Australia’s Previous Chief Scientist spells it out on global warming
Repeating this item. What a pity that the excellent full article has been removed from the Australian government website!
Why we must act now to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
Australian Government 8 Dec 09 Despite world attention, humans emit more greenhouse gases every year than they did the year before. It’s a situation that Australia needs to help turn around if we don’t want to bear the brunt of climate change, says Chief Scientist Professor Penny Sackett……
…..The Greenhouse Effect
The sun continuously bathes the Earth with energy in the form of sunlight. Much of this energy is absorbed by the Earth, and then emitted as infrared radiation, or heat. Greenhouse gases prevent the Earth from discarding as much of this heat as it otherwise would back into space.Without naturally occurring greenhouse gases, the Earth would be a much colder place, inhospitable to modern human existence. But by the same token, the additional greenhouse gases added to this store by humans is slowly increasing the average temperature of the Earth system.
Due to the quantity in which it is emitted by humans, its longevity in the atmosphere, and its effects in trapping heat, carbon dioxide is the most important of the greenhouse gases currently causing changes in the Earth’s climate……
In Australia, extreme fire danger days are already becoming more numerous in many parts of the country, and floods and cyclones more intense.
Research by the CSIRO indicates that the frequency of days with very high and extreme Forest Fire Danger Index ratings is likely to increase by 15 to 70 per cent by 2050 in southeast Australia…..
Why we must act now to reduce greenhouse gas emissions | Chief Scientist of Australia
Repost: Peter Cosgrove spruiks “clean” nuclear for BHP Billiton
Lack of Australian nuclear plant almost immoral: Peter Cosgrove Amanda O’Brien : The Australian * February 04, 2010 “…………….The former Australian of the Year said he anticipated there would be an outcry but there was no cleaner energy source than nuclear power.(!!)..………General Cosgrove pulled no punches in his speech to the breakfast at the University of Western Australia, which was hosted by major coal producer BHP Billiton.
Lack of Australian nuclear plant almost immoral: Peter Cosgrove | The Australian
Australians have been deceived about global Climate Change action
There’s a lot happening out there in the world that Australians have been deceived about by the “the world isn’t acting, Australia shouldn’t lead” line. It’s a blatant lie and one that should be completely shattered by the time the Cancun negotiations are over, so we can get on with setting an effective carbon price as the Government’s number one priority in 2011.
C’mon Aussie c’mon…. seriously, c’mon!!!! Crikey November 30, 2010 – 9:55 pm, by Anna Rose.…………….After the UN talks in Copenhagen a year ago, we saw a concerted effort from Tony Abbott and his climate denier cronies to create an attitude in the community that the rest of the world wasn’t acting on climate change. This couldn’t be further from the truth Continue reading
Global renewable energy – China is the leader
“The level of wind energy being deployed in China shows what can be achieved with a carefully planned energy and industrial policy that elevates cleantech to a national strategic level,”
China secures the lead in renewable energy – UPI.com, BEIJING, 1 Dec. 10 — China is now the leader in the global renewable energy market, a report by Ernst & Young says. Continue reading
Victorian election – not a good result for Climate Change action
Coalition has explaining to do on climate targets, The Age, Adam Morton, November 30, 2010“……….Environment Victoria, the state’s main green lobby group, said there were many gaps in the new government’s environment and climate policy stance as it had not outlined its full plans before the election as promised. Continue reading
World must face the truth on Climate Change
Do we have the mindset to save the planet? UN Climate Change Conference In Cancun, The Age Lyn Bender, November 29, 2010 Where were you when you first realised that climate change was happening? Were you caught up in the horror of the worst bushfires in Victoria’s history on Black Saturday 2009?
Or moved by images of distraught parents in the aftermath of record monsoons that had flooded Pakistan? Continue reading
Australia neither needs nor wants nuclear power
That we don’t need nuclear power is obvious: the ”land of the cloudless skies” has cleaner, abundant energy available. The recent report Beyond Zero Emissions demonstrates baseload clean energy can be supplied by renewable sources within 10 years at an affordable cost – about $8 a household a week.
The question: should nuclear energy power our future?, Sydney Morning Herald, 29 Nov 10, “……...THE SCIENTIST: Ann Henderson-Sellers Cold, northern hemisphere countries may resort to nuclear power to try to achieve energy security and moderate climate change but Australia neither needs it nor wants it. Continue reading
THE AUSTRALIAN likely to change its attitude to Climate Change
While a highly qualified science writer, Julie Posetti, gave up on efforts to cover Climate Change properly at THE AUSTRALIAN newspaper, that paper’s view is likely to now do an abrupt u-turn in its coverage of climate change.
As Australia’s top right-wing voice, THE AUSTRALIAN is now urgently touting nuclear power for Australia. With no economic, environmental, (especially water) argument for nuclear power in Australia – THE AUSTRALIAN will now be forced to become a firm believer in climate change, climate change being now the only (supposedly) acceptable argument for nuclear power in Australia.
(It wouldn’t do to argue that nuclear power is in the interests of BHP Billiton and other uranium corporations, or the interests of slavishly following the USA, or the prospect of an Australian international radioactive waste business.) Christina Macpherson
Hard to get serious articles on climate change in THE AUSTRALIAN
the difficulties of having stories published [in THE AUSTRALIAN] about climate change because of the attitude of and pressure from senior editors at the paper.
The ‘torture’ of writing about climate change at The Oz, Crikey, by Andrew Dodd 26 Nov 10 A former senior News Limited journalist has described trying to write about human-induced climate change at The Australian newspaper as “torture” and has blamed the editor-in-chief for limiting coverage on the topic because he has “taken a political view”. Continue reading
NUCLEAR POWER and ETHICS – theme for December 2010
The unethical nature of nuclear power, nuclear weapons, and the entire nuclear fuel cycle is becoming more obvious, as its history unfolds. On grounds of nuclear weapons spread, unsolved wastes problem, health and environment, effects on indigenous and poor peoples, injustice to today’s and future generations – and even the sheer financial costs for now and the future – it is clear that “atoms for peace” is a false and unethical enterprise.
Why is it so rare for ‘important’ people to face up to the evil nature of the whole nuclear fuel cycle? It’s not just money. Is it that so much of their reputation, their work has already been invested in nuclear? just too much effort to change track
Like Shakespeare’s Macbeth, who said “For mine own good,
All causes shall give way: I am in blood
Stepp’d in so far that, should I wade no more,
Returning were as tedious as go o’er”
(Image from MACBETH IS A BAD, BAD MAN design by Dave Shanker&Danilo Groppa, Charles W. Flanagan High School, Macbeth – Webquest)
However, some notable Australians have changed track, and next week, this blog heading will take a more positive view of Australians and nuclear power
Australia’s nuclear lobby steps up the spin, in fear of renewables’ success
The nuclear lobby fears the success of renewable energy. This is a pressing reason for stepping up nuclear spin in Australia today.
The cheerleader of pro-nuclear, anti-renewables spin is THE AUSTRALIAN newspaper. Their “environment editor” Graham Lloyd, is more of an Anti Environment editor. Today’s edition (27 Nov) has no less than three articles promoting nuclear power, and rubbishing wind energy.
We have foot-soldiers of nuclear spin – Jennifer Marohasy, Janet Albrechtsen, Martin Nicholson, Tom Biegler and Barry Brook getting coverage in the mainstream media. And even Australian Radiation Protection Society getting lectures on how we need nuclear powered submarines, and the” ideal of having a national nuclear industry”
Minister for Resources, Martin Ferguson launched a technical paper that portrays nuclear power as an economic option for Australia
Internationally, papers are appearing on the theme of ionising radiation being “good for you”.
The nuclear lobby has very little time, (with most nuclear reactors soon reaching their close-down date) to market its product against its popular and fast-developing competitors – renewable energy and energy efficiency. – Christina Macpherson
Anti-uranium and Climate Action protests targeting Paladin
The Angela Pamela project is owned by Paladin and Canada’s Cameco Corp………Paladin could also come under pressure today from the Climate Advocacy Fund, which claims the WA miner is not providing a satisfactory level of information about its carbon footprint.
Paladin to face anti-nuclear protest at AGM – The West Australian, PETER KLINGER, November 25, 2010, Paladin Energy is set for a showdown with the anti-nuclear lobby at its annual meeting in Perth today amid a heightened level of protest against uranium miners. Continue reading
Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Australia 2011
Clean Energy Australia 2011 2 8 Feb – 2 Mar, 2011 Hilton SydneyStreet: 488 George StreetCity: Sydney Welcome to Clean Energy Australia 2011 – Asia Pacific’s premier clean energy event.Clean Energy Australia focuses on generation strategy, efficiency and commercial outcomes. Discover the business case for investing in clean energy. Continue reading
UK govt website promotes community renewable energy projects
Dubbed Community Energy Online, the new site offers local authorities and community groups detailed advice and case studies demonstrating how to select and deliver local low-carbon and renewable energy projects.
Coalition calls on ‘big society’ to embrace small energy New Community Energy Online web site to provide guidance on how to deliver local renewables projects, BusinessGreen, By James Murray25 Nov Continue reading
Australia’s and New South Wales govts – big subsidies for coal, not for solar
In NSW during the last nine years coal and coal-fired power together have received an annual subsidy of $1 billion. The subsidy for the renewable energy sector for the same time frame is a paltry $67 million a year. Coal-fired power receives 15 times the amount of subsidy compared with the renewable energy industry.
Carbon – the more you emit the greater the subsidy! – On Line Opinion – By Ged McCarthy – 25 November 2010 Recently the Gillard Government warned it might remove solar energy subsidies and review the value of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECS). Continue reading
Antinuclear 