Japan shelves ETS – Australia should do the same

29 December, 2010 by

Mt Fuji: try offsetting that...

China and India have no intention of strangling their economic growth with emissions reductions, the US won’t be enacting climate legislation anytime soon, but plucky little Australia, with its massive 1.28% contribution to global emissions (down from 1.5% as those from developing countries skyrocket) is prepared to sacrifice its prosperity on the altar of “tackling global warming”. Why shouldn’t we, says our Julia? The EU has an ETS (which hasn’t reduced emissions and is bogged down in corruption and fraud), New Zealand has an ETS (on their 0.11%, or just over one thousandth, of global emissions), and very soon Japan will as well… no, wait, reality check ahead:

JAPAN’S decision to postpone its plans for an ETS by 2013 has increased pressure on Julia Gillard over her goal of pricing carbon next year.

The postponement has also set back efforts for a global market to cut global carbon pollution [harmless carbon dioxide gas – Ed]

Opposition climate action spokesman Greg Hunt called on the Prime Minister to rule out an emissions trading scheme by New Year’s Day in the wake of the Japanese move.

The decision by the world’s fifth-largest greenhouse gas emitter and Australia’s second-largest trading partner to postpone the scheme for a year comes after the US also stepped back from a national emissions trading scheme and as international firms remain concerned about lax pollution controls in China, which has no obligations under the Kyoto Protocol.

…

Two weeks ago, [Greg Combet] defended the Rudd government’s carbon pollution reduction scheme, dumped by the former prime minister. He said it had included an emissions trading scheme that would have “provided the greatest certainty that Australia would meet its emissions reductions targets”.

But, Mr Hunt said, the government’s plans were “now in tatters”.

“First Canada, second the US and now Japan have all determined that there is a better way to cut emissions than a massive electricity tax.

“The Prime Minister should drop this electricity tax before New Year’s Day.” (source)

Not a chance, Greg Hunt. Don’t forget, Bob Brown and the Greens have a loaded gun pressed to Labor’s head – drop the carbon price, they pull the trigger. They’ll probably pull the trigger anyway, when Labor don’t agree to 90% cuts by next year, or whatever nonsense the Greens want.

In other news, The Australian’s Cut and Paste section is devoted to the cognitive dissonance emanating from the US warmists as snowstorms hit New York:

Judah Cohen in The New York Times, December 25:

THE earth continues to get warmer, yet it’s feeling a lot colder outside. All of this cold was met with perfect comic timing by the release of a World Meteorological Organisation report showing that 2010 will probably be among the three warmest years on record, and 2001 through 2010 the warmest decade on record. How can we reconcile this? The not-so-obvious short answer is that the overall warming of the atmosphere is actually creating cold-weather extremes. It’s all a snow job by nature. The reality is, we’re freezing not in spite of climate change but because of it.

John Goetz on the website Watts Up With That? on December 27:

[JUDAH Cohen] had to be joking, right? There is no way a “director of seasonal forecasting at an atmospheric and environmental research firm” could possibly believe the weather we are experiencing out here on the east coast is in any way different from the past. The New York City blizzard of March 1888 certainly left a lasting impression, as it was used to measure several other bruising storms. (source)

And an editorial warns us that watching the climate has blinded us to watching the weather:

Failure to watch the weather as well as the climate has arguably led to loss of life and injury that might have been avoided if authorities had spread grit on British roads as well as spreading the word about global warming. International airlines, so busy selling carbon offsets for global miles, might have been better employed ensuring that Heathrow bought a few more snow ploughs. The tendency to see the wood and not the trees was illustrated last month as ABC TV’s Lateline interviewed Rear Admiral Neil Morisetti, the British special envoy on climate and energy security. While he was busy in Canberra talking about the long-term impact of climate change on national security, back in Britain the weather threat from cold and snow was looming as a real and present danger. (source)

A tiny puddle of climate sanity in a mighty ocean of climate madness.

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More green waste – Gillard's "Green Start" scrapped

22 December, 2010 by

Governments need plenty of these...

Because wasting taxpayers’ money and axing jobs is just fine, so long as we’re “saving the planet.” Of course, if we trace the logic back, green loan schemes such as this are theoretically needed to encourage people to invest in energy saving measures, which are necessary to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, which are the source of greenhouse gases, which are the cause of “dangerous global warming”… or so states the IPCC.

The Gillard government uncritically swallows everything the IPCC says, and shuts its eyes and ears to any dissenting views. It also blindly relies on various compromised government advisers, including ACM favourite Will Steffen, who has been in good form recently, mudslinging, spouting propaganda and smearing deniers. But why wouldn’t he? The entire careers of climate scientists the world over, including Steffen, is paved with gold from the AGW hysteria they themselves help to create, so even if they had any doubts, why would they dare reveal them in public and thereby help kill the golden goose?

But what does the government find? Tragically, it’s not the green utopia that Bob Brown and his cronies keep promising, but the unacceptable costs of spruiking a green agenda in the face of harsh economic reality.

So it’s little surprise that yet another “green” scheme collapses in a heap, following close on the heels of the home insulation (pink batts), solar rebates and Green Loans debacles, and all of it can be traced back to the spin and misrepresentations of the IPCC:

EIGHT months after the Federal Government axed its disastrous home insulation scheme, it announced yesterday it would also stop its “Green Start” program because there were too many “risks” involved.

The axing of the environmental scheme just days from Christmas means that, within weeks, thousands of people will be without work.

Labelled a “disaster” by the Federal Opposition, the Government’s original Green Loans program was yesterday slammed as a “disgrace and a sinful waste of money” by one NSW assessor.

The multi-million-dollar scheme was supposed to provide 360,000 households with energy-efficiency checks and access to interest-free loans of up to $10,000 for environmental improvements such as solar panels and insulation.

Following criticism of the administration of the scheme, the Government announced in July the Green Loans program would be replaced by a Green Start program, to be delivered in two rounds.

But Climate Change Minister Greg Combet yesterday announced the Government would dump Green Start, forcing nearly 10,000 accredited and uncontracted assessors – 4635 in NSW – to find alternative work. (source)

Who cares? It’s all well intentioned. What’s a few jobs and a few million dollars between friends compared to the future of the entire planet?

Filed Under: Climate Tagged With: , , ,

Run for the hills! Oakeshott's on the climate committee!

6 October, 2010 by

Imbecilic

Who could be better suited to a blinkered, imbecilic climate committee than a blinkered, imbecilic independent? Drum Roll please: Rob “I’ll be in even if I fall in” Oakeshott is the latest member (after he failed to make the grade for speaker and couldn’t think of any better way to stay in the political limelight). Rob’s interminable speeches will mean another load of unwanted gaseous emissions the committee will have to tackle. And another reason why the Opposition should avoid it like the plague.

Read it here.

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Gillard backflips on carbon tax

17 September, 2010 by

First of many?

Well, that didn’t take long, did it? Hands up those of you who didn’t see this coming. Comments by BHP’s Moonbat Marius yesterday put the issue of a carbon tax back on the agenda. The Greens are cock-a-hoop, as they would be, and Julia Gillard failed spectacularly to rule out such a tax, despite doing so before the election. As Australian Conservative reports:

Julia Gillard today walked away from her election-eve promise to oppose a costly carbon tax on Australian householders.

On the Friday before the election Ms Gillard stated categorically: “I rule out a carbon tax.” (The Australian, 20 August 2010).

But today, when asked by media, would she rule out a carbon tax, she blinked:

Gillard: Look, we, we’ve said we would work through options in good faith at the committee that I have formed involving of course the Greens … We want to work through options, have the discussions at that committee in good faith.

Journalist: So you are not ruling it out then?

Gillard: Well look ah, you know I just think the rule-in, rule-out games are a little bit silly.

Before the election, she unambiguously ruled out a carbon tax. Now, after the election, ruling in or ruling out a carbon tax is now “a little bit silly” according to the PM.

It now looks like Julia Gillard is opening the door to a plan by Labor’s partners, the Greens, for a carbon tax.

Now, after the election, it appears that Labor has a secret plan to back-flip and support the tax.

Before the election, Wayne Swan said: “what we rejected is this hysterical allegation that somehow we are moving towards a carbon tax” (Meet the Press, 15 August 2010).

Mr Swan also said: “We have made our position very clear, we have ruled it out” (7.30 Report, 12 August 2010).

Julia Gillard again claimed: “There will be no carbon tax under the government I lead” (Channel 10, 16 August 2010).

The Prime Minister was today speaking at a sustainability media event. But it’s now clear she hasn’t been able to sustain her pre-election promises to rule out a carbon tax. (source)

This will be just the first of many backflips by Julia as she desperately tries to appease the demands of the Greens, ably assisted by a self-serving businessman who wants to spruik his uranium over coal. At least some businesses are rejecting the call:

The Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry said Mr Kloppers’s statements did not represent the views of its members.

“We unambiguously represent the views of energy users rather than producers,” ACCI economics and industry policy director Greg Evans said. “Our members are concerned about the impact of either of a carbon tax or an ETS.

“We certainly don’t believe Australia should pre-empt any international action.” (source)

A statement so blindingly obvious, it is astonishing that no-one seems to get it. We really are through the looking-glass now, folks.

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Pointless climate action inevitable

9 September, 2010 by

The nightmare continues...

Thanks to Labor, the hysterical eco-loony Greens and the witless independents, a price on carbon is virtually guaranteed, and probably within the lifetime of this parliament. All we can hope is that its life is so brief the moonbats won’t have a chance to do irreparable damage to our economy and our country. As the ABC reports:

Greens MP Adam Bandt and the independents who threw their lot in with Labor have made it clear they would like to see the Federal Government take action to address climate change.

In its negotiations to form government, Labor agreed to convene a climate change committee made up of MPs and experts [but no sceptics, of course, or anyone that could possibly cast doubt on the AGW hysteria propounded by the IPCC] that would work towards putting a price on carbon.

The Climate Institute says it is hopeful the new Government will act more promptly and decisively than the previous Labor government, but a mining industry body says it is reserving judgment.

The independents who sided with Labor and Mr Bandt made it clear shortly after polling day that they want something done about climate change. [Just like that! Easy! As if Australia legislating an ETS will make one iota of difference to the climate! It’s simply laughable.]

“I support the precautionary principle and whether it applies to a market or not, or is carbon tax or whatever else, but if the climate scientists are in fact right and we do nothing, what have we done to future generations?” independent MP Tony Windsor said. [Yep, Windsor thinks that spending trillions of dollars to solve a non-problem is better than spending it on hospitals or schools. A bit like the NBN really…]

…

John Connor from the Climate Institute says it is a big step forward. [Backward.]

“I think it is very possible that we will get a price tag and limit on pollution here in Australia in the next couple of years,” he said.

“I think it is in everyone’s interest if we get on with that and do that as early as we can in this Parliament so people can understand the world won’t end, and in fact opportunities will arise and come as a consequence of that action.” [In the fairy-tale land you inhabit, perhaps, but not in the real world.]

Mr Connor says the election outcome should serve as a warning to Labor and the Coalition that the electorate wants action. (source)

Which is utter nonsense. People voted Green as a protest against the incompetence of Labor – nothing to do with crippling our economy with a pointless ETS or carbon tax.

Filed Under: Climate Tagged With: ,

Gillard on climate change

8 September, 2010 by

Gillard on the 7.30 Report

As we would expect, the climate change “committee” that Julia Gillard will set up in agreement with the Greens will be stacked with warmists, and there won’t be a sceptic within 20 miles. From the ABC’s 7.30 Report last night (thanks to Laurie W for the link):

KERRY O’BRIEN: OK. If we can look at your early priorities in this Gillard Government. Climate change has had a very chequered career within Labor’s first term, and even during the campaign. When your climate change committee that you’ve agreed to with the Greens has been set up – which it will be done as – I think by late this month – what timeframe would you want to see for that committee? And are you committed to seeing legislation come into the Parliament within this term of office?

JULIA GILLARD: Well, in the spirit of including people, Kerry, it’s not for me to dictate. But what I would like to see from that committee is that we can genuinely include, across the Parliament, people who believe climate change is real and who believe we will only reduce carbon pollution and meet our 2020 targets if we price carbon. And then with all of those people in the room, we’d work through to look for the points of agreement. (source)

Just read that sentence again: The committee will be formed from “people who believe climate change is real and who believe we will only reduce carbon pollution and meet our 2020 targets if we price carbon.” So what on earth is the point of this committee other than to rubber stamp a decision already made?

You can already detect the stench of Green influence on this government, and it will only get more putrid…

Filed Under: Climate Tagged With: ,

Election 2010: Labor's implosion

23 August, 2010 by

Labor headquarters this afternoon

Didn’t take long for the recriminations and back-stabbing to begin. In fact, it began on election night thanks to Maxine McKew. A great advert for Julia’s plea to the independents for “stable government”, ain’t it? Andrew Bolt does the round-up:

It’s getting ugly in Labor, as scores get settled.

Defeated MP Maxine McKew on Labor’s faction chiefs and strategists:

Well, you cannot have a Labor leader removed within two months of an election for it not to have significant ramifications, so clearly that was a factor…

We kept the nation working – that’s an extraordinary achievement. But that was not the central message of our campaign – it should have been built more around jobs.

Former NSW Premier Morris Iemma on Labor campaign director Karl Bitar:

As the campaign director, Karl Bitar ought to have by now fallen on his sword and he just doesn’t have the principle to do it.

Karl Bitar on Iemma:

Iemma’s attacks on me have nothing 2 do with the fed campaign and all about his attempts to privatise electricity in NSW in 2008.

Iemma on Labor power broker and frontbencher Mark Arbib and others of the NSW Right:

They have debased the political process in NSW, they have taken their disease and infected the federal Labor Party.

There’s LOTS more. Read it here (it’s worth it). And if you haven’t seen it already, check out Wayne Swan getting whacked live on Channel 9 – priceless!

Filed Under: Climate Tagged With: ,

Labor "all over the place" on climate

20 August, 2010 by

Blown about like a fart in a hurricane

Does Labor want an ETS or not? Flip a coin – the answer you get will be about as reliable as asking Joolya, who also doesn’t want to admit to wanting a carbon tax or ETS. Labor are in disarray on climate, on the one hand having to appease the Greens, but on the other not wanting to let Abbott scare everybody with the “great big new tax on everything” line.

Let’s look back at what a certain Gillard, J said after the defeat of the ETS in the Senate back in late 2009:

”Today the climate change extremists and deniers in the Liberal Party have stopped this nation from taking decisive action on climate change,” the Deputy Prime Minister said, deadpan, into a thicket of cameras and recorders.

Extremists and deniers. In case anyone had missed the point, she repeated the phrase five times. ”Now [we] have been stopped by the Liberal Party extremists and the climate change deniers. This nation has been stopped from taking a major step in the nation’s interests by Liberal Party extremists and climate change deniers.”

So in her mind back then, clearly delay is denial. Then, having realised she had been outmanoeuvred by Tony Abbott after the defeat of the ETS, and the effectiveness of the Coalition’s “great big new tax” line, she came up with this pointless “citizen’s assembly” on climate, in other words an excuse for doing nothing whilst appearing to do something, which was hammered mercilessly from all sides.

But then came the shady, murky backroom deal for preferences with the Greens. When it didn’t look like Labor would need them, it was happy to continue along the no-ETS path, but now, with the polls split 50-50 and Labor desperate for Green preferences to stay in power, guess what she does: she raises again the possibility of a price on carbon in the next parliament. So transparent.

And now the messages are all over the place, and Labor is in chaos on climate:

Less than 24 hours before voters head to the polls, there is confusion around whether Labor wants to legislate for a carbon price next term.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard is sending mixed messages around whether she would try to pass an ETS next term, or wait until two elections away, after 2013.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott accused Labor of being “all over the place” on climate change.

Ms Gillard told a News Ltd newspaper she would not rule out legislating a carbon price next term.

But when pressed in other interviews, she declined to repeat the statement or clarify her timeline.

She told ABC Radio that Labor would consider the matter in late 2012 and would move to legislate at some stage if the conditions were right.

“Obviously that takes some time, as does the implementation date,” Ms Gillard said.

An interviewer on ABC Radio’s Triple J asked Ms Gillard if she would legislate next term; her response was “we will work to get a community consensus”.

Mr Abbott said: “Labor’s policy is all over the place … they’ve got to make up their minds what they want”.

He told reporters in Sydney that Labor was torn between subcontracting climate change to “some kind of nebulous citizens’ assembly”, and bringing in a carbon price which would force up electricity prices.

Coalition campaign spokesman Andrew Robb said Ms Gillard would use a Labor election victory as a mandate for a carbon tax. (source)

And I would have to agree with that. The Greens, if they hold the balance of power in the Senate, will blackmail Labor into legislating a price on carbon whether Joolya wants it or not.

Please, people of Australia, vote this incompetent bunch of no-hopers out of government tomorrow.

Filed Under: Climate Tagged With: , ,

Shock: Gillard "open to carbon tax"

19 August, 2010 by

Carbon tax in action

There’s a surprise – not. Finally climate crawls back onto the electoral agenda again, as Joolya reveals her desire for an ETS or carbon tax:

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has left open the door for a future carbon price or emissions trading scheme.

Emissions would be abated through policies Labor already had announced, for renewable energy, greener buildings and cars, Ms Gillard told the National Press Club on Thursday.

She said Australians frustrated that Labor had not achieved an emissions trading scheme in its first term should give the government another chance.

“People are making a decision whether they will have a prime minister who believes in climate change, who is committed to leading a national debate to get a carbon pollution reduction scheme and the market mechanism we need to price carbon, whilst delivering on the policies I’ve outlined,” she said. (source)

So all this horseshit about a citizens assembly is a smokescreen, as we knew all along. Joolya and Labor want an ETS or a carbon tax, and with the Greens twisting their arms in the Senate, we will surely get one.

Summary: A vote for Labor is a vote for a carbon tax.

Filed Under: Climate Tagged With: , ,

Election 2010: Gillard devotes 12 words to climate

17 August, 2010 by

Quote of the Day

Drum roll please for Joolya Gillard’s contribution to the climate change debate in her campaign launch yesterday:

Yes we will work together and tackle the challenge of climate change. (source)

Er, that’s it. That’s how highly Labor, the party that was so desperate to push through the ETS before the Copenhagen climate conference in December 2009, now regards the “greatest moral challenge since the dawn of time (or something)”. And where is the Labor-loving media on this shameless backflip? Nowhere to be seen, of course.

UPDATE: Tom Switzer at ABC Unleashed skewers the hypocrisy here. And one of the comments is priceless – wailing that he thinks he’s been “redirected to Liberal HQ”, when of course he’s accustomed to being “redirected straight to Labor HQ” thanks to the ABC’s blatant pro-Labor bias.

Filed Under: Climate Tagged With: , ,
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