Greens expose the Australian govt’s ‘paltry’ contribution on climate change
http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2015/s4363307.htmTANYA PLIBERSEK: This is pretty rich considering that we have actually cut funding to countries like Kiribati that are currently struggling with climate change and adaptation and mitigation.
In fact we’ve cut $2.5 million from Kiribati. It’s plain too that there is no new money here, we are talking about redirecting some of the existing aid budget, which, as I said, is already much depleted.
Richard Di Natale slams Govt’s climate contribution in Paris as ‘paltry’, ABC Radio The World Today Louise Yaxley reported this story on Tuesday, December 1, 2015ELEANOR HALL: The leader of the Australian Greens has accused the Federal Government of a paltry effort at the Paris climate conference. Richard di Natale says the $1 billion that the Government is promising to help Pacific nations should not be being diverted from the foreign aid budget.
In Canberra, political correspondent Louise Yaxley reports.
LOUISE YAXLEY: In Paris, Malcolm Turnbull has promised more money for innovation by signing up with other countries for a plan to double investment in clean energy over the next five years.
Many of the details of where that money will go will be spelled out in the innovation statement next week.
Labor’s deputy leader Tanya Plibersek says that does not match up with the Government’s recent actions.
TANYA PLIBERSEK: Now it seems that the Prime Minister is talking about innovation in the area of climate change. Well this is pretty ironic from a government that has halved the funding of the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, sought to abolish ARENA, abolish the Clean Energy Finance Corporation and abolish the Climate Change Authority.
LOUISE YAXLEY: Mr Turnbull has also promised to spend at least a billion over the next five years from the existing aid budget to help small Pacific nations adapt to climate change and to reduce emissions.
The Foreign Minister Julie Bishop defended the age budget being used that way when interviewed on AM.
JULIE BISHOP: Because this is what the aid budget is designed to do – to assist in natural disaster relief, to build resilience against natural disasters. Indeed this is what the small island developing nations of the Pacific are asking for.
MICHAEL BRISSENDEN: It’s not new money though, is it?
JULIE BISHOP: No, it’s not new its money out of the aid budget…….
No new money for Pacific Islands climate help: Australian govt just taking it from foreign aid
Federal Government attacked for using aid budget to fund climate response, ABC Radio PM Peta Donald reported this story on Tuesday, December 1, 2015
TIM PALMER: With the Prime Minister heading back from Paris, Labor and the Greens have attacked Malcolm Turnbull for taking money from Australia’s already depleted foreign aid budget to pay for promises made in Paris on climate change. ….
Greens leader Richard Di Natale says unless new money is found, other aid projects will suffer.
RICHARD DI NATALE: So, we’re taking money out of immunisation programs, out of water and sanitation programs, out of family planning. This is shameful, it’s absolutely shameful.
And what we’re seeing in Paris is Malcolm Turnbull wanting to look good on the world stage when in fact what he’s doing is further gutting our foreign aid budget. A Prime Minister who is prepared to show some leadership would take on the dinosaurs in his own party room, would show a bit more ambition with our targets, would raise new money for climate financing, and would join the campaign to end fossil fuel subsidies……http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2015/s4363740.htm
Australia should start a “post-disaster humanitarian visa” for Pacific islanders displaced by climate change
Australia needs US-style green card deal for climate-threatened Pacific islanders, Guardian, Ben Doherty, 2 Dec 15
And to boost historically low rates of migration from the Pacific, Australia should consider instituting a green card-style lottery for Pacific islanders to live and work in Australia, and boost seasonal worker numbers to industries such as horticulture.
Migration from Pacific countries to Australia has been consistently low for decades – representing less than 0.5% of all visas granted to Australia – but the Migration Council, an independent migration policy body, argues that the movement of people from the Pacific could benefit source countries and Australia.
Pacific countries, geographically disparate, sparsely populated and, in many cases, economically fragile, are forecast to be at the forefront of the impacts of climate change, with low-lying atoll nations particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels and worsening natural disasters.
Research suggests that by 2050, between 665,000 and 1.7 million people will be displaced by climate change across the Pacific. Continue reading
Across Australia, rallies for climate change action
Australians join global rallies for climate change action ahead of Paris talks ABC News 29 Nov 15 Thousands of Australians have joined a worldwide wave of marches on the eve of United Nations climate change negotiations in Paris, calling for stronger measures to combat global warming.
Events were held today in Sydney, Canberra, Perth and Hobart, as well as regional and rural towns around Australia, joining about 600 other cities in more than 120 countries around the world. Continue reading
Australian govt’s contribution to UN Climate Summit – pro coal video “Coal is Amazing”!
Australian Delegation To Present ‘Coal Is Amazing’ Video At Climate Conference http://www.theshovel.com.au/2015/11/30/australian-delegation-to-present-coal-is-amazing-video-at-climate-conference/ Australia’s contribution to the Paris climate change talks will be a short animated video explaining the benefits of coal.Environment Minister Greg Hunt said he was looking forward to sharing the ‘little gem of a video’ on the conference’s main stage. “The broader global community has a bit of catching up to do when it comes to understanding coal’s amazing qualities. This video will be the talk of the conference I feel,” he said before leaving for Paris.
A Rational Fear – This Little Black Rock is gonna F you Up!
[Oh dear, I think I might have put up the wrong video – what a shame!]
Mr Hunt said the little black rock provided endless possibilities. “It can provide light. And jobs,” he said, holding up a piece of coal for reporters to see.
Following Australia’s presentation, delegates will receive a take-home bag containing a genuine piece of Australian coal. “It’s a little memento to remember the Aussies by,” Mr Hunt said.
Sydney: huge climate rally shows support for Pacific islanders
Huge crowds march in Sydney climate rally, Herald Sun, November 29, 2015The giant costumed figures of Malcolm Turnbull and Tony Abbott greeted scientists, activists, families, elderly and youth that gathered at the Domain on Sunday to urge leaders to shift more rapidly to renewable energy and cut carbon emissions worldwide.
People have waved placards to the sound of drums while others have broken into dance and worn costumes of marine life that would be affected by increasing global temperatures.
“Minds change or climate change” read one placard, while another said “there is no Planet B”.
Climate Council’s Professor Tim Flannery addressed the crowd before they marched, saying a successful outcome at the UN summit was vital. “Do your utmost to see success at Paris, we won’t accept anything less,” he said to the cheers of the crowd, which he described as “the biggest climate march” in Australia’s history.
The rally observed a minute’s silence to acknowledge those most affected by climate change, especially Australia’s neighbours in the Pacific.
Earlier, deputy federal Opposition Leader Tanya Plibersek said the government had to take action now before the cost of reducing emissions increased.”The sooner we start making cuts to our carbon pollution, the cheaper it’ll be to get there,” she told reporters in Sydney just before the rally.
Sydney march organiser Reece Proudfoot said those taking part in the Australian marches walked in solidarity with millions of people across the world as part of a global campaign. Mr Proudfoot welcomed Labor’s pledge on Friday to cut carbon emissions by 45 per cent on 2005 levels by 2030, which is well above the coalition pledge of between 26 and 28 per cent.
More than 40,000 people marched in Melbourne’s central business district on Friday to kick off the weekend of climate marches, with dozens of events also taking place in regional towns across the country. http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/huge-crowds-march-in-sydney-climate-rally/news-story/6317c3f8464c27b851c07fac5677cd3f
Canberra residents in their thousands march for climate action
Thousands gather in ACT for climate march http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/thousands-gather-in-act-for-climate-march/news-story/600de104ef2c1c83651cc582a56d75fe November 29, 2015 Thousands of Canberrans have joined a worldwide protest by marching to support action on climate change.
They gathered on the front lawn of parliament house, a broad cross-section of people from Labor and the Greens to the fireman’s union, bee keepers, the Grim Reaper and Tibetan cows – pantomime-style cows that is.
Federal Labor ACT MP Gai Brotmann said people were sending a strong message to the Turnbull government. “Action is required on climate, credible action and direction action is not that,” Ms Brotmann told AAP.
United Nations call on Australia to produce a consistent climate policy, not ‘mixed messages’
UN calls for consistent climate policy from Australia http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2015/11/28/un-calls-consistent-climate-policy-australia Australia needs to be more consistent on climate change after mixed messages under recent governments, a senior UN official says. Australia must be more consistent on climate change after a series of erratic policy changes, a senior United Nations environment program official says.Kaveh Zahedi, the UN’s Environment Program (UNEP) Asia Pacific representative, says Australia’s climate policies have failed to reflect wider community concerns over climate change.
“It seems we are getting mixed messages (on climate change policy),” Zahedi told AAP.
Zahedi’s comments come ahead of next week’s Paris summit on climate change, which is aimed at forging an agreement to cut greenhouse emissions, and limiting global warming to 2C.
Policy measures to deal with climate change have included a carbon tax introduced by the former Labor government, which was later repealed by the coalition under Tony Abbott.
Zahedi said Australia needed to bring policy certainty to the Paris negotiating table next week.
He hoped the underlying message from the Paris summit would be clear and “override some of the mixed messages that might or might not exist at the national level”.
Huge Melbourne rally kicks off Australia’s marches for climate action
Thousands gather at Melbourne CBD rally ahead of Paris climate summit, The Age, [excellent photos and video] November 27, 2015 -Chloe Booker, Timna Jacks, With Tom Cowie and AAP
- 10 things you need to know about the summit
- Activists plan to defy ban on Paris protests
- Business singing a new song on climate
Tens of thousands of people have gathered in Melbourne’s CBD to demand world leaders take strong action to protect the planet at the Paris climate change conference.
The so-called People’s Climate March was one of hundreds of rallies being held around the world in the lead up to the crucial meeting. Members of The Cat Empire performed for the crowd, which included Opposition Leader Bill Shorten and Greens Senator Richard Di Natale.
A sea of placards stretched down Bourke Street from Spring Street to Swanston Street and along Swanston Street from Bourke Street to La Trobe Street. There was a stand-off between banked-up traffic and protesters at Exhibition Street as frustrated drivers honked their horns and the crowd erupted in cheers and shouts.
Stunned diners observed the march from outside Bourke Street cafes, and some heckled the demonstrators. Sections of the crowd were more like a party, with some dancing and clapping to a marching band dressed in green-glittered uniforms, while others swayed to the strumming of a guitar. ……..
Andy Parsons, an Environment Victoria volunteer who attended both rallies, said environmentalists supported the right of Aboriginal people to live independently.”The Aboriginal people lived sustainably for thousands of years. Us white people could learn a lot from them,” he said.
Aboriginal man Robbie Thorpe said he saw a parallel between the “genocide” of his people and what he called the “ecocide” of Australia’s natural environment. “We are the custodians of the land and the language. Only we know how to talk to our land. Without the Aboriginal people the land can’t survive and without the land, we can’t survive.” http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/thousands-expected-at-melbourne-cbd-rally-ahead-of-paris-climate-summit-20151127-gl9lz8.html
Australia’s sorry history of deception about action on climate change
Australia is not the only country to have tried to use international rules to its domestic advantage. But Australia’s history of special deals now raises some big domestic policy questions.
the accounting rules may not come to our rescue another time. It is not clear whether we will be able to “carry over” again, although Hunt has indicated we would like to. But the task is now also bigger than any “carry over” could massage.
After decades of fighting and fudging, Australia will have to really do something about its greenhouse emissions this time
Welcome to the wonderful world of climate talks, where less means more, 
Guardian
Lenore Taylor, 27 Nov
The maths doesn’t add up – Australia’s emissions are trending up and yet we are meeting pledges to cut them. But it all makes sense in the complicated and chaotic world of climate negotiations The numbers look clear. In 1990, Australia emitted 564m tonnes of carbon dioxide. In 2005 that rose to 611m. By 2014-15 that had fallen a bit to 565m. But in 2029-30, the latest published projections say we will emit 724m tonnes.
They have gone up and down and they might not be rising by as much as if we’d never heard the words “climate change”, but in absolute terms our greenhouse emissions are trending up, not down.
And yet over those same decades we will have solemnly given three different national pledges to reduce our emissions and, as the environment minister, Greg Hunt, keeps enthusiastically reminding us, in every case we will “meet and beat” our pledges.
How can it be possible for national emissions to rise over 30 years while a country “meets and beats” successive promises to reduce them? The answer takes us first deep into the complicated and chaotic world of international climate negotiations and then to the dizzying heights of political spin. Continue reading
Firefighters will march for climate action: global warming increases their dangers
Ideology aside, firefighters find themselves at the front line of climate impacts, and we are well aware that something is going on and conditions are gradually worsening. Of course climate change is not the only factor making firefighters’ work more and more challenging, but there’s no question that increasing temperatures and increasing drought conditions are a big part of the problem.
the United Firefighters Union will join with tens of thousands of Australians this weekend at the People’s Climate Marches taking place all over Australia.
More dangerous bushfires in our future if we don’t take action on climate change http://www.smh.com.au/comment/more-dangerous-bushfires-in-our-future-if-we-dont-take-action-on-climate-change-20151119-gl2rq5.html November 26, 2015 Peter Marshall and Victoria McKenzie-McHarg There are no climate change sceptics at the end of a fire hose.
Australia’s firefighters know from first-hand experience that climate change has led to more frequent and more intense fires. It has also made our fire seasons longer.
Every day, firefighters go into situations as others flee in the opposite direction. Firefighters’ jobs are already dangerous. But we are increasingly concerned that changing climate conditions are increasing this danger.
This summer is on track to be one of the worst on record for fires. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration rates it as a 97 per cent chance that 2015 will be the hottest year on record – and it looks like it will be the hottest by quite a wide margin. Continue reading
The hypocrisy of Malcolm Turnbull and Greg Hunt at Paris climate summit
Paris 2015: Hunt says climate change action at Paris talks a ‘deeply personal goal’
Clinching a global deal in Paris to keep global warming below two degrees is a “deeply personal goal” and climate change inaction is “not an option”, Environment Minister Greg Hunt is expected to say on Wednesday. – Sydney Morning Herald, 25/11/15
Don’t be a climate coward PM – Greens
The Greens have warned Malcolm Turnbull not to be a “climate coward” at global talks in Paris.
The prime minister had one last chance to prove he was not a weathervane on climate change like his predecessor Tony Abbott, Greens MP Adam Bandt told reporters in Canberra on Tuesday.
“He’s going to Paris with a big black rock around his neck,” he said, citing the government’s approval of the southern hemisphere’s biggest coal mine Adani Carmichael.http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2015/11/24/dont-be-climate-coward-pm-greens
Michael Brull: Before Adopting Them As PM, Malcolm Turnbull Called Bullsh*t On The Coalition’s Climate Change Plans
In 2010 Turnbull helped launched a report calling for a zero emissions future. He understands the threat climate change poses, he just doesn’t seem to care anymore
https://newmatilda.com/2015/11/24/before-adopting-them-as-pm-malcolm-turnbull-called-bullshit-on-the-coalitions-climate-change-plans/
‘Captain’s call’ plea as more CSIRO job cuts loom on eve of PM’s address to Paris climate summit Some of Australia’s leading climate research programs are under threat even as Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull prepares to address world leaders at next week’s global climate summit in Paris.
http://www.theage.com.au/environment/climate-change/captains-call-plea-as-more-csiro-job-cuts-loom-on-eve-of-paris-climate-summit-20151124-gl6jsy.html
Vested interests stop universities from divesting in fossil fuels
This places them behind faith organisations, not for profits, local councils, banks, superannuation funds and a host of others moving capital away from fossil fuels.
Why is this?
Strong links to the mining sector have put universities in a difficult position.
They are conflicted between climate concerns and the income they derive from vested interests with big mining companies.
While many Australian universities engage in the climate change debate, their commitment to divestment has, at best, been minimal. Continue reading
Indigenous Australians Western Australian group at Paris UN climate talks
Rising sea levels and global temperatures could impact on Kimberley Aboriginal groups, who potentially face hotter and more frequent bushfires, affecting traditionally significant animal and plant life.
WA group represents Indigenous Australia at UN climate change conference http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-24/wa-groups-heads-to-climate-change-conference/6971072 By Natalie Jones A group of leaders from Northern WA is heading to the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP21) in Paris to be the voice of Indigenous Australia.
The Kimberley Land Council (KLC) group of five will be led by KLC chairman Anthony Watson, who is also the Australian delegate to the Indigenous People’s Forum on Climate Change.
“I’ll be with the Pacific Islanders. They have a lot of concerns about their islands going underwater and they’ll be raising their concerns and I’ll be supporting them in whatever way I can,” Mr Watson said. Continue reading
Climate change brings worse heat waves to New South Wales
Think this is hot? Warming climate points to heatwaves worsening in NSW, SMH, November 20, 2015 Peter Hannam Environment Editor, The Sydney Morning Herald NSW will experience more frequent and longer heatwaves in the future as the climate warms with the worsening extremes dependent on whether carbon emissions continue to climb, according to research from the government and the University of NSW.
The heatwave projections, released on Friday during what was expected to be Sydney’s hottest three-day spell in November in almost eight decades, cover the period to 2030 and then out to 2070.
The shift towards hotter weather is already evident, with south-eastern NSW experiencing about 18 more heatwave days a year compared with the start of the 20th century, the Office of Environment and Heritage says.
For most other parts of the state, the increase was about four-11 days.
The research, based on 12 climate models as part of the NSW and ACT Climate Modelling Project (NARCliM), estimates that most of the state will experience 1-1½ more heatwave events a year by 2030.
The number of heatwave days – defined to be excessive heat compared with historical records and the preceding 30 days – will increase by as much as 10 days a year by 2030 in the state’s north, with smaller increases near the coast. (See chart below showing the rising percentage of heatwave days each year.)
This provides a clear indication that, out to 2030, we can expect the heatwaves to happen more often, and for them to be longer,” Matthew Riley, director of OEH’s Climate and Atmospheric Science, said.
“[The models show] even more heatwaves out to 2070, that last longer still, and are becoming hotter,” Mr Riley said……http://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/think-this-is-hot-warming-climate-points-to-heatwaves-worsening-in-nsw-20151120-gl3nwt.html
1 This month
of the week – Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR)
To see nuclear-related stories in greater depth and intensity
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