Jennifer Marohasy

a forum for the discussion of issues concerning the natural environment

Carbon Trading

Queensland to Dump ‘Green’ Schemes

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NEW Queensland Premier, Campbell Newman, orders ex-Queensland Premier’s husband, Greg Withers, to kill green schemes. That’s according to an article in today’s The Australian:

“The showpiece of the Gillard government’s $1.5 billion Solar Flagships Program is now in jeopardy, after Mr Newman yesterday pulled the plug on $75 million in state funding pledged for the $1.2bn Solar Dawn solar thermal project near Chinchilla, west of Brisbane.

“[Federal] Resources Minister Martin Ferguson yesterday suggested the federal government might withdraw its own $464m contribution, promised only last month…

“Mr Newman yesterday declared his LNP government would axe seven other green schemes, on the grounds the carbon tax would make them redundant…

“Mr Newman has given the job of dismantling the programs to the bureaucrat who set them up – Greg Withers, who is married to Ms Bligh.

“We want him to unravel those programs ’cause he’s the bloke who set them up…

Read more here: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/elections/campbell-newman-orders-anna-blighs-husband-greg-withers-to-kill-green-schemes/story-fnbsqt8f-1226311864712

Labor Annihilation in Queensland Will Not be Repeated Federally, Because

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I live in Queensland, a very large, resource rich northern state. For too many years we’ve had Labor governments that have run with very populist themes and policies. And we’ve had Chief Scientists that have actively ignored evidence to implement Labor politics. [1]

Tonight Queensland Labor was annihilated at the ballot box and will likely be left with just seven seats in the 89-seat parliament. Yes. Annihilated.

Like many Queenslanders I was so excited about voting today. I was so pleased to be a part of a democracy and to know that ordinary people voting together could and would change the government and decisively. And yes we did.

Next year there is a federal election. If only federal Labor government would learn from this Queensland Labor defeat and start reversing its most inane and ignorant policies now… like the carbon tax.

There has been comment that federal Labor is in for as convincing a defeat. But a big difference is that the federal Opposition doesn’t have clear alternative policies or a popular leader.

Indeed on the big issues that matter to me, like climate change and the Murray Darling, the Australian Liberal party has policy that is as embarrassing and ignorant as that of the current federal Labor party.

I may have been excited about voting in Queensland today for Campbell Newman. But unless Tony Abbot, as the alternative Prime Minister, starts articulating sensible alternative policies on the issues that really matter federally he won’t be getting my vote next year.

And on the issue of the carbon tax…

There may not have been many people at the no carbon tax rally in Canberra last Thursday, but weren’t the penguin costumes great. [2]

What this and so many related issues need at the federal level is an articulate and committed opposition. But go to the federal Liberal home page and click on the environment policy and this is what you get: “Tony Abbott and the Liberals stand for real action to tackle the complex challenges of climate change, energy security and water scarcity.”

There is no water scarcity: the drought broke with flooding rains about 18 months ago. We need a federal government that acknowledges the need to plan for natural climate variability. We don’t need subsidies for businesses that want to sequest carbon as proposed by Mr Abbot.

Read more and it gets worst. http://www.liberal.org.au/Issues/Environment.aspx

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1. Deceit in the Name of Conservation
https://jennifermarohasy.com.dev.internet-thinking.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Review55-1DeceitinNameConservation.pdf

2. Much thanks to Jim S. for the photograph and for being there.

Australia to Become Involved in ‘Subprime’ Carbon Market?

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EARLIER this week the Australian Senate passed the Clean Energy Bill and the associated 18 other Bills that set out the carbon pricing mechanism due to come into effect from July 1, 2012. The so-called big polluters will need to reduce or offset their emissions from that date.

One potential mechanism for offsetting emissions is by buying Kyoto compliant carbon units from overseas.

The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) established under the Kyoto Protocol is a cornerstone of the existing international greenhouse-gas emissions-trading scheme. It allows emissions to be offset by investing in schemes, for example hydroelectric power and wind farms, in developing countries. But the schemes have to be certified.

About one-fifth of existing Clean Development Mechanisms (CDM) are registered in India, and certified, but they may nevertheless be non-compliant.

That’s according to a recent article in the journal Nature that reported on a 2008 diplomatic cable published by WikiLeaks.

The situation may have improved, but the Nature article suggests it may have actually gotten worst. Then again the United Nations own validation and registration process for the CDMs, like Kyoto itself, is fairly arbitrary and bureaucratic and not particularly focused on emissions reductions.

Now the carbon tax legislation is through the Australian parliament the Australian Regulator will start to auction floating priced carbon units, based at least in part on CDMs. In addition to buying carbon units in the auction process, secondary markets and derivative markets will likely also develop in Australia also linked in to the international greenhouse-gas trading system.

So does this in effect mean Australia will soon be linked in to a type of ‘subprime’ UN compliant carbon trading scheme?

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Australia: Carbon tax/pricing mechanism approved – what needs to be done to prepare for it? By Fiona Melville And Jo Garland
http://www.utilityproducts.com/news/2011/11/1538624264/australia-carbon-tax-pricing-mechanism-approved-what-needs-to-be-done-to-prepare-for-it.html

Clean-energy credits tarnished: Wikileaks reveals most Indian claims are ineligible. By Quirin Schiermeier.
Nature, Volume 477, pages 517-518

Carbon Tax Almost Australian Law

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“THE Greens will support the Gillard government’s $300 million steel transformation plan in both houses of parliament, ensuring Labor’s entire carbon tax plan will be passed into law.

“The party’s support will be conditional on an amendment requiring the government to pay regard to green jobs in allocating steel restructuring funds.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/carbon-plan/coalition-in-bid-to-delay-carbon-tax-bills-as-labor-offers-extra-time-for-debate/story-fn99tjf2-1226163940257

And while the Australian government asked the Australian people for submissions, most of the 4,500 were apparently against the tax and so rejected.

http://www.menzieshouse.com.au/2011/10/disgraceful-4500-aussies-silenced-by-the-gillard-brown-regime.html

Carbon Tax Legislation: Viv Forbes’ Submission

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THE nineteen bills on “Australia’s Clean Energy Future Legislation” are listed here:

http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/jscacefl/bills.htm

Written submissions can be emailed to the Joint Select Committee at:

jscacefl@aph.gov.au

The government’s advice on preparing submissions is here:

http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/documnts/howsub.htm

You have just a few days to do something… submissions close on September 22.  Why the rush?

[Read more…] about Carbon Tax Legislation: Viv Forbes’ Submission

Gillard’s $4 Million Propaganda: Send It Back!

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Dear Jennifer, As you are probably aware, Julia Gillard announced recently that she wants to spend four million dollars of our hard-earned tax dollars to mail a pro-tax propaganda campaign to every Australian household. And this is on top of the twelve million dollars in TV Advertising already announced. And this is just the start!

So let’s send her a message. When we get our glossy, focus-group tested propaganda piece in the mail – let’s just send it back! Let’s flood their mailboxes and show Labor MP’s just what the Australian people think! If enough people do this, then maybe some Labor MP’s wlil finally be convinced to do the right thing and will VOTE NO!

If it arrives in an envelope simply write RETURN TO SENDER and post it. If it arrives as loose junk-mail, pop it into an envelope and address it to:
The Hon. Greg Combet
Minister for Climate Change
House of Representatives
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600

So when you get this piece of propaganda in the mail – don’t just toss it in the bin: SEND IT BACK!

Timothy Andrews, Managing Editor
Menzies House