Energy policy under attack from all sides

Editor's note

Federal energy minister Josh Frydenberg is in for a tough week, with a crunch meeting on Friday set to determine the fate of his National Energy Guarantee policy. Even if he gets the tick from state energy ministers, he still has to steer the resulting deal through the choppy waters of his own party room, where it risks being torpedoed by pro-coal backbenchers.

But as Marc Hudson writes, emissions policy has never been plain sailing, and this is certainly not the first time a policy has risked being holed below the waterline. From Gillard’s carbon tax, to Rudd’s aborted emissions trading scheme, to John Faulkner’s forgotten carbon tax battle of 1994, emissions policies have copped a broadside from both port and starboard for decades.

Michael Hopkin

Section Editor: Energy + Environment

Top story

Josh Frydenberg and Malcolm Turnbull both know that the history books make for uncomfortable reading when it comes to emissions policy. AAP Image/Lukas Coch

Emissions policy is under attack from all sides. We’ve been here before, and it rarely ends well

Marc Hudson, University of Manchester

The National Energy Guarantee faces a crunch test this week. And if the climate wars of the past few decades are any guide, Australian policies more often sink than swim when the waters get choppy.

Science + Technology

When did Aboriginal people first arrive in Australia?

Alan Cooper, University of Adelaide; Alan N Williams, UNSW; Nigel Spooner, University of Adelaide

Aboriginal Australians have effectively been on their country for as long as modern human populations have been outside of Africa. We have a limit as to how long ago that was: around 50,000 years.
Meet me at the bar! How uni students interact on a campus, and why chocolate can help

Petr Matous, University of Sydney; Faezeh Karimi, University of Sydney

University students don't always mix outside their own area of study or cultural cliques. But that can change with a little encouragement, and food helps.

Arts + Culture

From devils to superheroes: our complicated relationship with bats

Susan Lawler, La Trobe University

Bats have symbolised everything from insanity to good luck. A new book explores their place in our collective imagination.
Essays On Air: The female dwarf, disability, and beauty

Sunanda Creagh, The Conversation; Jerwin De Guzman, The Conversation

For centuries, women with dwarfism were depicted in art as comic or grotesque fairytale beings. But artists are challenging these portrayals and notions of beauty and physical difference.

Education
Australian sex education isn’t diverse enough. Here’s why we should follow England’s lead David Rhodes, Edith Cowan University It's time Australia came of age and followed England's example by introducing a relevant and diverse sex and relationships education program in all schools.

Cities
More children are living in high-rise apartments, so designers should keep them in mind Fiona Andrews, Deakin University The number of families living in high-rise, inner-city apartments is growing. Yet our research shows many parents find it challenging to raise children in such housing.

Business + Economy

How to improve the appeal of franchising for women

Park Thaichon, Griffith University; Sara Quach, Griffith University; Scott Weaven, Griffith University

Women are more willing to take risks and innovate than the stereotype suggests, but even more would likely go into business via franchising if they knew about all the start-up support they can get.
Apple, the $1 trillion company searching for its soul

Thomas Clarke, University of Technology Sydney; Martijn Boersma, University of Technology Sydney

The company's value exceeds the GDP of many countries, but Apple has human rights, ethical and environmental problems to match in its vast supply chain.

Politics + Society

Does Australia have the political will – or leverage – to support change in Cambodia?

Jean (Jonathan) Bogais, University of Sydney

Influencing change in Cambodia will require a more sophisticated approach than sanctions and direct criticisms of Hun Sen's government.
As Pakistan’s PM, Imran Khan must embrace compromise. Can he deliver on his promises?

Samina Yasmeen, University of Western Australia

Forced to form a coalition to win power, Pakistan's PM-in-waiting Imran Khan will have to compromise if he's to tackle key economic, environmental, foreign policy and social challenges.

Health + Medicine

Explainer: what is pre-eclampsia, and how does it affect mums and babies?

Amanda Henry, UNSW; Kelly Thompson

Pre-eclampsia can be dangerous for expectant mothers, but there are ways to monitor and minimise the risks.
Health Check: should I take vitamin C or other supplements for my cold?

Clare Collins, University of Newcastle

From vitamin C to chicken soup, there are many supposed remedies for treating a cold. Here's what the evidence says.

Environment + Energy

Labor states to Turnbull: show us you can deliver party room on NEG

Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra

On Monday the Labor states were jibbing at agreeing even in principle to the NEG mechanism at Friday's COAG energy council meeting, ahead of Malcolm Turnbull showing he can deliver his party room.
Here’s how many times you actually need to reuse your shopping bags

Trevor Thornton, Deakin University

Buying reusable bags every time you shop is worse than just using plastic.

FactCheck
FactCheck: has Australia’s net debt doubled under the current government? Mark Crosby, Monash University Was shadow minister for finance Jim Chalmers correct when he said that under the current Coalition government, net debt had doubled? We asked the experts.