Martin Jones
@martincjones.com
🇦🇺/🇩🇪 climate change/energy economist and policy wonk; former academic (CEEM) and consumer advocate (CUAC); amateur footballer. Personal views. He/him.
With the US strategic defeat by Iran, what are the long held assumptions that must be revised? "All the foundations of the unipolar world have vanished. " @policytensor sums up what we have learned since February. Hard to disagree with any of them.
The ABC Listen app might be slow to load and have a clunky interface, but at least it sometimes forgets all the programs I am following or fails to load entirely.
Australia’s eSafety commissioner buried a report (released Friday afternoon) that shows the under 16 social media ban didn’t tangibly reduce teen social media use, and also resulted in parents tuning out of kids usage. We traded our privacy for no reason. theconversation.com/more-than-80...
More than 80% of kids still using social media despite ban, new eSafety report finds
The report provides more evidence Australia’s world-leading social media ban isn’t going to plan.
theconversation.com
When did the "four day work week" become "same hours but over four days"? 🧐 www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08...
Staff get 52 long weekends a year as council trials four-day work week
In an Australian first, Murrumbidgee Council staff will get long weekends every week from next year when a four-day working week trial begins.
abc.net.au
Assessing thermal performance and guiding renovations: "The Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) standard for 90 per cent of the nation’s new builds opened up to existing homes on July 1, and was renamed the Home Energy Ratings." www.theage.com.au/environment/...
Experts say the typical Australian home rates no more than three stars out of 10 in terms of its energy efficiency.
The energy efficiency standard for new builds has been renamed and expanded to existing homes, benefiting homes like this 1930s weatherboard cottage.
theage.com.au
"This could be perhaps a prolonged, but not necessarily enormously deep, downturn in [housing] values across the country." – This seems like the second-best possible outcome, no? (Best being a continued increase above zero but below inflation.) www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08...
Housing market seeing 'rapid deterioration' as downturn deepens
Australia's housing downturn is spreading across the country, with the latest property price data showing previously resilient markets that had recently set record-high prices are now experiencing a d...
abc.net.au
Dust storms would blanket the sky and send people running indoors in this outback mining city. Fifty years ago, one man arrived in town with a radical idea that changed Kalgoorlie-Boulder.
Radical idea to stop dust storms in this outback city has been a success for 50 years
Dust storms would blanket the sky and send people running indoors in this outback mining city. Fifty years ago, one man arrived in town with a radical idea that changed Kalgoorlie-Boulder.
abc.net.au
This is an incredibly strong statement from the AFC, given it has previously been a major supporter of Gianni Infantino. Beyong calling for the abandonment of FIFA's plans for the World Cup, it calls for "an urgent review of [FIFA's] governance and decision-making framework."
Joey Lynch@joeylynchy.bsky.social · 6d agoSignificant statement from the AFC, standing "in solidarity" with UEFA and CONCACAF. "...the AFC believes that the proposed FFE cannot realistically achieve the necessary broad consensus and unity required to move forward." @espnaustralia.bsky.social www.the-afc.com/en/more/afc_...
Recycled glass is being turned into a silicon-rich soil additive that farmers say is improving crop growth while creating a new use for millions of discarded bottles.
Why farmers are spreading crushed glass on their crops
Recycled glass is being turned into a silicon-rich soil additive that farmers say is improving crop growth while creating a new use for millions of discarded bottles.
abc.net.au
There is an important battle for the soul of football, a dialectical struggle about whether the funds from dirty regimes sportswashing their atrocities be banked at the large club level or at an international level as well
Australia’s longest-serving energy minister, has called time on her career with the Victorian Labor party, advising her new boss she will not re-contest at the November election and will quit cabinet https://ow.ly/Hb5e50ZuxAV
Australia's longest serving energy minister, Lily D'ambrosio, resigns amid state political turmoil
Australia's longest-serving energy minister, has called time on her career with the Victorian Labor party, advising her new boss she will not re-contest at the November election and will quit cabinet.
ow.ly
Minister D'Ambrosio's resignation statement www.premier.vic.gov.au/statement-ho...
Statement From The Hon Lily D'Ambrosio MP
premier.vic.gov.au
Martin Jones@martincjones.com · 7d ago"Victorian Labor MPs expect at least two ministers loyal to former leader Jacinta Allan to resign in the coming days ... they expect Allan loyalists Health Minister Harriet Shing and Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio to announce their resignation." #springst archive.is/202607300259...
In @espnaustralia.bsky.social; Football Aus says it was unaware of FIFA's plans to sell stakes in tournaments such as the World Cup, saying it will not form a position until further information and consultation. The PFA says World Cups "should not be for sale." 🔗 www.espn.com.au/football/sto... .
Australian players slam FIFA plan as Football Australia waits for more info
Football Australia says it was unaware of FIFA's plans to sell stakes in tournaments such as the FIFA World Cup, but has confirmed it will not form a position until further information and consultation are provided.
espn.com.au
Interesting idea: "Australia’s top renewables companies have proposed governments create a royalty-style system to mandate payments to communities hosting wind and solar projects" archive.is/ewsOb
archive.is
"Victorian Labor MPs expect at least two ministers loyal to former leader Jacinta Allan to resign in the coming days ... they expect Allan loyalists Health Minister Harriet Shing and Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio to announce their resignation." #springst archive.is/202607300259...
archive.is
Interesting interview with Ken Henry on AM yesterday about carbon credits and the Safeguard Mechanism. Transcript available for those who prefer reading over listening. www.abc.net.au/listen/progr...
Bill to abolish Group Ticket Voting has unanimously passed the Victorian lower house. #springst
Gianni Infantino will private Investoren an der WM beteiligen. Schauen wir mal, wie er das den 211 Verbänden schmackhaft macht. Ein Blick in das Schreiben:
Good article on the growing bifurcation between global balance sheet values and real asset values www.theage.com.au/business/the...
We might be sitting on a $2,600,000,000,000,000 bomb
Global wealth is booming, but alarm bells are starting to ring louder.
theage.com.au
Fitch is now warning that an AI Market Correction is emerging as a major credit risk, with “the the medium- and long-term potential of [AI] being highly uncertain” www.fitchratings.com/research/ban...
Gianni Infantino hat viele Worte zu der Kritik an sich und der FIFA gefunden - aber inhaltlich sehr wenig dazu gesagt: www.sportschau.de/fussball/fif...
Infantino mit Rundumschlag gegen Kritik an sich und der WM
Gianni Infantino hat sich ausführlich der Kritik an seiner Amtsführung und der Durchführung der WM gewidmet - ohne zum Kern der Kritik Stellung zu nehmen.
sportschau.de
'Australia’s longest-serving organised crime commissioner, a fmr Victoria Police anti-bikie taskforce chief and other top law enforcement veterans say only a royal commission can effectively expose the takeover of Big Build projects by crims & corrupt CFMEU figures' www.theage.com.au/national/vic...
Allan’s wrong: Top crime fighters insist royal commission only solution
With decades of experience at the highest levels of law enforcement tackling organised crime and working on royal commissions, these experts are certain of what will and won’t work.
theage.com.au
Good article by @antonygreenelec.bsky.social on the upcoming Victorian state election antonygreen.com.au/2026-victori... #springst
2026 Victorian Election Pendulum
Victoria’s state election on 28 November will see voters pass judgment on Premier Jacinta Allen’s unpopular government and 12 years of Labor rule. Most recent Victorian opinion polls re…
antonygreen.com.au
The availability of viable alternatives to internal combustion engine cars is changing even the short term price elasticity of petrol demand
Martin Jones@martincjones.com · 2w ago"Soaring electric vehicle uptake is materially reducing Australia’s petrol demand, as experts forecast the ongoing global oil crisis could put enough clean cars on the road to leave the country less exposed to future fuel shortages." www.theage.com.au/politics/fed...
"Soaring electric vehicle uptake is materially reducing Australia’s petrol demand, as experts forecast the ongoing global oil crisis could put enough clean cars on the road to leave the country less exposed to future fuel shortages." www.theage.com.au/politics/fed...
Soaring EV sales to shield Australia from fuel shortages
With no end in sight to war in the Middle East, or Iran’s blockade on oil exports, Australian’s growing appetite for electric vehicles is a silver lining to the global energy crisis.
theage.com.au
Lmao incredible gall from my electricity retailer. Increases my annual bill by near 50%, tells me that's 30% worse than the regulated benchmark, yet assures me I'm still getting "a fair energy deal". Piss off, Flow Power.
