China into carbon trading

The Age

CLIMATE change adviser Ross Garnaut says China is experimenting with carbon trading in large cities as it knows that's the cheapest way to reduce emissions. The economist held talks on Monday with the man responsible for China's climate change policies, Xie Zhenhua, in advance of ministerial-level meetings.

 

Professor Garnaut said carbon trading was being tested in five provinces and in three cities: Tianjin, Shanghai and Beijing. ''The way China tends to do these things is they try them out, sometimes in different ways, and if they seem to be working they adopt them nationally,'' Professor Garnaut told reporters. ''China's main emissions-reduction efforts are through fiscal and regulatory interventions.''

http://www.theage.com.au/business/china-acting-on-carbon-garnaut-20110329-1cerk.html

Chiang Kai-shek lives on!

 From the 1930s a civil war was underway in mainland China between Chiang Kai-shek’s Republic of China government and the Communist Party led Mao Zedong. When the civil war ended in 1949, 2 million refugees, predominantly from the Nationalist government, military, and business community, fled to Taiwan. On October 1, 1949 the Peoples Republic of China was founded in mainland China. Chiang Kai-shek died, in April 1975, and was succeeded to the presidency by Yen Chia-kan while his son Chiang Ching-kuo succeeded to the leadership of the Kuomintang. He set the stage that led to incredible economic successes of the territories starting in the mid 1980s. 

In 1987, Chiang ended martial law and allowed family visits to mainland China. His administration saw a gradual loosening of political controls and opponents of the Nationalists were no longer forbidden to hold meetings or publish papers. Opposition political parties, though still illegal, were allowed to form Democratic Progressive Party was established in 1986.

 

The Chiang Kai-Shel Memorial Palace is packed with artefacts from the establishment of the Republic of China on Taiwan. Featured are Sun Yat-Sen and Chiang Kai-Shek with paintings, photos and memorobilia of past glories. The USA features in the history given their role in supporting what was to be the bulwark against Communist China.

Researching climate change education across Taiwan

The 2011 International Forum on a Low Carbon Vision organised by the Taiwan National Normal University featured 30 research projects undertaken by 30 of the 40 universities across Taiwan on climate change education. The funds were provided by the by the National Science Council of Taiwan and were aimed at primary, secondary and tertiary student understanding and potential behavioral change action on climate change. Each of the projects had to be signed off by the President of the University and involved senor academic staff and researchers. The topics were as diverse as were the outcomes and a listing will give you an idea of the breadth and content of the research topics: 

Cultivating the Core Knowledge of Global Warming / Energy Conservation and Carbon Reduction; Development and promotion of an Energy Education Model in Taiwan; The Study of Educational Policies and School Projects in Energy Saving and Carbon Reduction across Countries; Non formal education curricula development and evaluation of energy conservation and carbon reduction in communities and logistics.

Energy and carbon literacy for the island Taiwan and its promotion; Consolidated Programs for Educational Research on Energy Saving and Carbon Reduction –based on Green University; The education program of environmental bio-technology in energy saving and carbon reduction for loving earth

Construction of the energy-saving and carbon-reducing experience curriculum plan; Curriculum Development for Establishment and Management of Low Carbon Living Circles; Implementation of interactive multimedia demonstration systems introducing the Sustainable Environmental Education Center in Taipei County (New Taipei City)

Educational Function of Mass Media on Diffusion of Energy-saving and Carbon-reduction Agendas; An Integrated Education Project for Energy Conservation and Carbon Reduction for Mutual Living Circle; Concepts and Action Research of Energy Saving and CO2 Emission Reduction Curricula for Grades 1-12 in Taiwan

The Planning and Application of School-based Education about energy saving and carbon reduction; Innovative Curriculum Design and Outreach of Low Carbon Dioxide, Green Energy; Tunghai University 4E Project on K-16 Energy Education; A Study on the Energy-saving, Carbon Reduction Core Value and Talent Cultivation in Tourism and Hospitality

Snaps and snippets from Taipei

View from hotel

Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall

I am attending the 2011 International Forum for a Low Carbon Future. The Forum has brought together academics and researchers from the USA, Finland, Australia and from across the Taiwanese university sector. This is a melting put of surveys, assumptions, predictions and conclusions as to how best to educate for climate change or develop 'climate change literacy'. The Forum has been sponsored by the National Science Council of Taiwan and organised by the National Taiwan Normal University in the hallowed grounds of the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial.

The Pears Plan!

As I await for the flight to Hong Kong on my way to Taipei I read with interest and delight Alan Pear’s article in The Age to day – 'Carbon won’t cost the clever consumer'. As the forum I am attending and speaking is on low carbon cities it’s clear that consumers and cities can be clever and it’s about time!

The Age

The recent hysterical claims that carbon pricing will make it too expensive to run an airconditioner, or that many industries will be destroyed, are simply ridiculous. The reality is that costs are changing all the time, and the carbon cost is likely to be ''in the noise'' for most Australians, even for electricity prices. The objective of placing a price on carbon dioxide emissions is clear. Emitters now make free use of the limited global atmosphere. Placing a price on emissions means they will ''pay to pollute''.

Natural or human disasters must herald a new way of doing things!

At a time when the planet itself is bursting with unproductive energy we continue to pollute with energy sourced from fossil fuels and uranium. I travel to Taipei next week to deliver a paper at the '2011 International Forum for a Low Carbon Vision'. The unfolding human tragedy in Japan will no doubt raise many of the dilemmas and doubts as to our capacity to deal with natural disasters together with those that we bring upon ourselves.

'Climate Change Education for a low carbon future: a local government viewpoint'. 

Abstract: We are living in a globalised and urbanized century. We are also living in challenging and changing times and a commitment to a low carbon future and sustainable growth needs to be at the core of the response to our needs and the challenge of our generation, climate change. The response to climate change will rest on our capacity to create low-carbon sustainable cities and thus an enduring planet. We therefore must build the commitment and capacity of city and local governments to build a low-carbon future.

The focus of my presentation will be on what city and local governments are doing and must do globally and locally to transform their communities from a carbon intensive way of living to one that is low-carbon. City and local governments have a long track record and been a key player in sustainable development and responding to the causes and impacts of climate change. To achieve a low-carbon future within the existing form and structure of our cities and urban environments it is important to have two things: a vision of a low-carbon future plus a sense of hope.

Garnaut ups the anti

The Age 18 March

"LOW and middle-income households would receive $5.75 billion worth of income tax cuts under a proposal to tie the introduction of a carbon price to sweeping tax reforms.

In his strongest speech since returning as a Labor adviser, Professor Ross Garnaut rejected suggestions a carbon price would damage the economy, arguing it would boost national productivity if linked to tax and welfare reform. He said the cost would be small compared with recent fluctuations in the exchange rate, petrol prices and interest rates.

Professor Garnaut recommended polluting industries be charged $20 to $30 per tonne emitted, increasing 4 per cent a year, with emissions trading starting in 2015. The scheme would be overseen by an independent carbon bank, similar to the Reserve Bank.

Launching an update to his 2008 climate review, he said about half of the revenue raised should be spent making the tax system fairer and more efficient, possibly in line with last year's largely ignored tax review by former Treasury secretary Ken Henry".

Get Up puts up!

 "After hearing Julia Gillard's speech to the US Congress, I wondered why the Prime Minister has not spoken with the same passion and soaring rhetoric about Australian ambition and achievement as she did about America, particularly when it comes to climate change. So, I wrote the speech that Gillard should give to Parliament on climate change, borrowing the tone and some of the language from her recent US speech". 

Mark Connelly was  recently a Campaigns Director at GetUp - Australia and will shortly become Campaigns, Director for the US online campaigning community MoveOn.org.

 

No it isn't...yes it is!

Herald Sun Newspaper

Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has declared climate change is real after being attacked for telling a community forum that the science wasn't settled. 

Mr Abbott said "whether carbon dioxide is quite the environmental villain that some people make it out to be is not yet proven".

He infamously declared in 2009 the science was "crap" but has since stated he accepts humans are contributing to global warming. Yesterday, the Liberal leader stated that "climate change is real".

So there is another way!

Roadmap to a clean, competitive future by Connie Hedegaard
The Malta Independent On-line

This week, the European Commission adopted an energy efficiency plan and a roadmap on how to turn Europe into a low-carbon society by 2050. But why on earth spend time on something that is four decades away when we can barely see the end of the worst economic crisis since the 1930s, some may ask?

In fact, there are good reasons to do so and they are not all about some distant future. They are also about jobs. They are about innovation and competitiveness. And they are about reducing our energy bill. Last year, for example, Europe paid $70 billion more on oil imports than the year before. That is almost a third of what all the EU member states combined spend on research and development. Imagine if Europe relied much more on renewable energy and didn’t have to send fortunes to foreign regimes each time the oil prices spike. That is what this package is about.

Mr Abbott! Here is our people's revolt! Where's yours?

Today in the Treasury Gradens, Melbourne 7500 people turned out to say no to 'fear' and yes to a 'future'.

 

Says Get Up, "The fear campaign against a price on pollution has become so absurd that talkback radio hosts are claiming this means the end of life as we know it. Independent MPs are receiving death threats, and the far-right are organising anti-climate action rallies. The first of these is this weekend - and at the same time, we're coming together on the other side of Melbourne to prove that fighting for climate action is more important". 

Postscript: The ABC2 news this evening reported on the 200 people who turned up out side PM Gillard's electorate office opposing a price on carbon giving equal coverage to the rally that attracted 7,500 people. Is this balance or bias? And in the Sunday The Age no mention; Sunday Herald-Sun gave the anti rally two-thirds of an article including numerous quotes from Liberal Senators who spoke at the Rally.

Time to stand out!

Where: Treasury Place, Melbourne.
When: This Saturday (March 12) at 11am

The fear campaign against a price on pollution has become so absurd that talkback radio hosts are claiming that a price on pollution means the end of our economy and life as we know it. Independent MPs are even receiving death threats. 

Now, these same radio hosts have joined with climate deniers and far-right politicians to organise anti-climate action rallies as part of Tony Abbott's "people's revolt". They start on Saturday outside Julia Gillard's electorate office in Melbourne. We must make sure that on the other side of town, our movement comes together to counter their campaign. 

A number of organisations - including Get Up!, Environment Victoria, Australian Youth Climate Coalition, Greenpeace, Climate Action Network Australia, Australian Conservation Foundation and others – have joined together to organise a rally to support a price on pollution this Saturday 12^th March at Treasury Place Melbourne at 11am.

"It's utter madness to try to curb emissions while subsidising fossil fuels".

"Given the doubts about government's ability to manage an emissions scheme, here's a simpler, more transparent solution. Scrap all the de facto subsidies for fossil fuels, slash the budget deficit by $12 billion a year and watch the pressure to cut emissions take effect. If that sounds radical, it just shows how badly government policy has been compromised by vested interests."

http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/politics/twelve-billion-holes-in-plan-to-cut-carbon-20110309-1bny3.html

And further to your understanding of what's happening, Mr Abbott...

China’s challenge to Europe – Shin Wei Ng

March 07, 2011

“The ambitious green goals in China’s new five-year plan are a test for EU leadership, writes Shin Wei Ng.

“China’s 12^th Five-Year Plan (FYP) will be approved at the end of this week after the annual sessions of the National People’s Congress that meets once a year to discuss and determine national-level policies.

The 12^th FYP is also meant to cover a critical shift in China’s development model: the economy will move towards higher value-added sectors and create Chinese companies that are global players. In particular, the green and low-carbon sectors have been identified as the core part of a new industrial strategy and an important pillar for growth. Despite China’s environmental aspirations, continuous rapid economic growth may threaten its ambition – local governments striving for high GDP growth over the next five years will cast a long shadow on China’s future carbon and energy-intensity targets.

There are both quantitative and qualitative differences between the new FYP and its predecessor. A significant change is the role of the market – the Chinese government will create new markets and encourage the use of market mechanisms, potentially including emissions-trading or a carbon tax, to achieve its environmental goals”.

Time to stand up....

Crikey has blown the lid on the Abbott call for a public revolution on pricing carbon -

"The brains behind the anti-carbon tax rallies"

A disgruntled green loans assessor, a former Victorian public servant turned climate sceptic and a Sydney pacemaker king are the figures behind a national series of rallies planned to shoot down Julia Gillard’s carbon tax.

Liberal Party-linked figures Jacques Laxale, Michael Cejnar and Colin Ely have all emerged as linchpins for the nationwide March 23 “No Carbon Tax” protests, which is hoping to drag thousands of everyday Australians on to the street following Tony Abbott’s clarion call for a “people’s revolt”.

Laxale, the designated spokesperson for the Consumers and Taxpayers Association — which until last week had three members — has been a dominant spokesperson on right-wing talkback radio over the last week cooking up support for the show of genuine grassroots people power.

http://www.crikey.com.au/2011/03/07/meet-the-brains-behind-the-anti-carbon-tax-rallies/

And to take them on there is a call to rally at Julia Gillard's office on Saturday 12 at 11.00am at Treasury Place for a pro-climate cation rally called by LIVE.  


https://www.getup.org.au/campaign/ClickHereToRSVP

Climate change takes toll on coffee growers, drinkers too..

 The Seattle Times


SANTA MARIA DE DOTA, Costa Rica — A mile above this rural mountain town, coffee trees have produced some of the world's best arabica beans for more than a century. Now farmers are planting even higher — at nearly 7,000 feet — thanks to warmer temperatures.
"We noticed about six years ago, the weather changed," said Ricardo Calderón Madrigal, whose family harvests ripe, red coffee cherries at the higher elevation. He sells beans to some of the most notable coffeehouses in the U.S., including Stumptown Coffee of Portland and Ritual Coffee in San Francisco. Standing among healthy coffee trees near the upper reaches of his farm, Calderón says he knows he is lucky.

Calderon is one of the few Costa Rican coffee farmers benefiting from the shifting weather pattern, while most of his fellow growers have found themselves on the losing end. Yields in Costa Rica have dropped dramatically in the last decade, with farmers and scientists blaming climate change for a significant portion of the troubles.

Oooops...Mr Abbott!

China to launch energy cap-and-trade trials in green push

 (Reuters) - China is planning trial efforts for an energy cap-and-trade scheme, applying market forces to its goals to reduce fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas pollution, the government said on Saturday.


The announcement added to evidence that China will focus on using broad energy consumption levers to pursue its goal of cutting carbon intensity, a measure of how much carbon dioxide -- the main greenhouse gas from fossil fuels -- is emitted to produce each unit of economic growth.


"We will put in place a statistics and accounting system for greenhouse gas emissions," the NDRC also said of its tasks for 2011.


China is the world's biggest emitter of the greenhouse gases from human activity, and the embryonic cap-and-trade system will be part of the nation's efforts to cut carbon intensity by 40-45 percent by 2020 compared to 2005 levels.


Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao told the parliament that the country would cut energy intensity by 16 percent and carbon intensity by 17 percent by the end of 2015.

PM baiting game!

 Prime Minister baiting by the Opposition is certainly on the rise…in Parliament, at door stops and in nearby shopping malls. This week’s Question Time has been a battle of claims and counter claims over the framework announced by the Government to price carbon with the Opposition peppering the PM and Treasurer with questions on ‘the great big new tax’ despite there being no price and no policy.  

And on the dot of 10 to 3 each day of this week’s sitting the Leader of the Opposition rose from his seat, strutted to the box and moved the suspension of Standing Orders to allow for a debate on the Government’s proposed pricing of carbon.  In a cart wheeling performance Abbot lambasted the PM on the impact of a carbon price and called for a public revolution. Following the tirade Shadow Treasurer Hockey would rise and thunder his lightweight arguments against a carbon price. It was a manipulative use of Question Time for the purpose of no doubt baiting the PM.

Out in nearby shopping malls Tony Abbot throughout the week has pumped petrol, bunched bananas and filleted fish ranting and raving about the great big new tax whilst some of his backbenchers in doorstops back at Parliament House have compared the PM to Gadaffi.

Postscript: Michelle Grattan and Fran Kelly in the daily Q&A metoo segment on Radio National this morning rather than reporting on the disruptive and demeaning tactics in Parliament focused instead on the PM and her accusation that some members of the Opposition were guilty of race baiting. And in an aside Kelly remarked that all this would impact on the ‘Labor paradise’. A throwaway line or PM baiting?

Did she or didn’t she....or does it really matter anyway?

 In June 2010 The Australian reported:

Julia Gillard will pursue a carbon price if she wins the next election…

The Business Spectator in July 2010:

The federal government has agreed new policies on climate change, including a commitment to set an interim price on carbon, the Australian Financial Review reports.

On the day before we all went to the polls Gillard was reported at news.com.au:

Julia Gillard says she is prepared to legislate a carbon price in the next term as part of a bold series of reforms

In The Australian on the same day:

In an election-eve interview with The Australian, the Prime Minister revealed she would view victory tomorrow as a mandate for a carbon price, provided the community was ready for this step.

Even Tony Abbott was aware of Gillard’s commitment to pricing carbon. His own website contained this post almost two months before the last federal election:

If she is serious about putting a price on carbon she shouldn’t wait until after the election, she should sit down with Bob Brown now, come up with something, tell us now what she’s going to do rather than just fudge this until after the election. But it’s typical of the new Prime Minister that she wants to get credit for wanting to do something without getting the blame for actually doing something and this is a Prime Minister who will tell people what she thinks they want to hear but she won’t then put the policies in place to deliver on that. 

Blog to the Editor - 'I'm only half-joking....'

 Fair Work Amendment (Reducing Greenhouse Gas-related Shadows Cast By Unoccupied Office Furniture) Bill 2011

                                     [EXTRACTS ONLY]

A Bill for an Act to amend the Fair Work Act 2009 to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions-related electricity used in workplaces by reducing the incidence of excessive working hours, and for related purposes.

The Parliament of Australia enacts:

1  Commencement

This Act commences when Senator Fielding concedes that the earth is not flat.

2  Object

Australia is the highest per capita emitter of greenhouse gases, largely because most of its electricity comes from coal-fired power stations.  The object of this Act is to help redress that situation.  In particular, the objects of this Act are to:

(a)  reduce the incidence of excessive working hours by requiring all work done on a weekend or public holiday, or on a weekday before 8 am or after 6 pm, to be paid at penalty or overtime rates (as the case may be); and

(b)  require all persons in charge of workplaces to ensure that all lights and electrically powered appliances are switched off in areas where no-one is working, unless they must be kept switched on for safety or other vital reasons.

3  Short title

This Act:

(a)   may be cited as the Fair Work Amendment (Greenhouse Shadow Boxing) Act 2011;

(b)   may not be cited as:

(i)     the Fair Work Amendment (Great Big Tax on Bums Not On Seats) Act 2011; or,

(ii)    in relation to staff at executive level or above, the Fair Work Amendment (Tax on Great Big Bums Not On Seats) Act 2011.