Antinuclear

Clive Palmer has thrown into chaos Tony Abbott’s plan to abolish the carbon tax, demanding the Prime Minister instead create an emissions trading scheme that would swing into action when Australia’s major trading partners adopt similar measures.

A day before Mr Palmer sits down with Mr Abbott to discuss the federal budget and the government’s signature pledge to repeal the carbon tax, the erratic Palmer United Party leader was joined by former US vice-president Al Gore to announce his position on a suite of climate change legislation.

Mr Palmer said his trio of senators would move to enshrine in law a guarantee that energy producers pass on to households the benefits of repealing the carbon tax, while they would also move to block the government’s plans to scrap the Clean Energy Finance Corporation and potentially wind back the Renewable Energy Target, which mandates 41,000 gigawatt-hours of electricity be produced by large clean energy sources by 2020.

The abolition of the independent Climate Change Authority would also be opposed.

Mr Palmer said his party would move to legislate an emissions trading scheme with a starting price of zero dollars.

”The government and the parliament of the day have the ability to set the financial parameters of the [emissions trading] scheme based on the action of our leading trading partners such as China, the United States, the European Union, Japan and Korea,” he said.

In a later interview on ABC’s Lateline, Mr Palmer made clear that repeal of the carbon tax was contingent on energy producers refunding to consumers the benefits of the repeal of the tax.

But it would not be contingent on the other measures Mr Palmer proposed on Wednesday night, such as the proposed emissions trading legislation.

The proposal to introduce the ETS in the Senate would be attached to the bill that would repeal the Climate Change Authority and the PUP would attempt to have that passed by the Senate.

“We want a scheme that is conditional upon other countries and doesn’t become operable until those countries do that, introduce a similar measure,” he said.

Mr Palmer also said his party had not adopted a final position on whether to oppose or support the abolition of the Australian Renewable Energy Agency……..

Mr Palmer said his discussions with Mr Gore had helped him reconsider the ”important issues facing Australians and the rest of the world”.

The PUP leader said the government’s Direct Action policy was ”a waste of money” and should not be implemented when Australians faced other unfair budget measures………

PUP ally Ricky Muir, of the Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party, and other cross-bench senators John Madigan and Nick Xenophon are looking closely at the merits of renewable energy. http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/shock-and-gore-clive-palmer-shows-his-hand-20140625-3atpd.html#ixzz35ndf8vLk

Tim Buckley, a former head of equity research at Citigroup, once spent his days doing financial modelling for conglomerates like Wesfarmers, which has a coalmining business.

When you talk to them privately, they say to do the right thing while the government is doing the wrong thing is actually going to cost our business.

Now he works for the US-based pro-renewable energy group Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis. One of his projects is demonstrating why spending $40 billion on coalmines and infrastructure in Queensland’s Galilee Basin doesn’t make financial sense.

His aim is to convince superannuation funds, lenders and governments that funding infrastructure for the projects would be a bad long-term investment and they should focus on energy sources with more promising futures, such as solar and wind………

‘Evidence’ top miners know

He says BHP Billiton’s decision to stop investing in new coal projects and Rio Tinto’s $US1 billion ($1.05 billion) sale of its Clermont mine in Queensland are evidence that even the top miners recognise the way the world is heading.

He would like to convince the big four banks to stop lending to coal­miners, but says that is unlikely under the current government.

“When you talk to them privately, they say to do the right thing while the government is doing the wrong thing is actually going to cost our business,” he says. “They say it will damage their political standing in Canberra.”……..

‘Evidence’ top miners know

He says BHP Billiton’s decision to stop investing in new coal projects and Rio Tinto’s $US1 billion ($1.05 billion) sale of its Clermont mine in Queensland are evidence that even the top miners recognise the way the world is heading.

He would like to convince the big four banks to stop lending to coal­miners, but says that is unlikely under the current government.

“When you talk to them privately, they say to do the right thing while the government is doing the wrong thing is actually going to cost our business,” he says. “They say it will damage their political standing in Canberra. : http://www.smh.com.au/business/carbon-economy/swapping-picket-lines-for-pinstripes-meet-the-new-face-of-anticoal-activism-20140624-3aqeu.html#ixzz35ngwl0eW

While the EPA rule doesn’t set up a federal carbon pricing or emissions trading system, those are available and encouraged options for states, and they’re already being used successfully. The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative has been going strong for several years in Northeastern states, making money for state governments while cutting carbon. California’s cap-and-trade system, set up in 2006, will likely also provide a model for states looking to comply with EPA regulations. More states are expected to join or create cap-and-trade systems to meet EPA limits.

Abbott says he likes U.S. climate policy, but his real model seems to be Canada, where oil money has stifled recognition of climate change, climate policy, and activism. In Australia, the law and private spying have been used to make protest harder, and climate denial has become common in Abbot’s government.

It’s unclear at this point whether Abbott will be able to repeal the Clean Energy Future laws that establish a price on carbon and emissions trading program in Australia. But there’s no question that his Liberal Party government has beenhostile to climate action and clean energy, and quite committed to helping the coal industry. Meanwhile, Australia is dealing with significant climate change impacts, including record-breaking heat waves and droughts.

In the complex world of modelling, Bloomberg New Energy says it’s crucial to reflect not just the cost of renewables, but also the benefits. Its submission includes what it says APPEA’s modelling doesn’t: the ability of solar and wind to drive down the wholesale price of electricity when the sun shines and the wind blows.

KOBAD BHAVNAGRI, BLOOMBERG NEW ENERGY: That’s essential, really. You have to look at both the costs and the benefits of the scheme. Just like when you’re going to buy a house you look at the cost of buying a house versus the benefits of not having to pay rent anymore. It’s quite easy to highlight the costs and completely ignore the benefits.

MILES GEORGE, INFIGEN: In that modelling that was done for APPEA two years ago, there was no attempt to identify or model the wholesale price reduction that’s associated with renewable energy.

KERRY BREWSTER: Wind energy company Infigen says APPEA’s modelling doesn’t stand up to scrutiny……….http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2014/s4018998.htm

On Sunday afternoon the Prime Minister released a video which he began by saying the D-day landings had changed the course of human history. Seconds later Mr Abbott makes an odd segue into a message for overseas investors, that Australia is open for business.

He goes on to talk about the government’s commitment to repealing the carbon tax and the mining tax, then returns to D-day. 

“The United States, Canada and France are long standing friends. We stood together at D-Day, we trade every day and we have always shared a commitment to democracy, to enterprise and to people’s right to be free,” he says in the video.

The conflation of the two messages raised eyebrows on Twitter with Greens leader Christine Milne, political commentator George Megalogenis and comedian Charlie Pickering among those criticising the PM.

Each week Mr Abbott posts a video detailing ”important events for the week”.

On this most recent post, and after Fairfax Media became aware of the video on Sunday night, someone changed the title from ”A message from the PM – 70th Anniversary of the D-day landings” to ”A message from the PM – Visit to France, Canada and United States”.

Unfortunately for the Prime Minister’s office the opening graphic on the video retains the original title. The link to the transcript of the video can no longer be accessed……….

Over 3000 Australians were involved – including 2500 air force personnel who provided air support for the Allied landings. Following the D-day commemorations, I will be travelling to Canada and the United States – and will be joined by Australian business leaders.

”My message to overseas investors is that Australia is open for business.”……..http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/tony-abbott-raises-eyebrows-after-linking-wwii-dday-memorial-with-policies-on-mining-and-carbon-taxes-20140602-39cuy.html