Tasmanian Forests and Mark Carnegie on Q and A

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee took a very short time to chuck out the Federal Government's plan to delist the Tasmanian World Heritage Forests. So the International experts think our PM and Government are wrong.
The tired argument of jobs vs environment is also WRONG.
Perhaps the Federal Government needed to listen to ABC's Q and A last night where Mark Carnegie talked about '60 year olds' having difficulty keeping up with the changes and technology. Government was slated as being completely unable to move fast enough on good ideas.
The quip  "Business being Hussein Bolt compared to the Government" hit home.

Australian Business may be more a Ben Johnston than Hussein Bolt. Sneakily trying to do feather their own nests, keeping the status quo, lobbying Government on  commitments to fossil fuels than opening themselves up to innovation, climate change challenges and clean energy. Hopefully like Ben Johnston their comeuppance will come sooner rather than later.

Congratulations to the Tasmanian and Australian Environmental activists. But hold on to your hats, the journey will be getting wild and rocky from now on.

Environment Victoria and Australian Conservation Foundation will still be busy organising action
http://environmentvictoria.org.au/   and   http://www.action.org.au/


ACF Video

Australia's Inequality

Its not a 'class issue'
Its not a left wing socialist plot
Its not us versus them envy
Its real
Its inequality in Australia

Its so bloody obvious and will become more obvious as our children become disenfranchised in housing, education and health.
It has to stop.

Read these reports if you don't believe me!

• Oxfam Report  found https://www.oxfam.org.au/2014/01/rapidly-growing-inequality-is-worsening-poverty-around-the-world/
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• Still the Lucky Country?  Also by Oxfam 
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• Advance Australia Fair?What to do about growing inequality in Australia. By the Australia Institute 2014

Read Joseph Stiglitz " The Price of Inequality" at a library near you.
A public Library that tries to reduce the effect of inequality.

RET Review: Cat and Mouse Game

Can the following people give an unbiased review of the RET (Renewable Energy Target)?

• Former Caltex head Dick Warburton, who has publicly questioned whether carbon emissions cause global warming. 
• Economist Brian Fisher - previous work in oil and gas industry.
• Shirley In't Veld, former head of WA's biggest coal generator.
• Australian Energy Market Operator's Matt Zema

Now isn't that like putting a cat in the mouse house? 

What will you have after they've 'done the job'
Bare bones RET or nothing at all.
"For 14 years, the oil and gas industry has lobbied for the 20 per cent RET to be dumped."

Yet again shame on Tony Abbott and Greg Hunt, ministers of environmental destruction.

RenewEconomy's link to Solar Value Past Present and Future gives a good understanding of similar issues in the US.

http://www.ilsr.org/future-net-metering-distributed-solar/

Carbon Monoxide poisoning during the coal mine fire at Hazelwood this summer is the next whitewash. We shall see if the claims of the Fire Fighters Union stack up!

World Environment Day 5 June 2014: Tony's Hate Campaign

This Thursday will be World Environment Day. As such I thought a recent list of 'environment' news would be instructive. So please give generously of your time, money, brains to supporting our environment. Do it NOW. Its your support and work that is helping our Environment, not the Government.

• The Federal Budget as a starting point brought more bad news for Environment Groups leading to my email inbox being inundated with meetings, petitions and requests for funds.
• Solar Citizens is holding a "Our Solar at Risk" Public Meeting on 19 June at RMIT- Tickets are free but limited: Check out details at  http://www.solarcitizens.org.au/melbourne to book. 
• The Climate Council has published the "Abnormal Autumn" report.
• See the Conversations take on the Abnormal Autumn report.
• Australia's environmental laws including the RET have delivered more than our Kyoto Targets, with very little change to our economy. But these will be wound back with a great new tax (Liberal Party's Direct Action) on the Australian people  instead of the small Carbon Tax on a few companies. To protest at changes to the RET (Renewable Energy Target) join Getup's Protect the RET.
• Dirty air is being breathed by the most poor and vulnerable in Australia according to this report by the Conversation. Equity issues here as everywhere else in Australia.
• Australia's leading place in Mammal Extinction continues with recent reports showing our current efforts are leading to 1 mammal going extinct per decade. How to stop this trend requires money, cost-effective analysis and involvement of industry and stakeholders. But money is now tight and there is not an effective science, conservation or climate change minister in the Federal Government.
• Barack Obama plans a 30% cut in Carbon emissions from its dirty coal-fired power stations. He will have to use Presidential decree to get the plans through and like Australia, the reaction from industry is predictable with politicians in coal industry areas running for cover. He risks the same response as we have had. A new government sweeping away any and everything to do with improvement in environmental laws to benefit the fat cats and conservatives of industry. So much for innovation and new industry development which is sympathetic to clean air, water, local industry and good jobs.
• ABC Lateline reports "The head of China's most advanced carbon emissions exchange says australia could scuttle the creation of a global system of carbon trading by dumping its scheme at a crucial time." We should be careful about annoying China as it starts to flex its considerable economic and political muscles. As well as trying to get its rampant ecological problems under control using clean technology.