Australia’s Greenhouse Mafia lobbying hard to undermine Clean Energy Finance Corporation

The hardest thing is that the big polluters are working to stop the CEF being passed and at the same time, actively lobbying to turn it into more compensation, undermining the carbon price……. to divert funding from genuine energy efficiency merit to be used as “compensation” for big polluters who do not want to actually pay a price on carbon. For some people, too much pork is barely enough!

I am keen to see the whole $1.2 billion of the CTP invested in good programs and believe it will be. It is certainly possible for ambitious investments to be made through an unambitious funding scheme….

Australia’s $1.2 Billion Clean Technology Program, Renewable Energy World, By Dan Cass , October 6, 2011 When the Labor Government, Greens and independents pass the Clean Energy Future (CEF) package later this year, there will be more than $13.2 billion on the table for renewables and low-carbon investment.

This week it was leaked that Jillian Broadbent, Reserve Bank of Australia board member and Australian Securities Exchange director, is to be the Chair of the biggest new agency, the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, which will disburse $10 billion.

I am attending KPMG in Melbourne for a briefing on the Clean Technology Program(CTP) elements of the CEF package, to get a sense of what the government wants. So far, it is a little underwhelming.

The hardest thing is that the big polluters are working to stop the CEF being passed and at the same time, actively lobbying to turn it into more compensation, undermining the carbon price.

For example, the Australian Industry Group is at the meeting today and asked the department representatives whether it is possible to divert funding from genuine energy efficiency merit to be used as “compensation” for big polluters who do not want to actually pay a price on carbon. For some people, too much pork is barely enough!

The CTP is designed to grant $1.2 billion to manufacturers to pay for upgrades that increase energy efficiency. Most of this will pay for commercially available technologies, and up to $200 million can be spent on developing technologies.

The briefing has clarified that the key objective of the CTP is to fund energy efficiency and low-carbon technologies.

Could there be a more bland objective?

My point is that there is a renewable energy revolution going on around us.

Even the International Energy Agency uses that loaded term, “revolution” to encompass the depth and breadth of the transformation that we are living through….

Australia’s so-called “Greenhouse Mafia” have so addled our brains that we seem incapable of setting ambitious goals like the Americans, Germans and Japanese.

When President Obama visits in October, the Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Government, public service, Greens Leader Bob Brown and the Press Gallery should ask about SunShot. They should find out how far behind Australia is, how we can catch up, and ask whether we can join the SunShot Initiative in order to share the benefits of the solar revolution

October 7, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, energy, politics

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1.This month.

The Road to War brings a sharp focus to why it is not in Australia’s best interest to be dragged into a war with China which will almost inevitably go nuclear very quickly. The filmmaker has interviewed some of Australia’s senior foreign policy analysts who have vast experience behind them in analysing what really is going on here as the United States rattles its sabres with China. And sets us up to be its proxy, like the poor Ukranians have been fed into the Meatgrinder. So America can remain the Top Dog. The Road to War reveals how the United States through its spy base at Pine Gap and by stationing six nuclear capable B52 bombers in the Top End (without permission from the traditional owners) is making Australia a prime nuclear target if the current war of words suddenly melts down into full scale war.

The Road to War shows the implicit connection between Carbon emissions (the US military uses a whopping 70% of America’s annual petroleum to move its armies and vast War Machine around the globe to its 800+ military bases..but under a loophole wangled at Kyoto, the US military does not have to report its C02 annual emissions). The Road to War starts screening at selected cities and regional centres in March. See the trailer end for details.

Antinuclear

Australian news, and some related international items