Climate Change, Carbon Tax and the Coming Election

With the change of Labor leadership to a recycled Kevin Rudd, it will be interesting to see if "the greatest moral challenge of our time", that of effective response to climate change will feature heavily in the coming election.
Seeing Malcolm Turnbull on Q and A on Monday made me wince. I felt for his answers to various questions regarding the Coalition's "Direct Action" Policy - including the statement:

"The Liberal Party's policy is to do that with a range of measures, so-called direct action but that involves a lot of things. You know, by competitive bidding of carbon reduction mechanisms and a whole range of measures and but the big difference between our policy, apart from the fact it has a much lower cost than obviously the carbon tax at the moment, is that it is not designed to go any further than 2020....So it is not a long-term policy."
And "I have been a very strong advocate of market-based mechanisms. I have to say, however, being very honest - frank about it, that emissions trading schemes to date have worked better in theory than in practice. The over-allocation in Europe has really been something of a disaster in terms of the emissions trading scheme there."

My remembrance of the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme was that more permits were being requested for business by Malcolm (then Liberal Leader), an over-allocation perhaps!.

My early flowering Jonquils

So now we know the Federal Opposition's Direct Action scheme is short-term. So why do it and then have to change schemes?

So is the current scheme, the much maligned, Carbon Tax working?

Matt McDonald, in the Conversation "Why Labor should fight the 2013 election on climate change" writes:
"Greenhouse gas emissions from electricity generation hit a 10 year low in early 2013, driven by increases in cost for wholesale electricity and an increase in the share of electricity provided through renewable sources. Both of these dynamics are attributable to the carbon tax."
And "Most industry representatives they interviewed, all from fossil fuel intensive industries, indicated support for increased government intervention to set and maintain carbon pricing mechanisms to create business and investment stability". See the Conversation for the rest and his comments today

Other interesting media discussions on the topic include "Extreme Weather" on ABC TV Catalyst show, explaining in some detail why we have been having such cold, bright weather recently.
Jonathon Holmes, now retired from Media Watch, also reprised the topic "Hot air stoking the climate change debate" on 24 June 13.

So does Kevin have the moral fibre to make this an election issue and keep the price on carbon a market based scheme?

Fortnight of heat

Since my last post, much of Australia has sweltered through a long series of extremely hot weather. In a country noted for high temperatures and searing winds, the Australian Climate Commission has released a report on the Extreme Weather we have been experiencing. Entitled "Off the Charts" the summary indicates the issues facing our country. And I quote:"

• The length, extent and severity of the current Australian heatwave is unprecedented in the measurement record.
• Although Australia has always had heatwaves, hot days and bushfires, climate change is increasing the risk of more frequent and longer heatwaves and more extreme hot days, as well as exacerbating bushfire conditions.
• Climate change has contributed to making the current extreme heat conditions and bushfires worse.
• Good community understanding of climate change risks is critical to ensure we take appropriate action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to put measures in place to prepare for, and respond to, extreme weather.

http://climatecommission.gov.au/report/off-charts-extreme-january-heat-2013/
Luckily, Melbourne has had a few cooler days, enabling the houses and people a bit of respite. The Emergency Services people have been kept busy but at least it has not been as disastrous as 2009. Sympathies go to the people of the Tasman Peninsula in Tasmania and the many people facing huge fires in NSW.