And more will come out of the wood work in coming months.
Not just coal exports per se, but we have a comparative advantage in energy-intensive processing which now accounts for much of our "manufacturing" industry.Even if Kevin Rudd goes to Copenhagen with the ETS and CPRS under his belt it boggles the mind to think that he would agree to anything that would endanger our coal industry. Australia's economic survival is dependant on our coal exports which earn $50 billion annually.
In a country which manufactures practically nothing and where all our electronic goods, white goods, motor vehicles,clothing, etc are imported; without the export earnings of coal we would be reduced to third world status.
And yet coal (along with other fossil fuels), as far as Copenhagen is concerned is the main enemy. It is not our enemy - it is our saviour.
And we will retrain the 130,000 people in the coal and power industries to erect wind turbines and solar panels and install pink bats. Of course we will have to import these things first. And pigs might fly.
As for jobs in alternative energy, it is the Greens themselves (and particularly Bob Brown himself) who have made the point more than anyone that there are essentially NO jobs in renewable energy once it's built. Lots of jobs during construction certainly, but then it just sits there and needs basically nothign doing to it (biofuels and wind are to some extent an exception but this certainly applies to solar etc).
A LEADING scientist acclaimed as the grandfather of global warming has denounced the Copenhagen summit on climate change next week as a farce.
James Hansen, the director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, said he planned to boycott the UN conference because it was seeking a counter-productive agreement to limit emissions through a cap-and-trade system.
"They are selling indulgences there. The developed nations want to continue basically business as usual so they are expected to purchase indulgences to give some small amount of money to developing countries. They do that in the form of offsets and adaptation funds," he said.
"The fundamental problem is that fossil fuels are the cheapest form of energy. As long as they are, they are going to be used," he said. "It's remarkable. They refuse to recognise and address the fundamental problem and the obvious solution.
Dr Hansen, adjunct professor at Columbia University's Earth Institute in New York, says the only way to control global warming is through a carbon tax. "We are going to have to move beyond fossil fuels at some point. Why continue to stretch it out?" he said.
Long term, once it's built, a change to CNG engines in particular should, in theory at least, lead to fewer jobs due to the pipeline distribution of the fuel rather than road tankers, depots etc. Indeed we could get rid of the majority of service stations since every home, office and factory with a natural gas connection becomes a vehicle refuelling point.Are there any new jobs to be had in offset creation and the carbon accounting industry that will come as a result of putting a dollar value on GHG offsets?
If we look at the simple first wave of offsets, forestry and engine conversion/replacement...Does Australia have any cost advantage when it comes to creating forestry offsets for the global offset market? will any jobs be created in the change over to hybrid, CNG and LPG engines?
Long term, once it's built, a change to CNG engines in particular should, in theory at least, lead to fewer jobs due to the pipeline distribution of the fuel rather than road tankers, depots etc. Indeed we could get rid of the majority of service stations since every home, office and factory with a natural gas connection becomes a vehicle refuelling point.
As for LPG, that's a very much misunderstood minor component of raw natural gas and also a product of oil refining (just like petrol, diesel etc comes from oil). No way are we about to run anything more than a minority (globally) of vehicles on LPG as the resource realities just don't work.
Most people probably don't realise this, but LPG is actually classified as "oil" and the figures you see, such as 85 million barrels per day of oil production, include LPG. Liquefied Petroleum Gas...
As for the accounting, well that's obviously a new source of employment even though not a source of actual wealth.
THE Australian delegation to the Copenhagen climate change conference could number 114, official documents reveal.
That number dwarfs the 71-strong British delegation. Such is the size of the delegation, it includes a dedicated "baggage liaison officer".
The carbon footprint for 114 people travelling to Copenhagen and back business class amounts to 1817 tonnes of emissions -- the equivalent to the annual output of 2500 people in Malawi. The list appears to contradict assurances from Kevin Rudd's office last weekend that fewer than 50 federal officials would attend.
It includes 10 attendees listed as members of the Prime Minister's personal staff, on top of six representatives from the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.
The names of 29 officials from the Department of Climate Change are listed, along with bureaucrats from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Australian Agency for International Development, the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Treasury and the Bureau of Meteorology.
The list suggests a communications and a stakeholder manager from the Department of Climate Change, as well as the communications officer and three media liaison officers from the Australian embassy in Denmark, will be along.
An official photographer from the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet will be on hand to record the proceedings.
You know the old saying Julie don't you. Two Wongs don't make a right, but they make a good couple. :bunny:For the first time, Ms Wong was having difficulty answering some of the questions in an interview on the 7.30 Report last night.
Perhaps I'm being obtuse, but I don't quite follow how the above expression relates to Ms Wong having difficulty with Kerry O'Brien's questions?Has anyone got groundbreaking goss. on the Copenhagen festival?
You know the old saying Julie don't you. Two Wongs don't make a right, but they make a good couple. :bunny:
Calliope, I expect the irony would be lost on Mr Rudd and Ms Wong. Such is the level of their zeal.
For the first time, Ms Wong was having difficulty answering some of the questions in an interview on the 7.30 Report last night.
Perhaps I'm being obtuse, but I don't quite follow how the above expression relates to Ms Wong having difficulty with Kerry O'Brien's questions?
And, sorry to be picky, but I absolutely hate being called Julie.
I take the trouble to get your rather odd nic correct.
I am totally confused!!!
Wong went to Copenhagen with 5% reduction by 2020.
Copenhagen says Wong has to meet 20-25% by 2020.
Now Wong is talking 15% by 2020.
Does anyone believe she knows what she is doing?
I'm bl..dy sure I don't.
Thank you, Wysiwyg. (How do you pronounce this nic and what does it mean, if anything?)Yes, as you stated, you are perhaps obtuse and picky but I will accept your sorrow and call you Julia.
Good Lord, So Cynical, I saw it once. Certainly don't want to see it again!Hard to believe we saw the same interview...i thought she was concise, cheery and handled herself well, while not actually answering any questions...she is a polly after all....scroll down a bit for the interview.
http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/
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