Carbon omission: It’s the end of the coal industry as we know it!

Plus: Hard-hitting Bachelor reporting and the important issue of sexual consent and food.

Coal? Who wants that any more? Ross Gittins, The Sydney Morning Herald, October 14 last year:

In a nutshell … coal’s days are numbered. The rapidly falling price of renewable energy such as wind and solar, combined with the growing resolve of China, the US and others to reduce their emissions, put a dark cloud over the future of coal.

The Herald’s Michael West made much the same call on February 19:

Here is an idea for the Ideas Boom: put a moratorium on all new coalmines. Protect the price of our bulk commodities, protect the nation’s wealth. Don’t rip it up by murdering the price of our biggest exports.

But don’t take their word for it. The Sydney Morning Herald reporting on the return of coal, yesterday:

Less than a year after the coal industry was declared to be in terminal decline, the fossil fuel has staged its steepest price rally in over half a decade, making it one of the hottest major commodities.

Speaking of the planet, Leonardo DiCaprio’s charity isn’t wearing any hairshirts, according to the Hollywood Reporter on Wednesday, which describes:

… guests helicoptering in to dine on whole sea bass after watching a short film about the dangers of overfishing.

Governor-General Peter Cosgrove on the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan, Australian War Memorial, yesterday:

So why are we different? Well, for a start, not too many returned veterans in wars before or since were sometimes booed, or occasionally even reviled by their own countrymen and women. By no means all, of course, but a few times is enough and it was more than a few times. That will make you feel a little unloved and fragile … many Vietnam veterans felt alienated by the wider community.

Malcolm Turnbull on Vietnam’s decision to cancel Long Tan commemorations, Canberra, Wednesday:

This decision and especially its timing shows a disregard for those Australians who have in good faith travelled to Vietnam to participate in this week’s events.

Moral equivalence watch. Former columnist and broadcaster Mike Carlton sees no difference between fighting soldiers and bombing civilians, Twitter, yesterday:

Be reasonable: Would we permit 1000 Japanese to turn up for ceremonies, a gala dinner and a concert to celebrate the bombing of Darwin?

Fairfax Media’s troubles make The New York Times, yesterday:

The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and their sister publications at Fairfax Media have been among the most powerful voices in Australia for more than 150 years … (But) Fairfax’s newspapers now face a diminished future, with company executives even discussing whether to stop printing The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age on weekdays …

Some of that much-vaunted, powerful journalism at its finest. The Age website, yesterday:

Meet the woman responsible for The Bachelor’s abs.

Correction of the year. Feminist website Autostraddle apologises for its review of the new Seth Rogen film, Sausage Party, Tuesday:

After we published the review we heard from Latinx readers who believe the portrayal of Salma Hayek’s taco was racist … We heard from readers who questioned the consent of the sexual encounter between the taco and the hot dog bun …