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Climate change

Below is an index of a few different aspects of our campaigns on climate change issues:

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1. Act now – the future is! 

A stocktake of greenhouse gas emissions caused by mining and burning coal.

The Greens MPs' Guide to Climate Change Action

James Hansen, director of Nasa's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, warns of the threat to all life on earth

Statement issued on behalf of 2,500 scientists from 80 countries  The Greens campaign for responsible production of our future energy needs. 

Dr John Kaye discusses the Greenpeace report: ‘False Hope: why carbon capture and storage won’t save the climate

If we continue on Labor’s current path, our renewable energy industry is set to decline by 3% over the next 15 years.

Australia is the canary in the coal mine for climate-driven desertification

 

2. Labor and Coal Industry path

In 3 words, their response is “More, more, more . . .”

Greens MP and mining spokesperson Lee Rhiannon will join protesters from across NSW today at a Newcastle climate change protest targeting expansion of the coal industry.

Approving more coal mines and power stations is how NSW Labor is combating climate change

Despite the NSW government’s rhetoric on the need for action on climate change, the NSW coal industry underwent rapid expansion in 2008 and received massive government subsidies. In 2008, the NSW government gave the green light to an additional 32 million tonnes of coal across 12 separate projects.

Minister Sartor’s approval of the massive Moolarben coal mine, the largest new coal mine proposal in NSW, again shows Labor is failing the climate change challenge.

The Qld Dept of Infrastructure and Planning, just like the NSW Dept for Planning, also has a healthy sense of humour. 

 

3. Don’t listen to spin, listen to the experts

What some of the experts have to say about the "clean" coal con.

Greenpeace analysis showing that the global cost of coal was at least €360 billion last year alone. by looking at very modest CO2 damage costs, health costs and mining accidents.

Failure of the world to act now will leave Australians with a legacy of economic, environmental, social and health costs that will dwarf the scale of national investment required to address this fundamental problem.

Justice Payne of the NSW Land and Environment Court on the approval of Anvil Hill mine  

The important thing to realise is that there are other issues besides economics. 

World energy use: its sources and electricity production.      

                            smoke      ChimneyStacks

 

4. Leaked to the Greens

A report produced by the Dept of Environment and Climate Change (DECC) and leaked to the Greens details the damage created by NSW's coal mining industry.

A draft copy of DECC’s "Action for Air 2009" leaked to the Greens, reveals the government’s continued failure to meet targets for photochemical smog and particle pollution.

Cabinet documents leaked to the Greens show the NSW government is failing dismally to meet greenhouse gas reduction targets in the State Plan (Sydney Morning Herald, page 6).

 

5.  Further reading:

 
 

 Latest News:

News Item Time to introduce 1km buffer on southern coalfield waterways
Greens MP and mining spokesperson Lee Rhiannon has called on BHP Billiton to agree to a one kilometre buffer around all creeks and waterways on its mine sites, following news of the company’s record $16.68 billion profit for the last financial year.
News Item China links coal use and birth defects
In further evidence that China's love affair with coal is drawing to a close, government officials admitted for the first time that there is a link between the rise in birth defects in certain regions and high levels of pollution. By Tom Young, BusinessGreen, 02 Feb 2009
News Item Farmers rally at NSW Parliament for Greens bill: cross bench MPs hold key to vote
Hundreds of farmers from the Gloucester and Liverpool Plains regions rallied outside NSW Parliament this morning, alongside Greens, National, Liberal and Independent MPs. They were there in support of a Greens bill being debated today that is designed to protect prime agricultural land being destroyed coal mining.
News Item Govt, Nile, Shooters unite against Greens bill protecting prime farming land from mining
Government MPs, the Shooters Party and Rev Fred Nile today indicated they will vote against a Greens bill in the NSW Upper House designed to protect prime agricultural land from mining. Greens MP Lee Rhiannon said farming communities from the Gloucester and Liverpool Plains regions would be understandably disappointed at the outcome.
News Item Greens move to protect prime farmland from mining – bill up for debate in NSW parliament
Greens MP and mining spokesperson Lee Rhiannon has kicked off debate in the NSW parliament on the Greens bill to stop mining and mining exploration on prime farmland in NSW to protect precious water resources and food production.
News Item Labor approves Moolarben mega coal mine, ignores climate change dangers
Greens MP and mining spokesperson Lee Rhiannon says Minister Sartor’s approval this afternoon of the massive Moolarben coal mine, the largest new coal mine proposal on the table in NSW, again shows the Iemma government is failing to step up to the challenge of climate change.
News Item Liverpool Plains water study welcome, but Greens mining bill still needed
Commenting on unconfirmed reports that the Minister for Mining Ian Macdonald may today announce a catchment-wide groundwater study in the Liverpool Plains region, Greens MP Lee Rhiannon said that she would welcome the study but that the Minister's announcement should not be used to detract from another key aim of the Liverpool and Gloucester farming communities: protecting their land from mining.
News Item Mining stalwart sees no future in carbon plan
Kevin Rudd should meet Graham Brown before he decides to spend billions of dollars on carbon capture and storage. A coalminer for more than 20 years, Brown retired in 2007 and is happy to call a spade a bloody shovel. (Paddy Manning, Sustainable Investing, Sydney Morning Herald - Business section, April 25, 2009)
News Item NSW’s carbon burial gamble is a coal-fired distraction
Drilling for sites to store small amounts of liquefied carbon dioxide near Munmorah power station is being used as an excuse by the Rees government for inaction on developing a renewable energy industry, according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye.
News Item NASA scientist links Australian coal exports to species destruction
Leading NASA scientist James Hansen says that Australian coal exports "guarantee destruction of much of the life on the planet" (7 January 2009).
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