Comments on: Divisions on clean coal won’t sink the enviro movement

By: Mirek

Mirek — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

A refreshing contribution from the Greens` Senator, however I cannot see that the `polluter pays` principle laudable and just as it is, is being applied by this, or previous Governments. The real principle seems to be that `polluter pollutes, and people pay `, this of course maximises profits and `shareholder value`, and is quite in line with the long-time Government support for Big Business, whilst expressing platitudes in support of environment. The whole exercise is mired in hypocrisy and short-term political and economic considerations.
The carbon trading scheme and the `offsets` is seen by Business as a billion-dollar bonanza, a perfect way of having your cake and eating it too, whilst an opportunity to push nuclear technology is becoming more politically `acceptable`. Is there any wonder that Big Business is embracing these ideas with zeal? There is money in it! It is time for the social and environmental movements to stand up and be counted, at this time of Climate Crisis

By: EcologyAction

EcologyAction — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

“Status and Signals 2007-2008 Petroleum Safety Authority Norway ” at page 11 re “Storing up safety concerns” including ““Feasibility studies for CCS have so far focused on assessing realistic methods and economics,” observes Øyvind Tuntland, the PSA’s director for professional competence. “In other words, little attention has been paid to the safety challenges… ” Carbon dioxide is highly corrosive and raises the acidity of water, thereby posing a threat of deterioration for the materials it comes into contact with. “Corrosion could thereby be a highly significant …“Since high concentrations of carbon dioxide are toxic, leaks both on land and offshore could potentially have major safety consequences,” he adds.“It’s unclear at present how carbon leaks should be spotted, and the industry lacks reliable methods for achieving such detection.”Carbon dioxide can occur in gaseous, liquid or solid form, depending on pressure and temperature …it can enter a “super critical phase”.

By: Deborah Hart

Deborah Hart — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Where would we be without Christine?

Brava Senator Milne!

By: Suresh Pathy

Suresh Pathy — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

The WWF have been a paid up lobby group for polluting industries for a long time. I find it hard to believe that they still have a membership after their unscrupulous and unethical behaviour during the Howard regime. The WWF accepted a large pile of money from the Howard government and afterwards came out with a policy of supporting nuclear power in Australia!
That period of the Australian body politic was full of cash for comment, I wonder what the coal industry has “donated” to this “environment group”. I suspect that they would have gone down the road that the Howard regime went and contributed generously towards research or a study that the WWF will carry out.
The book “Secrets and Lies” revealed corporate and government usage of groups to Greenwash odious policies.
I am waiting for the WWF to bend over for Logging of Old Growth forests and for scientific whaling, it would fit with their current and past behaviour.

Dr Suresh Pathy
Past Chairman of Doctors for Native Fores

By: RJG

RJG — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Christine it might look like it’s drifting away, but with a diplomat, lawyer and rock singer in charge, all content free, with no clue as to what to do, they will grasp at whatever straw they can. And don’t forget the state governments with even less content and even fewer scrupals. They control the mining licences.

By: Peter Campbell

Peter Campbell — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Well said. The WWF’s track record on pandering (no pun intended) to industry and government is not good. Remember their support for Howard’s terrible forest policy for Tasmania in 2004?

Climate Institute, CFMEU, WWF and The Australian Coal Association forming a taskforce; what strange bedfellows.

With environment groups behaving like that, we don’t even need industry groups or recalcitrant unions.