particularly during late winter and spring. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/2023s-extreme-storms-heat-and-wildfires-broke-records-a-scientist-explains-how-global-warming-fuels-climate-disasters-217500">2023's extreme storms, heat and wildfires broke records – a scientist explains how global warming fuels climate disasters</a>
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<p><strong>October. Event 6, 7 and 8: Fire-and-flood compound event (VIC), compound wind and rain storms (TAS), unusually early fires (QLD)</strong></p>
<p>Dry conditions gave rise to an unseasonably early fire season in Victoria and Queensland. In October, Queensland’s Western Downs region was hit hard. Dozens of houses and two lives <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-11-04/community-cost-of-devastating-tara-qld-bushfire/103055968">were lost</a> in the town of Tara. </p>
<p>The same month, Victoria’s Gippsland region was hit by back-to-back fires and floods, a phenomenon known as a <a href="https://climateextremes.org.au/what-is-a-compound-event-in-weather-and-climate/">compound event</a>. </p>
<p>While it’s difficult to attribute these events to climate change, scientists say hot and dry winters make Australia more prone to early season fires. </p>
<p>Also in October, a different compound event struck Tasmania in the form of successive low-pressure systems. The first dumped a month’s worth of rain in a few days over much of the state, while the second brought strong winds. The rain from the first storm loosened the soil, making it easier for trees to be blown down. </p>
<p>Scientists say the combined effects were more severe than if just one of these events occurred without the other. Such extreme wind-and-rain compound events are expected to occur more frequently in regions such as the tropics as the climate continues to change.</p>
<p><strong>November. Event 9: Supercell thunderstorm trashed crops (QLD)</strong></p>
<p>In November, a supercell thunderstorm hit Queensland’s south-east, destroying A$50 million worth of crops and farming equipment. Initial research suggests extreme winds and thunderstorms <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-cant-say-yet-if-grid-breaking-thunderstorms-are-getting-worse-but-we-shouldnt-wait-to-find-out-224148">may become</a> more likely under climate change, but more work is needed.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578530/original/file-20240228-26-sb2tl0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="crops hailstorm" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578530/original/file-20240228-26-sb2tl0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578530/original/file-20240228-26-sb2tl0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=416&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578530/original/file-20240228-26-sb2tl0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=416&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578530/original/file-20240228-26-sb2tl0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=416&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578530/original/file-20240228-26-sb2tl0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=523&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578530/original/file-20240228-26-sb2tl0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=523&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578530/original/file-20240228-26-sb2tl0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=523&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">The hailstorm ripped through crops in Queensland’s Lockyer Valley, a big agricultural area.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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<p><strong>December. Event 10: Unprecedented flooding from Cyclone Jasper (QLD)</strong></p>
<p>In mid-December, Tropical Cyclone Jasper made landfall as a Category 2 tropical cyclone in north Queensland. The system weakened into a tropical low and then stalled over Cape York. The weather system’s northerly winds drew in moist air from the Coral Sea, which collided with drier winds from the south-east. This caused persistent heavy rainfall over the region – up to 2 metres in places. Catchments flooded across the region, causing widespread damage to roads, buildings and crops. Similar to ex-Tropical Cyclone Ellie, most damage occurred after landfall as the system stalled and dumped rain. </p>
<h2>Climate change can make extreme weather even more extreme</h2>
<p>It’s generally easier to identify and understand the role of human-caused climate change in large-scale extreme events, particularly temperature extremes. So we can say 2023’s exceptional winter heat was probably intensified by what we have done to the climate system. </p>
<p>For smaller-scale extremes, it is often harder to determine the role of climate change, but there’s some evidence short, intense rainfall events are getting even more intense as the world warms. Early-season bushfires and low snow cover are consistent with what we expect under global warming.</p>
<p>There’s also an increasing threat from the risk of compound events where concurrent or consecutive extreme events can amplify damage. </p>
<p>Australia’s intense weather events during 2023 are broadly what we can expect to see as the world keeps getting hotter and hotter due to the heat-trapping greenhouse gases humanity continues to emit. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/global-heating-may-breach-1-5-c-in-2024-heres-what-that-could-look-like-220877">Global heating may breach 1.5°C in 2024 – here's what that could look like</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224614/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Laure Poncet receives funding from the Australian Research Council. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andrew King receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the National Environmental Science Program. </span></em></p>Last year was the hottest in recorded history. That heat led to a range of unusually intense weather events across Australia.Laure Poncet, Research officer, UNSW SydneyAndrew King, Senior Lecturer in Climate Science, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2240722024-02-26T19:00:27Z2024-02-26T19:00:27Z70% of Australians don’t feel in control of their data as companies hide behind meaningless privacy terms<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577785/original/file-20240226-26-ihj4ej.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=697%2C117%2C4296%2C3034&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/smart-technologies-your-smartphone-collection-analysis-1490310101">Trismegist san/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Australian consumers don’t understand how companies – including data brokers – track, target and profile them. This is revealed in new research on consumer understanding of privacy terms, released by the non-profit <a href="https://cprc.org.au/">Consumer Policy Research Centre</a> and UNSW Sydney today. </p>
<p><a href="https://cprc.org.au/report/singled-out">Our report</a> also reveals 70% of Australians feel they have little or no control over how their data is disclosed between companies. Many expressed anger, frustration and distrust. </p>
<p>These findings are particularly important as the government considers <a href="https://www.ag.gov.au/rights-and-protections/publications/government-response-privacy-act-review-report">long-overdue reforms to our privacy legislation</a>, and the consumer watchdog finalises its <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/inquiries-and-consultations/digital-platform-services-inquiry-2020-25/march-2024-interim-report">upcoming report on data brokers</a>.</p>
<p>If Australians are to have any hope of fair and trustworthy data handling, the government must stop companies from <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3432769">hiding their practices</a> behind confusing and misleading privacy terms and mandate fairness in data handling. </p>
<h2>We are all being tracked</h2>
<p>Our activities online and offline are constantly tracked by various companies, including <a href="https://cprc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/CPRC-Submission-Data-brokers-ACCC-August-2023.pdf">data brokers</a> that trade in our personal information.</p>
<p>This includes data about our activity and purchases on websites and apps, relationship status, children, financial circumstances, life events, health concerns, search history and location. </p>
<p>Many businesses focus their efforts on finding new ways to track and profile us, despite repeated evidence that consumers view this as <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/about-us/publications/digital-platforms-inquiry-final-report">misuse of their personal information</a>.</p>
<p>Companies describe the data they collect in confusing and unfamiliar terms. Much of this wording seems designed to prevent us from understanding or objecting to the use and disclosure of our personal information, often collected in surreptitious ways.</p>
<p>Businesses can use your data <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3432769">to make more profit at your expense</a>. This includes</p>
<ul>
<li>charging you a higher price</li>
<li>preventing you from seeing better offers</li>
<li>micro-targeting political messages or ads based on your health information</li>
<li>reducing the priority you’re given in customer service</li>
<li>creating a profile (which you’ll never see) to share with a prospective employer, insurer or landlord.</li>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/this-law-makes-it-illegal-for-companies-to-collect-third-party-data-to-profile-you-but-they-do-anyway-190758">This law makes it illegal for companies to collect third-party data to profile you. But they do anyway</a>
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<h2>Anonymised, pseudonymised, hashed</h2>
<p>Businesses commonly try to argue this information is “<a href="https://www5.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/pa1988108/s6.html#de-identified">de-identified</a>” or not “<a href="https://www5.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/pa1988108/s6.html#personal_information">personal</a>”, to avoid running afoul of the federal Privacy Act in which these terms are defined.</p>
<p>But many privacy policies muddy the waters by using other, undefined terms. They create the impression data can’t be used to single out the consumer or influence what they’re shown online – even when it can.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-the-shady-world-of-the-data-industry-strips-away-our-freedoms-143823">How the shady world of the data industry strips away our freedoms</a>
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<p>Privacy policies commonly refer to:</p>
<ul>
<li>anonymised data</li>
<li>pseudonymised information</li>
<li>hashed emails</li>
<li>audience data</li>
<li>aggregated information.</li>
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<p>These terms have no legal definition and no fixed meaning in practice. </p>
<p>Data brokers and other companies may use “pseudonymised information” or “hashed email addresses” (essentially, encrypted addresses) to create detailed profiles. These will be shared with other businesses without our knowledge. They do this by matching the information collected about us by various companies in different parts of our lives. </p>
<p>“Anonymised information” – not a legal term in Australia – may sound like it wouldn’t reveal anything about an individual consumer. Some companies use it when only a person’s name and email have been removed, but we can still be identified by other unique or rare characteristics.</p>
<h2>What did our survey find?</h2>
<p>Our survey showed Australians do not feel in control of their personal information. More than 70% of consumers believe they have very little or no control over what personal information online businesses share with other companies.</p>
<p><iframe id="mJYfr" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/mJYfr/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>Only a third of consumers feel they have at least moderate control over whether businesses use their personal information to create a profile about them.</p>
<p>Most consumers have no understanding of common terms in privacy notices, such as “hashed email address” or “advertising ID” (a unique ID usually assigned to one’s device).</p>
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<p>And it’s likely to be worse than these statistics suggest, since some consumers may overestimate their knowledge.</p>
<p>The terms refer to data widely used to track and influence us without our knowledge. However, when consumers don’t recognise descriptions of personal information, they’re less likely to know whether that data could be used to single them out for tracking, influencing, profiling, discrimination or exclusion. </p>
<p>Most consumers either don’t know, or think it unlikely, that “pseudonymised information”, a “hashed email address” or “advertising ID” can be used to single them out from the crowd. They can. </p>
<p>Most consumers think it’s unacceptable for businesses they have no direct relationship with to use their email address, IP address, device information, search history or location data. However, data brokers and other “data partners” not in direct contact with consumers commonly use such data. </p>
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<p>Consumers are understandably frustrated, anxious and angry about the unfair and untrustworthy ways organisations make use of their personal information and expose them to increased risk of data misuse. </p>
<h2>Fairness, not ‘education’</h2>
<p>Simply educating consumers about the terms used by companies and the ways their data is shared may seem an obvious solution. </p>
<p>However, we don’t recommend this for three reasons. Firstly, we can’t be sure of the meaning of undefined terms. Companies will likely keep coming up with new ones.</p>
<p>Secondly, it’s unreasonable to place the burden of understanding complex data ecosystems on consumers who naturally lack expertise in these areas.</p>
<p>Thirdly, “education” is pointless when consumers are not given real choices about the use of their data. </p>
<p>Urgent law reform is needed to make Australian privacy protections fit for the digital era. This should include clarifying that information that <a href="https://brusselsprivacyhub.eu/publications/BPH-Working-Paper-VOL6-N24.pdf">singles an individual out from the crowd</a> is “personal information”.</p>
<p>We also need a “fair and reasonable” test for data handling, instead of take-it-or-leave-it privacy “consents”. </p>
<p>Most of us can’t avoid participating in the digital economy. These changes would help ensure that instead of confusing privacy terms, there are substantial, meaningful legal requirements for how our personal information is handled.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/proposed-privacy-reforms-could-help-australia-play-catch-up-with-other-nations-but-they-fail-to-tackle-targeted-ads-200166">Proposed privacy reforms could help Australia play catch-up with other nations. But they fail to tackle targeted ads</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224072/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Katharine Kemp receives funding from the UNSW Allens Hub for Technology, Law and Innovation. She is a Member of the Expert Panel of the Consumer Policy Research Centre, and the Australian Privacy Foundation.</span></em></p>We’re being tracked, targeted and profiled by businesses and data brokers. A new report on consumer data handling shows we need an urgent update of privacy laws.Katharine Kemp, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law & Justice, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2239622024-02-22T19:20:51Z2024-02-22T19:20:51Z‘Robotax’ is a symptom of a gap in Australia’s tax laws. Here’s how to fix it<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577221/original/file-20240222-26-1sl70z.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=814%2C682%2C3107%2C1598&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/australian-tax-declaration-pen-on-wooden-1606848391">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Imagine believing you owed nothing to the Australian Tax Office, and then suddenly finding out decades later that you did, and that the Tax Office had been accruing interest and penalties on it for decades.</p>
<p>You might think it was like <a href="https://theconversation.com/victims-now-know-they-were-right-about-robodebt-all-along-let-the-royal-commission-change-the-way-we-talk-about-welfare-209216?notice=Article+has+been+updated.">Robodebt</a>, the disgraced scheme under which the government tried to extract money from welfare recipients that was eventually found to be unlawful by a <a href="https://theconversation.com/robodebt-royal-commissioner-makes-multiple-referrals-for-prosecution-condemning-scheme-as-crude-and-cruel-209318">Royal Commission</a>.</p>
<p>You might even call the scheme “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/feb/21/ato-justification-for-robotax-expansion-plan-revealed-by-internal-documents">Robotax</a>”. This is how it is being referred to in reporting. It is eventually expected to collect debts on hold worth <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/feb/20/ato-eyeing-ramp-up-of-controversial-robotax-scheme-in-bid-to-recoup-15bn-in-on-hold-debts">A$15 billion</a>.</p>
<p>On Wednesday Tax Commissioner Chris Jordan said he hadn’t wanted to pursue these old (and in some cases very small) debts but had been forced to after the Australian National Audit Office told the Tax Office it had <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/feb/21/anthony-albanese-government-robotax-debts-wiped-ato-tax-commissioner-chris-jordan-national-press-club">no legal authority</a> not to chase them.</p>
<p>“As a regulator, we can’t purposely not conform with the law,” he told the National Press Club. “We have to, so we’re working our way through.”</p>
<h2>Small debts climb to tens of thousands</h2>
<p>Here’s an example, from our Tax and Business Advisory Clinic at the University of NSW.</p>
<p>One of our clients had previously been involved in a small business with her husband. When he tragically died she was left to look after their children on her own and told she didn’t owe the Tax Office any money.</p>
<p>But when she recently returned to work and lodged her tax return, a long-absent tax debt reappeared. It turns out that although she had been told it was “written off” at the time, it had only been classified as “non-pursuit”.</p>
<p>Non-pursuit meant it hadn’t appeared in her or her husband’s tax statements.</p>
<p>By the time it reappeared, she owed $37,000. The clinic was able to establish that most of this – about $29,000 – was interest and penalties.</p>
<p>We asked the Tax Office to waive the interest and penalties, which, to its credit, it did. It’s an option many financially vulnerable taxpayers won’t know they have and won’t know how to get without professional advice (which they can’t afford). </p>
<p>It gives government-funded tax clinics a valuable role. </p>
<h2>How it happened</h2>
<p>The Tax Office has for many years been classifying debts as “written off” or “not economical to pursue”, usually where the debts are small or it has lost contact with the taxpayer.</p>
<p>Commissioner Jordan told the Press Club his view had been it was “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/feb/21/anthony-albanese-government-robotax-debts-wiped-ato-tax-commissioner-chris-jordan-national-press-club">ridiculous</a>” to spend money chasing debts as low as $2.</p>
<p>But a taxpayer might not realise this has happened, or might not have realised that “written off” doesn’t have its <a href="https://www.ombudsman.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0032/286628/investigation_2009_04.pdf">standard English meaning</a>. Debts written off continue to exist. Without a statute of limitations on them, they cannot expire. </p>
<p>The Tax Office merely decided not to pursue them. On their statements, these taxpayers saw no acknowledgement of these debts and often saw a balance of “nil” on their accounts.</p>
<p>New advice from the Australian Government Solicitor has forced the Tax Office to collect these debts where would have preferred not to, even where the clients are old or on <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/feb/20/ato-eyeing-ramp-up-of-controversial-robotax-scheme-in-bid-to-recoup-15bn-in-on-hold-debts">low incomes</a>.</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/robodebt-was-a-fiasco-with-a-cost-we-have-yet-to-fully-appreciate-150169">Robodebt was a fiasco with a cost we have yet to fully appreciate</a>
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<h2>Temporary halt</h2>
<p>On Wednesday, the Tax Office said it had “heard the concerns raised by the community” and <a href="https://www.ato.gov.au/media-centre/statement-on-debts-on-hold-program">paused</a> all recovery action on debts placed on hold prior to 2017, a temporary solution whose legal basis is unclear.</p>
<p>In Australia, there is no statute of limitations on tax debts placed on hold, even though <a href="https://www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/ARC15_Volume2_2-CollectibilityCurve.pdf">US research</a> has found tax debts not collected within two years of assessment are unlikely to be collected at all.</p>
<p>Although Australia’s Finance Minister has the power to waive individual debts, it is unclear whether this could be used to waive an entire class of debts.</p>
<p>And there is one class of debts the minister has no power to waive, even in cases of extreme hardship – those from businesses that have collected the <a href="https://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/SydLawRw/2021/1.html">goods and services tax</a>.</p>
<h2>The Tax Office was warned</h2>
<p>The Commonwealth Ombudsman warned the Tax Office of a problem back in 2009 in a report entitled <a href="https://www.ombudsman.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0032/286628/investigation_2009_04.pdf">Re-raising Written-off Debts</a>.</p>
<p>It said the Tax Office used the term “write-off” in a way that differed from the <a href="https://www.ombudsman.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0032/286628/investigation_2009_04.pdf">commonly understood commercial meaning</a></p>
<p>It made a number of recommendations, one of which was that the Tax Office:</p>
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<p>notify taxpayers about the decision to write off their debt, indicating that there is an amount owing which the Tax Office has decided not to pursue at that time but may seek to do so later.</p>
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<p>Another was that the Tax Office:</p>
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<p>provide further information to taxpayers when a debt is re-raised. This information should include the source of the debt (including how much interest has been charged), the circumstances which caused the debt to be re-raised and how to obtain further information.</p>
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<p>Something else that would help is a requirement to inform those affected that the Tax Office is able to remit interest and penalties – and to offer guidance about how to request this.</p>
<h2>Ultimately, it might require legislation</h2>
<p>Legislating to give the Tax Office permission to waive debts in certain circumstances would be the best fix, and could probably be done quickly if government ministers are willing.</p>
<p>As he prepared to step down after a decade as Tax Commissioner this month, Jordan pointed with pride to the Tax Office’s status as the <a href="https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/why-chris-jordan-wants-secrecy-laws-to-change-20240213-p5f4ox">third most trusted</a> arm of the Australian public service.</p>
<p>Unless the Tax Office is given the discretion to behave with compassion towards vulnerable Australians, it risks losing that status and perpetuating cycles of debt. </p>
<p>We need a legislative fix. The Tax Office needs in its armoury the ability to help – rather than hinder – people in serious financial hardship. The last thing it should want to do, and want to be seen to want to do, is to squeeze blood from stones.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/223962/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ann Kayis-Kumar receives funding from the Australian Government’s Australian Taxation Office National Tax Clinic Program and the Ecstra Foundation's Financial Capability Program.</span></em></p>The Tax Office has been writing off hard-to-collect debts for years, but it hasn’t had the power to do it. Unless we give it that power, it’ll be forced to push vulnerable Australians into debt.Ann Kayis-Kumar, Associate Professor, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2240662024-02-21T07:15:56Z2024-02-21T07:15:56ZBrad Banducci checks out from Woolworths, signalling a business out-of-touch with its customers<p>The head of Australia’s biggest supermarket chain is to step down. On the face of it, this is not altogether remarkable news. Australian CEOs hold their jobs, on average, for about five years.</p>
<p>Woolworth’s chief executive <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-02-21/woolworths-brad-banducci-retires-announcement/103490636">Brad Banducci</a> has done nearly nine years at the helm, which is worthy of attention because it’s Woolworths. The brand has about 1,400 stores nationwide and boasts a <a href="https://www.huntexportadvice.com/post/australia-market-overview-2021">37% share of the grocery sector</a>. It’s big and that’s the issue underpinning Banducci’s exit.</p>
<p>Commentators, including the former ACCC chief Rod Sims have bemoaned the <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/capitalism-must-come-with-rules-to-ensure-competition-sims-20230202-p5chgx.html">lack of competition</a> within the sector. Woolworths and rival Coles enjoy a 65% share of the Australian market. I give a nod to the respected Sims as he plays a bit-part in the Banducci departure, which clearly did not go to plan. An <a href="https://www.woolworthsgroup.com.au/au/en/media/latest-news/2023/retirement-of-managing-director---group-chief-executive-officer.html">announcement</a> confirming the CEO’s retirement was made Wednesday morning.</p>
<h2>The Four Corners interview</h2>
<p>That announcement followed a woeful media interview by Banducci for the ABC’s <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-02-21/woolworths-brad-banducci-retires-announcement/103490636">Four Corners</a> program. In light of the ongoing cost-of-living crisis affecting all parts of the country, there’s been much said about this overly concentrated grocery market and its impact on ordinary Australians.</p>
<p>So, it would come as no surprise to the Woolworths communications team that such questions would be put to their boss, but the boss appeared ill-prepared and defensive.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1759391473567490367"}"></div></p>
<p>Banducci labelled Sims as out-of-touch with current market dynamics as he reminded the interviewer and viewers that the former public servant is now “retired”. This was a hapless point to make, which Banducci quickly recognises and unsurprisingly, was rather keen to remove from the interview.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/8-ways-woolworths-and-coles-squeeze-their-suppliers-and-their-customers-223857">8 ways Woolworths and Coles squeeze their suppliers and their customers</a>
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<p>The program’s refusal to play ball prompted Banducci to get out of his chair and stop the interview. The Woolworths attendants successfully persuade him to continue, but from a reputational perspective, the damage was done.</p>
<h2>The final straw</h2>
<p>So, was the ABC program instrumental in Banducci’s unforeseen announcement? Yes, but it’s not without important context; principally, the state of Woolworths’ financial health, considering that duopoly-like situation. The Woolworths group’s results, released on the same day as the executive’s announcement, showed a <a href="https://www.woolworthsgroup.com.au/au/en/investors/our-performance/results-and-presentations.html">$781 million loss</a>, although much of this was due to a couple of major write-downs.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/i-analysed-more-than-10-000-reddit-posts-on-supermarket-pricing-5-key-themes-emerged-221119">I analysed more than 10,000 Reddit posts on supermarket pricing. 5 key themes emerged</a>
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<p>This brings us back to the Four Corners interview and the inherent optics of Banducci’s performance, who, it must be said, is normally unflappable when it comes to such questioning. </p>
<p>For further context, this is a big year for the grocer, Woolworths opened its first store in Sydney in <a href="https://www.woolworthsgroup.com.au/au/en/about-us/our-history.html#:%7E:text=On%20Friday%2C%205%20December%201924,where%20good%20things%20are%20cheap.">December 1924</a> and much, no doubt, is planned to mark the centenary. </p>
<p>This will be an occasion to reinforce those corporate messages that will probably speak to the brand’s humble beginnings and being a supportive part of Australian communities over that time. In short, Woolworths is Australia, but the Banducci performance demonstrated it wasn’t Rod Sims who was out-of-touch, it was our friendly, neighbourhood grocer.</p>
<h2>Out of touch</h2>
<p>The program and the surrounding debate about supermarket profits at a time of hardship for many is a painful reminder that those modest beginnings have long gone and now it’s more akin to “us and them”. Woolworths needs to reclaim those ordinary, perceived simple beginnings and be seen as a community member again.</p>
<p>The grocer’s recent <a href="https://ami.org.au/knowledge-hub/woolworths-ceo-responds-to-backlash-over-decision-to-not-stock-australia-day-merchandise/">Australia Day</a> ruckus illustrates a brand that has lost a sense of self-identity. This is not to judge the decision either way, but to underline the importance of first consulting the community.</p>
<h2>Controlling the narrative</h2>
<p>Banducci will be replaced by Woolworths veteran, <a href="https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/retail/amanda-bardwell-to-replace-brad-banducci-as-woolworths-ceo/news-story/2050798ae36d089be7e979144e8cbc02">Amanda Bardwell</a>. Bardwell will be the 13th chief executive and knows the business well. The appointment affords Woolworths the much-needed opportunity to start controlling the corporate narrative, which has, in recent weeks, been driven by the media and centres solely on the numbers – specifically, how much is being made by the business and how little of that is, seemingly, making its way to the customer.</p>
<p>The Woolworths <a href="https://www.woolworthsgroup.com.au/au/en/about-us/our-approach-/our-purpose--key-priorities.html#:%7E:text=Our%20Purpose%20%26%20Key%20Priorities&text=At%20Woolworths%20Group%2C%20we%20create,play%20in%20driving%20positive%20change.">purpose</a> speaks of “the communities in which we serve” and creating “a better tomorrow” – to that end, the business should do its darndest to give those communities greater attention.</p>
<p>The Woolworths advertising in 1924 described the store as a place where “goods are so cheap and shopping easy and pleasant”. So, in an attempt to control the story in 2024, Amanda Bardwell would do well going back to when it all started. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-prices-are-so-high-8-ways-retail-pricing-algorithms-gouge-consumers-223310">Why prices are so high – 8 ways retail pricing algorithms gouge consumers</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224066/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Peter Roberts does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Woolworths promoted itself as a place where “goods are so cheap and shopping easy and pleasant” when it opened 100 years ago. Australia’s biggest grocer has moved away from its humble beginnings.Peter Roberts, Lecturer, School of the Arts and Media, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.