The U.S. pushes its own climate change agenda - it's all about increasing the reach of American international trade

The Federal Minister for Climate Change and Water Penny Wong would do well to keep her eye on the ball at the Hawaii climate change conference.

Accepting the elimination of trade barriers as the only or principal outcome of this conference would not significantly move the international climate change response forward.

Europe, Asia, South America and Australia, not the U.S., need to drive the agenda.

This is the only way real progress will be made.

 

"WASHINGTON (AFP) — The United States pushed forward with its own agenda on climate change Friday despite criticism that Washington is attempting to undermine the global effort led by the United Nations.-------

Bush has invited Australia, Brazil, Britain, Canada, China, the European Union, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, South Korea and the United Nations to send representatives to the meeting in Hawaii January 30-31.-------

Europeans leaders in particular have approached the US initiative with reluctance and have said they will take a firm approach to ensure the talks do not undermine the progress made in Bali last month.

High on the US agenda is an attempt to eliminate trade barriers for "climate-beneficial goods and services," Connaughton said.-------

Europeans leaders in particular have approached the US initiative with reluctance and have said they will take a firm approach to ensure the talks do not undermine the progress made in Bali last month.

High on the US agenda is an attempt to eliminate trade barriers for "climate-beneficial goods and services," Connaughton said."

Google News yesterday: 

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jlgTTxinVCRqeqRMGI5Zq7bv0jBw

Barack Obama casts his net wide

I received this email message from the Obama for America campaign team yesterday.

For some reason the team seems to think I vote in the United States.

For details of the obscene amount of money the US presidential nominees are receiving and spending, go to: http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/

It looks as though Malcolm Turnbull's former business associates at Goldman Sachs are making campaign contributions to a number of the candidates, including Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

 

The email.

"In less than 24 hours, voters in South Carolina will head to the polls.

Before they do, I wanted to show you a bit about what kind of campaign we're running here.

When Michelle and I talked about my running for president, one of the core goals we both had for this campaign was to leave the political process better off than we found it.

Here in South Carolina, a state with a history of some pretty divisive politics, ordinary people have challenged conventional thinking about the process and built a statewide organization based on local community organizing and neighbor-to-neighbor contacts.

Our supporters -- men and women of all ages, races, religions, and backgrounds -- have come together around the idea that we are one people, invested in each other and in our common future.

We've put together a few videos that will give you a sense of what we've built here -- please take a look:

http://my.barackobama.com/organize

In communities across this state, people who have never been involved in politics before -- or who had given up on what they saw as a broken system -- have built something special.

No matter what the outcome tomorrow, our work here will have a lasting impact on those communities and on the Democratic Party for a long time to come.

We're seeing the same story play out across the country as grassroots supporters in 22 states prepare to cast their votes or turn out to caucus on February 5th.

Remember that tomorrow night, after the votes are in from South Carolina, the playing field will expand dramatically as races in those states come into full focus.

There will be a lot happening, and the intensity will be ratcheted up.

But the spirit of the grassroots organizing we have done here -- of ordinary people taking back the political process -- will be apparent in thousands of communities across the country.

I believe more strongly than ever that this movement for change can do more than just win an election. Together, we can transform this country.

Thank you for being part of this,

Barack"

Australia Day weekend in the Lower Clarence - rain broken by bouts of sunshine

It's been good to see Hughie sending down enough rain to give the Mighty Clarence a full belly, but it's getting rather damp around the house.

La Nina is doing us proud this year.

Parts of the coastal fringe received between 50 to 99mm in the 24 hours up to 9a.m. yesterday morning.

The frog chorus during the evening and night hasn't been this loud in years, and one large green treefrog has taken up residence in one of my gumboots parked outside the door onto the front verandah.

It's a bit rich when even the frogs are looking for somewhere dry.

Keep it coming, Hughie, there's a good fella - but leave enough fine days so that the NSW North Coast doesn't flood again and the beach dunes have time to recover.

swamp musing

Sitting in the bath last night watching the moon rise over the swamp I was listening to the radio and some presenter  was talking about the Japanese whaling fleet in the southern ocean. A spokesperson for the whaling industry came on and was emphasising Japan's traditional reliance on whaling, this started me thinking if somehow I was transported back in time let's say over 200 years and was standing on Iluka Bluff I would not have seen Captain Cook sail passed but a fleet of Japanese row boats heading south to the Antarctic for the annual whale hunt?

This brings up the question of how far back in time does a practice have to be set to become a tradition?

The type of whaling that the Japanese currently espouse only came into existence after World War II, is that long enough to be a traditional practice?

If the traditional whaling methods were used only whales in the northern hemisphere and close to the Japanese islands would be killed.

On the second glass of wine the questions arrived.

Do the Japanese public know where and how the whale meat sold in their markets gets there?

Are they just told that this is their tradition and some green fanatics are trying to limit their enjoyment of a traditional dish?

I would like to know the answers to these questions, but the bath water is getting cold and it is a busy day tomorrow. I have to mow the pumpkins, they are taking over the ancestral homeland of the tomatoes and eggplants.

Just how much is an old prime minister worth?

Well, we are all now aware that John Winston Howard is offering himself as an international speaker for hire.

The Liverpool City Champion in England has just given us an idea of how much The Washington Speakers Bureau might be charging to hear The Great Man's pearls of wisdom.

How much do you think a tired old neo-con is worth on this fee scale?

 

"The website does not say how much eager audiences will have to cough up to hear Mr Howard but its billing code offers six categories, in US dollars: $1000-$7500; $7501-$10,000; 10,001-$15,000; 15,001-$25,000; 25,001-$40,000; and $40,001 and over."
The Liverpool City Champion article:

http://liverpool.yourguide.com.au/news/national/general/howard-for-hire-on-website/1166094.html

 

Now The Sydney Morning Herald informs us of at least four US speaking engagements next month.

If John Howard were to fall in the mid-range of the billing code he might potentially be earning US$60,000 over those four weeks.

Subsidised as well by the Australian taxpayer who is paying for that research/personal assistant.

 

While Howard is overseas talking up his place in history, let us hope that he will refrain from sour grapes.

Because, behind the fine public words of those close to the Bush Administration, there lies a basic lack of comprehension concerning the Australian Labor Party which makes Americans nervous.

The fact that John Howard's visit appears scheduled to closely precede Kevin Rudd's first official visit as Prime Minister leaves Howard with an opportunity for some private political mischief-making.

The Sydney Morning Herald today:

http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/in-with-the-new-and-no-hard-feelings/2008/01/25/1201157663391.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1

Happy 100th Birthday, BOM

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has been in existence for one hundred years this month.

I may have stood watching the sky and sniffing the air to get a feel for the weather in my youth, but it was to the Bureau's reports that I turned to see if I needed to bring the cattle into sheltered paddocks when winter was at its worst.

Now the Bureau keeps me informed on everything; from when it's unwise to put a foot in the water at North Coast beaches, to when I should batten down the hatches because an east-coast low is on the way.

Town or country - it is a part of daily life.

So Happy 100th Birthday, BOM, and many more to come.

Senator Heffernan loses baby

You almost have to feel sorry for Bill Heffernan.

Out of government and now losing chair of the Northern Australia Land and Water Taskforce.

A position and body which John Howard appeared to have created just to keep him happy in the sandbox.

Although five other Coalition pollies were booted from the taskforce along with Bill, he must be disappointed that he can no longer chase after his dream of either overpopulating and overdeveloping the north of the continent or stripping it of water.

I guess it's back to allegedly impersonating public servants and spooks.

Anyone seen 007 Heffernan lately?