Rudd's climate failure on global show
Prime Minister Rudd's failure-in-waiting approach to climate change will be on global show this week, according to the Australian Greens.
Australian Greens Leader Senator Bob Brown said Mr Rudd's 5% target fails the Bali Road Map target of 25-40% reductions in greenhouse gases over 1990 levels by 2020.
"Mr Rudd is handing over $16 billion to old polluters to help them keep polluting, while failing to invest near enough in fostering green alternatives" Senator Brown said.
"He talks about saving the Great Barrier Reef and Murray Darling while locking in targets that will destroy them.
Hospitals and schools should get ETS help instead of polluters: Greens
The States should use today's COAG meeting to urge the Federal Government to both lift its carbon pollution reduction targets and compensate the States ahead of polluters, otherwise front-line jobs in health, education and essential services are at risk, according to the Australian Greens.
Australian Greens Leader Senator Bob Brown said new research from the Australia Institute showed that State Governments had been ignored by Canberra in drawing up the CPRS in favour of big polluters.
Read on or view ABCTV Lateline Interview online
Christine Milne - Speech to National Press Club
Thank you for your warm welcome. I begin by acknowledging the Ngunnawal people, the traditional owners of the land.
Gandhi once said, "The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world's problems."
We have reached a point in human history where 'what we do' on this planet imperils our survival. Now is the moment to re-imagine and reconsider 'what we are capable of doing'.
As Kofi Annan said recently, "The world is at a crossroads. [The Copenhagen] negotiators [must] come to the most ambitious agreement ever negotiated or continue to accept mass starvation, mass sickness and mass migration on an ever growing scale. Weak leadership," he said, "is failing humanity."
So what is stopping us from achieving what we are capable of, of reaching 'the most ambitious agreement ever negotiated'?
Coming Up - Christine Milne at the National Press Club
WHO: Greens Deputy Leader, Senator Christine Milne
WHEN: 12.30 pm Wednesday 17 June
WHERE: National Press Club and televised on ABC1
Senator Milne will set out the Greens' vision for responsible and
ambitious action to address the climate crisis and build a happier,
healthier and safer Australia.
Real Action on Climate Change - Campaign Resources.
You can download, printout and distribute these flyers, posters and stickers through your networks and in your local area.
Planet in crisis - Where to from here?
NSW discussion:
You're invited to share an evening with Senator Bob Brown and guests
When: 6.30 pm – 8.30 pm, Friday 15 May 2009
Where: Ferguson Hall, St Stephens Uniting Church, Macquarie St Sydney
- climate change & the political will to transform the economy
- harnessing community action to create the political will
- ensuring a just transition for workers
Hosted by NSW Greens MLC Ian Cohen. All welcome.
Support the Greens' campaign for effective climate change action
You can support the Greens by writing to the newspapers in your state to show the Prime Minister that Australians support an emissions trading scheme that protects the environment, not polluters. Click here to write a letter today.
Download Campaign Resources
Protecting the climate is a job for everyone
Australia needs real domestic action on climate change. Unfortunately, the Rudd government’s Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme is deeply flawed.
The Government has announced that it will delay the scheme by one year and deliver another $2.2 billion in compensation to Australia’s biggest polluters—in addition to $7.4 billion the polluters are already getting.
The Greens are prepared to support a minimum unconditional 25% target – the bare minimum required by science and the global community – to end 12 years of climate inaction. And Treasury modelling shows it is affordable; by 2020 Australia’s GDP will be roughly three times the size it is today whether we have a ‘worse than useless’ 5% target or the minimum effective 25% target.
Read on or Download Campaign Resources.
Big polluters and big parties line up against climate and community
The greatest threat to Australia's economy comes from the prospect of Australia's big old parties uniting with big old polluters against the climate and the community, the Australian Greens said today.
Responding to calls for bipartisanship today from Greg Combet, David Pearce, Andrew Robb and the Business Council of Australia, Australian Greens Deputy Leader, Senator Christine Milne, warned that a bipartisan approach that cosseted polluters at the expense of the environment would be the worst possible outcome.
"The biggest threat to Australia's economy would be an agreement between the big parties and the big polluters to prevent the transformation to a zero carbon economy," Senator Milne said.
"It is becoming increasingly clear that big polluters are lining up with the Government to try to convince the Opposition to sign up to the CPRS.
Rudd must not buckle to energy guzzlers on Renewable Energy Target
Australia's biggest energy users must be required to play their part in building a renewably powered Australia, the Australian Greens said today.
Reports today suggest that tomorrow's COAG meeting in Hobart will consider exempting large energy users from the Government's proposed Mandatory Renewable Energy Target even though three out of four economic models show that the RET would reduce the wholesale price of electricity not increase it.
"The Rudd Government is out of control with its corporate welfare to big polluters," said Australian Greens Deputy Leader, Senator Christine Milne.
- Array
- Read more