I’m migrating from Twitter to Bluesky, for all the obvious reasons. Would love to connect with you all there: @david-ritter.bsky.social.

Today marks 40 years since the Rainbow Warrior was bombed in Auckland Harbour. Great piece by my friend and colleague @Madsflarup marking this anniversary, and reminding us: you can't sink a rainbow and you can't silence hope.

Important piece by Matt Kean: South Australia’s deadly algal bloom and marine heatwave should be the wake-up call the Australian government needs to deliver a 2035 climate plan that cuts emissions at the speed and scale demanded by the science.

The East Coast has just come out of yet another extreme weather event. As communities pick up the pieces, we need to remember that events like this are exacerbated by climate change. We must transition away from fossil fuels to keep our communities safe.

Fossil fuels like the gas that Woodside wants to dig up and burn for decades are robbing young people of a safe, secure future. Always great to see our elected representatives speaking up for young Australians and future generations. @Davekellymp .

I'm in the latest @AQjournal with a piece on the growing trend of planet-wrecking corporations using SLAPP suits to bully citizens and community groups who challenge them—and the need for anti-SLAPP legislation in Australia. #SLAPPs #WeWillNotBeSilenced.

This interview with @latukefu_tgc on Australia’s Falepili Union treaty with Tuvalu, contextualised against our continuing fossil fuel approvals, is essential listening:.

Good piece from Nick O’Malley on the global impact of the never-before-seen clip of bottom trawling in David Attenborough’s ‘Ocean’—and how it has silenced global fishing giants. This world-changing documentary is absolutely a must-watch.

RT @AQjournal: In the new AQ, @David_Ritter: There's a growing trend of cashed-up corporations using the courts to silence lawful oppositi….

Fantastic news from Victoria: gas hot water systems will be phased out, new buildings to be all-electric, rental properties subjected to higher energy efficiency standards. A major step towards phasing out gas; it's time for other govts to follow suit.

RT @Elaine_EnvLaw: Woodside’s North West Shelf gas extension is being challenged in the courts. Could it be stopped?

The NSW government's relief & recovery payments budget has increased tenfold since the Black Summer bushfires; Treasury expects costs to reach $24bn/year by 2070. Don’t let anyone tell you that climate action costs too much. It is inaction we can't afford.

RT @AQjournal: New AQ out 1 July - subscribe to get it first! Feat: @David_Ritter @GreenpeaceAP on #SLAPP suits &….

For a deeper analysis of these issues, come and join the conversation over on my LinkedIn:.

Getting more specific about law reform. As one former departmental insider said to me recently, although it can be improved, even the existing EPBC Act could have been used to do so much more to protect the environment with the right institutional culture and political will.

The law needs to do what it says on the cover. This week I was part of consultations that Environment Minister Murray Watt is conducting for reforming Australia’s environment laws. The current EPBC Act does little to address deforestation or climate change and lacks integrity.

Monash and Woodside. New investigation of the Monash and Woodside situation by journalist @RoyceRk2 should be compulsory reading for the university’s administration. The institution is now caught in the headlights of climate action double-speak.

Talking points. Reflecting on key moments of the week, to make sense of the times we are in. This week, Monash University’s Woodside problem, nature law reform consultations, and the need for reform beyond laws. 🧵.

Only two years left in our carbon budget to meet 1.5°C, warn scientists—there could not be a more stark or urgent warning that we must act quickly to secure a liveable world for future generations. We ignore these warnings at our own peril.

Really noteworthy that we are within distance of the High Seas Treaty entering into force, a turning point in ocean conservation that marks decades of hard work for this win. Much work ahead on hashing out the mechanics, but this is an important milestone.

The government now needs to ramp up this ambition by expanding domestic marine sanctuaries, championing high seas marine sanctuaries in our region and strongly opposing the serious threat of deep sea mining.