EcoRadio

Category: Climate chaos

The atmosphere is to the earth as a layer of varnish is to a desktop globe. It is thin, fragile and essential for preserving the items on the surface.150 years of burning fossil fuel have overloaded the atmosphere to the point where the earth is ill. It now has a fever. Read the detailed article, Soothing Gaia’s Fever for an evocative account of that analogy. The items listed here detail progress on coordinating 6.5 billion people in the most critical project undertaken by humanity. 

  • Japan and China negotiate Kyoto

     Beijing has not set caps on its rapidly increasing emissions, saying that rising global temperatures are mainly due to fossil fuel use by industrialised nations and that China is entitled to pursue the same level of prosperity that they enjoy.

    China’s top climate change official said in March that a national plan on global warming set to be released this month would include policies for cutting back greenhouse gases, but did not say whether it would give an overall national target.

    The two countries also agreed to cooperate on other measures regarding the environment including: – technical assistance by Japan on desulphurisation of Chinese coal-fired thermal power plants. – setting up an experimental model of recycling society in Qingdao. – joint monitoring of harmful chemical substances including persistent organic pollutants.

  • Labor votes against Kyoto Bill

    The Bill called for Australia to:

    • ratify the Kyoto protocol;

    • set national greenhouse gas emission targets for 2020 at 20 per cent below 1990 levels and 80 per cent below 1990 levels by 2050;

    • introduce a greenhouse gas trigger into the EPBC Act to ensure that information about the greenhouse gas emissions resulting from major developments is adequately considered during the approval process. That trigger will be any action likely to result in greenhouse gas emissions of more than 100,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in any 12-month period.

    • introduce a national energy savings target, an energy efficiency target, to halt the growth in energy consumption by 2008, equivalent to business-as-usual growth in energy consumption.

    • require large energy users to implement the findings of their energy efficiency audits. This would apply to 250 companies in Australia using 40 per cent of Australia’s energy.

    • increase mandatory renewable energy targets so that renewable energy contributes at least 15 per cent to national demand by 2012 and 25 per cent by 2020

    • establish renewable energy feed-in tariffs to provide a minimum price per unit of produced renewable electricity for a set period to provide investors security on income.

    Reference: Senate Hansard, Thursday, 21 March 2007. p.54-56. This document is available at: http:/ http://www.aph.gov.au/hansard/senate/dailys/ds220307.pdf

  • Nicholas Stern urges Howard to embrace Kyoto

    Long-term vision is the key: The new global carbon market – which Sir Nicholas believed had “made a good start” – needed an immediate signal from governments that there would be further cuts to carbon emissions after the first Kyoto period expired in 2012. “A lot of the working of carbon markets depends on long-term investments.” Deciding to build a cleaner power station, for example, required a long-term vision.

    Taxation and regulation are critical: But while the market was important for drawing private finance into clean power investments, it was not the only way to drive change. Also critical were taxation and government regulation. Many countries taxed gasoline to reduce its use, for example.

    The market is important but is not the only way to drive change for clean power investments, such as  taxation and government regulation, reported The Age (18/11/2006, p. 7).

    The Age, 18/11/2006, p. 7

    Source: Erisk Net  

  • Illegal Japanes whaling in Antarctica hits the headlines

    Illegal Japanese whaling events in the Antarctic have hit Australian newspapers, televison and radio this week. No broadcaster in any medium has described the Japanese Government’s whaling activities as illegal. Click here to view the rules and treaties the Japanese Government is violating.

    What are the mainstream newspapers saying?

    Front page on The Sydney Morning Herald

    Plea for help over blazing whaler

    Andrew Darby

    February 15, 2007 – 1:21PM

    `The Japanese Government has called for international help with its stricken whaling ship Nisshin Maru as fire still burns through its factory deck in Antarctica.
    "I think this is a very urgent situation," said Hideki Moronuki, a deputy director at the Fisheries Agency of Japan.
    "I cordially ask the Australian and New Zealand governments to extend their kindest co-operation to the vessel." …

    No comment was available from Australian government officials about any assistance they might provide, but the Ross Sea lies in New Zealand’s search and rescue zone.’

    Full Story

     

    Under Breaking News on The Australian’s web site is the story

    Whaling protesters could face charges

     February 15, 2007
    `ANTI-WHALING group Sea Shepherd could face questioning and even charges in Australia over its protest against Japanese whaling vessels, federal Justice Minister Chris Ellison has said.
    One of the group’s ships was involved in a dramatic collision with a Japanese whaling ship in Antarctic waters this week before its protest was formally called off due to a lack of fuel.
    Sea Shepherd footage of the incident has appeared on TV in Australia, and both sides have blamed each other for the collision…

    "I would remind all those concerned that if they are to call into an Australian port they could well face the consequences of Australian law if they breached it," Senator Ellison said.’

    Full story

     

    The Sydney Morning Herald again

    Government gets whaling data from Japanese: Garrett

    February 15, 2007 – 1:59PM

    `Labor’s environment spokesman Peter Garrett says the only way the Federal Government monitors whaling by Japanese ships is by asking the Japanese what is happening.
    That was like asking a burglar to list what they’ve stolen, he said…

    "Protecting whales and preserving our $300 million whale-watching industry require more than Howard Government platitudes." He said a Labor government would use the international courts to stop whaling for all time.’

    Full Story  

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • King Island to sign Kyoto protocol

    Tasmania’s King Island is planning to sign the Kyoto protocol and formally commit to reducing its greenhouse emissions.

    While the island is well-known for its clean and green produce, residents believe that signing the agreement would further boost its reputation.

    Mayor Charles Arnold says he hopes the move will also send a clear message to the Federal Government, which is refusing to ratify the protocol.

    "Our politicians think by their hip pocket and if they see that the people in the community want to stand up and be heard, I think that’s what should happen," he said.

    "That’s democratic government."

    © 2006 Australian Broadcasting Corporation
    Copyright information: http://abc.net.au/common/copyrigh.htm

  • 330 mayors across US adopt Kyoto targets

    Reference: United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). 10 December 2006. Address: aus Carstanjen, Martin-Luther-King-Strasse 8, 53175 Bonn. Germany. P.O. Box 260124, D-53153 Bonn. Germany. Phone: (49-228) 815-1000. Fax: (49-228) 815-1999.
    http://unfccc.int

    Erisk Net, 13/12/2006