Replies to post #210531 on Tornado Alley (PROG)

[fuagf]

Tim Flannery defends Climate Commission after Government scrapping

By chief political correspondent Emma Griffiths

Updated Fri 20 Sep 2013, 1:04am AEST

Video: Tim Flannery says the Climate Commission has dealt in facts and stayed out of politics. (ABC News)
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-09-19/flannery-defends-climate-commission-after-government-scrapping/4969120
Photo: Tim Flannery, who headed the Climate Commission, says the organisation has dealt in facts and stayed out of politics.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-09-19/tim-flannery-in-front-of-solar-array/4968868
Related Story: Hunt says clean energy fund will be shut down
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-09-18/greg-hunt-on-clean-energy-fund/4964754
Related Story: Abbott refuses to explain public service chief sackings
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-09-19/abbott-refuses-to-explain-sacking-of-public-service-chiefs/4968658
Related Story: Abbott starts process to repeal carbon tax
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-09-09/abbott-carbon-tax/4945330
Map: Australia .. http://maps.google.com/?q=-26.000,134.500(Australia)&z=5

The Abbott Government has abolished the Climate Commission, pushing ahead with its plan to
scrap government bodies associated with Labor's carbon pricing scheme and climate change policy.

The commission was set up under then prime minister Julia Gillard in February 2011 as an independent body "to provide reliable and authoritative" information on climate change.

The now former chief commissioner, Professor Tim Flannery, says Environment Minister Greg Hunt called him this morning to announce the commission's closure.

Professor Flannery, who is also a former Australian of the Year, has defended the commission's role.

"We've stayed out of the politics and stuck to the facts," he said.

"As a result we've developed a reputation as a reliable apolitical source of facts on all aspects of climate change.

-----
What is the Climate Commission?

* Formed by the Gillard government in response to public resistance to action of climate change, it was charged with collating and reporting on the science.
* In addition to a tour around the country to explain the science in town-hall meetings, it has released a swag of reports including The Angry Summer and The Critical Decade.
* It was headed by former Australian of the year, Professor Tim Flannery.

Visit the Climate Commission - http://climatecommission.gov.au/
-----

"I believe that Australians have a right to know - a right to authoritative, independent and accurate information on climate change.

"We've just seen one of the earliest ever starts to the bushfire season in Sydney following the hottest twelve months on record."

Mr Hunt has released a statement saying the commission was dumped as "part of the Coalition's plans to streamline government processes and avoid duplication of services".

It says the commission's role will be picked up by the Environment Department.

However, Professor Flannery says he is not aware of any organisation that can do the same job - not even the CSIRO or universities.

The Climate Commission's dismantling comes as no surprise, writes ABC Environment editor Sara Phillips.
http://www.abc.net.au/environment/articles/2013/09/19/3852408.htm

"The Bureau of Meteorology puts out advice and information on weather events, but doesn't cover the economics or international action happening around climate change," he said.

"There's various other groups that may or may not be able to do some of it, but having an independent strong authority that's committed to just telling the facts as they are …we're the group that was doing that.

"You need a well-informed public in order to make the right sort of decisions."

'Blood oath it was worth it'

Professor Flannery says, despite the difficulties he experienced as commissioner, he would gladly do it all again.

"There's always a cost to anything you do. Trying to make a difference, you are sure to make a lot of enemies," he told Lateline.

"Blood oath it was worth it. It's like a game of rugby ... you know you have to cross that try line with the ball no matter what's thrown at you.

Video: Former climate change commissioner Tim Flannery says he would do it all again (Lateline)
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-09-19/no-other-body-does-commissions-work/4970006

"[For us] that's making sure that my children, your children and even the sceptics' children have a decent quality of life into the future."

Professor Flannery says the Government will now have to find another way to keep the public informed about climate change.

Other groups in the environment sector say they will be sad to see the Climate Commission close.

Australian Conservation Foundation spokesman Tony Mohr says the Coalition Government threatens to undo years of work.

"It's really unfortunate that we've seen the first few steps of the new government unwind years of progress on climate change action in Australia," he said.

"The Climate Change Commission has been a world-leading body in educating Australians about what climate change will mean for us."

Other climate change bodies also on chopping block

The Coalition Government also wants to dump the Climate Change Authority, which was set up in 2012 to provide independent advice to the government on the carbon price and emissions reductions targets.

Mr Hunt yesterday instructed his department to begin drafting repeal legislation to abolish the authority, in keeping with its over-riding plan to scrap the carbon pricing scheme.

In what is likely to be a harder task, the Government has also announced it is preparing legislation to scrap the Clean Energy Finance Corporation .. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-09-18/greg-hunt-on-clean-energy-fund/4964754 .. (CEFC).

Also set up in 2012, it has been provided with $10 billion in funding over five years to support private investment in renewable energy.

Audio: Government to scrap climate change agencies (PM)
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-09-20/government-to-scrap-climate-change-agencies/4969616

Yesterday, Treasurer Joe Hockey told his department to prepare the required legislation to axe the CEFC, and wrote to the chair requesting cooperation in suspending all further investments.

However, the Australian Conservation Foundation has released legal advice that the CEFC is "obliged to follow its legislated mandate and cannot be frustrated in that regard by attempted ministerial interference".

It also says the board "would be obliged to ignore" any direction to cease operations.

The Greens have said they will oppose any bid to abolish the CEFC.

Greens leader Christine Milne says it is unlikely that legislation to abolish the CEFC or Climate Change Authority will pass the Senate until at least next July.

But she says that will not prevent the Government from stopping the Climate Change Authority from functioning before then.

Ms Milne says the Government will take away the authority's staff.

"The Climate Change Authority is supported by a secretariat from within the public service and so it will be via that mechanism that the Government will shut down the support that the Climate Change Authority needs to do its job," she said.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-09-19/federal-government-scraps-climate-commission/4968816

.. LOLOL .. a Cruz-type of another name and location might claim to be the first when he wasn't .. haha .. no .. i wasn't the first "James in NSW" .. however, yup, i am a founding friend and have donated a bit more to make up for my tardiness .. I'm sure Tim would appreciate any small donation from anywhere, eh what .. lol .. here is Tim Flannery's new Climate Council .. http://www.climatecouncil.org.au/ .. for those fine, upstanding, worldly, science and educated minded and generous (only if affordable, of course) who would like to help combat Tony Abbott and his crew of the anti-science Australian-like (in some nonsense) American Tea Party mob ..



Australians deserve independent information about climate change, from the experts.

Become a founding friend of the Climate Council, a new independent non-profit organisation established by leading scientists.

[ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZNuvmk3Dw8 ]

.. thanks, F6, for getting me there quicker than i would have .. and .. and oh yes .. LOLOL ..

100 Ways To Live To 100
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=92313628

.. started thinking more about 1. Be conscientious .. long time ago, and geared up more this month only

.. a very dear friend reminded me of the word the other day ..
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=91971742

moving on to more of living longer .. gee .. 2. Find reasons to laugh .. LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL .. gulp .. only two here are really into that one in public! .. chuckle .. hope in a month there could be a couple more sharing the gig .. LOLOL .. ok .. to all my iHub friends a light, yet why not, suggestion .. please .. consider just a small donation to Tim Flannery's most worthy new project .. if you can .. in closing thank you to Tony Abbott for his contribution toward encouraging more people to become more actively involved in the issue of woan's contribution to climate change .. which naturally leads to 3. Find a life purpose .. http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=92313628 .. 4. Go nuts .. heh .. have had that covered for some 60 years .. lol, when my car was totaled by an idiot running a red light .. 5. Walk a lot was foisted onto me Dec. 4 2011 .. http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=71982473 .. ok .. enough fooling about, eh .. haha .. will conclude this one by skipping to 58. Don’t take it sitting down .. a bit of a quandary being here so much .. 3 hours is up already today and it's only 9:54am .. ouch .. i'm thinking of creating a standing station .. lolol .. seriously .. :) .. sorry, drifted a bit from the topic of the post .. it happens .. in closing lemme just say i do hope Abbott lives to 100 .. even more seriously though i really hope he serves as Australian PM for ONLY ONE TERM .. LOLOL ..

[fuagf]

Climate Change Authority Draft Report .. Aussi ..

.. please see the quote lines as red, also, they are in
the original, just i haven't figured how to do that, yet ..

Climate Council Summary

The role of the Climate Change Authority is to provide recommendations to the Government on how much Australia should reduce its emissions. The Authority is working on a review of Australia’s emission reduction goals and their draft was released today (30.10.2013). This document summarises the key points in the draft report.

Global action on climate change is strengthening.

The Climate Change Authority affirms that international action is increasing. In particular, the USA and China, the world’s two largest emitters, are gearing up to reduce their emissions more aggressively by 2020.

Ninety-nine countries, including Australia’s major trading partners and neighbours are implementing policies to do so, including renewable energy targets, emissions trading schemes and vehicle emissions standards. These countries collectively produce over 80 per cent of global emissions and over 90 per cent of the world’s economic output.

We now know the volume of greenhouse gases that can be emitted
to 2050 to have a reasonable chance of stabilising the global climate.

The Authority has used a “budget” approach. The budget determines the amount of greenhouse gases that can be emitted to 2050 while still having a good chance of staying below 2 degrees global temperature rise (compared to pre-industrial levels).

Most nations of the world, including Australia, have agreed that the risks?of global temperatures increasing beyond 2°C are unacceptably high. The temperature rise we have already experienced is approaching 1°C above pre- industrial levels, nearly halfway to the 2°C limit.

The Authority concludes that the world can emit 1,700 gigatonnes, Gt of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2-e) between 2000 and 2050 to have an estimated a 67 per cent chance of staying below 2 degrees. It notes that emitting less would improve these odds; emitting more would reduce them. It further notes that about 35% of this budget has already been used between 2000 and 2012, so that the budget from 2013 to 2050 is about 1,100 Gt CO2-e.

Australia’s current emission reduction target is too low.

The Authority has broken down the global budget to determine Australia’s fair share, finding that Australia can emit 10.1 gigatonnes of CO2-e through the period 2013 to 2050, roughly 1% of the remaining global budget.

The budget determines the amount of greenhouse gases that can be emitted. Emission reduction targets are a mechanism for societies to determine how fast emission reductions must occur to meet a particular target. For instance, a low 2020 target means that most of the work must happen between 2020 and 2050, which is likely to be more costly and difficult. On the other hand, a higher target in 2020 means that work is spread over a longer timeframe.

The Authority concludes that the current 5% emission reduction target requires very rapid emission reductions after 2020. It concludes that Australia’s current target of 5% is:

1. at the lower end of what other countries are doing, including the US;

2. is inconsistent with achieving the 2 degree global goal;

3. would mean that Australia would use its budget quickly, making it
more difficult and costly to remain within the budget after 2020.

The Authority also concludes that a more ambitious target could be met at a lower cost to the economy than previously anticipated.

The Authority recommends increasing Australia’s emission reduction target and also provides an assessment of both 15% and 25% reduction targets for 2020.

More information:

* Climate Change Authority Draft Report. .. http://climatechangeauthority.gov.au/

* Climate Commission’s Critical Decade Report
http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/136923/20130919-1415/climatecommission.gov.au/report/the-critical-decade-2013/index.html
(see the section on carbon budgets)

http://www.climatecouncil.org.au/2013/11/14/climate-council-summary-climate-change-authority-draft-report/

.. the one this replies is linked 13th in the bottom list here ..
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=95474220