BP has stood down contractors working on its biofuel plant just weeks before discovering if its adjacent green hydrogen project will win $1 billion of government backing.
Australia's biggest and driest state has a lot to lose from climate change but much to gain from the energy transition. Decisive action now is the best way to maximize the economic benefits and limit the environmental damage.
However, necessary change is often slowed by incumbents who benefit from the status quo.
Their views are relevant, but in WA the coordinated power of rich individuals, some resource companies, their lobby groups and willing media combined with a lackluster political class means alternative perspectives and stories that don't align with the agreed narrative are drowned out.
Much news coverage misses this with a short term focus on squabbles between those insiders and who will make the most money out of the game as it is played now.
It is reporting about who gets a seat at the captain's table, not whether the ship is heading for an iceberg.
A step towards some balance
Boiling Cold is news for the rest of us: citizens, voters, employees, communities and the curious; those who want an independent perspective on what is really happening, governments working for their citizens, and a future WA with a robust economy coexisting with an environment we can all enjoy.
Boiling Cold's approach is different:
sets its own agenda - don't focus on what the powerful are saying by covering media releases, tell readers what they are actually doing (so please make contact with what you know)
keep covering an important topic when the mainstream media has moved on - otherwise the players just promise change while the spotlight is on them, then revert back to business as usual
dive into detail when necessary - it often hides the difference between a media release and reality
All of this takes time, so there won't be a story every day, but there will be stories you would never read otherwise. Stories that hold the powerful to account.
This work requires time and independence, but it will have little impact hidden behind a paywall read by a select few, so Boiling Cold is free for all to read.
That means it can only survive with your support.
Please consider chipping in each month to help others know what's going on and hold the powerful to account so we can push them towards acting in the long term interests of all of us.
If you are in a position to offer more substantial support, please make contact.
A track record
Boiling Cold is written by Peter Milne, who previously covered energy for The West Australian, started and ran Boiling Cold in 2020 and 2021, then covered business for WAtoday.
There he won five MEAA WA Media Awards, including for numerous exclusives exposing the threat to Perth's water supply from Alcoa's clearing of jarrah forest to mine bauxite.
Prior to journalism he had a 20-plus years oil and gas career in engineering, economic analysis and commercial negotiation roles.
I worked in oil & gas in commercial and engineering roles for 20 years. Since 2016 I have written for The West Australian, The Saturday Paper, RenewEconomy, Michael West, Boiling Cold and WAtoday.
Peter Milne
