Tallyhoe!
On towards extinction
Tony Abott has not only axed the climate science commission (which produced some stirling material), but Australia no longer has a science minister – shades of Harper in Canada
Newly
sworn-in Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott is wasting no time in
fulfilling his election promises tearing apart the governmental
infrastructure put in place by the former Labor government his
Liberal party defeated in the recent federal election. On Thursday,
Sep 19, just two days into the job the new federal Environment
Minister, Greg Hunt, has abolished both the Climate Commission and
the Climate Authority, with many describing the move as a black day
in the fight against global warming.
Tony Abott has not only axed the climate science commission (which produced some stirling material), but Australia no longer has a science minister – shades of Harper in Canada
Black
day for climate science as new PM Tony Abbott axes Climate Commission
19 September, 2013
Senator
Christine Milne, the leader of the Australian Greens political party,
who achieved 8.5 per cent of the primary vote in the recent election,
said that Tony Abbott had demonstrated his contempt for climate
science and the wellbeing of future generations.
"Today
is a black day in the struggle against global warming" said
Senator Milne as Australia has just passed its hottest year on record
with 120 heat records being broken across the country in the previous
summer.
Anthony
Albanese, a contender for the leadership of the opposing major
political party in Australia's two party system, called the actions
of the new Prime Minister "shameful".
The
Climate Commission was set up in 2007 by the former Labor government,
headed at the time by Australia's first female Prime Minister, Julia
Gillard. The Commission was headed by Professor Tim Flannery, Ph.D. a
renowned scientist, environmentalist and global warming activist who
was named Australian of the Year in 2007 for his efforts in the area.
Professor
Flannery responded saying that there is still a strong need for
accurate information on climate change to be provided to the public
to offset rising misinformation and 'propaganda' with six to eight
per cent of Australians being considered 'hardened climate skeptics'
who refuse to acknowledge the preponderance of scientific opinion,
research and analysis that posits climate change being a very real
threat.
"Without
an informed public, we will go astray" said Professor Flannery
in Melbourne today. "'I believe Australians have a right to
know, a right to authoritative, independent and accurate information
on climate change,"
The
Climate Commission fulfilled an important role in increasing public
awareness of climate-change science and providing accurate
information to counter the propaganda being spread by climate
skeptics since its inception in February 2011. In the two and a half
years the Commission was operating, it published 27 reports, held
over 20 public forums and delivered hundreds of speeches to the
public on climate change science in an unbiased, apolitical and
scientific way. The Commission achieved all of this with funding of
just AUD $5 million over 4 years.
Scrapping
the Climate Change Commission will save the government AUD $580,000
in the current financial year and $1.6 million a year in operational
costs as the departments' responsibilities are resorbed into the
Department of the Environment.
And
inflnite growth reigns supreme in New Zealand
Coal
Trumps Climate At Supreme Court
Supreme
Court clears the way for Bathurst mine
20
September, 2013
Bathurst
Resources's West Coast Escarpment mine is one step closer after the
Supreme Court dismissed an appeal claiming that climate change
effects caused by burning the mined coal overseas were relevant to
the consent process.
Bathurst
Resources shares closed 6.86 per cent higher yesterday, to trade at
18.7 cents a share, but still down from 23c in July.
Bathurst
expected the project would create more than 200 jobs and deliver
about $1 billion to the New Zealand economy.
But
environmentalists had argued that the carbon emissions released when
the coal was burned by overseas buyers should be considered in the
resource consent process.
If
mined, the coal would be exported to China and India for use in the
steel manufacturing industry, which would result in the emission of
carbon dioxide.
Yesterday,
however, the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal in a majority
decision.
Bathurst
Resources managing director Hamish Bohannan said the company welcomed
the ruling and would now wait for final consent from the Environment
Court before starting the development of the Escarpment Project.
Outside
court he said there was nothing really left to say about the matter,
following a long process of court action.
"The
law is the law."
There
were many misconceptions about mining and the environment, and the
company already paid its carbon tax, he said.
The
Environment Court has told Bathurst and appealing parties it intends
to issue resource consent for the Escarpment mine. Bathurst is
waiting for that final go-ahead.
Consent
for the large opencast coalmine has been subject to a long legal
process, including challenges from the Royal Forest and Bird
Protection Society and the West Coast Environment Network.
It
originally won resource consent from the West Coast Regional Council
in August 2011.
Last
May the Environment Court rejected the Environment Network's
proposition that carbon emissions created by the ultimate users of
the coal should be considered.
The
High Court dismissed an appeal on this point, as the matter was
considered relevant to central government, rather than local
government.
Yesterday
a majority of Supreme Court judges ruled that amendments to the
Resource Management Act in 2004 precluded consent authorities from
taking into account the climate change effects resulting from the end
use of the coal.
Chief
Justice Dame Sian Elias, however, said in her dissenting judgment
that she would have allowed an appeal.
The
majority judgment, delivered by Justice William Young, stated the
decision was consistent with clear legislative policy which meant
addressing the effects of climate change was outside the functions of
regional councils.
This
decision also has implications for the proposed Mt William extension
of the Stockton mine, which is owned by Solid Energy.
The
extension was given resource consent in August last year without
hearing climate change evidence.
Coal
mined from this site would be exported to India, China, Japan, Brazil
and South Africa for use in steel manufacturing.
The
oilman asked Russell Norman of the Green Party if he thought climate
change was more important than economic growth. Russell should have
put the question back – do they prefer economic growth to human
life?
Never
mind non-human life – we already know they don't give a fuck about
that!
Petroleum
experts challenge Green Party
The
Green Party was accused of holding unrealistic and unscientific
positions during a debate on oil and gas exploration in Wellington
last night
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.