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As the Abbott govt promotes climate denialism, USA and China take climate change seriously
February 19, 2014 4:35 am
US Secretary of State John Kerry travelled to Jakarta. He delivered a forceful speech on Sunday describing climate change as ”perhaps the world’s most fearsome weapon of mass destruction”
Tony Abbott can no longer turn his back on this weapon of mass destruction Peter Hartcher SYDNEY MORNING HERALD POLITICAL AND INTERNATIONAL EDITOR 19 Feb 14 On the same weekend Prime Minister Tony Abbott was touring drought-stricken areas, some of which are suffering once-in-a-century rainlessness, a couple of pretty interesting things happened in the global approach to climate change.
China and the US signed an agreement to address climate change and to work towards a joint platform for global negotiations.
This is a big change for theworld’s two biggest economies. Remember it was a spectacular bust-up between these two that derailed the Copenhagen climate summit in 2009. China’s then premier, Wen Jiabao, snubbed US President Barack Obama by sending a much more junior official to a leaders’ meeting.
Wen later said Copenhagen failed because of distrust between the great powers……..
Wen’s successor, Li Keqiang, signed an agreement with Secretary of State John Kerry, saying: ”In light of the overwhelming scientific consensus on climate change and its worsening impacts, and the related issue of air pollution from burning fossil fuels, the US and China recognise the urgent need for action to meet these twin challenges.”
Notably, the pair said they would work towards a joint program in time for a global summit set for Paris late next year. ”This is a new level of agreement between the world’s two biggest polluters,” observes John Connor, chief executive of the Climate Institute.
Don’t believe China will act to curb its carbon emissions? Then you might be surprised to learn it already has stricter standards than Australia for carbon emissions from new cars, for example.
And in the US, Obama is tightening carbon standards by regulation after failing to do it through legislation, achieving through presidential fiat what Senate opposition would not allow.
After Beijing, Kerry travelled to Jakarta. He delivered a forceful speech on Sunday describing climate change as ”perhaps the world’s most fearsome weapon of mass destruction”…….
He pointed out the scientific consensus did not support the claim that any one extreme weather event was the result of climate change but it did predict patterns of more intense events more frequently…….
The managing director of the economic hardheads at the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde, herself a former conservative politician in France, is due in Sydney this week for the G20 meeting. She said she hoped Australia would not abandon its leading position on carbon action: ”Australia was very much at the forefront, Australia was pioneering in this field and I would hope that it continues to be a pioneer.”
After all, addressing climate change could be a major economic driver, she noted……..http://www.smh.com.au/comment/tony-abbott-can-no-longer-turn-his-back-on-this-weapon-of-mass-destruction-20140217-32w3l.html
Posted by Christina Macpherson
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Tony Abbott can no longer turn his back on this weapon of mass destruction Peter Hartcher SYDNEY MORNING HERALD POLITICAL AND INTERNATIONAL EDITOR 19 Feb 14 On the same weekend Prime Minister Tony Abbott was touring drought-stricken areas, some of which are suffering once-in-a-century rainlessness, a couple of pretty interesting things happened in the global approach to climate change.
We the people of Australia clearly need to educate our pollies. Stand alone power (off grid power) will be implemented by us not them. It’s not tricky, call a company to install it. Why are we looking to the government or big business to make a move in that direction? Let’s do it ourselves! Go Green Australia!
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By offthegrid45 on February 19, 2014 at 5:07 am
I built a smallish (about 50 sq metres) besser block & steel frame shelter to use for about 5 days at a time whilst working on a reveg project.. It’s half underground in sand, has wide eaves, has a large underground rain water tank, a second hand low pressure solar hot water system that I was able to do the plumbing on, and a second hand chip hot water heater, which has just rusted out, but which gave excellent service for 20 years, and for which I’m trying to find a replacement.
The whole place runs on a DIY electricity system using one 70 watt solar PV panel and lots of old batteries which are charged by the panel only when I’m there. The place is run entirely on 12V DC with car cigarette lighter sockets as power points.
There is no mains water or grid electricity. Cooking is done either over a campfire or with bottled gas.
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By Dennis Matthews on February 19, 2014 at 1:21 pm
Dennis that’s what I mean. Anyone can get off the grid if they wish, either DIY or a company to install it. On ya! Show ’em how it’s done!
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By offthegrid45 on February 21, 2014 at 6:38 am