All articles
-
Greenpeace Esperanza begins Energy [R]evolution tour
Signing the Kyoto Protocol was an important symbolic step for the new government – much like saying sorry. In fact, it opened the door for Kevin Rudd to be a global leader on climate change, if he’s prepared to step up to the task. But to do that will require so much more than setting…
-
The Clean Coal Myth Gets A Helping Hand
In case it has slipped anyone’s minds, let me recap why the environment movement campaigns on climate change. We have a few years left to get emissions falling dramatically and in Australia, we need to be looking at at least 40% reductions below 1990 levels by the year 2020. This is if we want to…
-
Why choosing coal is like choosing betamax (what's betamax?)
I’m writing this blog on a wireless connection. The entire Bali Conference Centre is “unwired”, including meeting rooms and cafes, and it’s extremely handy. As I’m writing this, I’m remembering one of my first trips to Bali 10 years ago, and how far communications technology has come in that decade. And I’m reflecting on how…
-
The coal mafia’s last gasp
This is the election we had to have. Finally, the environment movement with the help of the Australian population has dragged climate change onto the agenda. Meanwhile the coal industry, their pollie buddies and their gullible lap dog lackeys are still kicking and screaming. And the lie that they’re screaming is ‘clean coal’. Ha! The…
-
Hey big spender, don’t forget the planet
We’re one week into the election campaign and the shopping lists of political promises are already adding up to big dollars for both parties. And although both Prime Minister John Howard and opposition Leader Kevin Rudd would have us believe they are serious about climate change, they are yet to put their money where their…
-
Proposed coal-fired power stations
So the current Minister for the Environment Malcolm Turnbull’s latest hollow pre-election statement is that the Australian ‘world of electricity’ should be zero emissions by 2050 (ABC television 24 September 2007). It’s hard not to be cynical when one contrasts the rhetoric of the government with what is actually happening in the ‘world of electricity’…
-
APEC, security and the need to protest
It would seem that the battle lines are drawn. On one side are thousands of highly trained police with batons, tazers and a brand spanking new water canon. On the other side are the people of Sydney. Hang on a minute. Isn’t there something wrong here? In an era of anti-terrorist hype, it is all…
-
Toxic Effect Of A Decade Of Skepticism
One of the most toxic effects of a decade of climate skepticism and Greenie-bashing from the Howard Government has been the impact on the media. Journalists tell stories of pressure from Ministerial advisors and the ‘Greenhouse Mafia’ in industry when they debunk nuclear power, clean coal or talk about the most worrying climate impacts. It…
-
Leaked copy of APEC Leaders Statement
Today we were leaked a copy of the draft APEC leaders’ statement on climate change. For a minute, it sounded like APEC might actually do something good on climate change. A quick read through the document, however, confirmed our suspicions: that APEC is being driven by the John Howard and George W Bush anti-Kyoto agenda.…