“Later, Fairfax Media went to another publicly-accessible area from where the Cutaway is audible. Mr Turnbull was heard to lament the Coalition was presently "not capable" of dealing with climate change as an issue, despite it being "a profound problem".” [Journalist Michael Koziol writing in The Sydney Morning Herald, 16 November 2018]
Showing posts with label climate change. Show all posts
Showing posts with label climate change. Show all posts
Saturday 24 November 2018
Quotes of the Week
“ScoMo’s blue bus is the perfect symbol of the man and his government –
a brash, ostentatious cliché, non-functional and completely phoney.” [Journalist Mungo MacCallum writing in The
Monthly, November 2018]
“Australians often
over-estimate the proportion of the population that is Muslim, with Ipsos
surveys finding respondents believe it is 17 per cent when the reality is 3 per
cent.” [Journalist David
Crowe, writing in The
Sydney Morning Herald, 18 November 2018]
“Later, Fairfax Media went to another publicly-accessible area from where the Cutaway is audible. Mr Turnbull was heard to lament the Coalition was presently "not capable" of dealing with climate change as an issue, despite it being "a profound problem".” [Journalist Michael Koziol writing in The Sydney Morning Herald, 16 November 2018]
“If
they're going to fine everyone who calls Scott Morrison a "fucking
muppet" this country will never be in debt again.” [Richard O’Brien, Twitter,
19 November 2018]
Labels:
climate change,
immigration,
Malcolm Turnbull,
Scott Morrison
Tuesday 20 November 2018
Climate Change: Wallarah 2 longwall coal mine legal challenge
The Australian Coal
Alliance states it is; concerned citizens of
the Central Coast are worried about the impact that longwall coal mining in the
Central Coast Water Catchment Valleys and beneath residential homes will have
upon our drinking water catchment, and upon our health, lifestyle and properties. We will continue to
demand that the government introduces legislation into the Parliament to
protect the Wyong Water Catchment District, the largest drinking water resource
on the Central Coast, from mineral extraction, and to protect homes from being
undermined by longwall coal mining.
This is its legal battle............
Environmental Defenders
Office NSW, 14
November 2018:
EDO NSW, on behalf of
the Australian Coal Alliance (ACA), argued in Court that the Planning
Assessment Commission’s (PAC) decision to approve the Wallarah 2 longwall coal
mine on the Central Coast was unlawful and invalid.
Barristers Craig Leggat
SC and Josie Walker argued against the approval of the mine on the basis of
climate change, ecologically sustainable development, impacts to water
resources and flooding impacts.
The legal team: Craig
Leggat SC, Josie Walker of Counsel, Brendan Dobbie, Acting Principal Solicitor
and Isaac St Clair-Burns, Solicitor of EDO NSW.
“Our client ACA
argued that the PAC’s decision was invalid on 10 specific grounds”, said David
Morris, CEO of EDO NSW. "We focused on the PAC’s assessment of the mine’s
downstream greenhouse gas emissions and impacts to the Central Coast water
supply and likely flood-affected properties.”
The Wallarah 2 project
is predicted to have impacts on 88 private properties, which will be exposed,
in varying degrees, to increased risks of flooding. The mine has proposed
various options to mitigate those impacts or, where that is not practicable, to
make arrangements for the voluntary purchase of flood affected properties. The
ACA questioned the legal validity of those conditions.
In addition to the
predicted impacts from flooding and to the Central Coast water supply, Wallarah
2 will make a substantial contribution to greenhouse gas emissions – estimated
to be more than 264 million tonnes of CO2 over the 28-year life of the mine.
NSW law required the PAC to consider an assessment of those emissions when
approving the mine. However, the ACA argued in Court that the PAC specifically
disavowed consideration of downstream greenhouse gas emissions and therefore
the approval was contrary to the law and also to the principles of ecologically
sustainable development, which includes the principle of intergenerational
equity.
“This case is by its
very nature climate change litigation, which we’re seeing more and more in
Australia. We argued that the law in this case wasn’t followed with respect to
climate change impacts and the principle of intergenerational equity”, David
Morris said.
Of additional interest,
this was a paperless trial, one of the first that EDO NSW has been involved
with, and it proceeded very smoothly.
A judgment is expected
sometime before the end of May 2019.
Further detail on this
case can be found here: www.edonsw.org.au/wallarah2_aca
EDO NSW is an independent community
legal centre specialising in public interest environmental law and members of Northern Rivers communites can
contact the EDO at any time via the hotline on 1800 626 239 for free legal advice concerning local environmental matters.
Labels:
climate change,
coal,
EDO NSW,
law,
mining,
NSW Central Coast
Friday 9 November 2018
When will the Federal Government realise there is a Climate Emergency?
The need for urgent and
effective action on climate change is becoming a major issue in Australia . More people are starting to realise that we
are facing a climate emergency and that we are being caught short largely
because of the incompetence of our Federal Government which continues to be
captive to climate denialists and the coal lobby.
The message from the
October 20 Wentworth byelection does not appear to have resonated with Prime Minister
Morrison and others in his Government.
Morrison is equating the devastating swing against the Government with
the electorate’s concern about the dumping of their popular member, Prime
Minister Turnbull. While that was
certainly a factor, there were other concerns about the Government’s poor
performance with a major one being its lack of effective climate action.
Despite all that
Wentworth voters said about climate change (as well as the way they voted),
there are Government members who claim Wentworth cannot be seen as comparable
with other electorates. Wentworth is different! According to them, climate
change is not a major issue elsewhere.
It will be interesting to see if this wishful thinking lasts until next
year’s federal election campaign.
While Wentworth
indicated the growing public concern about climate change, other recent
developments in relation to climate have further shown how out of touch the Government
is.
Morrison started his
Prime Ministership with the determination to assist drought-affected
farmers. But he brushed aside any
linking of this latest severe drought with climate change. However, the National Farmers Federation and
an increasing number of farmers acknowledge the link and understand that simply
throwing drought relief money at the problem is only a short-term solution. Calls for discussion about land use in parts
of the country are growing. These
include consideration of the viability of some forms of farming and whether
farming will be sustainable in some areas as climate change impacts worsen.
The latest data on
Australia’s climate emissions for the twelve months to March 31 was released
late on the Friday afternoon of the Grand Final weekend (September 28). The
Government had been sitting on this data for months and quite obviously did not
want it noticed – for good reason. The
report showed that emissions have continued rising as they have every quarter
since the end of the carbon price in 2014. Emissions continue to increase
simply because the Government does not have an effective policy to curb them.
Despite this bad result,
the Prime Minister and Melissa Price, the Minister for the Environment, managed
to put a positive spin on the figures. Price
claimed Australia would beat its 2020 target – an impossible achievement. And Morrison, ignoring reality completely,
claimed Australia was on track to achieve its 2030 Paris targets and would do
so “in a canter”. This is despite the analysis
of experts who say we will fall drastically short unless there is an urgent
change in government policy.
The recent dire
announcement by the IPCC has shown just how urgent the climate issue is. According to an analysis of the IPCC report
published by the Climate Council “limiting global warming to 1.5°C would
require rapid and far-reaching transitions during the coming one to two decades
– in energy, land, urban and industrial systems”. (The aim at Paris was to keep global
temperature rise well below 2°C above preindustrial levels and to attempt to
limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C. A rise of 2°C would produce
catastrophic effects.)
At war within itself, our
Government just does not have either the interest in the issue or the will do
what is essential - to act effectively across the board to reduce our emissions
drastically. This is in spite of the Wentworth result and all the polls
indicating that a growing number of people are concerned and want effective
action.
As well as concerned individuals, scientists, environmentalists and
farmers, it is significant that many in the business community, who know they
need to take measures to protect their businesses in a carbon-constrained
world, also want effective action from the government.
Just what are the
chances of the current Government coming to its senses and acting in the
national interest? At the moment that
seems unlikely. We may have to wait for
a change in government - unless a grass roots campaign across the nation
persuades Morrison that he has no chance of political survival unless he
changes tack.
Hildegard
Northern Rivers
29th October 2018
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GuestSpeak is a feature of North Coast Voices allowing Northern Rivers residents to
make satirical or serious comment on issues that concern them. Posts of 250-300
words or less can be submitted to ncvguestspeak AT gmail.com.au for consideration. Longer posts will
be considered on topical subjects.
Saturday 3 November 2018
Tweets of the Week
I remember when Australia has a price on carbon, investment in renewable energy was booming, carbon emissions were falling & Australia was seen as a global leader in these policies— Stephen Koukoulas (@TheKouk) October 26, 2018
If Murdoch and his sons won’t rein in its extremist propaganda, advertisers should flee Fox, and investors should flee its parent company, News Corp. Its stock should become as toxic as shares of mining companies that produce “blood diamonds.” Me: https://t.co/GVsXBolSt9— Max Boot (@MaxBoot) October 29, 2018
Remember the date well 11/1/18. On this day in history President Donald Trump announced building massive concentration camps to house asylum seekers while giving permission for the military to fire on civilians armed with nothing more than rocks. @realDonaldTrump— Brian J. Karem (@BrianKarem) November 1, 2018
Labels:
climate change,
government policy,
murdoch,
News Corp
Wednesday 31 October 2018
North Coast Environment Council Global Position Statement Says NO to Wood-fired Power Stations
North Coast Environment Council: Global Statement Against Wood FiredPower Stations, 24 October 2018 by clarencegirl on Scribd
https://www.scribd.com/document/391698905/North-Coast-Environment-Council-Global-Statement-Against-Wood-FiredPower-Stations-24-October-2018Saturday 27 October 2018
Tweet of the Week
OMG now I’ve heard it all. I was just discussing the positives of solar energy with a Trump supporter at lunch.— Little Jackie Paper #FBR (@s_schuckman) October 23, 2018
He said it sounds good but what happens when we start to use up all the sun’s energy and it gets darker and colder on Earth. 🤯
Labels:
climate change
Tuesday 23 October 2018
This private member's bill signals an ongoing threat to forests on the NSW North Coast and elsewhere in the state
This is Austin William Evans, NSW Nationals MP
for Murray since 14 October 2018 when he won the seat on the back of a by-election after fellow Nationals Adrian Piccoli resigned.
On 18 October
2018 Evans introduced a private member’s bill in the NSW Legislative Assembly titled,
National
Parks and Wildlife Legislation Amendment (Riverina) Bill 2018 or An Act with respect to certain lands in the
Riverina region reserved under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 or
dedicated under the Forestry Act 2012; and for other purposes.
As yet no
text of this bill is publicly available.
However,
there are no prizes for having guessed that this bill seeks to revert the Murray Valley
National Park to a state forest to allow timber harvesters back in.
According to
state parliamentary records the Bill
lapses in accordance with Standing Orders on 19/4/2019.
Austin Evans
has told the media he
hopes to have a second recording of the bill before the end of the year and
expects Berejiklian Government MPs to support it.
The 41,601ha Murray Valley National Park was
declared in July 2010 and is part
of the largest continuous red gum forest in the world, this region hosts a
unique ecosystem with over 60 threatened native animal species and 40
threatened plant species. It is also an important place for Aboriginal people.
Make no
mistake Evans’ bill represents the unsustainable native timber industry’s desire
to make inroads into the wider national park system.
In fact it
made sure it never really left the Murray Valley National Park, having received
milling timber via so-called ''ecological
thinning'' of sections of the park since 2012.
Given the number of national parks and reserves in the Northern Rivers region it is time to put pen to paper and remind Premier Gladys Berejiklian that growing the total area covered by the national park system, as well as reining in broad scale land clearance and/or extensive logging in rural and regional areas, is one of the easiest ways to mitigate against rising state greenhouse gas emissions.
The Berejiklian Government has already walked back from the transfer of 23,000 hectares of low productivity state forests to the national park estate and presented a whittled down version of the National Park Estate (Reservations) Bill 2018 which passed both Houses on 17 October 2018.
Although under this passed bill an est. 2,200ha of state forest will become part of the national park estate in January 2019 and and further est. 1,791 of state forest will be rededicated as state conservation areas, the total amount of protected viable koala habitat is limited.
In an effort to redress this, amendments were proposed which include the creation of the Great Koala National Park.
As of 18 October 2018 both NSW Greens and NSW Labor support the Great Koala National Park proposal and, if there is a change of government at the 23 March 2019 state election, we should see a genuine start to placing protection on enough viable habitat to begin to reverse the koala's decline towards local extinctions.
The Berejiklian Government has already walked back from the transfer of 23,000 hectares of low productivity state forests to the national park estate and presented a whittled down version of the National Park Estate (Reservations) Bill 2018 which passed both Houses on 17 October 2018.
Although under this passed bill an est. 2,200ha of state forest will become part of the national park estate in January 2019 and and further est. 1,791 of state forest will be rededicated as state conservation areas, the total amount of protected viable koala habitat is limited.
In an effort to redress this, amendments were proposed which include the creation of the Great Koala National Park.
As of 18 October 2018 both NSW Greens and NSW Labor support the Great Koala National Park proposal and, if there is a change of government at the 23 March 2019 state election, we should see a genuine start to placing protection on enough viable habitat to begin to reverse the koala's decline towards local extinctions.
Monday 22 October 2018
When you are on a low income and you rent governments have a tendency to place you in the too hard basket when it comes to clean renewable energy schemes
The Australian
Census found that in 2018 the NSW state population stood at 7.48 million
people.
An
est. 826,922 or 31.8 per cent of these individuals lived in rental
accommodation.
Over 15.2 per cent of NSW renting households are paying between est. 25.1% and 50% or more of gross weekly household income
in rent.
These people cannot afford to enter this new
Berejiklian Coalition Government renewable energy scheme, because as renters they have no
real security of tenure and would be permanently foregoing a $285 annual low income household rebate with no hope of recouping
the initial $3,500 solar panel installation cost when their landlords refuse to
renew the lease or sell the property.
Indeed, I rather suspect that like other home solar
power incentive schemes certain categories of renters would be ineligible to
even apply.
Energy
NSW, 28 September
2018:
The NSW Government has
announced $15 million in clean energy funding for a new solar program aimed at
saving low-income households hundreds of dollars each year on their power
bills.
Acting Secretary of the
Department of Planning and Environment, Dr Liz Develin said up to 3,400
households are expected to take part in the voluntary program which will see
homes receive 2.5 kilowatt solar power systems if they forgo their Low Income
Household Rebate.
The trial scheme will be
rolled out in five selected State regions that will maximise the benefit of
solar for local households. The regions are: Sydney – South, Central
Coast, North Coast, Illawarra – Shoalhaven and South Coast.
“The bill savings from
the rooftop solar trial are expected to be close to double the value of
existing rebate savings with an average bill reduction of $600 per household
per year. This means that households who choose to participate in the program
could be around $300 better off each year,” Dr Develin said.
“The program is entirely
voluntary and eligible recipients will be able to reap the benefits of the
program by transferring off the rebate program in return for a rooftop solar
system.
“We know energy bills
are placing pressure on low-income consumers, so we must ensure that we are doing
everything we can to offer support for struggling households.”
The latest round of
clean energy funding has now seen a direct injection of over $170 million into
providing energy bill relief for households and businesses, including in
regional NSW.
For more information
about the solar program go to: www.energy.nsw.gov.au
Labels:
climate change,
electricity,
NSW government,
renewable energy
Sunday 14 October 2018
Scott Morrison and climate change policy
On 8 October
2018 the UN International Panel On
Climate Change issued this media release:
Incheon, Republic of
Korea, October 8 – Limiting global warming to 1.5°C would require rapid,
far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society, the IPCC said
in a new assessment. With clear benefits to people and natural ecosystems,
limiting global warming to 1.5°C compared to 2°C could go hand in hand with
ensuring a more sustainable and equitable society, the Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change (IPCC) said on Monday.
The Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C was approved by the IPCC on Saturday in Incheon, Republic of Korea. It will be a key scientific input into the Katowice Climate Change Conference in Poland in December, when governments review the Paris Agreement to tackle climate change.
"With more than 6,000 scientific references cited and the dedicated contribution of thousands of expert and government reviewers worldwide, this important report testifies to the breadth and policy relevance of the IPCC," said Hoesung Lee, Chair of the IPCC.
Ninety-one authors and review editors from 40 countries prepared the IPCC report in response to an invitation from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) when it adopted the Paris Agreement in 2015.
The report's full name is Global Warming of 1.5°C, an IPCC special report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways, in the context of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change, sustainable development, and efforts to eradicate poverty.
"One of the key messages that comes out very strongly from this report is that we are already seeing the consequences of 1°C of global warming through more extreme weather, rising sea levels and diminishing Arctic sea ice, among other changes," said Panmao Zhai, Co-Chair of IPCC Working Group I.
The report highlights a number of climate change impacts that could be avoided by limiting global warming to 1.5°C compared to 2°C, or more. For instance, by 2100, global sea level rise would be 10 cm lower with global warming of 1.5°C compared with 2°C. The likelihood of an Arctic Ocean free of sea ice in summer would be once per century with global warming of 1.5°C, compared with at least once per decade with 2°C. Coral reefs would decline by 70-90 percent with global warming of 1.5°C, whereas virtually all (> 99 percent) would be lost with 2°C.
"Every extra bit of warming matters, especially since warming of 1.5°C or higher increases the risk associated with long-lasting or irreversible changes, such as the loss of some ecosystems," said Hans-Otto Pörtner, Co-Chair of IPCC Working Group II.
Limiting global warming would also give people and ecosystems more room to adapt and remain below relevant risk thresholds, added Pörtner. The report also examines pathways available to limit warming to 1.5°C, what it would take to achieve them and what the consequences could be. "The good news is that some of the kinds of actions that would be needed to limit global warming to 1.5°C are already underway around the world, but they would need to accelerate," said Valerie Masson-Delmotte, Co-Chair of Working Group I.
The report finds that limiting global warming to 1.5°C would require "rapid and far-reaching" transitions in land, energy, industry, buildings, transport, and cities. Global net human-caused emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) would need to fall by about 45 percent from 2010 levels by 2030, reaching 'net zero' around 2050. This means that any remaining emissions would need to be balanced by removing CO2 from the air.
"Limiting warming to 1.5°C is possible within the laws of chemistry and physics but doing so would require unprecedented changes," said Jim Skea, Co-Chair of IPCC Working Group III.
Allowing the global temperature to temporarily exceed or 'overshoot' 1.5°C would mean a greater reliance on techniques that remove CO2 from the air to return global temperature to below 1.5°C by 2100. The effectiveness of such techniques are unproven at large scale and some may carry significant risks for sustainable development, the report notes.
"Limiting global warming to 1.5°C compared with 2°C would reduce challenging impacts on ecosystems, human health and well-being, making it easier to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals," said Priyardarshi Shukla, Co-Chair of IPCC Working Group III.
The decisions we make today are critical in ensuring a safe and sustainable world for everyone, both now and in the future, said Debra Roberts, Co-Chair of IPCC Working Group II.
"This report gives policymakers and practitioners the information they need to make decisions that tackle climate change while considering local context and people's needs. The next few years are probably the most important in our history," she said.
The IPCC is the leading world body for assessing the science related to climate change, its impacts and potential future risks, and possible response options.
The report was prepared under the scientific leadership of all three IPCC working groups. Working Group I assesses the physical science basis of climate change; Working Group II addresses impacts, adaptation and vulnerability; and Working Group III deals with the mitigation of climate change.
The Paris Agreement adopted by 195 nations at the 21st Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC in December 2015 included the aim of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change by "holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels."
As part of the decision to adopt the Paris Agreement, the IPCC was invited to produce, in 2018, a Special Report on global warming of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways. The IPCC accepted the invitation, adding that the Special Report would look at these issues in the context of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change, sustainable development, and efforts to eradicate poverty.
Global Warming of 1.5°C is the first in a series of Special Reports to be produced in the IPCC's Sixth Assessment Cycle. Next year the IPCC will release the Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate, and Climate Change and Land, which looks at how climate change affects land use.
The Summary for Policymakers (SPM) presents the key findings of the Special Report, based on the assessment of the available scientific, technical and socio-economic literature relevant to global warming of 1.5°C.
The Summary for Policymakers of the Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C (SR15) is available at https://www.ipcc.ch/report/sr15 or www.ipcc.ch.
The Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C was approved by the IPCC on Saturday in Incheon, Republic of Korea. It will be a key scientific input into the Katowice Climate Change Conference in Poland in December, when governments review the Paris Agreement to tackle climate change.
"With more than 6,000 scientific references cited and the dedicated contribution of thousands of expert and government reviewers worldwide, this important report testifies to the breadth and policy relevance of the IPCC," said Hoesung Lee, Chair of the IPCC.
Ninety-one authors and review editors from 40 countries prepared the IPCC report in response to an invitation from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) when it adopted the Paris Agreement in 2015.
The report's full name is Global Warming of 1.5°C, an IPCC special report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways, in the context of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change, sustainable development, and efforts to eradicate poverty.
"One of the key messages that comes out very strongly from this report is that we are already seeing the consequences of 1°C of global warming through more extreme weather, rising sea levels and diminishing Arctic sea ice, among other changes," said Panmao Zhai, Co-Chair of IPCC Working Group I.
The report highlights a number of climate change impacts that could be avoided by limiting global warming to 1.5°C compared to 2°C, or more. For instance, by 2100, global sea level rise would be 10 cm lower with global warming of 1.5°C compared with 2°C. The likelihood of an Arctic Ocean free of sea ice in summer would be once per century with global warming of 1.5°C, compared with at least once per decade with 2°C. Coral reefs would decline by 70-90 percent with global warming of 1.5°C, whereas virtually all (> 99 percent) would be lost with 2°C.
"Every extra bit of warming matters, especially since warming of 1.5°C or higher increases the risk associated with long-lasting or irreversible changes, such as the loss of some ecosystems," said Hans-Otto Pörtner, Co-Chair of IPCC Working Group II.
Limiting global warming would also give people and ecosystems more room to adapt and remain below relevant risk thresholds, added Pörtner. The report also examines pathways available to limit warming to 1.5°C, what it would take to achieve them and what the consequences could be. "The good news is that some of the kinds of actions that would be needed to limit global warming to 1.5°C are already underway around the world, but they would need to accelerate," said Valerie Masson-Delmotte, Co-Chair of Working Group I.
The report finds that limiting global warming to 1.5°C would require "rapid and far-reaching" transitions in land, energy, industry, buildings, transport, and cities. Global net human-caused emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) would need to fall by about 45 percent from 2010 levels by 2030, reaching 'net zero' around 2050. This means that any remaining emissions would need to be balanced by removing CO2 from the air.
"Limiting warming to 1.5°C is possible within the laws of chemistry and physics but doing so would require unprecedented changes," said Jim Skea, Co-Chair of IPCC Working Group III.
Allowing the global temperature to temporarily exceed or 'overshoot' 1.5°C would mean a greater reliance on techniques that remove CO2 from the air to return global temperature to below 1.5°C by 2100. The effectiveness of such techniques are unproven at large scale and some may carry significant risks for sustainable development, the report notes.
"Limiting global warming to 1.5°C compared with 2°C would reduce challenging impacts on ecosystems, human health and well-being, making it easier to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals," said Priyardarshi Shukla, Co-Chair of IPCC Working Group III.
The decisions we make today are critical in ensuring a safe and sustainable world for everyone, both now and in the future, said Debra Roberts, Co-Chair of IPCC Working Group II.
"This report gives policymakers and practitioners the information they need to make decisions that tackle climate change while considering local context and people's needs. The next few years are probably the most important in our history," she said.
The IPCC is the leading world body for assessing the science related to climate change, its impacts and potential future risks, and possible response options.
The report was prepared under the scientific leadership of all three IPCC working groups. Working Group I assesses the physical science basis of climate change; Working Group II addresses impacts, adaptation and vulnerability; and Working Group III deals with the mitigation of climate change.
The Paris Agreement adopted by 195 nations at the 21st Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC in December 2015 included the aim of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change by "holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels."
As part of the decision to adopt the Paris Agreement, the IPCC was invited to produce, in 2018, a Special Report on global warming of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways. The IPCC accepted the invitation, adding that the Special Report would look at these issues in the context of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change, sustainable development, and efforts to eradicate poverty.
Global Warming of 1.5°C is the first in a series of Special Reports to be produced in the IPCC's Sixth Assessment Cycle. Next year the IPCC will release the Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate, and Climate Change and Land, which looks at how climate change affects land use.
The Summary for Policymakers (SPM) presents the key findings of the Special Report, based on the assessment of the available scientific, technical and socio-economic literature relevant to global warming of 1.5°C.
The Summary for Policymakers of the Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C (SR15) is available at https://www.ipcc.ch/report/sr15 or www.ipcc.ch.
The aforementioned summary forms part of the scientific findings
informing the IPCC 6th Assessment Report currently being prepared by
the working groups.
Australian Prime Minister and Liberal MP for Cook Scott Morrison sought to downplay its significance because it made
no specific recommendations on a country by country basis.
He stated that last year the “same report” said that “Australia was
right on the money when it came to the mix of climate change policies.
.@ScottMorrisonMP: on the climate report: This report deals with the global situation, it does not provide recommendations to Australia or Australia’s program.— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) October 8, 2018
MORE: https://t.co/Cj9SlGufQm #newsday pic.twitter.com/VXRgEesW5i
As far as I
can tell last year’s special report did not give Australia a glowing endorsement.
If one wants an IPCC opinion on Australia's climate change policy one has to go documents such as this......
If one wants an IPCC opinion on Australia's climate change policy one has to go documents such as this......
This
is an excerpt from the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report (Working
Group II Report "Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and
Vulnerability") on the subject of Australia:
As prime minister Morrison has recently announced he will not be honouring Australia's $200 million pledge to the UNFCCC sponsored global Green Climate Fund (GCF).
It is no secret that Scott Morrison admires US President Donald Trump and right wing American politics generally.
As Morrison argues an inability for Australian action on climate change to make a real difference to ongoing global warming, given we only produce est. one percent of all annual global greenhouse gas emissions, one suspects that he would also agree with this reasoning behind the latest Trump administration refusal to act on climate change.
Adaptation
is already occurring and adaptation planning is becoming embedded in some
planning processes, albeit
mostly at the conceptual rather than implementation level (high
confidence). Many solutions for reducing energy and water consumption in urban
areas with co-benefits for climate change adaptation (e.g., greening cities and
recycling water) are already being implemented. Planning for 1375 25
Australasia Chapter 25 reduced water availability in southern Australia and for
sea level rise in both countries is becoming adopted widely, although implementation of specific
policies remains piecemeal, subject to political changes, and open to legal
challenges. {25.4; Boxes 25-1, 25-2, 25-9} Adaptive capacity is
generally high in many human systems, but implementation faces major
constraints, especially for transformational responses at local and community
levels (high confidence). Efforts to understand and enhance adaptive capacity
and adaptation processes have increased since the AR4, particularly in Australia.
Constraints on
implementation arise from: absence of a consistent information base and
uncertainty about projected impacts; limited financial and human resources to
assess local risks and to develop and implement effective policies and rules;
limited integration of different levels of governance; lack of binding guidance
on principles and priorities; different attitudes towards the risks associated
with climate change; and different values placed on objects and places at risk.
{25.4, 25.10.3; Table 25-2; Box a5-1} [my yellow highlighting]
Successive Coalition federal governments (with Scott Morrison as a cabinet minister) typified this half-hearted approach to climate change mitigation. After four years the largely ineffective Emissions Reduction Fund is almost empty, the Renewable Energy Target has been all but abandoned and the National Energy Agreement is defunct, with the government's attention turned towards growing fossil fuel energy.As prime minister Morrison has recently announced he will not be honouring Australia's $200 million pledge to the UNFCCC sponsored global Green Climate Fund (GCF).
It is no secret that Scott Morrison admires US President Donald Trump and right wing American politics generally.
As Morrison argues an inability for Australian action on climate change to make a real difference to ongoing global warming, given we only produce est. one percent of all annual global greenhouse gas emissions, one suspects that he would also agree with this reasoning behind the latest Trump administration refusal to act on climate change.
The Washington Post, 28
September 2018:
Last month, deep in a
500-page environmental impact statement, the Trump administration made a
startling assumption: On its current course, the planet will warm a disastrous seven degrees by the end of this century.
A rise of seven degrees
Fahrenheit, or about four degrees Celsius, compared with preindustrial levels
would be catastrophic, according to scientists. Many coral reefs would dissolve
in increasingly acidic oceans. Parts of Manhattan and Miami would be underwater
without costly coastal defenses. Extreme heat waves would routinely smother
large parts of the globe.
But the administration
did not offer this dire forecast, premised on the idea that the world will fail
to cut its greenhouse gas emissions, as part of an argument to combat climate
change. Just the opposite: The analysis assumes the planet’s fate is already
sealed.
The draft statement,
issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), was
written to justify President Trump’s decision to freeze federal fuel-efficiency
standards for cars and light trucks built after 2020. While the proposal would
increase greenhouse gas emissions, the impact statement says, that policy would
add just a very small drop to a very big, hot bucket.
“The amazing thing
they’re saying is human activities are going to lead to this rise of carbon
dioxide that is disastrous for the environment and society. And then they’re
saying they’re not going to do anything about it,” said Michael MacCracken, who
served as a senior scientist at the U.S. Global Change Research Program from
1993 to 2002.....
Saturday 13 October 2018
Quotes of the Week
“I fear that the danger of plastic bags is much exaggerated” [Former sacked prime minister & Liberal MP for Warringah Tony Abbott quoted in The Guardian on the subject of plastics polluting the environment, 6 October 2018]
“A key architect of the landmark Paris climate
deal has lambasted the Coalition government’s inaction on greenhouse gas
emissions, saying it “goes against the science”, squanders economic opportunity
and risks Australia’s international standing. Laurence Tubiana, a respected
French diplomat and economist, also says Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s claim
that Australia will meet its Paris targets “at a canter” is contradicted by
international scientific opinion.” [Journalist Nicole Hasham in The
Sydney Morning Herald, 3 October 2018]
“To me this particular event seems to show the Liberal party has
been taken over frankly by extremists on the hard right who aren’t particularly
motivated to win elections and aren’t particularly motivated to serve the
public. They’re just motivated by a crazy agenda.” [Alexander Turnbull, son of deposed Liberal prime minister Malcolm
Turnbull in The
Guardian, 11 October 2018]
Labels:
climate change,
Liberal Party of Australia,
pollution,
science
Wednesday 3 October 2018
Next time a Liberal or Nationals minister ot backbencher starts to boast about how they are reducing national greenhouse gas emissions, look at this graph
It doesn't take a genuis level IQ to identify the point at which the Abbott and then Turnbull federal governments (with Scott Morrison as a cabinet minister in both) began to dismantle climate change policies.
Quarterly
Update of Australia’s National Greenhouse Gas Inventory: March 2018
Incorporating emissions from the NEM up to June 2018 - Australia’s National
Greenhouse Accounts,
released September 2018. excerpt:
1.
National emissions levels are inclusive of all sectors of the economy,
including Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF)…..
The year to
March 2018 annual change saw national greenhouse gas emissions rise by 1.3 per
cent.
Monday 1 October 2018
It appears the Australian Government's $487.6 million* grant to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation may end up paying for little more than ‘feel good’ greenwashing exercises
The
Guardian, 26
September 2018:
Great Barrier Reef
scientists were told they would need to make “trade-offs” to the Great Barrier
Reef Foundation, including focusing on projects that would look good
for the government and encourage more corporate donations, emails tabled in the
Senate reveal.
The documents, including
cabinet briefing notes, contain significant new details about the workings of
the foundation and the
government decision to award it a $443m grant, including:
The
executives of mining, gas and chemicals companies – and international financial
houses that actively back fossil-fuel projects – were among the guests at a six-star
retreat hosted by the foundation less than a month after the grant was
announced;
The
media companies Foxtel and Fairfax and the tech giant Google are among a
tightly held list of donors to the foundation;
The
only CSIRO employee contacted about the grant before the announcement in April
was in Patagonia, and did not get the email. Documents have previously revealed
that the government’s peak science agency was
cut out of the decision to award the grant;
In
August, as scrutiny of the grant intensified, public servants pushed to block a
long-planned meeting between the then science minister, Michaelia Cash, and the
head of the foundation, Anna Marsden, because of concern about the “optics”.
Emails sent by staff at
the Australian Institute of Marine Science outline how government expectations,
the ability to leverage private donations and public perceptions “may drive the
[foundation] to prioritise shorter-term research initiatives in order to
demonstrate progress and return on investment”.
“Where it becomes
challenging is that … interventions with the largest future benefit also take
the longest to develop,” the institute’s executive director of strategic
policy, David Mead, wrote in an email to colleagues.
“Among other trade-offs, we will need to
determine to what degree we focus on quick wins or whether we progress
longer-term strategic interventions and accept that we will only partially
progress them during the next five years (perhaps with little outward
visibility of success/progress).”
The emails also reveal
an initial state of uncertainty about how a $100m allocation for reef
restoration and adaptation would be handled.
Three weeks after the
announcement about the money, Mead was trying to get answers about how the
grant would be allocated.
“I followed up with the
granting agreement, did not really get an answer other than they are working on
it over the next month,” Mead wrote on 18 May. “So we will just have to watch
this space.
“Once the thing is
signed by GBRF we are going to need them to make some definitive statements one
way or the other, as everyone is wondering and I don’t want the team to
destruct … ”
Emails between staff at
the industry, innovation and science department reveal discussion about the
“optics” of a long-planned meeting between Cash, Marsden and the chief
executive of institute, Paul Hardisty.
Note
* The total Great Barrier Reef Foundation grant was for $487,633,300.
Tuesday 18 September 2018
When a prime minster fails to grasp the basics of climate change policy.....
The
Australian Prime Minister for Fossil Fuels and Liberal MP for Cook, Scott Morrison, has been repeatedly insisting
since he came to office on 24 August 2018 that Australia is on target to meet
its Paris Agreement greenhouse gas emissions targets.
Apparently he
is telling journalists that “the
business-as-usual model gets us there in a canter”.
Business-as-usual of course includes those cuts to climate change mitigation programs Morrison made as federal treasurer - including no further funding for the Abbott Government's Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF) which has so far failed to purchase enough abatement to outpace Australia's emissions growth.
Those agencies outside of Morrison's ‘magic circle’ are quite frankly contradicting his prediction of success.......
The COAG
Energy Security Council’s Energy Security
Board expects that Morrison’s refusal to revive National Energy Guarantee
legislation will see the electricity sector “fall short of the emissions
reduction target of 26% below 2005 levels”.
According to
Dept. of Environment and Energy total
annual emissions for the year to December 2013 fell by 0.8%.
No report was issued for the year ending December 2014, however annual
emissions rose by 0.4% for the year ending December 2015 and annual
emissions for the year to December 2016 rose by 1.4%.
While the Dept.
of Environment and Energy's, Quarterly
Update of Australia’s National Greenhouse Gas Inventory: December 2017 stated:
Annual emissions for the
year to December 2017 are estimated to be 533.7 Mt CO2 -e. This represents a 1.5% increase
in emissions when compared with the previous year. Over the year to
December 2017, there were increases in emissions from the stationary energy
(excluding electricity), transport, fugitive emissions, industrial processes
and product use, waste and agriculture sectors. These increases were partially
offset by a decline in emissions from the electricity sector. The annual
increases in stationary energy (excluding electricity) and fugitive emissions
were largely driven by an increase in LNG exports. [my
yellow highlighting]
The
independent Climate
Works Australia reported on 6 September 2018:
Australia is not yet on
track to meet its emissions reduction targets under the Paris Agreement but
there are many opportunities to still get there, according to new research
released today.
The ClimateWorks
Australia report, Tracking Progress to net zero emissions, found Australia
needed to double its emissions reduction progress to achieve the federal
government’s target of 26-28 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030, and triple
progress to reach net zero emissions by 2050.
The report found
Australia’s emissions were 11 per cent below 2005 levels in 2017 but have been
steadily increasing since 2013. If Australia sustained the rate of improvement
in emissions intensity it had achieved between 2005 and 2013, it could meet the
government's 2030 target. But progress has stalled in most sectors and reversed
overall. [my yellow highlighting]
Climate Works’
latest report, Tracking
progress to net zero emissions: National progress on reducing emissions across
the Australian economy and outlook to 2030, was released in September
2018 and although cautiously optimistic it doesn’t suggest that a Morrison
Government would be able to just canter towards the commitments given in Paris:
This report uses
findings from the Deep Decarbonisation Pathways Project (DDPP) and compares
these with the Australian Government's emissions data and projections to
examine whether Australia is on track for a net zero pathway and for its first
commitments under the Paris Agreement on climate change to reduce emissions by
26 to 28 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030. It assesses recent progress since
2005 and the outlook to 2030.
In common with 179 other
countries who ratified the Paris Agreement, Australia has committed to keeping
global warming well below 2 degrees, aiming to limit warming to 1.5 degrees and
to reach net zero emissions. For developed countries like Australia, a 2 degree
limit is generally accepted to mean reaching net zero emissions by 2050 – the
majority of states and territories have agreed to this goal. Limiting global
warming to well below 2 degrees or 1.5 degrees would require an earlier date.
Australia’s current
emissions reduction target is 26 to 28 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030. This
is less ambitious than the Climate Change Authority’s recommended target range
of 45 to 65 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030 for Australia’s contribution to
a 2 degree goal (CCA 2015). To make sure the world is on track, all countries
in the Paris Agreement have been asked to consider whether their current target
is ambitious enough.
We already know
Australia can reach net zero emissions by 2050. The Pathways to Deep
Decarbonisation in 2050 (DDPP) report (ClimateWorks et al 2014) identified the
emissions reductions potential to put Australia on a pathway to net zero in 2050
while the economy continues to grow…
In 2017 Australia’s
emissions were around 11 per cent below 2005 levels. This is an increase from
their lowest point in 2013. Overall progress was due to strong reductions in
the land sector, while emissions rose in most other sectors. Although there
were improvements at the whole of economy level and in some sectors,
improvements on average were not equivalent to the pathway to net zero
emissions by 2050.
Emissions are higher in
buildings, industry and transport than they were in 2005. Emissions are lower
in the land sector, with the reduction being larger than increases in other
sectors. Electricity emissions fell slightly…
There were times of
reasonable emissions intensity improvements in industry and buildings but, as
with the electricity sector, these improvements then slowed or reversed. This
occurred alongside the repeal of the carbon price and related policies. Energy
intensity improved in these sectors, suggesting better energy efficiency, but
not at the rate needed for net zero. And in industry, some of this improvement
was driven by declines in energy-intensive manufacturing….
Without further policies, Australia will not be on track
for the net zero pathway or the Government's 2030 target. ClimateWorks’ research previously
identified potential emissions reductions on the net zero pathway and this
report shows where this potential is not yet being unlocked. The national
process of developing Australia’s long term emissions reduction strategy
provides an opportunity to unlock this remaining potential and get on track to
achieving net zero emissions by 2050, as do similar processes in many state and
territory governments. [my yellow highlighting]
Thursday 13 September 2018
Australia has a prime minister who rejects realitiy and embraces idiocy
Scott Morrison with a coal specimen supplied by the Minerals Council of Australia ABC News, 9 February 2018 |
During an interview
with the ABC 7.30 program on 11
September 2018 Prime Minister & Liberal MP for Cook Scott Morrison declared he is “troubled” by the politics of envy in
Australia and has “a very strong view” on what fairness means.
His version
of “fairness” is a redefinition far removed from the contents of any dictionary
wherein it is usually taken to mean impartial and just treatment or behaviour
without favouritism or discrimination.
His expresses
his version of fairness as “those that have a go get a go” or “a fair go for
those that have a go”– phrases that are inherently judgemental.
It seems that in Morrison's world only individuals who are already capable of helping themselves in some fashion will deserve
assistance from others.
Morrison
again refused to say why the parliamentary Liberal Party changed leaders and in the interview sought to divorce himself from both the spill process and outcome, as though he
wasn’t a participant in those rolling leadership ballots.
But what
caught the attention of a numbers of viewers was his response to two questions.
The first response contained Morrison's assertion that he had separated climate/ environment and energy policies and admissions that he was removing climate change targets from future energy policy and was giving no guarantee of future funding for greenhouse gas emissions reduction.
The first response contained Morrison's assertion that he had separated climate/ environment and energy policies and admissions that he was removing climate change targets from future energy policy and was giving no guarantee of future funding for greenhouse gas emissions reduction.
The second involved his belief that there was a need for additional legal protections of religious freedoms when none were being threatened.......The moment @ScottMorrisonMP condemned my great grandchildren to death. @abc730 #auspoll #climatechange pic.twitter.com/eKlhfEY7jc— Fr Rod Bower (@FrBower) September 11, 2018
For Scott Morrison the primary fear of a majority of the Australian population is less important that demonstrating his missionary zeal to institutional Christianity and his unwavering support to the fossil fuel industry.Sales: "Can you give me an example at the moment where people's religious freedoms are being impinged?"— Greg Jericho (@GrogsGamut) September 11, 2018
Morrison: "That's not the point. Australians want to be sure that in the future those things won't be"
oh dear #abc730
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