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ABC journalists should ignore Chair Newman's anti-science nonsense
The Australian Greens today urged ABC journalists to ignore the anti-science nonsense peddled by the Chair of their board and instead increase their strong coverage of climate change.
ABC Board Chair, Maurice Newman, today told senior ABC staff that climate change was an "emotional issue" and that journalists were too "intolerant" of climate sceptics.
"I trust that ABC journalists will not be cowed by the anti-science speech delivered by the Chair of their board," Australian Greens Deputy Leader, Senator Christine Milne, said.
"Maurice Newman has no expertise in climate science and his interference in the independence of his journalists is unwelcome.
Minister Wong must clarify: Is it already too late to get a Green Loan?
The Greens are today calling on the new Minister responsible for Green Loans, Minister Wong, to immediately clarify whether or not it is already too late for Australian householders to get a Green Loan.
With a huge number of householders still awaiting the paperwork needed to secure a loan, lending institutions across the country have already stopped processing loans, well ahead of the public March 22 deadline for loans to end.
"I've received a flood of calls and emails from both householders and assessors deeply troubled and frustrated by the confusion surrounding the remnants of the Green Loans debacle," Australian Greens Deputy Leader, Senator Christine Milne, said.
Senate censures Government over climate program mishandling
The Senate has passed a censure motion moved by Australian Greens Leader Senator Bob Brown over the Rudd Government's mishandling of climate change programs.
An amended version of the censure motion moved by Senator Brown today was passed by the Greens and the Coalition and will now be conveyed to the House of Representatives.
This is the first time a formal censure of the Government has been passed by the Senate since 2005.
14 days until CPRS returns; Government not attempting to negotiate passage
With only 14 days until the government's fatally flawed emissions trading scheme returns to the parliament, neither the Prime Minister nor the Minister for Climate Change have made any attempt to secure the bills' passage through the Senate.
"If Mr Rudd and Minister Wong have any real intention to pass an emissions trading scheme bill in a fortnight's time, they had better get cracking negotiating its passage," Australian Greens Deputy Leader, Senator Christine Milne said.
"With no prospect of getting Mr Abbott's support, the government must either work with the Greens or acknowledge that bringing the legislation back a third time is purely a political stunt.
"Since the collapse of the bills a second time in December, we have written twice inviting the government to negotiate around our proposed amendments.
"Minister Wong, however, apparently prefers to misrepresent the Greens' position on negotiations than engage in constructive negotiations.
Abbott goes for preference shake-up with weak environmental plan
Opposition leader Tony Abbott's foray at the Sydney Institute last night into the debate on climate change, environmental protection and Greens preferences has to be welcomed even if his solutions are lame or deceptive.
After the failure of the Copenhagen Climate Conference and the Rudd government's useless emissions trading scheme this country needs urgent debate on the way forward on climate change.
Greens sign Boobook Declaration in 2010 – International Year of Biodiversity
Australian Greens Leader Senator Bob Brown has today announced the Greens support for the Boobook Declaration, calling on the Australian Government to act decisively to protect biodiversity in 2010, the United Nations International Year of Biodiversity.
"Kevin Rudd and Penny Wong should adopt the Declaration's action plan. Protecting biodiversity is one of the best tools we have for tackling climate change. Natural ecosystems are our carbon banks for the future," Senator Brown said.
"As with other measures to combat global warming, investment in protecting biodiversity now will help prevent the costs of catastrophic climate change in the future."
"A strong Australian economy is dependent on our increasingly fragile natural environment. The strongest economies of this century will have been supported by strong investment in protecting the environment now," Senator Brown said.
Greens call for release of Australian climate campaigner in Denmark
The Greens are calling for the immediate release of Natasha Verco, who has been imprisoned in Denmark since her arrest during the COP15 climate conference in Copenhagen three weeks ago.
"The use of heavy handed and disproportionate tactics like preemptive arrest of peaceful demonstrators was a grim counterpoint to the total failure of Governments to come up with a just and effective response to climate change," said Greens Senator Scott Ludlam.
"Natasha Verco is an Australian whose record of work for climate justice speaks for itself. She was arrested, along with many others, for the crime of helping organise a peaceful demonstration in Copenhagen. She has been incarcerated ever since.
Greens propose new year negotiations on emissions trading
The Australian Greens have today written to the Prime Minister, proposing for the fourth time since May to enter good faith negotiations around the emissions trading scheme.
"The government's only choice for meeting Copenhagen's goal of less than 2C warming is to talk to the Greens and we propose good faith negotiations for the new year," Australian Greens Leader, Senator Bob Brown said.
"The Greens have always stood ready to negotiate with the government, but Minister Wong has rebuffed us, refusing to talk about targets.
"Let's have a clean slate in the new year and agree to good faith negotiations around the whole emissions trading scheme in order to get Australia moving towards that clean, bright future."
A copy of the Greens' letter follows:
Back to the Future
On December 12, I joined over 500 Novacastrians in the annual Walk Against Warming event. In the following article, published in the Newcastle Herald on Saturday, Dec 19, I explore my personal connections to the area, along with what the future might hold for the Hunter.
2010 federal election will be a referendum on global warming - Greens
Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown says that, after the Copenhagen collapse, next year's federal election will be a referendum on global warming.
"The 2010 poll is shaping up as a vote for or against Australia taking a lead in fixing global warming below 1.5 degrees. That means a 2020 target of reducing the nation's greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent over 1990 levels and, in doing so, taking action for the rest of this threatened world to follow," Senator Brown said.
"Kevin Rudd's target range of 5-25 percent needs lifting to responsibly meet the need. Tony Abbott's got no effective target - so he is taxing everyone's patience. Where is his plan to tackle the polluters?"
