Did Pieces of Australia Mess Up?
Pieces of Australia is a group that buys bits of Aussie land for conservation. It’s also a group that dropped $4000 to secure a controversy-sparking spot in this year’s Oscar goodie bags.
In these goodie bags, Pieces of Australia provided land parcels that came with a “certificate of land licence.” They also provided online handbooks that discussed the Indigenous Carbon Industry Network (ICIN). However, the ICIN have claimed that they weren’t contacted before being referenced.
And, to make matters worse, these handbooks allegedly featured ICIN pictures. The ICIN has expressed that these pictures were stolen.
In a statement, the ICIN discussed this controversy, saying that it had “not granted permission for any of our information, publications, or photos to be reproduced to support the Oscars.”
“ICIN is seeking legal advice regarding this matter and will be able to provide further statement once we have sought appropriate advice.”
Niels Chaneliere, the founder of Pieces of Australia, has responded to this Oscars’ controversy by saying, “All content that may have been inappropriately used in relation to ICIN or their mention in the member’s handbook has now been removed.”
Labor vs the Greens: The Climate Wars Continue
As Australia burns, floods, and boils, Labor and the Greens play a high-stakes game of poker.
This is because Labor wants the Greens’ support in passing some Safeguard Mechanism laws. These new laws will make it so our fossil fuel companies will have to slash their carbon emissions by 28% before 2030.
“I think it’s pretty reasonable to say that 215 facilities are responsible for 28% of our emissions, therefore, they’ll be responsible for 28% of our emissions reduction,” said Chris Bowen, our Climate Change and Energy Minister.
However, the Greens believe that these laws are pointless if Australia is still constructing new coal plants and approving new gas projects. After all, what’s the point of us cutting our emissions in some areas and letting them go ham in others? It just doesn’t make any sense.
Therefore, the Greens have put a deal on the table. They have stated that they’ll stan Labor’s Safeguard Mechanism laws, but only if no more coal and gas projects get built in Australia.
As Adam Bandt, Leader of the Greens, said, “The Greens have huge concerns with other parts of the scheme, such as the rampant use of offsets and the low emissions reduction targets. But we’re prepared to put those concerns aside and give Labor’s scheme a chance if Labor agrees to stop opening new coal and gas projects.”
“Labor needs the Greens to get this through parliament. If Labor’s scheme falls over, it will be because Labor wants to open new coal and gas mines.”
So, how has Labor responded to the Greens’ proposal? Well, they’re attempting to pressure this party to back the heck down. Labor wants the Greens to politely smile, do as they’re told, and help them pass their new Safeguard Mechanism bill.
During a speech at The Sydney Institute, Bowen said, “Slogans and calls for faster action often ignore the realities and complexities of the task we are undertaking.”
“I understand the emphasis on possible new facilities in the public debate, but this reform is about reducing emissions from all facilities, old and new, industrial and resources-based.”
At this point, this Labor vs Greens’ gamble might come down to the wire. With so much at stake, it’s currently uncertain if anyone will fold.
Related: Can Aussie Bushfires Shrink Our Ozone?
Related: Labor’s Climate Safeguard Mechanism, Explained
ChatGPT and the Australian Workplace
Hey, do you want a future where you send an email written by ChatGPT, then someone responds back with another email written by ChatGPT? And you never actually talk to anyone? And you die completely alone? And then at your funeral, your father reads a speech that was written by ChatGPT? No?
Well, too bad, because that future might be on its way.
According to a survey by Finder of 666 Aussie workers, a whack of them are already using ChatGPT. As per Finder’s stats, 5% use it quite a bit at work, and 12% have used it once or twice at work. Meanwhile, 20% have used ChatGPT before, but not in a work setting.
It’s also worth noting that 42% said they wouldn’t use ChatGPT for anything, and 22% said that they don’t work with computers.
“There’s a tonne of new-school tech to bump up productivity in the office with more launching every day,” said Finder’s Head of Consumer Research, Graham Cooke.
“Tasks that would have taken a few hours are now being completed in a few seconds. At the rate this space is moving, we’ll see AI re-inventing workflows in the next 12 months.”
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