One horse bolts from the Murdoch stable....more to come?

News to launch local probe

Karl Quinn and Karen Kissane July 14, 2011

The Age

RUPERT Murdoch's News Limited has announced an audit of expenditure by its Australian newspapers in a bid to ensure their journalistic practices are clean.

The move came as British Prime Minister David Cameron last night announced a public inquiry into the News of the World phone-hacking scandal that could lead to Mr Murdoch being summoned to answer questions before a judge.

The announcement came hours after the head of Mr Murdoch's Australian division announced a detailed examination of local media operations.

''We will be conducting a thorough review of all editorial expenditure over the past three years to confirm that payments to contributors and other third parties were for legitimate services,'' News Limited chairman John Hartigan said in the memo.

Financial Times 12 July 2011

Academics have their say!

Climate Spectator

After announcing on Sunday the details of its carbon pricing package – including a starting price of $23, rising 2.5 per cent annually plus inflation and moving to a market-based emissions trading scheme in 2015; the creation of a $10 billion clean energy finance corp; and compensation measures including raising the income tax-free threshold to $18,000, as well as other tax cuts and subsidies for nine out of 10 households – the Gillard government's deal is set to be put before parliament in August and is expected to pass with approval of several independents. It will also pass through the Senate, thanks to the support of the Greens.

The key but no door to open until 2013!

A Bridge to far?

Giles Parkinson - Climate Spectator

Stephen Sondheim once said that “perpetual anticipation is good for the soul but it's bad for the heart.” The clean energy industry could testify to that, although they would likely add that it’s also bad for business.

Australia’s renewable energy industry has been in a state of perpetual anticipation for some time: Long on promises of a carbon price, renewable energy targets and grants-based assistance, but short on any traction for getting things built.

There is hope that the roadblocks may finally be lifted by the troika of initiatives unveiled in the government’s Clean Energy Future – a carbon price, a new Clean Energy Finance Corporation muscled up with $10 billion in funds, and the creation of the Australian Renewable Energy Agency to bring the myriad smaller programs under one roof and into the hands of an independent, and hopefully proactive and properly resources body.

The bubble has burst!

There is no doubt that back home the carbon bubble has burst and the frenetic media releases, forums and door stops, walks through shopping centres and into homes and businesses has begun.

The plethora of grants and publications now available to inform and  convince the electorate that this is the way to tackle the issue of climate change and set up Australia's economy for  a low carbon future is an indication of the backroom work that has been underway for many months.

Given the timing of the introduction of the clean energy future package (language has changed over night from carbon tax to carbon pricing by some in the media!) the polling and the debates will become election like weekly and probably daily if the media has its way.

The futures of both Gillard and Abbott and will be fought out until the election in 2013 and backbenchers will no doubt be be assessing the impact amongst their constituents. We should not be surprised if in a few months time  this is played out in caucus meetings. Whilst it would be a huge call to remove Gillard it may not be beyond the polling-politics we live in today and 24/7 media that Abbott's future pre the election is more at risk.

I can see the swings and roundabouts continuing for many months but perhaps with a more solid backing of the plan by an increasing number of by-standers. Many up until now have been sidelined by the 'wham bam ' of the Abbot style of politics and have not been able to articulate their position without the announcement of the 'plan'.

'We live in hope' as they say in the classics!

Climate Change Authority established

Bernie Fraser to chair climate body

Nine News

Mr Fraser will bring to the Climate Change Authority (CCA) decades of experience in economic policy, having been Treasury secretary from 1984 to 1989 and RBA chief from 1989 to 1996.

When the carbon pricing scheme moves from a fixed to a floating price in 2015, the government plans to put annual caps on the amount of carbon pollution that can be released into the atmosphere by firms covered by the carbon price.

The CCA will recommend medium and long-term carbon pollution targets, look at progress towards emissions cuts and advise on the impacts on the economy. It is expected to conduct public reviews and make its findings public. The CCA's first review is due to be completed by February 2014.

Tax yes...but long term investment in low carbon technologies the key!

Green light for renewables

Giles Parkinson - Climate Spectator

At a recent discussion in Sydney about the prospect of nuclear energy in this country, Resources and Energy Minister Martin Ferguson reflected that Australia may have no choice but to go nuclear if it was unable to find a clean energy alternative.

It was a valid point. The trouble was that few in the renewable energy industry were confident that Ferguson would want to invest enough money, and early enough, to give them the best chance of developing new technologies and getting the scale of deployment needed to reduce costs.

That need to unblock investment in emerging technologies seems to be the underlying reason behind the push by the Greens and environmental groups for two new statutory bodies, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation. Both bodies will be independent and will sit beyond ministerial interference. Furthermore, the Australian Energy Market Operator has been commissioned to plan for the time when the Australian grid operates with100 per cent renewable energy.

Meanderings from Malmo, Sweden - Chapter 3

And yes they count bicycles too...and there are lots of them!

 This is a counter along one of the cycle ways into and out of the City Centre. It has recorded this year to date 1 million cyclists passing this way.  The cyclist community is made up of all sorts and they don't wear helmets though there is an increasing number of children with helmets. It is also the case that cycling is mainly on dedicated cycleways so they are separated from the traffic in the inner city and in the outer parts they cycle often through forest areas and along riverways.

Windsor proud...and so he and others should be!

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/07/05/3261392.htm?section=justin 

Key independent Tony Windsor has hailed the climate agreement as "a momentous occasion", while the Opposition is warning scams of the system are "inevitable".

Details of the deal, including the initial carbon price, between the Government, Greens and independents will be released to the public on Sunday.

Mr Windsor, a member of the Multi-Party Climate Change Committee, said he will be able to look back on the agreement as "something I'll be very proud of".

"It isn't about this week, this month, this year. It's about the future and it's about the future of people who aren't even here now and I think it's important to have been part of that," Mr Windsor told reporters outside Parliament House.

Post Script: Shaun Carney in The Age writes ".....

On climate change, the country has a prime minister who promised not to introduce a carbon tax, an opposition leader who says he believes in the need to arrest climate change but appears not to, and a third-party leader who argues against his own negotiated policy choice as a way of currying favour with his supporters.

The sum total of this is that it is highly likely that even after the carbon tax package is released next Sunday, scepticism towards the policy - and the entire issue of climate change - will remain high. What's ended up being misplaced amid the anticipation of the carbon price agreement is the most important question of all: will the policies of any of the parties actually reduce emissions to the desired level in the required time?

The entire issue has become so contaminated by politics that it stands as a testament to how inadequate and dysfunctional our political system is becoming.

http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/politics/the-gradual-poisoning-of-our-democratic-system-20110705-1h0mg.html#ixzz1RGFwth3V

Meanderings from Malmo, Sweden - Chapter 2

The trains run on time and the buses run on biogass....

This is increasingly a sustainable transport city with cyclists and pedestrians filling in the gaps that trains and buses leave. And where cars are used it seems that many have been converted or have been built for ethanol or biogass fuel systems.  Sweden has no oil reserves and has set itself the enviable task or finding other sources of energy for electricity and transport fuels. It is amazing but understandable what we can do if we really have to but also what dependency plays in our capacity to change.

Facts about Sweden: The Swedish Energy Agency is an agency for national energy policy issues with a mission to promote the development of Sweden’s energy system so that it will become ‘ecologically and economically sustainable’. The Agency provides subsidies to the municipal energy and climate advisory service that can be found in every municipality and supports the regional energy offices’ work.

Energy from wind power in Sweden increased at a record pace during 2010 with 308 new wind power turbines being installed. This makes a total of 1655 turbines. Wind power accounts for approximately 2.4 per cent of the electricity use in Sweden with a large amount of the electricity generated from wind power being produced in the region of Skåne, in the south of Sweden.

 

Biomass accounts for 32% of Sweden’s energy mix and surpassed oil to become the number one source of energy. Sweden has come the furthest on the road towards fossil fuel independence of any country. 

In 2010 the Swedish Government approved a plan to have renewable energy reach 50% of the total energy consumed by the year 2020. In addition, the country aims to be totally independent of imported fossil fuels for the transportation sector by 2030.

 

Meanderings from Malmo, Sweden - Chapter 1

Midsummer is not what it seems……

Its taken me a couple of weeks to drag myself away from Melbourne, Australia and to report on what is happening over here in the northern hemisphere and especially in Malmo City, Sweden where I am staying. 

Malmo City Mall pre Midsummer

Midsummer was not what I had expected…it is mostly a family and friends’ occasion or at least that seemed evident to me as I wandered the Malmo mall on mid summer eve and mid summer day. Midsummer holidays, traditions, and celebrations in Europe are pre-Christian in origin and are particularly important in Northern Europe including Sweden.


However there was no bunting, no singing no dancing or even drinking at least publically. So it was all obviously happening somewhere as all the shops were closed and no one was around except for those whose heads were buried in a map. So as I came to realise midsummer happens behind closed doors or in secluded and unmarked parks and gardens away from the maddening tourists.

I have since discovered on my meanderings in a number of parks and gardens the remains of maypole like structures. For the uninformed Midsummer is originally a pagan holiday but in Christianity it is associated with the John the Baptist. Confusing yes but nevertheless a good excuse for a party with friends, families and neighbours!