Julia Gillard playing it smart with carbon tax
This time, Julia Gillard is playing a cannier game. There were almost no policy details released yesterday beyond the decision to implement a fixed price, and the decision to include transport but to leave out agriculture. That left little for industry critics to go on, and allowed Gillard to cleverly foreshadow Abbott’s anti-tax attack.
It’s Getting Hot In Here | newmatilda.com, 25 Feb 2011, By Ben Eltham Whether you call it a carbon tax or a carbon price, the carbon wars are back on. This time round, Gillard is playing it smart on climate policy. Continue reading
Greenhouse gas emissions and extreme weather events – Australia take note
The Canadian/Oxford research is highly politically significant, because it will help to strip away the “stonewall”, do-nothing tactics that various governments have used to excuse themselves from dealing seriously with climate change. The studies will have particular relevance in Australia, where extreme weather events are all too evident, and where token gestures by government are the order of the day as far as climate change is concerned.
Greenhouse gas emissions linked to climate change, CPA – The Guardian, Peter Mac, 23 February 2011In Australia the public’s attention has been firmly fixed on the havoc wrought by floods in the eastern states, cyclones in Queensland and the Northern Territory, and bushfires in Western Australia. However, extreme weather events are also occurring in many nations overseas. Continue reading
BHP’s world-wide operations hit by floods
Big firm, big profit, big problem, The Age, Eric JohnstonFebruary 17, 2011 “….In the last six months BHP wasn’t just affected by the devastating floods in Australia. It also had to contend with floods in South Africa, Columbia and Brazil.”In some cases it is worse than we’ve had in Australia,” Kloppers said yesterday….”Big firm, big profit, big problem
Australia’s finance sector can address climate change
Renewable power is in our hands, Sydney Morning Herald, Paddy Manning, February 12, 2011 “…….Funds must factor in climate change Only the finance sector has enough power to take on Australia’s resources industry, but will it? Continue reading
Australia’s politicians and media downplay climate change
that pattern is exactly what we would expect from climate change due to increasing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.”…Despite this, mainstream politicians and media outlets have sought to deny or downplay the connection…….
Floods: Climate link can’t be denied, Green Left Weekly, January 30, 2011 Climate change was a big factor in the devastating floods that swept through Queensland and other states in January. For decades, scientists have warned that carbon pollution will lead to more frequent weather disasters. Continue reading
Crikey’s Graham Readfern refutes climate sceptic Lord Monckton
the core of what sceptics such as Monckton wish to achieve in their ideologically-driven and fossil-fuel backed quest (including Exxon funding). That mission is to spread doubt and it is being aided by our only national newspaper The Australian.
Is The Australian addicted to Monckton’s denial? January 28, 2011 , Crikey, Graham Readfearn His choice of the Gershwin song It Ain’t Necessarily So was unfortunate, if not a little ironic. Continue reading
Set up disaster relief funds, postpone corporate tax cuts, say Australian Greens
“While we are open to the idea of a levy, the Greens see establishing a long-term, well-resourced disaster relief fund as a high priority in the face of climate change.” Senator Milne added deferring the top end corporate tax cuts planned for July 1, 2013, was a better way to save money.
Greens angry at climate cuts, Sydney Morning Herald, January 27, 2011 – The Australian Greens say they are angry the federal government flood recovery plan is turning its back on what it says is the disaster’s cause – climate change…… Continue reading
Gillard cuts climate change programs, but not the perks for polluters
`It is remarkable that carbon abatement programs have been singled out while fossil fuel subsidies, such as fringe benefits tax benefits for car use and diesel fuel rebates for miners remain untouched,” The Climate Institute chief executive John Connor said.
Gillard government criticised for slashing funding for green energy projects to pay for flood rebuilding Kerrie Sinclair The Courier-Mail January 27, 2011 THE clean energy industry has criticised the Gillard government for cutting funding for climate change technology to help pay for the flood recovery. Continue reading
Global warming will bring more extremes, including floods, to Australia
“We will have an increased frequency of quite major events similar to what we had, particularly the flooding event in south-east Queensland,
More natural disasters on Australia’s radar, ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), By Francis Tapim and Bruce Woolley Jan 23, 2011 An expert says Australia will see a higher incidence of extreme weather events like the flooding in Queensland. Global Change Professor Peter Grace from the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) says greenhouse gases and global warning are contributing factors, whether people want to accept it or not. Continue reading
Extreme weather? – some basic climate science
Why is the ocean warmer than ever? Because the extra carbon dioxide we have put into the atmosphere has trapped outgoing heat radiation and warmed the earth, notably the oceans……Even the cold spells in the northern hemisphere are being driven by stronger weather patterns in the Arctic which, while freezing the land of the climate deniers, are melting more and more ice in the Arctic
Humans add heat to La Nina cycles, The Age, Keith Burrows, January 18, 2011“………some basic climate science. Of course the floods are a consequence of an exceptionally strong La Nina. But why is this La Nina exceptionally strong? The El Nino-La Nina cycles are driven by heat stored in the ocean and the oceans are warmer than ever. Continue reading
Australia’s floods are the result of warmer seas
“Sea surface temperatures across the north and northwest had been the “highest on record by some margin, which is favourable for heavy rainfall, since August-September”….The current La Nina is forecast to last into autumn.
Warm seas fuelling deluges across nation Brendan O’Keefe The Australian *January 15, 2011 RECORD warm seas across the Top End and off the northwest coast of Western Australian have fuelled this week’s deluge, experts say. Continue reading
Young Australian comments on floods and climate change
But we need to start talking about what climate change actually looks like – and we don’t need to look much further than Queensland.
Sunshine Coast Council takes positive action on Climate Change
“The Energy Transition Plan—which supports the Sunshine Coast Climate Change and Peak Oil Strategy—maps out the path to get there and sets energy conservation, low carbon energy generation, demand management and fuel reduction targets not only for council, but for the whole Sunshine Coast.”….
Australia’s Labor and Liberal ‘stuck in last century’ on climate change
former prime minister Kevin Rudd was right when he called climate change ”the greatest moral, economic and environmental challenge of our generation”…….”Our two major political parties are between them the worst combination to get things going,” he said. ”You’ve got Tony Abbott and his neanderthals and Martin Ferguson still stuck in last century.
Politicians blamed for climate ‘gridlock’, Sydney Morning Herald, Paddy ManningDecember 4, 2010 THE businessman Graeme Wood has condemned Australia’s failure to act on climate change, criticising ”scared” politicians for a lack of leadership. Continue reading
Labor MPs speak out against nuclear power for Australia
“We’ve got untapped supplies of wind and solar energy so I think the economics of developing those sorts of energy sources are going to far outweigh the benefits and the costs of developing a nuclear industry.”…….”I don’t think that the end result, which is the whole expense and difficulties of decommissioning and dealing with the waste, have been addressed.”
llawarra MPs oppose nuclear power proposal – ABC Illawarra NSW – Australian Broadcasting Corporation December 2, 2010 Illawarra Labor MPs have voiced their opposition to nuclear power amid talks of a debate on the agenda for next year’s national conference. Continue reading
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