Bands Performing @ Walk Against Warming

Dynamic Thrills
(from Time Off Magazine) Since forming in 2004, dub/reggae outfit The Dynamic Thrills have achieved somewhat of a degree of notoriety within the Brisbane scene, winning fans far and wide with their energetic live sets, unique fusion of musical styles and risqué, no-holds-barred antics.
Check out their website here...




Dr Octpus
Dr Octopus was formed at the turn of the millennium by like minded musicians from the Queensland Conservatorium of Music. The music of Dr Octopus embraces elements of rock and reggae, but at the same time is a convergence of a far broader scope of the musical spectrum. With each of the seven members drawing from personal influences and experiences and contributing them in the production of edgy reggae laced rock.
Check out their website here...


Adrian Tjabarula Fabila
Adrian Fabila is the country's leading digeribone player. He crafts both traditional aboriginal music with contemporary beats and loops to create an sometimes otherworldly feel.

Brindle
"Dramatic, sexy, blistering handclap rock." - Hotpress Magazine
Check out their website here...

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Earth's Ecological Debt Crisis

Swallowing The Context Of "Earth's Ecological Debt Crisis"

From http://www.medialens.org

The Bland Leading The Bland

October 9 saw one of the Independent's explosive front-page stories on the global environment: "Earth's ecological debt crisis." According to a new study, humanity is "putting an intolerable strain on nature". Martin Hickman, the Independent's consumer affairs correspondent, explained:

"For the first time a green group, the London-based new economics foundation (nef), has sought to pinpoint how quickly people are expending global raw materials - fertile land, forests, fish, air and energy.

"By analysing data from the US academic group Global Footprint Network, the think-tank has worked out the day each year when 'humanity starts eating the planet'." (Hickman, 'Earth's ecological debt crisis: mankind's "borrowing" from nature hits new record,' The Independent, October 9, 2006)

Just like a company bound for bankruptcy plunging into the red, the world starts falling into ecological debt on 9 October:

"Problems, affecting everything from the seabed to the stratosphere, range from carbon dioxide emissions to the destruction of rainforests to the intensification of agriculture."

The crisis described in the article could hardly be more serious; humanity really is devouring the planet's life-support systems. And yet, typically for a mainstream media report, Hickman's analysis of the causes was lost in bland cliché: "rapid population growth" and "rising living standards" around the world.

But consider the deeper, taboo issues behind these "higher living standards". In a series of incisive books, historian Mark Curtis has shown how the traditional aim of British policy-makers is to protect "favourable investment climates" for big business around the globe, while targeting governments who refuse to comply. Hence the need for numerous British and US military interventions in Iran, Iraq, Kenya, Indonesia, British Guiana, Central America, and elsewhere.

To read the rest of this alert, please go to:

http://www.medialens.org/alerts/index.php

Best wishes

The Editors

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Australia in 'top 10' unsustainable list

October 24, 2006 06:35pm

Article from AAP

AUSTRALIA has been lambasted in a new environment report that ranks it in the top ten countries living unsustainably.

Conservation group WWF-Australia said if the rest of the world copied Australians' lifestyles more than three planets would be needed to provide the resources and absorb the waste.

Australians still have one of the biggest so-called ecological footprints in the world, and produce more greenhouse gases per person than most other countries on the planet.

The Living Planet Report 2006, the international WWF's biennial statement on the state of the natural world, said that on current projections, humanity would be using two planets worth of natural resources by 2050.

It said Australia's ecological footprint - the amount of land and water area a human population uses to support its lifestyle - was currently at 6.6 global hectares per person per year.

That ranks Australia behind countries such as the United Arab Emirates, the United States and Kuwait, but above the United Kingdom, Russia, China and Japan.

The report identified Australia as having the sixth biggest ecological footprint out of the 147 countries studied.

"The report confirms why it is that we are experiencing the kinds of problems we are right now, such as critical water shortages, the unprecedented decline of species, stressed fisheries and land degradation,'' WWF-Australia chief executive Greg Bourne said.

"If the rest of the world led the kind of lifestyles we do here in Australia, we would require three and a half planets to provide the resources we use and to absorb the waste we create.''

The report said carbon dioxide continued to be the single largest component, accounting for about 51 per cent of Australia's ecological footprint.

"Cutting carbon dioxide emissions and setting targets for greenhouse gas reductions are essential if Australia is to reduce its ecological footprint to sustainable levels,'' Mr Bourne said.

The report comes as the Federal Government is set to announce major allocations of funding towards alternative energy technologies, principally for clean coal.

WWF called on the government to set a greenhouse gas emission reduction target of 30 per cent by 2030, which would put Australia on the path for a 60 per cent reduction by 2050, as recommended by the world's leading climate scientists.

The group also called for an end to land clearing in Australia, which it said was the number one threat to biodiversity, and for the implementation of a system of ecological accounting along the same lines as Australia's national accounts.

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Speakers Confirmed for Walk Against Warming

To date, we have confirmed the following speakers for WaW 06:

Dr Eve Mumewa Doreen Fesl: Dr Eve Fesl is a Gubbi Gubbi elder, an Associate Professor, former local councillor, discuss champion and the first Indigenous woman to represent Queensland in netball. In 1988 she received the Order of Australia Medal for her work with the ethnic community and in the maintenance of Aboriginal languages. Dr Fesl has been a local councillor for Nunawading, Victoria, and a member of a number of national bodies including the Advisory Council on Multicultural Affairs and the Aboriginal Arts Board of the Australia Council. She is currently campaigning to Save the Mary River in Queensland.

Senator Andrew Bartlett: Senator Andrew Bartlett has represented the people of Queensland in the Australian Parliament since 1997. He provides a strong independent voice in the Senate, underpinned by the principles of honesty, tolerance and compassion. Please check out his home page and his Parliamentary Page (with a decidedly fresh-faced picture of Andrew).

Jerry Coleby-Williams: Jerry is the well known presenter on ABC TV's Gardening Australia, director of the Seed Savers’ Foundation, proprietor of Brisbane city's first sustainable house and garden, and was the MC for the inaugural Walk Against Warming 2005. You can find out more from his blog and from his bio.

Kim Stewart: Kim is a celebrity of Brisbane activism: independant journalist and media campaigner, tireless anti-nuclear and climate justice activist, accidental film-maker and super-mum. She actively campaigns with Friends of the Earth, Food Irradiation Watch and for climate independent media. She also produces radio news for 4ZzZ 102.1fm.

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Videos of the WaW Bands

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Australians Want More Action on Climate Change

ABC News
20th October, 2006

A new survey has found fewer than 10 per cent of Australians believe the Federal Government is doing enough to address climate change.

As the nation grapples with crippling drought conditions, a new AC Nielsen survey commissioned by wind farm lobby group Auswind has found 84 per cent of Australians want stronger action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution levels.

The poll, which was conducted over the last few weeks, has also found the majority of those surveyed believe Australia should sign the Kyoto protocol.

More than two-thirds of the respondents have said they would pay more for using clean energy.
A similar number believes governments should be setting up more wind farms, while just 13 per cent of those surveyed think nuclear power is a clean energy source.

The greatest support, at 91 per cent, is for solar energy.

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Climate Change Impacts: Rural Suicide

Many of the biophysical impacts of climate change have been predicted by climate change scientists and modellers, and much of the discussion around mitigation and adaptation tends to focus on environmental factors. What is frequently occluded in the debate, however, is the very real social impacts of climate change - and perhaps one of the most disturbing indicators of climate change impact is rural suicide.

According to the figures released this week by Beyond Blue, one Australian farmer commits suicide every four days, as a result of the crippling drought (the worst in Australia for more than 100 years) compounded by unproductive landscapes and increasing debt.

For a sense of the extent of the crisis faced by rural producers, it was revealed last week that thirty-eight per cent of all agricultural land is now declared as being eligible for Exceptional Circumstances, a scheme where farmers are paid the fortnightly Newstart allowance. (The Age)

The chairperson of Beyond Blue suggests that a team of 60 psychologists should be sent out for the next six months to help address the anxiety, stress, depression being faced by many farmers. With the impacts of climate change likely to exacerbate the occurance and severity of extreme weather events in coming years, suicide, the most tragic outcome of rural decline is slated to increase.

For the story by Michael Perry (Reuters)
The Beyond Blue website and media release
Australian Bureau of Statistics Data on Suicides
Centre for Rural Social Research article by Ray King and the Social Impacts of Drought Report
A toolkit from Lifeline for Coping With Drought

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Climate News Update

20 October, 2006

Earth as a different planet. The earth is the warmest it has been in the past 10,000 years, according to a new analysis that warns of serious changes ahead. Environmental Science & Technology

Kyoto CO2 trade not ready for formal terms. Investment bank Barclays Capital has sparked a debate on how greenhouse gas emissions are traded between rich and poor nations and how to account for the fact that key infrastructure is not yet in place. Reuters

Refugees, disease big risk from global warming - UN. The world is not doing enough to combat global warming which, left unchecked, could trigger a mass movement of people and have serious consequences for security, the UN's environment chief said on Thursday. Reuters

Campbell opens 'Kyoto-funded' wind farm. A $300 million wind farm in China officially opened by Environment Minister Ian Campbell is entirely funded under the Kyoto Protocol. Australian Associated Press

Sino-Oz partnership energises environmental health programs. Australian Environment Minister Ian Campbell is leading a group of 58 businesspeople selling renewable energy and energy-efficient products into Chinese markets.

Greenhouse Office budget 'underspent'. Australia's Labor party claims the government's Greenhouse Office is not doing its job because it has underspent its budget by $362 million. Australian Associated Press

Climate change blamed for legionnaires' disease surge. Britain has suffered its first deaths from infectious disease attributable to global warming, official figures suggest. London Independent

How close is runaway climate change? In an extract from his new book on global warming, Paul Brown looks at how close the planet is to irreversible damage London Guardian

Antarctic ice collapse tied to greenhouse gases. Scientists said on Monday that they had found the first direct evidence linking the collapse of an ice shelf in Antarctica to global warming widely blamed on human activities. Reuters

Scramble to plan for dire shortfall. Catastrophic new figures on water shortages in southeastern Australia have forced the Victorian Government to dramatically upgrade its policy to deal with dwindling supplies for most major cities in the state.

40 countries facing food shortages worldwide. Global warming has impacted cereal crops worldwide, leading to expected food emergencies in 40 countries, according to the Food Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

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Suzuki: Howard an International Outlaw

Don't leave it to the politicians

Stephanie Peatling
October 19, 2006
Sydney Morning Herald

The Prime Minister, John Howard, has been branded an international outlaw whose decision not to ratify the Kyoto Protocol on climate change will be seen as a "crime against future generations".

David Suzuki, the Canadian environmentalist, criticised the Federal Government and said the whole country should be engaged in the debate, not just politicians. "Folks are going to have to start biting the bullet and saying, 'Maybe that land would be better left for other purposes, like letting other species flourish'," he said.

"But it should be done in a much greater forum, to have the whole country engaged in this process, not just a bunch of politicians knee-jerking around and trying to appease this group and deal with that group and trying to put bandages here and there."

Dr Suzuki, speaking at the National Press Club in Canberra yesterday, questioned the human race's determination to ignore things such as climate change, increasing rates of extinction and genetically modified crops.

"We have become afflicted with an incredible appetite for stuff, for consumption." he said. "We like stuff. We love stuff, and all that stuff comes from the planet."

Children did not know where their food came from or that polluting a river or lake could affect their drinking water, he said. "We no longer think about the consequences of an interconnected world," Dr Suzuki said. The recent attention on the drought was an example.

It seemed mad, he said, that Australia was growing crops such as rice and cotton when it could focus on native species, such as macadamia nuts, that could better handle the climate...

"I believe that future generations will look back on the inactivity, the unwillingness to do anything, as a crime against future generations. It's outrageous that we are not taking advantage of foresight, our predictive capacity to see where the dangers lie, seize the opportunities and make our way into a more liveable future," he said.

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Will emissions trading solve climate change?

As the debate on climate change becomes more prevalent, there is some discussion on the
potential ways of dealing with this pressing environmental and social issue. One such discussion revolved around the issue of emissions trading, particularly as it set out as a mechanism in Article 17 of the Kytoto Protocal. For more info, see these two reports:

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Climate News Update

October 16th, 2006

The extent of the drought in rural Australia has created a surge of public debate on climate change & nuclear energy. The sharp divide between the Labor and Liberal/National coalition has emerged in this context, and we can imagine that this will be now a key issue for next year's federal election.

Beazley blueprint to tackle emissions. Kim Beazley has pledged to cut the nation's greenhouse gas emissions by 60 per cent by 2050, establish a national greenhouse emissions-trading scheme and sign up to the Kyoto Protocol if Labor wins next year's federal election. Australian

Global warming intensifying drought patterns: CSIRO. The CSIRO says the drought can mostly be attributed to Australia's normal weather patterns but says global warming has intensified it. ABC News

Drought areas blaming climate change. People in drought-struck areas were beginning to worry that climate change was the cause of their predicament, Nationals Senator Barnaby Joyce said today. News Interactive

Australia pumps cash into drought-hit farms. The Australian government Monday announced a new multi-million dollar relief package for farmers facing a crippling drought which is threatening the country's economic growth. Agence France-Presse

Nuclear Australia 'a decade away.' Australia could have its first nuclear power plant within a decade as part of the Federal Government's push to find alternative energy sources. Australian Associated Press

World needs 20 times as many nuclear plants to avoid greenhouse catastrophe, advocate says. The world needs 20 times more nuclear power plants to avert an environmental apocalypse that could kill billions of people due to global warming blamed on growing greenhouse gas emissions, a top nuclear advocate said Monday. Associated Press

Clocks tick for CO2 trade in energy business. The Kyoto pact has spurred billions of euros in greenhouse trade between companies in Europe and through a program that allows rich countries to pick up credits for investing in clean projects in developing countries. Reuters

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A Special Announcement

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Labor Pledge on Emissions

Beazley blueprint to tackle emissions

Verity Edwards
The Australian
October 16, 2006

KIM Beazley has pledged to cut the nation's greenhousegas emissions by 60 per cent by 2050, establish a national greenhouse emissions-trading scheme and signup to the Kyoto Protocol if Labor wins next year's federal election.

The Opposition Leader yesterday released his national Climate Change Blueprint, outlining steps that "middle Australia" could take to protect and restore the environment."It will seize the economic benefits of the global trillion-dollar industry in carbon-friendly technologies and emissions trading, at the same time encouraging industry to take up new and cleaner technologies," Mr Beazley told the South Australian Labor Party convention in Adelaide.

He said the national greenhouse emissions trading scheme would use a price signal as a long-term incentive to cut emissions and provide a "mechanism for trading" to reward companies already adapting to a"carbon-constrained world".The blueprint includes installing solar panels in 10,000 public schools, making five-star energy-efficiency provisions mandatory for new homes and providing a $2000 subsidy for hybrid cars...

As part of the blueprint, Mr Beazley introduced a listof 10 steps families could take in tackling"dangerous" climate change, describing the simple initiatives as "nation-building around the kitchen table"."It's a plan that doesn't just harness the power ofthe wind and the sun, it harnesses the enthusiasm and commitment of families in middle Australia," he said.

Mr Beazley also applauded the Rann Government's initiatives to slow climate change. South Australia currently provides 45 per cent ofAustralia's grid-connected solar power.The state has erected inconspicuous wind turbines onParliament House, the State Library, the South Australian Museum and its art gallery and supplies 51 per cent of the nation's wind power capacity.

"Across the state, wind farms ... will save 1.2million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions a year," Mr Beazley said."That's the same as taking 300,000 cars off the road. "Compare my approach and your innovative, forward-looking Labor Premier with that out-of-touch, short-sighted Liberal Prime Minister."

Download Mr Beazley's speech here...

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Former Fossil Fuel Exec Speaks Out

Formerly an oil, gas and coal industry executive, Ian Dunlop chaired the Australian Coal Association in 1987-88 and chaired the Experts Group on Emissions Trading of the Australian Greenhouse Office in 1999-2000.

Unholy trinity set to drag us into the abyss

Ian Dunlop
Sydney Morning Herald
October 16, 2006

We are about to experience the convergence of three of the great issues confronting humanity. Climate change, the peaking of oil supply and water shortage are coming together in a manner which will profoundly alter our way of life, our institutions and our ability to prosper on this planet. Each is a major issue, but their convergence has received minimal attention...

Climate change, peak oil, water shortage and population are contributing to a "tragedy of the commons", whereby free access and unrestricted demand for a finite resource doom the resource through over-exploitation. The benefits of exploitation accrue to individuals, whereas the costs are borne by all.

For the full story...

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Press Release: Brisbane WaW Confirmed

Brisbane Walk Against Warming Rally Confirmed

Media Release - Climate Action Brisbane
28th September
For Immediate Release

The 2006 Walk Against Warming global march has been confirmed for 4th November, and includes a rally through Brisbane.

‘The Walk Against Warming (WAW) campaign started last year with rallies in 28 countries around the world. The campaign is about ordinary people taking to the streets to voice their concerns about dangerous climate change,’ said Toby Hutcheon, Coordinator of Queensland Conservation (and speaking on behalf of Climate Action Brisbane)

‘Next year is a Federal election year and we need the next Australian Government to commit to signing the Kyoto Protocol and reducing Australia’s greenhouse emissions,’ said Hutcheon

‘Climate change is an inconvenient truth that can be addressed, if we take effective and immediate action. WAW is an important part of making this happen,’ said Hutcheon

The Brisbane March is scheduled for 2pm at Queens Park on 4th November. The march through the city will end at Musgrave Park, West End with a family fun day of music, information and like-minded souls.

The WAW rally is a colourful and positive event so bring your brollies or your windmills and join the campaign to halt dangerous climate change.

For More Info:
Toby Hutcheon 07 3221 0188/0419 664 503

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Climate News

October 15th, 2006

Fires and worst drought in 100 years wake Australia up to the reality of climate change. Australia is confronting its worst drought in a century with rampant fires devastating agricultural areas, rivers drying up, crops failing, and farmers forced to sell off their livestock. London Independent

Labor would 'sign Kyoto to fight drought.' Labor would tackle climate change as a long-term solution to Australia's water shortages if it wins the next election. Australian

Bushfires in Australia amid severe drought. Firefighters in four Australian states battled bushfires fanned by soaring temperatures and strong winds yesterday, as worsening drought pitched bone-dry rural Australia into recession, its riverbeds cracked and empty. Reuters

Calls to help poor neighbours as they feel the heat. In the face of looming economic and social disasters caused by climate change, Australia should increase its aid to its Asia-Pacific neighbours in line with other developed nations. Sydney Morning Herald

Costing the earth: How to save the planet and $12 trillion. The costs to the global economy of failing to tackle climate change are graphically set out today in a report which warns that $12 trillion could be wiped off world economic output by the end of the century if nothing is done. London Independent

New combatant against global warming: insurance industry. Insurance companies, who like to stay out of the limelight, are becoming leading business protagonists in the assault on global warming. Christian Science Monitor

Refugees 'won't be turned away'. Australia will not turn its back on its neighbours should environmental disasters strike the Pacific islands, federal Environment Minister Ian Campbell said today. News Interactive

Tackle climate change, government urged. The NSW Greens have urged the State Government to address climate change and reduce the state's reliance on fossil fuels. Sydney Morning Herald

Report warns of 'mass exodus'. Rising sea levels caused by global warming could force the mass exodus of millions of Pacific Islanders as "environmental refugees". Townsville Bulletin

The constant traveller. Innovate cofounder of Intrepid Traveler Darrell Wade was reminded that the essential mode of transport to off-the-beaten-track places adds 3 per cent of the carbon dioxide that is creating global warming. Melbourne Age

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An Energy Politics Reading List

I thought some people might be interested in this reading list of texts on energy politics, which is a collection of very accessible books on global energy published since 2000 (with a couple of classics thrown in for good measure!). Happy reading!

The end of oil : the decline of the petroleum economy and the rise of a new energy order by Paul Roberts. London : Bloomsbury, 2004.

The party's over : oil, war and the fate of industrial societies by Richard Heinberg. Forest Row, East Sussex: Clairview Books, 2003

The long emergency : surviving the end of the oil age, climate change, and other converging catastrophes of the twenty-first century by James Howard Kunstler. New York : Atlantic Monthly Press, 2005.

The complete idiot's guide to the politics of oil by Lita Epstein, C.D. Jaco, and Julianne C. Iwersen-Niemann. Indianapolis: Alpha, 2003.

Energy at the crossroads : global perspectives and uncertainties by Vaclav Smil. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press, 2003.

The oil factor : protect yourself--and profit--from the coming energy crisis by Stephen Leeb and Donna Leeb. New York: Warner Business Books, 2004.

Resource wars : the new landscape of global conflict by Michael T. Klare. New York: Metropolitan Books, 2001.

Hubbert's peak : the impending world oil shortage by Kenneth S. Deffeyes. Princeton, N.J: Princeton University Press, 2001.

Out of gas : the end of the age of oil by David Goodstein. New York: W.W. Norton, 2004

The coming oil crisis by C.J. Campbell. Brentwood, England: Multi-Science Publishing & Petroconsultants S.A., 1997.

A solar manifesto by Hermann Scheer. London: James & James , 2001

The solar economy : renewable energy for a sustainable global future by Hermann Scheer. London: Earthscan, 2002.

Coal : a human history by Barbara Freese. London: William Heinemann, 2005.

The color of oil : the history, the money, and the politics of the world's biggest business by Michael Economides and Ronald Oligney. Katy: Round Oak Pub. Co., 2000.

The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money and Power by Daniel Yergin. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1991.

Addicted to oil : America's relentless drive for energy security by Ian Rutledge. London; New York: I.B. Tauris, 2005.

The empty tank : oil, gas, hot air, and the coming global financial catastrophe by Jeremy Leggett. New York: Random House, 2005.

The political economy of world energy: a twentieth-century perspective by John G. Clark. Chapel Hill, N.C: University of North Carolina Press, 1991.

Oil : anatomy of an industry by Matthew Yeomans. New York : New Press, 2004.

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Meet This Year's Walk Against Warming Mascot

Jane Harty, cartoonist extraordinnarie, has given us our mascot for this year's Walk Against Warming in Brisbane on November 4th.

(S)he doesn't have a name yet - we're open to suggestions...

Jane Harty is the Coordinator of the Southbank Institute of TAFE's Animation department. She is also creating a short animated film and working as a freelance cartoonist and illustrator. For more of Jane's work, see here at the unofficial website of Southbank's Animation Department.

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SeeChange, CANA Monthly Bulletin - Oct 2006

CANA Conference Success

Attendance at the 2006 CANA Conference was the largest ever, with nearly 150 attendees at the open session! Reflecting increased awareness of the need for action on climate change, it was noted that "climate change is the new black". And you know what they say about black... (it never goes out of fashion!) Cliches aside, you can have a look at the presentations and notes on

http://www.cana.net.au/index.php?site_var=359.

Revolutionary Solar Technology Moving Offshore

Scientists at the Australian National University have developed solar technology that will cut the cost of solar panels by around 75%. The panels, which use 90% less silicon than normal solar panels, are set to revolutionise the renewable energy market. Unfortunately for Australia, the creators are looking offshore for partners to begin manufacturing the cells, due to insufficient government incentives in Australia.

Canberra Times article

Helping Our Neighbours Fight Climate Change

A new report from the Climate Change and Development NGO Roundtable shows the severe impacts that climate change could have on the Asia Pacific region. This coalition of organisations from both social and environment sectors recommend that Australia reduces its' own greenhouse pollution to avoid the worst of climate change, and use our aid, and other overseas funding, to help countries in the region adapt where possible to theunavoidable impacts of climate change.

For a copy of the reports go to:http://www.ccdr.org.au

GetUp on climate change

After surveying their supporters and finding that one of their main concerns is climate change, GetUp have begun one of their online campaigns on the issue. They are hoping to 'redraw the map of Australia to make the climate crisis personal' by having people sign on and indicate which electorate they are in. Their 'signature' is then added to a map of Australia with the hope that parliamentarians in each electorate will see the importance of climatechange to their constituents... and take action! Their initial target is 250,000 "to create a groundswell for change that cannot be dismissed, trivialised or ignored". Add your 'signature' and spread the word.

getup campaign - ClimateActionNow

Sunrise joins the campaign to prevent dangerous climate change

Kochy and Mel from Sunrise are running a campaign to get the FederalGovernment to extend the solar rebate (PV rebate program) which is due to run out in June 2007. See
http://sunrisefamily.com.au/current/petition/ and add your support.

Iemma Dilemma Design Competition

NSW Premier Morris Iemma is in the spotlight, with Greenpeace calling on designers, photographers, cartoonists and animators to put their talent touse in depicting "Iemma's Dilemma" - "How can I make it seem like I'm doing something about climate change, without actually doing anything". Their website encourages entrants to "be blunt and to point. Choose freely from awide suite of tools - ridicule, satire, parody and mockery."

For more information, http://www.greenpeace.org/australia/issues/climate-change/take-action/iemma-dilemma to find out more about the Climate Challenge and register for your involvement.

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Thank you for reading SeeChange, the monthly bulletin of Climate Action Network Australia (CANA)

Thanks again to the sponsors of CANA's 2006 Annual Conference:

www.itsgettinghotinhere.org
www.asen.org.au
www.youthclimatecoalition.blogspot.com

SeeChange is available here...

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Pirates wanted for London's Walk

London's walk is requesting Pirates of Persuasion to join in their walk with their moto being:


As you all know, Global Warming is directly inversely proportional to the number of Pirates in the World :-

CLIMATE CHANGE GANG : PIRATES OF PERSUASION

Volunteers with experience of event management are urgently needed to assist with the stewarding of the Climate March and I Count Rally in London on 4th November 2006.

A group known as the Climate Change Gang have put a call out to recruit extra people ahead of a deadline of 13th October 2006.

The volunteers will be recognisable by their fancy dress and the fact that they say "Yarr !" from time to time, as the motif for this group is pirates.

Information about the Pirates of Persuasion can be found on :-
http://www.workface-limited.co.uk/html/pirates.html.

Anyone wishing to volunteer for deck duty on 4th November 2006 for the Climate March, must report to Bo'sun Phil at Campaign against Climate Change : phil at campaigncc.org, or his trusty crewlady Kate by e-mail at : campaignccstewards at myway.com

If you want to help with the stewarding of the I Count Rally, contact Cap'n Zuhura at Stop Climate Chaos by e-mail on : zuhura at stopclimatechaos.org

The deadline for volunteering for Stop Climate Chaos is Friday 13th October 2006.

From the webpage :-

The only requirements to be a part of the Climate Change Gang is to wear a Pirate scarf armband, and say "Yarr !" on occasions. You can feel free to wear the whole Pirate regalia if you like, with the flouncy shirt, the tricorn hat, the eye patch and even have a live parrot on your shoulder, but it's not essential. As you all know, Global Warming is directly inversely proportional to the number of Pirates in the World :- http://www.venganza.org. The more Pirates there are, the better we can beat Climate Change.

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ALP youth back uranium switch

Nuclear is not a solution to the climate crisis. ALP will have lost many green votes.

Federal Labor supports the expansion of Uranium mining.

Incoming Young Labor president Sam Crosby said the group's annual conference had been persuaded for environmental and economic reasons to abandon the "three mines" policy that Young Labor had strongly supported for decades.

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CSIRO Report and the Federal Opposition

October 9, 2006
ABC News

The Federal Opposition says a CSIRO report on climate change backs its call for a Pacific climate change strategy.The report warns of the threat to regional economies and security if governments and aid agencies do not start preparing for the impact of climate change.
It also found millions of people from the Asia Pacific region will become environmental refugees if action is not taken.

Labor's environment spokesman Anthony Albanese says the Government has so far failed to do anything about the problem. "This is a threat not just to our neighbours but a threat to Australia, which is particularly vulnerable to climate change," he said. "So if for nothing other than self interest we need to avoid dangerous climate change."

Greens leader Bob Brown says the Government cannot shirk its responsibility for global warming any longer. Senator Brown says the Government must acknowledge its role in contributing to the problem in the first place.

"There is no more delinquent and culpable a government in the western world than the Howard Government," he said. "And Prime Minister Howard and a series of his environmental ministers for sitting on their hands while global warming got worse with Australia one of the worst polluters in the western world."

The full story...

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Climate News Update

7th October 2006

Environmental Defenders NSW release campaigning materials. The EDO has released a series of new and updated fact sheets on Mining; Forestry; Catchment management; Environmental Advocacy; Corporations and environmental campaigning; Speaking out in public; and Incorporating an environmental group. These fact sheets, as well as a range of other plain English Fact Sheets which explain different aspects of Commonwealth laws which affect the environment and environmental campaigning, may be downloaded from the website.

Help develop campaign materials with Climate Action Network Australia. The Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Meeting of Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (COPMOP) will be held in Nairobi from 6th - 17th November. At last year's meeting Campbell made OUTRAGEOUS statements about Kyoto being "dead", at the same time the rest of the international community were strengthening it and looking to the next phase. CANA is keen to coordinate our messaging efforts this year and produce a set of tools that CANA Members will be able to use to communicate what the Kyoto Protocol is, why the international negotiations are important, and why Australia should ratify the Kyoto Protocol (and what the Australian Government is really doing at the negotiations). If you're interested in helping to develop these tools, or interested in using them and would like to have a say in what they should contain, please contact Julie-Anne coord[at]cana.net.au

Climate Institute Rural Initiative. "Climate change is changing our future, but we can control it" is the message of a new advertising campaign and regional tour of Victoria and News South Wales launched by the Climate Institute today in Melbourne. The Climate Institute will be holding forums in rural Australia over the next two months, promoting the real and urgent situation facing those on the land.

Climate Challenge - Put Your MP on the Hot Seat Week. An innovative Victorian campaign is underway to bring accountability for members of parliament to respond to climate change. Brought to you by Environment Victoria and Greenpeace.

Emission charges on the cards in future. Climate Change Minister David Parker says New Zealand would continue to act to protect the environment but stressed business would not be expected to bear the full brunt of the costs. New Zealand Press Association

Norway details US$3 billion renewable energy plan. Norway's government detailed subsidy plans for renewable energy and power savings projects on Thursday under a 20 billion crown (US$3.02 billion) fund promoting clean energy to meet a looming electricity shortage. Reuters

Mixed outcomes at climate talks. Climate talks between the world's top 20 polluters have ended with an unusual level of agreement on the urgent need to tackle greenhouse gas emissions. BBC

Melting permafrost a 'sleeping giant,' climate experts say. The sun is beating down on an icy bluff, sending chunks of ancient permafrost crashing to the ground. CanWest News Service

Canada under pressure over Kyoto. Canada's opposition parties have voted to force the Government to implement the Kyoto Protocol and meet emissions reduction targets the Government believes are unattainable. Sydney Daily Telegraph

Hydropower to hydrogen project advances. Plans are underway for one of the world's largest hydrogen demonstration projects, a $21 million initiative to harness hydropower to produce clean-burning, carbon-free gas to fuel nonpolluting hydrogen vehicles. North Country Gazette

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A Clean Energy Future for Australia

A Clean Energy Future for Australia study outlines how Australia can meet its electricity needs through a combination of wind, biomass, natural gas and greater energy efficiency.

To dowload a copy of the report...

What is new about this study?
This study is the product of an unprecedented alliance of energy associations and an environmental organisation. The groups have collaborated to unify the country behind a thirty-year program of strategic investment for clean energy technology and new infrastructure.

There is no previous study that outlines a bold new energy policy to power an expanding economy and removes our over-dependence on coal.

This study suggests viable solutions for the urgent need to cut greenhouse gas pollution levels.

Why do we need to find new energy sources?

Energy used to generate electricity and directly to provide heat is the largest producer of greenhouse gas pollution in Australia - about half of the 543 million tonnes of carbon dioxide produced annually comes from coal-fired power stations and the use of fossil fuels directly for industrial, commercial and residential activities. It is also the fastest growing source of this pollution causing our planet to overheat.

Generating electricity through burning coal is the biggest contributor to greenhouse gas pollution from stationary energy. Australia's heavy reliance on coal means we are one of the biggest greenhouse gas polluters (per person) in the industrialised world after the US.

Coal has served our energy needs well up until now but in a world where the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere needs to be constrained, Australia must look to new technologies to meet our needs without producing this pollutant.

What can take the place of coal?

The Clean Energy Future for Australia study has found that Australia can readily meet its energy needs from a range of commercially proven fuels and technologies. A scenario that cuts emissions by 50% includes:

• The energy generated from the combustion of natural gas can provide 30% (including cogeneration) of our electricity by 2040
• The energy released from biomass from agriculture and plantation forestry residues can provide 26% (excluding cogeneration) of our electricity by 2040
• The energy of wind captured by turbines can provide 20% of our electricity by 2040
• The energy of flowing water harnessed through hydroelectric facilities can provide 7% of our electricity by 2040 and,
• The energy of the sun captured with photovoltaic and solar thermal systems can provide 5% of our electricity by 2040.
  

Energy generated by 15% co-generation plants was largely driven by about 13% gas and 2% biomass. Coal (9%) and petroleum (1%) will continue to play a small role in electricity generation. Most requirement for heat can be met by natural gas, biomass and solar energy, with the use of coal restricted to metallurgical processes, while petroleum and natural gas will both continue to be important for providing direct motive power, particularly in agriculture and mining. The key to a clean energy future is to draw on a full range of technologies and cut energy wastage.

Would a clean energy future affect Australia's economic growth?

The study presumed that Australia's economic growth will continue at 2% annually between now and 2040, which is in line with official estimates. The study is also based on the energy needs of an increasing population and growth in all of our current industry sectors, including coal mining.

To achieve the clean energy future detailed in the plan we will need new investment in a range of energy infrastructure and this will create new business opportunities and jobs. The clean energy future will require a more efficient use of energy by cutting the amount of energy we use will also provide savings for businesses and consumers.

The International Energy Agency estimates it would cost $US16 trillion (AUD$20 trillion) over the next 30 years to deliver clean energy around the world. This equals only 1% of world gross domestic product. This average can be broken down into less than 0.5% of GDP for developed countries.

Do we need to shut down existing coal-fired power stations and will there be massive job losses?

The clean energy future plan takes until 2040 to deliver the 50% cut in greenhouse gas pollution because it does not presume early closures of existing coal-fired power stations. It presumes that power stations have a 30 to 40 year lifespan - stations built recently are still there in the 2040 Clean Energy Future Plan (comprising 9% of electricity supply in 2040).

While there are jobs in the construction of coal-fired power stations very few long-term jobs are available in the operation of these largely mechanised plants. Employment in coal fired electricity has declined by 50% since 1991. Clean energy alternatives provide new jobs. Wind energy developments, for example, provide 2 to 3 times more jobs than coal for each unit of electricity generated. (Sustainability Centre, 2003)

What are the benefits and who stands to gain from switching to clean energy?

A major reduction in greenhouse gas pollution is one that benefits all Australians. Rural and regional Australia stands to gain most from the creation of new jobs and industries in a switch to a clean energy future.

The energy released from biomass from agriculture and plantation forestry residues can provide 26% of our electricity by 2040. It is estimated that the harvestable stubble residues from Australian grain crops (mostly wheat) and cotton in 1996-97 amounted to 68 million tonnes. These agricultural wastes could be used locally to generate a large proportion of Australia's future electricity needs. This will require new infrastructure in regional areas of Australia.

Wind power also brings development and jobs to the regions. The energy of wind captured by turbines can provide 20% of our electricity by 2040. A wind farm, when installed on agricultural land, has the lowest environmental impact of all energy sources. Australia has better wind resources than most parts of Europe.

Wind farms are compatible with grazing and almost any crop that would be suitable for a site that would also support a wind farm. With the clean energy future plan the cost of wind power is expected to decrease even further and it will become economic to develop it on sites with lower average annual wind speeds. This will open vast new areas of inland pasture which do not suffer the siting issues of more highly visible and dramatic coastal landscapes.

What policies need to be changed? Who needs to change them?

The Clean Energy Future Plan investigates technically feasible options based on Australia's land and fuel resources and the energy generation technologies commercially available today. However, this low greenhouse pollution future will not happen without policy changes by all levels of government. It also needs the support of the Australian community to make this change.

Policies urgently needed include:

• Stopping energy wastage with strong new mandatory efficiency laws for appliances, equipment and buildings.
• Laws to require the widespread use of cogeneration (small turbines on the site where the energy is used) in industries
• Strict greenhouse gas intensity limits on any new proposal to build a coal-fired power station or to refurbish an existing one - these limits would require less carbon dioxide emissions per unit of electricity than the best existing combined cycle natural gas power station.
• Reform of the National Electricity Market laws to level the playing field between existing coal-fired power stations and renewable or distributed electricity generation.
• Laws to encourage continuing investment in renewable energy generation - an increase in the current renewable energy target from 2% by 2010 to 10% by 2010.

Will ratifying the Kyoto Protocol help the switch to a clean energy future?

Yes. Ratifying the Kyoto Protocol sends a signal to the power sector and electricity infrastructure investors that Australia is legally bound to our Kyoto Protocol target. This is important for beginning the shift of investment to cleaner forms of energy. The business community wants certainty in energy policy - ratifying the Kyoto Protocol will outline the legal constraints on greenhouse gas emissions from this point forward.

Meeting Australia's Kyoto Protocol target is not, however, enough over the long term to drive the reform required in the energy sector to meet the clean energy future. The target is too lenient and will largely be met through reductions in landclearing. There must be additional new national measures to improve energy efficiency and policies to ensure any new power stations have very low emission levels for the energy they produce.

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World Bank Energy Framework Sells Climate and Poor People Short

The World Bank’s promise to seriously support alternative energy sources remains unfulfilled, according to a new report published today to coincide with the World Bank’s annual meeting. The report, published by international environment and development organizations, concludes that the World Bank’s new Investment Framework on Clean Energy and Development will not be effective at combating climate change and expanding energy access for the poor. The report will be available at: www.ifiwatchnet.org/documents/index.shtml.

Instead of combating climate change, the World Bank Investment Framework promotes coal-fired power, nuclear power and large hydropower projects. The World Bank also proposes setting up a new $10 billion fund to bring down the costs of conventional energy technologies that have lower greenhouse gas emissions. Yet a continued focus on fossil fuel technologies will neither bring about the required shift to a carbon-free development path, nor bring energy services to the 1.6 billion people who have no access to modern energy and often live far away from electric grids.

“Poor communities in developing countries are already paying the highest price of climate change, living with the impacts of heavy droughts and floods”, said Pantoro Tri Kuswar of Friends of the Earth Indonesia/WALHI. “The World Bank’s focus on fossil fuel projects will not bring electricity to the poor. Instead, the Bank’s proposals will lead to more pollution, conflict and corruption and do little to stop climate change.”

How the World Bank’s Energy Framework Sells the Climate and Poor People Short is
published by the Bank Information Center, Bretton Woods Project, Campagna per la Riforma della Banca Mondiale, CEE Bankwatch Network, Friends of the Earth, Institute for Policy Studies, International Rivers Network, Oil Change International and Urgewald, available at: http://www.foe.org/camps/intl/EnergyReportDraft091406.pdf

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Climate News Update

5th October, 2006

Townsville has been announced as Australia's second Solar City. With funding under the Australian Government’s $75 million Solar Cities initiative, the Townsville: Queensland Solar City consortium is working with industry, businesses and the local community to rethink the way they produce and use energy. This innovative ‘real world’ trial will include installation of solar panels and smart meters in both residential and commercial locations as well as energy efficiency advice to households and businesses. Solar Cities Initiative

Climate Action Now. A European network of Christian churches has launched a new plan called Climate Justice Now to tackle global warming from the standpoint of North/South equity. "We're trying to establish a whole new way of looking at climate change," said Gert de Gans, one leader of the climate plan supported by the European Christian Environmental Network

British warming report expected to urge action. An upcoming report by the British government on climate change is expected to warn that major action is urgently needed to rein in greenhouse gases before the consequences are too dire, environmental activists say. An outline of the report is set to be presented Tuesday before Group of Eight environmental ministers who are meeting in Mexico; the full report is due out later this month.

Carbon Trading Exposed. International negotiators are trying to find ways to further the carbon market in Africa at the November 2006 climate summit in Nairobi. A new book published this week exposes the dangers and promotes eco-friendly alternatives. The book argues that the Kyoto Protocol and the EU Emissions Trading Scheme are ineffective and unjust, and that carbon trading is particularly detrimental to African interests. Carbon Trading: A Critical Conversation on Climate Change, Privatisation and Power is available for download.

The century of drought. Drought threatening the lives of millions will spread across half the land surface of the Earth in the coming century because of global warming. London Independent

Global warming devastates sea ice in Arctic Circle. Sea ice in the Arctic last month melted to its second lowest monthly minimum in the 29-year record of satellite measurements. London Independent

Study warns of stark costs of failing to counter climate change as leaders meet. A ground-breaking study warns that the world faces paying multi-trillion pound economic costs if it does not move urgently to act on climate change. London Guardian

EU seeks second chance for carbon market from 2008. The European Union's executive will try in the coming weeks to revive its floundering carbon trading scheme from 2008, after a miscalculation on targets last year capsized its concept of driving emissions cuts. Reuters

Extreme droughts will spread, warn forecasters. Nearly a third of the world's land surface may be at risk of extreme drought by the end of the century, leading to mass migrations of "environmental refugees", climate experts warned yesterday. London Guardian

Farewell to snows on the equator? East Africa's snowcapped mountains may be just a dozen years from losing their snow crowns. Nairobi East African Standard

Arctic sea ice at all-time low, researchers say. The ocean area covered by Arctic sea ice last summer was as low as it has ever been, according to a study. Canadian Press

Demise of the world's most famous iceberg. It was hailed as a harbinger of global warming. And now, it has been revealed that the world's most infamous modern-day iceberg was broken up by a storm surge that swept the entire length of the Pacific Ocean. Nature

Climate change affects forest-floor ecosystem. To see how far-reaching climate change effects could be, you might try looking under your feet. In some regions, climate change models predict new rainfall patterns that may affect how leaves on forest floors decompose. Scientific American

Ozone hole matches record size. The "ozone hole" over Antarctica this year has matched the record size of 11.4 million square miles, the U.N. weather agency said Friday. Associated Press

Major hurricane danger over for year, forecasters say. The greatest danger to the United States from hurricanes this year is over, according to forecasters at Colorado State University who had predicted the Atlantic storm season would be one of the worst. Bloomberg News

Cut emissions now or pay, UK tells climate talks. Britain told the world's worst polluting nations on Tuesday that acting now to cut emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases would be vastly cheaper in the long run than doing nothing. Reuters

Nations discuss global warming in Mexico. Representatives from 20 of the world's most polluting nations met behind closed doors in northern Mexico to discuss ways to combat global warming. Associated Press

Cost of climate change action manageable. A commissioned study on the economics of climate change will advocate taking action to combat global warming as soon as possible, seeing the costs of such action as manageable. Reuters

Wells Fargo going green. Bay Area banking giant Wells Fargo & Co.plans to buy wind-power certificates to offset 40 percent of its electricity consumption over a three-year period. Contra Costa Times, California. 4 October 2006.

Spain logs second year of drought. Rainfall in Spain was below average in the water year just ended after the worst drought in more than a century last year, official figures showed on Tuesday. Reuters

Zululand beaches shrinking. Zululand dunes and beaches are disappearing at an alarming rate, and there is little that can be done. Johannesburg Citizen

Asia's death toll from Typhoon Xangsane rises to 119, expected to go higher. Asia's death toll from Typhoon Xangsane rose Tuesday to 119 and was expected go higher as authorities fully assess the disaster in the Philippines and Vietnam, where officials said tens of thousands of people were displaced. Associated Press

Green(ish) power. The combination of South Africa's economic vulnerability to fossil fuels and environmental issues such as global warming has contrived to keep the search for appropriate renewable energy sources on the national agenda. Johannesburg Business Day

"If only because this planet's history, including its human history,has been so full of promise, hope, and creativity, it deserves a betterfate than what seems to confront it in the years ahead." - Murray Bookchin (1921 - 2006)

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Andrew Bolt Abused My Research: Climate Scientist

Thursday, 5 October 2006
Sophie Black
Crikey.com.au

Anti-global warming columnist Andrew Bolt’s recent column "Bulled by a Gore" forensically picked apart Al Gore’s film An Inconvenient Truth by scattering a number of references to studies by eminent scientists through his argument. But one of those scientists is now accusing Bolt of citing his research in a “gross distortion of scientific findings”.

Jeff Severinghaus, Professor of Geosciences at the University of California, San Diego, the misrepresented scientist in the article, wrote a letter to the editor of the Sunday Mail, but it was never published. He posted a comment on Bolt’s blog but told Crikey “...effectively I have not been able to make much if any response”.

“At the very least I would like it to go on record that Bolt's abuse of my science is not done with my approval,” says Severinghaus.

So is the professor sick of having his research misrepresented in the press? “My research actually mostly isn't misrepresented,” he told Crikey. “But it is sometimes misrepresented on climate-denialist websites. I suspect, though do not know, that Bolt got the info from a climate-denialists website.”

For the full article...

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Climate Change is Sleeper Issue

Canberra, take note: climate change is what terrifies us

By Peter Hartcher
Political Editor
Sydney Morning Herald
October 3, 2006

THIS year's Lowy Institute poll reveals Australian concern over global warming to be the big "sleeper" issue of national affairs, a problem that worries Australians more than Islamic fundamentalism.

Australian public convictions on climate change have crept up on our political leaders and have now overtaken them. The political party that can best respond will harness a powerful force.

As the institute's executive director, Allan Gyngell, observes, "this has become mainstream; it's no longer just an issue for Greens and people dressed up in koala suits".The annual Lowy Institute poll exposes three clear Australian conclusions about climate change. There is no ambiguity or hesitation on this issue any longer, with the "don't know" responses down to an unusually low 1 per cent.

First, this is a very big issue: 68 per cent of respondents rate it as a "critical threat" to Australia's vital interests over the next 10 years.This puts it in the top three perceived threats to the country, with international terrorism at 73 per cent and the danger of hostile nations acquiring nuclear weapons at 70 per cent, and ahead of Islamic fundamentalism, at 60 per cent, and competition from low-wage countries at 34 per cent.

Second, doubt about whether or not global warming is "real" has been virtually eliminated in the public mind. Only 7 per cent of respondents want to wait "until we are sure" before taking action to deal with the problem, even if that action entails costs.The third and most powerful finding is that Australians are already braced for the idea that there will be costs involved in finding solutions.

Full story here...

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Climate News Update

2nd October, 2006

Climate action 'boosts economy'. As clean energy becomes one of the world's fastest-growing industries, many are now wondering if President Bush's refusal to adopt the Kyoto Protocol because it would damage the U.S. economy was not somewhat shortsighted. United Press International

Paradise devastated. Borne by mosquitos whose numbers have grown with global warming, "bone break fever" - one of hundreds of animal-borne diseases presenting new threats worldwide, is ravaging the population of Ile de la Reunion. Newark Star-Ledger

BC beetle outbreak blamed on warming. The mountain pine beetle infestation that has devastated B.C. forests is likely to be followed by other new pests taking advantage of rising average temperatures. Canadian Press

Changing storms increase coastal erosion. Changing storm patterns caused by global warming could dramatically increase the effects of coastal erosion. New Scientist

Global warming rewrites the record books. Last month, which ended on Saturday, was the warmest since 1729, meteorologists revealed. Darlington Northern Echo

World's greenest school battles to save the planet. After students figured their school's environmental impact, they were propelled to take action and now Hampton School claims to be the world's first carbon neutral school. London Evening Standard

Greens 'aid destruction of planet'. Environmental groups are setting back the fight against global warming with misguided and irrational objections to nuclear power, according to Britain’s leading thinker about the future. London Times

Government rules out use of nuclear power The Irish Government has firmly ruled out nuclear power as an option to meet Ireland’s future energy needs, despite acknowledging that we are overly reliant on fossil fuels like oil, gas and coal. Cork Irish Examiner

From dump, a smell of success. In three weeks, a landfill's garbage will help power 2,800 homes a day through a new plant that will transform landfill gas into electricity. Easton Express Times

Grass roots, global warming. Maybe Al Gore is right: Maybe the remedy to atmospheric change lies right underfoot - in among the grass roots, that is. Hartford Courant

Global climate change: stitch in time saves 11 degrees. It's a law of physics that translates well into the behavior of human beings: The greater the mass involved, the more effort is needed to overcome its inertia. But it doesn't read very well as an epitaph for civilization. Salt Lake Tribune

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Polar Bears and Climate Change

This is the longer version of the polar bear animation which appears in Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth.

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The A Team

4 Corners, ABC Australia

Reporter: Sally Neighbour
Broadcast: 02/10/2006

It was a signature TV news image of the 1990s: the bush as battleground, greenies blocking bulldozers, shouting slogans and trading insults with angry timber workers.
Saving trees and animals won votes and environment groups enjoyed access to real power and policy clout.
But green influence grew too big for one forestry giant which saw its wood supplies threatened, and for its employees who saw their jobs threatened. So the company and the workers’ union formed an alliance. Behind the scenes, far from the televised stunts and confrontations in the bush, they hatched a plan…
Key workers would infiltrate key green groups and obtain information to divide and discredit them… and take over Labor Party branches to win control of a key policy-making arm.
For the first time, Four Corners details this covert campaign - masterminded by a former politician - which notched up some notable victories spanning a decade.
"They owned the forestry policy of the party," admits a Labor Left opponent.

The website...
ABC News: Greens demand probe into 'A-Team' spies allegations...
AM - Corporate Spies in Forestry Disputes...
The Age: Spying on the Greens...

You can send a message to Derek Amos, the head of the A-Team Campaign, to share your thoughts on his covert greenwashing activities, via his email or telephone numbers here...

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Climate News

1st October, 2006

Climate change must be viewed as much more than an environmental issue if the world is to understand and tackle the scope and nature of the threat it represents, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said at a 'live' version of An Inconvenient Truth at UN Headquarters in New York. UN News Centre

Tracking killers that know no borders. Travel, overpopulation and climate change are fueling virus outbreaks. The number of zoonotic outbreaks in the US has been rising steadily during the past two decades. Newark Star-Ledger

Tempest brews in weather think tank. Scientists at a world-renowned climate research lab in New Jersey say their discoveries are being hidden from public view because their conclusions on global warming differ from those in the Bush administration. Newark Star-Ledger

Ecological upheaval on the edge of the ice. The Bering Sea-- the nation's richest ocean ecosystem-- is in the midst of a major upheaval, and scientists suspect global warming is at least partly to blame. Seattle Times

A green snag they emitted to mention... They are the green jetsetters-- environmental campaigners who are leading the fight to cut greenhouse gas emissions, but who also clock up hundreds of thousands of miles flying around the world on business and pleasure. London Times

Environmentalists rethink stance on nuclear power. Environmentalists concerned over global warming are considering a radical idea: Nuclear power as an acceptable way of making electricity. National Public Radio

Film gets credit for boost in solar sales. Contractors are giving the documentary "An Inconvenient Truth" some of the credit for skyrocketing sales in solar energy products. Scripps Howard News Service

Farmers urged to grow biofuels. Britain's farmers should switch from growing food to providing the next generation of eco-friendly energy, according to Tony Blair’s new countryside czar. London Times

Race is on to bring electric sports cars to market. Silicon Valley thinks it can do what Detroit could not -- create a thriving business selling electric cars. Associated Press

Hybrids with a power cord: plug-in vans put to the test. Are there plug-in hybrid vehicles in America’s future? Such hybrids could travel 10 to 20 additional miles on battery power alone New York Times

ASU out to tame hot nights. A group of scientists at Arizona State University, under the National Center of Excellence for SMART Innovations, is researching new materials and new technologies that could take the urban heat island and limit its most negative effects. Phoenix Arizona Republic

Typhoon kills 76 in Philippines. Typhoon Xangsane barrelled into central Vietnam today, forcing tens of thousands to flee and cutting electricity and many telephone lines after killing scores of people in the Philippines. Agence France-Presse

Fleet Street's sins of emission. Climate change isn't a sideshow any longer, as both Blair and Brown agree. It's the biggest, most inescapable show in town. London Observer

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Climate News Update

30th September, 2006

$1,000,000,000,000: the cost of capping greenhouse gas emissions. The costs of curbing greenhouse gases has been estimated at $1 trillion, spread over the coming generation. But that is less than the cost of the adverse impacts of climate change. The bill is equivalent to a year's output of the economy of Canada, and less than half of the total stock of debt that has been built up by households in the UK. The report was compiled by those well known greenie-treehuggers, Price Waterhouse Coopers. London Independent

U.S. on track with greenhouse goals, but too easy? Washington is sticking to goals for curbing greenhouse gases under a yardstick shunned by most of its allies as too easy. Reuters

Churches debate role in reducing warming. A growing movement to define reduction of global warming as a religious duty has touched off a spirited debate over whether the welfare of poor people would be served or damaged by limits on greenhouse gases. Cox News Service.

Climate change may drive lemurs to extinction. Climate change will condemn the already endangered lemurs of Madagascar to extinction, a study shows. London Independent

Land down under going under. It is Australia as we have never seen it before - a dry brown land transformed into an archipelago of disparate islands by a sea level rise of 500 meters. Is this art, science or politics? Sydney Morning Herald

Better hurricane research needed. Hurricanes cost taxpayers billions of dollars, but the government has not invested enough money in understanding them, according to a federal report released Friday that calls for more coordinated research. Associated Press

Companies put silicon knowledge to new use in solar-cell industry. As demand for clean energy rises around the world, the nation's high-tech hub is looking to squeeze more money out of silicon. Associated Press

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Get-Up Campaign on Climate Change

(forwarded to CAB by Alana)

The time for half-measures, manufactured doubt and self-serving delays is over. Tackling our climate crisis is priority number one - this is the resounding message you came back with when we asked you to help set a positive new agenda for Australia.

And here's how we start: there are GetUp members in every electorate across the country, and we're redrawing the map of Australia to make the climate crisis personal. Politicians at all levels of government need to see the writing on the wall, and realise this is not a problem for somebody else to solve - it's the issue in their backyard. With more than 15 million Australians of voting age, we've set an initial target of 250,000 to create a groundswell for change that cannot be dismissed, trivialised or ignored.

Put yourself on the Climate Action Map now, and ask your friends, family, colleagues and neighbours to join you.

Our strategy starts with one unified message: this issue is bigger than party politics, bigger than special interests and more important than short-term economic gain. Give us responsible leadership and bold action now to solve the climate crisis, or step aside. Our Federal Government likes talking up its action on climate change, but has its head too far down a coalmine to sign the Kyoto Protocol, price carbon appropriately or encourage genuine large-scale investment in renewable energy.

As a result, Australia has the highest emissions of planet-changing greenhouse gases of any industrialised country, and they continue to rise. We still rely on 19th century technology and polluting fossil fuels to power our 21st century lives, and now we are all paying the price.


Our farmers are crippled by drought. Bush fires are breaking out earlier every year. We're facing record-breaking heat waves, increasing water scarcity and intensifying cyclones and storms. Each of us with hopes for our future, or with children and grandchildren who will be left with our mess, must act now.

CSIRO research shows we're on track for average global temperature increases of between 1.4 and 5.8°C in the lifetime of today's newborn child. Yet a mere 1°C rise is likely to double the number of Australians exposed to floods, while a 2-3°C rise in average global temperature will leave up to 80 per cent of the freshwater wetlands of Kakadu evaporated and up to 97 per cent of the Great Barrier Reef dead and bleached. The economic costs of doing nothing are greater than we can imagine, while the potential returns of acting now are tremendous. But first we must overcome the timidity, the blind spots in our vision and smallness in our politics that are ! holding us back. If you haven't already seen Al Gore's film, An Inconvenient Truth, go now and tell as many people as you can to join you. It will leave you awestruck, inspired and determined to be part of the solution.

The groundswell movement begins today. Let's show them just how hot an issue global warming really is.

Climate Action Now

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Tec Glick's Z-Mag Article on November 4th

www.zmag.org/sustainers/content/2006-09/28glick.cfm

Defending Our Threatened Ecosystem Worldwide November 4th

By Ted Glick
28th September 2006

What do Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, South Korea, Mexico, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, Spain, South Africa, Taiwan, Turkey, United Kingdom, Northern Ireland and the USA have in common?

These are all countries where organizing is taking place toward actions on November 4th or, in Africa, on the 11th as part of worldwide International Days of Climate Action. This campaign is building upon successful actions held last year on Dec. 3rd, the first International Day of Climate Action, in about 20 countries. 80,000 participated last year; many more are expected this year. To find out more go to http://www.globalclimatecampaign.org.

The November actions will be taking place at the same time that a major United Nations Climate Change conference is happening in Nairobi, Kenya from Nov. 6-17. By our united actions we will be speaking with one loud voice to demand that the governments of the world accelerate and deepen their commitment to take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

For the rest of the article...

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