All articles
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Continued inaction is not an option at the CBD
Our Pacific Political Advisor Seni Nabou reports back from the first few days of meetings at the UN’s Convention for Biological Diversity (CBD), in Nagoya, Japan. As a Pacific Islander, attending these big world conferences can be overwhelming. The sheer size, grandeur, pomp, ceremony and alien language (diplo-speak) are enough to cower any sane individual…
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Who knew real change would look like this?
The seconds and minutes ticked by as the nation waited to know the outcome of the 2010 federal election. 2pm came and went, Bob Katter briefly appeared to let the Australian people know he would be going with the Coalition, and still we all waited for the two Independents to arrive and cast their deciding…
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Australia’s second climate change election
When Kevin Rudd won the 2007 election in a landslide, it was heralded as the world’s first climate change election. Three years later, having squandered their mandate, the ALP went to Saturday’s election having tried to bury the issue. With little clear difference between the offerings of the two major parties, and neither pushing their…
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The election of denial and delay
Leading into this Saturday’s election, Greenpeace sent all Parties and sitting members our election asks. The Greens are the only party that have responded directly to us. The Coalition and the ALP have released various relevant policies over the course of the election campaign. The good news first. This is the short bit. The ALP…
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Are Fish and Chips a Greater Threat to Whales than Harpoons?
One of our campaigners in New Zealand, Karli Thomas, sent me a link to a recent program from 60 minutes New Zealand. It contains some disturbing information. We know that whales face many threats beyond whaling including ship strikes, entanglement in fishing nets and the impacts of climate change. But the program contains evidence…
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Will Julia learn from failed leaders on climate?
Failure to act on climate change claimed the political scalp of Kevin Rudd and John Howard before him. How Julia Gillard responds to the issue will play a crucial role in the success of her leadership. Regardless of what Tony Abbott may hope, climate change isn’t going away as a public issue. It will continue…
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Why are taxpayers paying for coal trains?
I had a cursory glance through the Queensland and New South Wales State budgets yesterday to see if there was anything interesting going on in terms of climate change. There wasn’t. New South Wales allocated around $21Million to leverage private sector investment for 6 new large scale renewable projects – but it hardly makes up for…
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Rudd’s Unconscionable Climate Back Flip
Paul Winn is our Forests and Climate Campaigner. Here is what he had to say about Prime Minister Rudd dumping the CPRS. Last year Kevin Rudd was quoted as saying ‘No responsible government confronted with the evidence delivered by the 4000 scientists associated with the International Panel could in conscience choose not to act’. So…
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We Aren’t Celebrating The Fact We’re Drowning
Shirley Atatagi is one of our political advisors based in the Pacific. She's currently in Tuvalu for the King Tides Festival. In this blog post she explains Tuvalu's vulnerability to climate change impacts and why Tuvaluans celebrate the festival.
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Copenhagen Photo Exhibition Shows Extent Of Impacts
Slightly removed from the organised chaos of the Bella Centre (the chief venue for the Copenhagen summit), the Climate Rescue Station is proving to be an oasis of calm and tranquility, a place of relaxation and reflection. A perfect locale to host a new photographic exhibition to illustrate the impacts of climate change around the…