Nourishing the environmental debate

Monthly Archives: May 2009

Coalition & Labor vs climate

May 26, 2009 – 12:34 pm

It seems as though Malcolm Turnbull has finally managed to align the coalition on climate change at least enough for them to stop kicking own goals and bridge their credibility gap with the ALP. With the coalition and ALP now supporting the same conditional emissions reduction target, the public will be hard pressed to distinguish [...]

By John Hepburn | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (11)

More direct action against coal

May 21, 2009 – 12:33 pm

Last year, over 150 people were arrested for engaging in civil disobedience and direct action to stop the expansion of the coal industry. In the tradition of Martin Luther King, Ghandi and the Suffragettes, people the world over are increasingly taking to the streets and putting their bodies on the line to help force real [...]

By John Hepburn | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (13)

Is some kind of agreement at Copenhagen all that matters?

May 21, 2009 – 5:25 am

In recent weeks, there has been a welcome shift in focus in the Australian climate politics debate onto the global stage. It goes without saying that, unless the world moves decisively as a community of nations, we have not a snowball’s chance in hell of avoiding climate catastrophe. But the mainstream Australian discussion of the [...]

By Tim Hollo | Posted in Emissions Trading Scheme, Greens, Uncategorized | Comments (20)

Under pressure, Rudd buries Wilkins Review

May 15, 2009 – 12:01 pm

The Wilkins Review just got buried. In previous times, the handing down of this report would have been timed for maximum effect to build pressure against direct regulatory measures that support renewable energy. Instead it was buried on a busy news day immediately after the Gov’t announced $1.5 billion of direct investment in solar energy. [...]

By John Hepburn | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (2)

Value for money in the budget? – Solar vs Coal

May 13, 2009 – 8:25 am

Last night’s budget included $1.5 billion over six years in a new Solar Flagships program. “The program will aim to establish an additional 1,000 megawatts of solar electricity generation capacity in Australia. This is similar to the generation capacity of a coal fired power station.” At the same time it included $2 billion for carbon [...]

By John Hepburn | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (13)

The death knell for bipartisanship on climate change

May 6, 2009 – 3:51 pm

If the Rudd government can urge the parliament to maintain a bipartisan approach to Indigenous affairs — going so far as to create a war cabinet in fact — then why not for climate change? Rudd’s further politicisation of the ETS over the last few days proves once and for all that politics is incapable [...]

By Sophie Black | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (20)

Rudd’s Changes to the CPRS

May 5, 2009 – 8:07 am

I’m sure you’ve all heard about the Government’s changes to the emissions trading scheme announced yesterday. At first glance, extending the upper limit to 25% is positive – and it’s due to the hard work of the climate movement and millions of Australians who have exterted pressure on Rudd. But the other things he announced [...]

By Anna Rose | Posted in Emissions Trading Scheme | Comments (2)

Dear coal industry,

May 1, 2009 – 9:46 am

The ground is slowly but surely shifting under the coal industry. The UK and Canada have both recently announced policies that effectively mean no new coal plants without operating carbon capture and storage – essentially calling industry’s bluff. And today it was reported that some of Australia’s most prominent climate scientists and IPCC authors have [...]

By John Hepburn | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (9)