Because climate change is seriously uncool.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard avoids talking climate change
The missing words at Julia Gillard's first address as Prime Minister to the National Press Club was "climate change". Outside the building Climate activists from Rising Tide Newcastle had dumped a ute full of coal at the entrance. The protesters called on the Gillard Government to announce a climate change policy that addresses Australia's principal source of greenhouse pollution - coal.
"If she wants to restore the Government's credibility on climate change, Gillard needs to ban new coal-fired power stations," said Steve Phillips, spokesperson for climate action group Rising Tide Newcastle, "Greenhouse pollution is set to sky-rocket in Australia, with twelve new coal-fired power stations on the cards."
"Just this week, in Western Australia, three new coal-fired power stations were approved. There are are more planned in South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland. Coal-fired power generation is already Australia's largest source of domestic greenhouse pollution."
While the protesters chanted outside the front entrance Gillard was chaperoned through a side entrance into the club.
"Australia is already the world's biggest coal exporter, and coal exports are our nation's biggest contribution to the climate crisis. Yet coal corporations in New South Wales and Queensland are planning massive expansions of up to eleven-fold over coming years." concluded Steve Phillips, "Gillard must put a moratorium on the expansion of the coal mining and export industry, and start replacing coal with sustainable, renewable alternative industries."
Inside the press club Gillard's speech did not make one mention of climate or climate change policy, but focussed on the economic and social credentials of the Government. The upcoming eletion campaign will be "clean and green" she said, "but mostly lean."
Outside Greenpeace spokeswoman Trish Harrup told reporters "The policy vacuum created by Labor is being filled with pollution."
According to a Stock and Land article cabinet discussed on Tuesday climate change policy which may include setting an interim carbon price to be implemented sometime in the next two years, as well as other measures.
The electorate waits for the release of this climate policy. It may prove the make or break of the Gillard government campaign for re-election.
Yesterday Climate Change minister Penny Wong unveiled new funding for the National Solar Schools Program - grants of up to $50,000 ($100,000 for multi-campus schools) which are awarded to eligible primary and secondary schools to install solar and other renewable power systems, rainwater tanks and a range of energy efficiency measures. The Program was temporarily suspended in October 2009 due to high demand.
"More than 1000 schools across the nation have already installed solar systems under this program, and another 1500 schools have projects underway to become solar schools," Senator Wong said. “Since the program began in 2008, about 6 MW of renewable solar power has been installed in schools – the equivalent of meeting the electricity needs of 1200 average households each day.
But the tight timing for the National Solar Schools program refunding has been criticised by one solar energy supplier, Energy Matters, "the timing isn't ideal given many schools are in the midst of a break and some school administrators are on well-deserved leave." said Energy Matters co-founder Max Sylvester "We fear the narrow time-frame will see many deserving schools miss out on playing a larger, crucial role in addressing greenhouse gas emissions and slashing their coal-fired related electricity consumption."
As demand is so high for solar power, the Government needs to seriously consider the action plan Zero Carbon Australia 2020 to transition from coal powered electricity generation to renewable energy.
Perhaps as a start our Prime Minister should install solar panels on the Lodge as a symbolic action of leadership.
Image courtesy of Rising Tide Newcastle - Coal dumps on Gillard's Press Club address
Takver is a citizen journalist from Melbourne who has been writing on Climate Change issues and protests including Rising Sea Level, Ocean acidification, Environmental and social Impacts since 2004.
Add a Comment
-
Comment by Mike Clark on July 17, 2010 at 2:02 -
"Effective policy measures" - Andrew I hope you are correct and things will improve after the election because unfortunately we are mostly getting window dressing at the moment.
The solar schools program mentioned in Takver's post above is quite illustrative, although this is a positive program which I hope continues, it has delivered 6MW of generating capacity in 2 years. Given that between April 09 and 10 around 3000 Mw of large scale generation was installed and less than 20% of that was renewables, I'd say current policy isn't all that effective.
If anyone's interested I will shameless plug the blog post I did on this last week
http://transitionkenmoredistrict.blogspot.com/2010/07/and-leader-in...
-
Comment by Andrew Mudie on July 17, 2010 at 0:01 -
...and infinitely more workable than an unwieldy ETS. I'm a big fan of a straightforward, transparent carbon tax. The Greens have definitely got my vote. For me there's no other moral choice.
En-mass voting for the Greens would return the current government to power, no doubt, but with an interesting balance of power to deal with in the upper house at least, and a bunch of introspection due. At that point we MAY see that fluidity in government climate policy manifest itself in effective policy measures.
On 25-40% targets - It's an interesting exercise to take the odds of a proposed measure meeting an emission reduction target, multiply it by the odds of that target keeping the atmosphere below 450ppm CO2E and multiply it again by the odds of 450ppm keeping Earth from a catastrophic runaway climate scenario. Using estimates from sources such as Hansen's GISS papers, you quickly find that the CPRS in its discarded form set us up with a 99%(+) chance of failure, any measure that sets its sights lower than 40% emissions reduction has greater than 65% chance of failure, etc.
Sobering when you consider the consequences.
-
Comment by Ronnie Wright on July 16, 2010 at 15:09 -
An interim carbon tax like that put forward by the Greens would defiantly be a positive move.
-
Comment by Takver on July 16, 2010 at 14:27 -
I agree with you Ronnie. Just today John Connor from the Climate Institute has said that on pollution reduction, the Liberal Party is better than the Government., which really doesn't auger very well as both parties are atrocious in only aiming for 5% emission cuts by 2020 when scientists clearly state we need to aim for 25 to 40% reduction by 2020, and preferably towards the upper end of that range for a reasonable chance of avoiding the worst impacts of climate change.
By per capita equity of carbon emissions on a global basis we, and the USA, should be aiming for 100% reduction in stationary emissions by 2020.
The Greens are the only major political party that recognise what scientists are calling for and have responded in policy. And the more people that vote Green this election the better.
But I think there is some fluidity in Government climate policy. There are indications the Government may be considering an interim carbon tax in discussions with the Greens which would be a positive move. And ALP Vic Senator Jacinta Collins was seen at the Zero Carbon Australia 2020 launch in Melbourne on Wednesday. One hopes she was impressed enough to convince her colleagues to consider such a scheme.
-
Comment by Ronnie Wright on July 16, 2010 at 11:10
-
There is one thing I’m a bit confused about here. Steve Phillips is quoted as saying “If she wants to restore the Government's credibility on climate change…” Well, I must have missed something here in Australia. When did the Australian government ever have credibility on climate change?
She was put in power by big coal not the Australian people. Why would anyone have any hope in hell that she will go against those that have the real power in Australia?
In my opinion the only way people can strip that power away from big coal is to vote Green. Voting for more of the same is not going to do anything but make things worse.
Australia needs real change.
Ronnie Wright
World Change Cafe
-
Comment by Andrew Mudie on July 16, 2010 at 0:22
-
The PM has never been particularly interested in climate. I suspect her close ties with the union members who are employed in the big polluting industries has something to do with her attitude - after all, she wouldn't be PM right now if the union leaders had supported Rudd.
Photos
Events
Badge
© 2012 Created by Grant Hill.
Powered by 
.
You need to be a member of A Climate For Change to add comments!
Join A Climate For Change