Bill Shorten’s climate policy, much better than Liberals’, but it might appeal to some Liberal voters?
Bill Shorten treads gently with careful climate change plan, https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/politics/federal/bill-shorten-treads-gently-with-careful-climate-change-plan-20190331-p519di.html, By Shane Wright, March 31, 2019 The environment has claimed many political victims since the 2007 election.
John Howard, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Malcolm Turnbull and even Tony Abbott were all, to an extent, brought down by their response to climate change. And if Scott Morrison is defeated at next month’s election there’s likely to be a mention of the issue in his political epitaph.
Which means Bill Shorten is well aware of the dangers around Labor’s latest climate change approach, which is being made public in the shadow of the federal budget and just six weeks out from an election.
Hence the absence of a carbon tax, the use of safeguard mechanisms which were introduced by Turnbull, the exclusion of agriculture except for where farmers and landholders may be able to turn a buck, handouts to trade-exposed businesses and credits to firms that over-achieve.
By targeting vehicle emissions, Labor is tapping a worldwide trend which already has countries such as China and Britain effectively outlawing the sale of new petrol-driven vehicles from 2040.
Labor isn’t even going this far. Instead, it is setting a target of 50 per cent new car sales being electric while also looking to lift overall vehicle emission standards.
The demise of the Australian car manufacturing industry means any fight against the proposed changes will have to be led by the government if it dares.
But arguing against tighter emission standards would run the risk of the Coalition looking like those who bemoaned the removal of lead from petrol in the 1980s.
Not that the government won’t try. While the $100 lamb roasts may be gone, it’s already trying to claim that a snag at the local school fete could go through the roof under Shorten.
Labor’s policy is as much an effort to neutralise the political attack as to find ways to truly reduce Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Bill Shorten doesn’t want his name added to the list of those MPs claimed by Australia’s climate wars.
Shorten’s climate policy would hit more big polluters harder and set electric car target
The Conversation Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra April 1, 2019 A Shorten government would add about 100 high polluters to those subject to an emissions cap, and drastically slash the present cap’s level, under the opposition’s climate policy released on Monday.Labor would aim for a new threshold under a revamp of the existing safeguards mechanism of 25,000 tonnes of direct carbon dioxide pollution annually, which would be phased in after consultation with industry.
This would be a major reduction from the current cap of 100,000 tonnes. About 140 to 160 polluters come under the existing cap.
The safeguards mechanism was established by the Coalition government to cap pollution for the biggest polluters by setting limits or “baselines” for facilities covered. But Labor says it has been ineffective.
On transport, the policy sets an ambitious target of having electric vehicles form 50% of new car sales by 2030. The government fleet would have an electric vehicle target of 50% of new purchases and leases of passenger vehicles by 2025.
The climate change policy covers industry, transport and agriculture, with the proposed measures for the electricity sector, including an in-principle commitment to a national energy guarantee (NEG) and subsidies for batteries, already announced.
The agriculture sector would not be covered by the expanded safeguards policy.
The government’s emissions reduction fund – recently allocated a further A$2 billion over a decade and renamed – would be scrapped if Labor wins the May election………
The opposition has committed itself to a 45% economy-wide reduction in emissions relative to 2005 levels by 2030, compared with the government’s commitment to a reduction of 26-28%.
Labor’s policy confirms that it would not use Australia’s credits from the expiring Kyoto Protocol to help meet its Paris target, saying this course is “fake action on climate change”. Bill Shorten said on Sunday: “It’s only the Australian Liberal Party and the Ukraine proposing to use these carryover credits that I am aware of.”
Labor says it would “work in partnership with business to help bring down pollution.”
“Labor’s approach isn’t about punishing polluters. It’s about partnering with industry to find real, practical solutions to cut pollution, in a way that protects and grows industry and jobs.”…….. https://theconversation.com/shortens-climate-policy-would-hit-more-big-polluters-harder-and-set-electric-car-target-114561
Labor’s climate plan
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/labor-s-climate-plan 31 Mar 19
Labor has promised to get Australia’s 250 biggest polluting companies to cut their emissions if the party wins the next election.
*Extend the safeguard mechanism to a threshold of 25,000 tonnes of direct carbon pollution annually
* This will capture about 250 of Australia’s biggest polluters.
* Pollution baselines will be reduced over time below current levels, in consultation with businesses
* Agricultural sector is exempt, working towards carbon neutral by 2030
* Energy companies also exempt, covered by Labor’s energy policy
* Steel, aluminium and cement companies supported to remain trade competitive
* Kyoto credits will not be carried over to count towards the Paris target
* Half of all new vehicles sold by 2030 to be electric
* New government vehicles to be 50 per cent electric by 2025
* New vehicle emissions standards for car retailers, electric cars to offset higher polluting vehicles
* Restoring the Climate Change Authority
SOURCE: Labor
Lynas silent on long-term effects of radioactive waste
 Lynas silent on long-term effects of radioactive waste, says Fuziah, The Star (Malaysia) By Ong Han Sean , KUANTAN: Kuantan MP Fuziah Salleh slammed rare earth materials producer Lynas for being silent on the long life of its radioactive waste, which she claimed could have long-term effects on people’s health and the environment.”Lynas is very good with their messaging strategy that it is easy to fall for their low level radiation narrative. Lynas has always been silent on the long life, very, very long life, 14-billion-years half-life of thorium in their radioactive waste.
“Unfortunately many people in the government fell for it and were convinced by their narrative too,” said Fuziah. She added that most people found it difficult to comprehend and thought the anti-Lynas activists were politicising the issue due to Lynas’ narrative. She said this would have an effect on the villagers living around Gebeng, some of whom were still dependent on tube wells for daily water use.
“Yes, we welcome FDIs but not ones like Lynas. We welcome FDIs to the point that I am assisting them to resolve the water shortage issue that industries are facing right now. “However, industries that pollute and think they are above the law are not welcomed in Kuantan. And Pahang for that matter,” said Fuziah, who also is Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department…………… “Malaysia adopts the International Commission on Radiological Protection limits of exposures for both workers and the public and Lynas is fully compliant with these limits,” the company said in a statement signed by Lynas Malaysia managing director Datuk Mashal Ahmad and radiation safety, regulations and compliance general manager Prof Ismail Bahari. The statement added that all residue storage at Lynas Malaysia had been approved by regulators and very low level radioactive residue produced by the company was not unique in Malaysia………. “The ministry’s review committee did not suggest that any increase in the concentration of heavy metals in groundwater was due to Lynas Malaysia. “However, it recommended further research on groundwater in the Gebeng industrial area. Lynas, in collaboration with accredited laboratories, is currently carrying out its own independent investigation to rule out any contribution from our operations,” it said. https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2019/03/31/lynas-silent-on-long-term-effects-of-radioactive-waste-says-fuziah/#5clQ0xKUP87uV2QR.99 |
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Poll shows Australians increasingly see climate change as human-caused
A record share of Australians say humans cause climate change: poll Brisbane Times, By Matt Wade, April 1, 2019 More Australians than ever believe human activity is entirely or mainly responsible for climate change, new polling shows.
But only 13 per cent say the Morrison government is doing a good job tackling climate change.
A survey by social research firm Ipsos shows 46 per cent of Australians now agree climate change is “entirely or mainly” caused by human activity. That is the highest share since Ipsos began asking the question in an annual survey of Australians’ attitudes to climate change in 2010.
Another 33 per cent say climate change is “partly caused by human activity and partly caused by natural processes” while 11 per cent said it is “entirely or mainly” caused by natural processes only.
Only 4 per cent say “there is no such thing as climate change” – a share that has remained steady for the past decade.
The survey found a record 65 per cent say climate change is already affecting Australia and is not just a challenge for the future.
An all-time high 52 per cent agreed climate change is causing more frequent and extreme droughts, up from 46 per cent a year earlier.
The proportion that said Australia is already experiencing more frequent and extreme bushfires due to climate change reached 48 per cent, up from 46 per cent a year earlier.
Nearly half of those surveyed (47 per cent) said climate change is causing the destruction of the Great Barrier Reef.
The share of Australians rating the federal government’s management of climate change as “fairly or very good” has fallen from 18 per cent to just 13 per cent during the past year. The share rating the federal government’s management of climate change as “fairly or very poor” has risen from 41 per cent to 50 per cent in that period…….
Nearly two in three Australians (64 per cent) think that increasing the amount of power generated from renewable energy sources should be an essential or high priority.
A much bigger share of the population believe the shift towards renewable energy will have a positive impact on the economy (39 per cent) than the share who think the economic impact will be negative (24 per cent)……… https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/environment/climate-change/a-record-share-of-australians-say-humans-cause-climate-change-poll-20190328-p518go.html
Despite substantial UK govt bribes, Anglesey Council will not take part in govt search for nuclear dump site
North Wales Chronicle 30th March 2019 Anglesey Council has confirmed that it will not volunteer the island to take part in a government search for sites to bury the UK’s stockpile of its most dangerous radioactive waste despite the promise of substantial financial incentives and “well paid jobs.”permanent geological waste sites.
“Tokyo 2020 – The Radioactive Olympics” — Fukushima 311 Watchdogs
Tomorrow in one year, on March 26 2020, the Olympic torch relay will start in the radioactively contaminated Fukushima Prefecture. This is why tomorrow, a group of anti-nuclear oranizations in Germany, Switzerland, France and Japan will launch an international information campaign entitled „Tokyo 2020 – The Radioactive Olympics”. The campaign will focus on the […]
via “Tokyo 2020 – The Radioactive Olympics” — Fukushima 311 Watchdogs
Arnie and Maggie Discuss Fukushima Meltdown On Project Censored — Fukushima 311 Watchdogs
March 26, 2019 Arnie and Maggie recently appeared on Project Censored to discuss Fukushima and why nuclear is not part of the answer the climate. Give it a listen! Nuclear-power experts Arnie and Maggie Gundersen return to Project Censored to publicize the ongoing damage the Fukushima meltdown site is inflicting on Japan and the […]
via Arnie and Maggie Discuss Fukushima Meltdown On Project Censored — Fukushima 311 Watchdogs
March 31 Energy News — geoharvey
Opinion: ¶ “Debunking Myths: Five Things To Know About Green Infrastructure” • Most people think that building dams, water treatment plants, and similar works is the only solution for the problems of drought, flooding, lack of safe water, but that’s only because they have never considered the many benefits of green infrastructure. [CleanTechnica] ¶ “Experts […]
Labor vows to end climate policy chaos by running with Turnbull’s plan — RenewEconomy
Labor unveils details of its climate and energy policy, as Coalition prepares a scare campaign, and green groups welcome the strategy, but not the target. The post Labor vows to end climate policy chaos by running with Turnbull’s plan appeared first on RenewEconomy.
via Labor vows to end climate policy chaos by running with Turnbull’s plan — RenewEconomy
Labor climate policy: Implications for the Safeguard 2.0 market — RenewEconomy
The ALP’s “Climate Change Action Plan” proposes to introduce a more robust ‘baseline and credit’ scheme under the government’s safeguard mechanism framework. The post Labor climate policy: Implications for the Safeguard 2.0 market appeared first on RenewEconomy.
via Labor climate policy: Implications for the Safeguard 2.0 market — RenewEconomy
Labor sets 50 per cent EV targets for new vehicle sales and government fleets — RenewEconomy
Labor, favoured to win the May election, sets 50% target for share of EVs in new passenger sales and government fleets, and set emissions standards for all cars. The post Labor sets 50 per cent EV targets for new vehicle sales and government fleets appeared first on RenewEconomy.
via Labor sets 50 per cent EV targets for new vehicle sales and government fleets — RenewEconomy
Residents around TMI exposed to far more radiation than officials claimed
Researchers under gag order couldn’t investigate true health impacts after Three Mile Island nuclear disaster
By Cindy Folkers
Residents around Three Mile Island were exposed to much more radiation from the nuclear disaster than was claimed by officials, a fact that was kept from researchers and the public for years.
Residents at the time had questions about health risks but the fund established to pay for public health research related to the disaster was under a research gag order issued by a court. (Photo: Child Aloft by Robert Del Tredici)
After the Three Mile Island reactor core melted and radioactivity was released to the surrounding population, researchers were not allowed to investigate health impacts of higher doses because the TMI Public Health Fund, established to pay for public health research related to the disaster, was under a research gag order issued by a court. If a researcher wanted to conduct…
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Nuclear waste dump proposal divides rural communities in South Australia
Why is this writer accepting the nuclear lobby line that ibtermediate level wastes would be stored at Kimba or wherever for only “a few decades” ?
Does she not know that there is no plan for final disposal of the wastes, and that they are most likely to be stuck at Kimba or wherever for hundreds of years?
Will Australia finally get a national nuclear waste facility? ABC, 28 Mar 19, 7.30 , By Angelique Donnellan For 40 years Australia has sought to centralise its nuclear waste, but the question of where to put it remains unanswered because of bitter division.
Key points:
- The Federal Government wants to store the nation’s nuclear waste in South Australia
- Three sites have been shortlisted, two in Kimba and one in Hawker
- The proposal has divided both communities
……… The Howard government dropped its proposal after it lost a fight with the South Australian Labor government in the High Court……
n 2007, a property called Mukaty Station in the Northern Territory was put forward to host the nuclear waste facility.
The plan was abandoned, again because of legal action, this time by the area’s traditional owners.
Tightknit communities divided
The current proposal has three sites in regional South Australia shortlisted — two in Kimba, five hours north-west of Adelaide, and one in Hawker, near the Flinders Ranges.
Landholder Jeff Baldock has volunteered a portion of his property in Kimba for the proposed facility, which would store low-level nuclear waste for up to 400 years, and intermediate-level waste for a few decades before that is moved to another location.
“Kimba is no different to any other small rural community where we have a shrinking population,” Mr Baldock said.
“It’s just a good opportunity for us to find another industry which doesn’t rely on agriculture.
“I don’t seriously think there is any risk of this having an effect on our crops [or] livestock.”
But Kimba resident Barry Wakelin is not so sure. Despite being a federal Liberal MP when the Howard government pushed for a national nuclear waste facility in the early 2000s, Mr Wakelin now opposes one near his town.
And is it a waste facility or a dump? Even what it is called has caused a rift.
Local business owner and teacher Meagan Lienert said she expected it to be a well managed “high-class, world-class facility” and “very different to a dump”.
“What the hell are they talking about? Everyone knows what a nuclear dump is. It’s rubbish,” Mr Wakelin said.
The Adnyamathanha Traditional Lands Association is one group taking legal action.
They are the traditional owners of land around Hawker.
Regina McKenzie said her people had been unfairly excluded from a community vote on the dump and claimed preparatory work at the site had desecrated a sacred women’s area.
“I know they need a site, but not here. Don’t impact our sites, don’t impact our culture, don’t impact us,” Ms McKenzie said.
“I love my country and I don’t want to see a waste dump on it.”
The issue is further complicated because some members of the Adnyamathanha support the facility, including Regina’s brother, Malcolm McKenzie.
“I’m supporting this because our culture can co-exist with economic development,” Mr McKenzie said.
Adnyamathanha woman Angela Stuart backed the facility because she wanted more opportunities for young Aboriginal people.
“We need a change. I’m sick of seeing young people drinking and wasting their lives away on alcohol and drugs,” she said.
“There might be a chance out there even if one person gets a job.”
The Native Title holders around Kimba, the Barngarla people, are taking legal action.
It is unclear when the Federal Court will hand down its judgement in that case.
Trump handed Kim a piece of paper, ordering him to hand over nuclear weapons to USA
With a piece of paper, Trump called on Kim to hand over nuclear weaponshttps://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-usa-document-exclusive/exclusive-with-a-piece-of-paper-trump-called-on-kim-to-hand-over-nuclear-weapons-idUSKCN1RA2NR, Lesley Wroughton, David Brunnstrom, WASHINGTON (Reuters) 30 Mar 19– On the day that their talks in Hanoi collapsed last month, U.S. President Donald Trump handed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un a piece of paper that included a blunt call for the transfer of Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons and bomb fuel to the United States, according to the document seen by Reuters.
Trump gave Kim both Korean and English-language versions of the U.S. position at Hanoi’s Metropole hotel on Feb. 28, according to a source familiar with the discussions, speaking on condition of anonymity. It was the first time that Trump himself had explicitly defined what he meant by denuclearization directly to Kim, the source said.
A lunch between the two leaders was canceled the same day. While neither side has presented a complete account of why the summit collapsed, the document may help explain it.
The document’s existence was first mentioned by White House national security adviser John Bolton in television interviews he gave after the two-day summit. Bolton did not disclose in those interviews the pivotal U.S. expectation contained in the document that North Korea should transfer its nuclear weapons and fissile material to the United States.
The document appeared to represent Bolton’s long-held and hardline “Libya model” of denuclearization that North Korea has rejected repeatedly. It probably would have been seen by Kim as insulting and provocative, analysts said.
Trump had previously distanced himself in public comments from Bolton’s approach and said a “Libya model” would be employed only if a deal could not be reached.
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