Australian and NZ turn their back on climate change action

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

Black day for climate science as new PM Tony Abbott axes Climate Commission

Examiner,

19 September, 2013

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.

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

Stuff,

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