Comments on: The Climate Institute defends its coal alliance

By: Simon Rumble

Simon Rumble — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

I have to say I was very disappointed when I heard about this. I’ve known John Connor for many years, since his time heading the Nature Conservation Council of NSW and he’s always struck me as a principled and smart operator. This time, however, I’m unable to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Getting into bed with the coal industry and the environmental bruisers of the CFMEU is about as far from a reasonable approach as it gets. It’s up there with the Heart Foundation tick being given to McDonalds. The coal industry will most certainly be use this endorsement as a fig leaf for further expansion, while continuing to point to it and say “see, we’re doing something”.

What we need on climate is deep reductions NOW. The compounding effect of emissions means far future emissions are not nearly as important current and near future emissions.

By: john hayward

john hayward — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

It would appear that integrity is melting down even faster than the polar ice. WWF are already leaders in what might very generously be termed “pragmatism”, while the CFMEU has never shown other than a tribal antipathy to the concept of conservation. Their man in Canberra, Martin Ferguson, almost plagiarised the Fifth Amendment in dodging Kerry O’Brien’ questions on his Department’s allegiance to fhe fossil fuel industries on the 7:30 Report Thursday night. Dialogue and negotiation aren’t very useful with certain kinds of people, as Anthony Eden could have told you.

By: Tom McLoughlin

Tom McLoughlin — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

I too know John from NSW NCC days but SR is incorrect to say “head of”, in fact CEO but answerable to the elected and constitutional franchise executive board (eg including me elected 2 years 98-99). Also SophieB forgets not just Poola but also Bob Carr seed funding, who launched CliveH’s book. CI has always been an ALP aligned show. In his NCC time Connor ironically (also correctly) condemned Kiernan’s “zeal for the deal” over water infrastructure greenwashing for the Carr Govt. But happily endorsed $300k in $50K/6 month alottments for the forest industry ‘peace deal’ with Carr Govt. 6 monthly to keep NCC on the drip, tame and backed into a formula that kept the Eden native forest chipper open past 2000 in breach of 1995 election promise (1,500 arrests 91-94, biggest in Oz history, even Franklin River, including this writer). I resigned the NCC executive around 99 for compromising its public interest “conservation agenda” over the Eden pulp mill. CI impertinent arrogance is true form.

By: Gratton Wilson

Gratton Wilson — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Why would organisations want to club together to hurry along the strange idea of burying the most dangerous waste to mankind and life on the planet? I thought we had worked out long ago that burying our waste products was not a very good idea. Far better to find ways of turning waste into something useful. It seems that there are scientists throughout the world working on a number of ideas to turn CO2 into something useful. Why are we not supporting such work in Australia. Try looking up uses for CO2 on the net. There’s a great industry out there and lots of good ideas. Lets not fixate on one.