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Josh Hallwright, PhD

@hallwright.bsky.social
1.2K followers 351 following 371 posts

Humanitarian and disaster management professional turned 'academic'; ex-UNOCHA, ex-Red Cross, ex-fammer, ex-X; enjoys wine, food, the natural and social sciences; acknowledges the unfortunate job security that comes with working in humanitarian crises.

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Reposted by Josh Hallwright, PhD
ABC News Australia @news.abc.net.au · 22h
An average of 17 older Australians died every day waiting for home care last year, new figures reveal
abc.net.au
An average of 17 older Australians died each day last year waiting for home care
More than 6,400 older Australians died while waiting to receive home care last year, an increase of more than a third on the previous year.  
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Reposted by Josh Hallwright, PhD
Dr Ingrid M🪁 @ingridm.bsky.social · 22h
there is no evidence that giving police assault rifles can deter an active shooter. There is vast evidence that police with assault rifles will kill more people than police with guns and tasers and barons and pepper spray already kill and injure people.
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Reposted by Josh Hallwright, PhD
ABC News Bot (unofficial) @abcnewsbot.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Australia's High Court rules in favour of a Hunter Valley community group in a landmark climate ruling that could re-draw how fossil fuel projects are approved in Australia.
abc.net.au
Breaking: High Court rules in favour of climate in Hunter Valley coal mine case
Australia's High Court rules in favour of a Hunter Valley community group in a landmark climate ruling that could re-draw how fossil fuel projects are approved in Australia.
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Reposted by Josh Hallwright, PhD
David Gerard @davidgerard.circumstances.run.ap.brid.gy · 04/10/2026
henstomper

oh my god the slot machine company says i have to keep putting coins in their machine or Im Gonna Get Left Behind. thats so scary. and it has to be true because they know more about slot machines than i do

oh my god the slot machine company says if we dont give them money to build the world's biggest slot machine the chinese are gonna build it first and win all the prizes. and then there wont be any prizes anymore
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Josh Hallwright, PhD @hallwright.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
"The potential consequences of this extra resource pressure on biodiversity, global warming, freshwater scarcity, and biogeochemical cycles could be absolutely staggering and devastating for the stability of modern civilisation."
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Reposted by Josh Hallwright, PhD
Ketan Joshi @ketanjoshi.co · 02/10/2026
How on Earth did I not read this yet? really interesting and honestly kind of brazen modelling of the entire lifecycle - downstream, data centres, upstream use - of AI. Puts AI industry at 1.1% of total global energy, about the same for global emissions. More than 10x previously stated estimates
Final Results and Concluding Thoughts
Adding it all up, we estimate that the AI sector is responsible for almost 1,900 TWh of global energy consumption in 2026. And after accounting for additional factors that we did not explicitly analyze, like the construction of new electrical substations, robotic-centric warehouses, water reclamation facilities, and other infrastructure specifically designed to support the data center buildout, it’s likely that total AI-driven global energy demand is already closer to 2,000 TWh. Even at 1,900 TWh, the AI share of total global energy use in 2026 would be roughly 1.1%. We also estimate, after adding up all the sectoral numbers and landing at roughly 650 million metric tons of AI-driven CO2 emissions, that the AI share of global GHG emissions in 2026 stands at about 1.2%, with total annual global emissions sitting at roughly 55 gigatons of CO2-eq, albeit with a wide range of figures from EDGAR to UNEP (anywhere from 53 gigatons to 58 gigatons depending on a broad array of different assumptions). As we’ve discussed already, these numbers are much higher than many others in the media and academia have guessed on the basis of simplistic calculations and naïve assumptions.

The projections up to 2030 are obviously far worse and imply a catastrophic impact to global ecological stability. ChatGPT alone “processes approximately 2.5 billion prompts per day worldwide.”122 The scale of AI growth and diffusion globally is truly astounding, and the industry’s corresponding ecological footprint will soon rival that of major countries like India. It's not farfetched at all to think that the AI share of total global energy demand could rise to something like 5% by 2030, rivaling and in some cases surpassing the footprint of established dominant industries. The potential consequences of this extra resource pressure on biodiversity, global warming, freshwater scarcity, and biogeochemical cycles could be absolutely staggering and devastating for the…
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Reposted by Josh Hallwright, PhD
Nils Gilman @nilsgilman.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
As a political concept, the Planetary isn’t just an incremental addition to the social scientific toolkit, but instead deranges every traditional category — the citizen, the nation, the state, freedom, and indeed the political itself. My latest: www.theideasletter.org/essay/the-po...
theideasletter.org
The Politics of the Planetary
The French philosopher Guy Debord and Danish painter Asger Jorn built their book Mémoires (1959) out of a collage of purloined material. Newspaper clippings, magazine advertisements, cartoons, cutups ...
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Reposted by Josh Hallwright, PhD
Political Gadgets @politicalgadgets.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
There's nothing illegal in not paying tax, but there's an ugly feeling that $637 billion in revenue genertaed no tax for Australia. Full list at: politicalgadgets.com/tax/zero-tax.h…
Political Gadgets
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Reposted by Josh Hallwright, PhD
The Saturday Paper @thesaturdaypaper.com.au · 02/10/2026
“Our disappointment I think is palpable that Australia is not doing a lot more to deal with climate change as our number one national security priority," says former Australian Defence Force chief, retired Admiral Chris Barrie. "What a wasted opportunity." trib.al/aUeR0Jt
trib.al
Australia trails UN peers on climate national security
As the Bureau of Meteorology forecasts a record El Niño will push global heating beyond 1.5 degrees this year, the government still refuses to publicly detail the national security threat.
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Royce Kurmelovs @roycerk2.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
I'm excited to announce the first of two essays I've produced this year will be published on 28 October. "Means, Motive, and Opportunity" looks at how fossil fuel producers worked to buy the numbers used to direct Australia's response to the science of climate change from the very beginning.
'Means, motive and opportunity' will be published on 28 October 2026 everywhere book are sold.
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Reposted by Josh Hallwright, PhD
Rick Morton @squigglyrick.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Australian Government gonna use AI to write legislation? Have some self-respect.
screenshot of a contract notice listed on AusTender that shows Office of Parliamentary Counsel paying $44,000 to Larrison Pty Ltd for "in-house Legislative Drafting Tool Proof of Concept"
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Reposted by Josh Hallwright, PhD
Greg Jericho @grogsgamut.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
We (rightly) talk a lot about gas, but we should not forget we export a hell of a lot more coal and most of it is for burning for electricity rather than being used to produce steel. And all of it destroys the planet. #NoNewMines
Charts showing annual exports of thermal and coking coal and LNG since  1960-61

In 2024-25:

Thermal coal: 204,847ky
Coking coal: 146,987kt
LNG: 79,128kt
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Josh Hallwright, PhD @hallwright.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
AUSTRALIA, 3rd highest per capita GHG emissions in the world.
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Reposted by Josh Hallwright, PhD
Mae Nick Phra Khanong @nickjbrumfield.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
I like how everyone's going along like Iran isn't likely to try and spike prices with a massive three-point escalation in the Gulf of Oman, Bab al-Mandab, and East-West Pipeline in like two weeks
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Reposted by Josh Hallwright, PhD
Renew Economy @reneweconomy.com.au · 02/10/2026
Diesel fuel tax credits earned over 10 years nearly equate the price of a huge diesel haul truck. No wonder BHP and Rio haven’t gone electric reneweconomy.com.au/chart-of-the-da…
reneweconomy.com.au
Chart of the day: Ten years of diesel rebates almost pays for a new truck
Diesel fuel tax credits earned over 10 years nearly equate the price of a huge diesel haul truck. No wonder BHP and Rio haven't gone electric.
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Reposted by Josh Hallwright, PhD
Senator David Shoebridge @davidshoebridge.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Members should absolutely have a say in the leadership of the Greens. So let's make it happen. Join our movement.
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David Marler @qldaah.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
News Corp used 6 of its own cadets in the anti-Labor "Home Front", taxation changes propaganda campaign. It advertises cadetships that pay $65k. News Australia Holdings, pays no corporate income tax. #auspol www.theguardian.com/media/commen...
theguardian.com
News Corp’s housing special proves a bit too close to home as cadets enlisted as case studies | Weekly Beast
Six unhappy young Australians fronting Commonwealth Bank-sponsored series are News Corp’s own employees. Plus: Peter Manning remembered
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Hitchhiker @42inabook.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
THERE.IS.NO “ROGUE” in AI “OpenAI illegally accesses another NSW govt website” is the heading OpenAI I.P created , curated and deployed (the inanimate) algorithms STOP USING THE INDUSTRY VERNACULAR DESIGNED TO “SEPERATE ITSELF” from direct accountability There is NO 3rd party ,NO “AGENT”
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Senator David Shoebridge @davidshoebridge.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Under Labor we have seen wages flat line, the rise of the far right and record war profits from fossil fuels going untaxed. We think these are ‘somewhat concerning’.
Albanese says new Greens leader's remarks 'somewhat concerning'
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Josh Hallwright, PhD @hallwright.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
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Reposted by Josh Hallwright, PhD
Amy Westervelt @amywestervelt.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
We gotta start referring to data centers by both their mother and father's last names, Spain style. The Microsoft-Chevron data center, the Meta-ExxonMobil data center, and so forth. Absolutely no reason just the tech bros should be taking the heat on this shit
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Reposted by Josh Hallwright, PhD
ABC News Australia @news.abc.net.au · 27/09/2026
Suburban residents protest 15-metre power poles linked to data centre expansion
abc.net.au
Double the height, 160 times the voltage. The latest ugly side effect of the AI revolution
Electricity distributor Jemena has been replacing 7-metre wooden power poles with 15-metre industrial poles rated to carry up to 66,000 volts, but there's been one consistent complaint among the residents where this is happening.
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Reposted by Josh Hallwright, PhD
Jamie Smart @jamiesmart.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Can’t eat a sandwich until you subscribe to sandwiches. Can’t eat today’s sandwich until it has applied daily sandwich updates. Sandwich now has adverts even though you paid for ad-free sandwich. Can pay again to have less sandwich adverts. Now you can eat the sandwich, but it’s smaller.
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Reposted by Josh Hallwright, PhD
JW Mason @jwmason.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
This is the master key to deciphering contemporary debates about free speech. www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2026/se...
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Just my thoughts 🇨🇦 @bc60.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
@mark-carney.bsky.social anti-Zionist is not antisemitism…
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Reposted by Josh Hallwright, PhD
Dr. Jonathan Foley @globalecoguy.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Did you know that producing one pound of beef is 25-50x worse for climate change than burning a pound of coal? In fact, it’s one of the most polluting things we can consume. And grass-fed beef is usually *even worse* — thanks to its much higher land use and methane emissions.
Bar chart showing greenhouse gas emissions for different food items. Beef is the worst, by far.
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Reposted by Josh Hallwright, PhD
Ben Harris-Roxas @benhr.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
‘Planetary boundaries’ necessary for flourishing of life have been massively breached, scientists warn www.theguardian.com/environment/20…
Text Shot: Of the nine “planetary boundaries” that help determine whether life can flourish on Earth, seven are being breached at their highest ever levels of transgression, according to the latest planetary health check, a process that was established in 2009.

The seven key indicators in the danger zone include climate change, change in biosphere integrity, land system change, freshwater change, modification of biogeochemical flows, introduction of novel entities and, for the first time last year, ocean acidification.
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Josephine Browne, PhD, MA @drejosephine.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
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Lisa the Leftist @lisatellstruth.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
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Olga Nesterova @onestpress.onestnetwork.com · 22/09/2026
74% of the world is under dictatorship. Most elected democratically.
How Democracies Die
The Deconstruction Model
1. Narrative Warfare
Lies spread faster than facts
2. Institutional Dismantling
Hollowed out from within
GATEKEEPERS SIDETRACKED
Press
Sued, defunded, discredi
Courts:
Packed, pressured, ignored
Congress
Corrupt, coerce, co-opt
3. Kleptocracy
Power used to steal
Philippines, 2016. Now, the world.
Accountability is possible. It is not inevitable.
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Reposted by Josh Hallwright, PhD
Emily M. Bender @emilymbender.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
From @timnitgebru.blacksky.app and me on what we should take from the 2026 summer of AI hype: www.technologyreview.com/2026/09/22/1...
technologyreview.com
Don’t be fooled by this summer of AI hype
Breathless claims about AGI and new capabilities fall apart pretty quickly under scrutiny.
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Reposted by Josh Hallwright, PhD
The Point @thepointau.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
“Even for a government, $10 billion per year is a lot of money. It is one of the largest expense items in the federal budget, usually costing more than running either the Australian Army or the Royal Australian Air Force.” Read the full piece on The Point: thepoint.com.au/opinions/260...
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Josh Hallwright, PhD @hallwright.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
"This is the paradox of Bab al-Mandab: the narrow stretch of water commands the attention of states and militaries far beyond Yemen, yet many of the people living on its shores have experienced little of the prosperity or development that such strategic importance might imply."
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Reposted by Josh Hallwright, PhD
The Conversation AUNZ @aunz.theconversation.com · 21/09/2026
Rent tech is an unavoidable part of modern renting – and renters have little control over what data they have to give up and what happens to it afterwards.
theconversation.com
Personality tests, dodgy reward programs, AI bots: how rent tech platforms make renting a ‘dehumanising’ experience
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Josh Hallwright, PhD @hallwright.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
#auspol
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Reposted by Josh Hallwright, PhD
Andy Scollick @andyscollick.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Scientists: The world must nose dive CO2, methane and other greenhouse gas emissions if we are to avoid global societal destruction. Engineers: Yes, we have the technology. We can do that. Politicians: Nah. Let's burn more oil and gas. Keep things popular whilst we fight the next general election.
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Rob @robertferry.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
In the hot and dry conditions that we are headed towards due to climate change, we can save water, keep yields up, and draw down emissions all with agrivoltaic systems.
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Reposted by Josh Hallwright, PhD
Twitter Exile @twitter-exile.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
#PeteWhishWilson Nobody is talking about this... We all need to wake up to this! The rise of #OneNation is so off the charts it defies usual political explanations. #Greens won't let this potential foreign interference slide by unchecked. Nothing less than our democracy is at stake. #AUSPOL
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Nicolas Hénin @nicolashenin.net · 17/09/2026
Nice campaign by the Norwegian Consumer Council about the declining lifespan of products. Enjoy!
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elia ayoub @ayoub.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Friend shared this video of a man unveiling the library he hid when he fled Damascus in 2011. It’s incredible
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Aurelien Mondon @aurelmondon.com · 17/09/2026
It was confirmed yesterday that the centre left coalition won the election in Sweden As predicted, with the far right performing poorly, coverage has almost entirely vanished from international media
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Penny Allman-Payne @pennyallmanpayne.com · 17/09/2026
This Minister is completely out of his depth, and this is characteristic of the government’s reckless and botched implementation of their aged care reforms. How can older Australians trust this government anymore?
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Barbara Pocock @barbarapocock.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
KPMG holds $437 mil worth of active contracts with Labor - including 28 Defence contracts worth $303.8 mil - despite the fallout over KPMG’s integrity, ethics & leadership failures. Despite all the lessons of the Big 4 scandals Labor’s response has been woefully inadequate.
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Renew Economy @reneweconomy.com.au · 17/09/2026
A coalition of over 30 organisations wants to accelerate electrification across Australia’s homes, businesses, farms, transport and industry. But some formidable roadblocks stand in their way ow.ly/pARB50ZOyWC
ow.ly
SwitchedOn podcast: Can a new alliance fast-charge Australia’s electrification push?
A coalition of over 30 organisations wants to accelerate electrification across Australia’s homes, businesses, farms, transport and industry. But some formidable roadblocks stand in their way.
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Renew Economy @reneweconomy.com.au · 17/09/2026
Swedish truck manufacturer makes two big announcements: start of series production of FH Aero Electric, and unveiling of new battery electric truck thedriven.io/2026/09/17/turning-tec…
thedriven.io
"Turning technology into reality:" Volvo unveils 80-tonne electric truck and begins series production of 700 km model
Swedish truck manufacturer makes two big announcements: start of series production of FH Aero Electric, and unveiling of new battery electric truck.
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Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG) @karenhrg.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Mu Traw District – Air Strike and Destruction Incident Date – 30 July 2026 Incident Location - Ma Htaw Village Tract, Dwe Lo Township, Mu Traw District Photo - KHRG #KHRG #humanrights #whatshappeninginmyanmar
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Greg Jericho @grogsgamut.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
"Can someone explain why – in an economy in which the central bank has decided we need almost 700,000 people to be unemployed – those people live in such dreadful poverty that it can make you up to 10 times more likely to die in the prime of your life?" www.theguardian.com/business/gro...
theguardian.com
In such a rich country, it is shameful how many Australians on jobseeker are dying in desperate poverty | Greg Jericho
Lifting the abysmally low jobseeker rate to the poverty line would save thousands of lives
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Josh Hallwright, PhD @hallwright.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
I felt exactly the same tonight!
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Ketan Joshi @ketanjoshi.co · 16/09/2026
HEY EVERYONE - NEW REPORT!!! NVIDIA is the largest company by market cap on the planet. But it hides key climate data, while claiming AI is going to be a 'net benefit' for climate. We (8 groups) put together the first ever broad critique of NVIDIA's climate record: ketanjoshi.co/2026/09/16/n...
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3wombats @3wombats.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Some things never change youtube.com/watch?v=ELaB...
youtube.com
Clarke and Dawe - The Energy Market Explained
YouTube video by ClarkeAndDawe
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