Jennifer Marohasy

a forum for the discussion of issues concerning the natural environment

Carbon Trading

What to Listen to, Read, and Action This Week

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 1. The truth about water planning in the Murray Darling Basin:
http://www.theage.com.au/environment/water-issues/axe-murraydarling-plan-and-start-again-us-expert-20110304-1bi62.html

2.  Marian Wilkinson reports on the tough political decisions ahead in the fight over the biggest water reform in Australian history. “Backlash in the Basin” goes to air Monday 7 March, 8.30pm on ABC 1. It is replayed on Tuesday 8th March at 11.35 pm.  http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/

3.  Protests in each city are being organised against the Carbon Tax on Wednesday March 23. 
For more information:

Stop Gillard’s carbon tax page  http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_113660108709587#!/pages/Stop-Gillards-Carbon-Tax/197122506973202

 Revolt against the carbon tax page http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_113660108709587

 Petition against the carbon tax page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stop-Gillards-Carbon-Tax/197122506973202?sk=app_4949752878

4.  And later this week I will be posting more on electricity generation from Tony.

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Consider this an open thread.  Let other readers of this blog know what you are watching, listening to, and reading, this week by way of a comment.

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This blog is about community, and access to information.  Information that is not politically correct or even fashionable…  But hopefully well considered.

‘Carbon Price’ Won’t Reduce Emissions from Power Stations

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THE Australian government has announced plans to introduce a carbon price scheme forcing industry to buy a permit for each tonne of carbon dioxide emitted from July 1, 2012.  A trading system, with the carbon permit price set on a market linked to other schemes overseas, could follow in three to five years.  But the scheme is unlikely to achieve a reduction in carbon emissions from coal fired power stations.  Tony explains:

The Carbon Price and Coal-Fired Power:  A Note from Tony

We are being told that the introduction of this ‘Carbon Price’ will drive down the emissions of the offending greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide.

When those politicians stand at the podium and tell you this, it indicates only that they have no idea whatsoever of how electrical power is generated.

When I try and explain that what they say is incorrect, that is somehow perceived as my taking a political standpoint by disagreeing with the politics of either the Labor Government who are introducing this, or The Australian Greens Party, who are in fact driving the Labor Government on this matter.

To effectively understand what effect a ‘price on carbon’ will have on coal fired power generation, you need to understand how a coal fired power plant produces its electrical power, and once you can visualise this, then it becomes patently obvious that just placing a price on those emissions will not lower those emissions by any amount whatsoever.

[Read more…] about ‘Carbon Price’ Won’t Reduce Emissions from Power Stations

Cash for Carbon in Copenhagen

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Barun Mitra, director of an Indian NGO attending the Copenhagen negotiations and representative of the Civil Society Coalition on Climate Change (www.csccc.info), stated today:

“Today’s G77 walkout at the Copenhagen climate conference is purely a negotiating tactic because there’s so much money at stake. Copenhagen is no longer about climate – it’s about cash and corruption, both for poor and wealthy countries. By accepting restrictions on carbon emissions in exchange for cash, the world’s poorest countries are offering to prevent growth and perpetuate poverty. Ultimately, this could be a tragic repeat of the aid industry in the 1960s and 70s, when the leaders of some of the poorest countries stuffed their Swiss bank accounts – all in the name of the poor.”

Australian Liberals Oppose Carbon Trading

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Australian Opposition Leader (Malcolm Turnbull) will be forced to stare down more than two-thirds of the Liberal back bench if he proceeds with his plan to negotiate with the government over amendments to the emissions trading scheme before December’s Copenhagen climate change conference.   Read more here.