Liberal Coalition policy on climate change does not stand up to scrutiny
In this article, the author says that Tony Abbott “confirmed his belief in man-made climate change.” But in fact, he didn’t. Abbott said that ‘‘We accept the science that says that something is happening to our planet.’’ So – Abbott agreed about the change, but NOT about whether human activiity was the cause of the change.
Doubts over Coalition plan to cut emissions SMH, May 28, 2013 Tom Arup Environment editor, The Age Storing carbon dioxide in soil and plants will deliver less than five per cent of the emissions cuts assumed under the Coalition’s direct action climate change policy, according to government estimates, as Tony Abbott also confirmed in Parliament his belief in man-made climate change.
Climate change department officials told a Senate estimates hearing on Monday night that soil carbon and revegetation projects are currently expected to deliver just 3.7 million tonnes a year of emissions cuts by 2020.
Labor says these new estimates blow a hole in the Coalition’s direct action climate change policy, which suggested up to 85 million tonnes per year of carbon dioxide cuts could come from soil carbon projects alone by the end of the decade.
Australia will need to reduce its emissions by 160 million tonnes from 2000 levels to meet an unconditional, bipartisan target of a five per cent cut in greenhouse gases by 2020.
Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change Yvette D’ath said: ”These estimates make it clear that there is no way the Coalition’s plan can meet even Australia’s unconditional emissions reduction target [of five per cent] by 2020.”
”They also leave the Coalition with a massive budget black hole in their policy,” she said.
During question time on Tuesday, independent Rob Oakeshott asked both Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott if they accepted the facts and evidence of ‘‘man-made’’ climate change.
Due to question time rules, Mr Abbott was not allowed to reply. But Leader of the House Anthony Albanese moved a motion to suspend standing orders to enable the Opposition Leader to address the chamber for three minutes on whether he believed in anthropogenic climate change and whether he has a target of a 5 per cent reduction in emission by 2020.
Mr Abbott told the House: ‘‘We accept the science that says that something is happening to our planet.’’ He said the question was not whether or not the climate was impacted by human activity, but ‘‘how is is best dealt with?’’ : http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/doubts-over-coalition-plan-to-cut-emissions-20130528-2n90i.html#
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