habitat July 2012 - Australian Conservation Foundation

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Campaign updates Reading the newspapers, hearing what politicians have to say, you’d be forgiven for thinking there’s no big, hard decisions on climate change left for the government to make. Having passed a price on pollution, and with legislation to create the Clean Energy Finance Corporation on its way through Parliament, what’s left on the to-do list? Quite a lot, sitting just below the waterline. The first big decision is to make sure then Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) spends its $10 billion on new renewable energy that goes beyond the current 20 per cent target. It’s hard to imagine why this is not getting more attention, but the CEFC could funnel money into increasing the renewable energy target to around 40 per cent. This decision gets forced onto the agenda in September, when the Climate Change Authority reviews the renewable energy target. The other massive decision goes back to a global climate action icon – the Kyoto Protocol. This treaty is not enough to tackle climate change on it’s own, but it’s the bedrock on which a global agreement can be built. The Australian Government is dithering, unable or unwilling to make a hard commitment to the protocol and a new round of pollution targets. Other countries, in far worse economic positions, have stepped up and renewed their commitment to this fundamental building block. Australia’s decision will be announced in Qatar in December. For updates please visit www.acfonline.org.au/climate-change Tony Mohr Climate change program manager How do we promote the idea that people in cities, where the majority of us live, need to reduce our ecological footprint and live within our environmental means? There are so many aspects to this question of ‘one earth’ living. They include how we design our cities; how we encourage manufacturers and the providers of goods and services to embrace extended producer responsibility; how we distribute energy and water; ensuring our food supply is local and seasonal; reducing, recycling and rethinking ‘waste’; and living much more simply. It may not be trendy or mainstream, but I certainly hope that we can spark conversations that will help us think differently about how we live and how we can reduce our footprint. I attended a Sustainable Business Australia event in April with guest speaker Gunter Pauli, author of Blue Economy and a member of the Club of Rome. Pauli is a motivating and inspirational speaker. He calls on Australian business leaders to be more entrepreneurial and innovative, and gave examples of where the future is heading. These included South Korea where municipal waste is being turned into microchips and hydrogen. They provide an income stream for the city; create hydrogen to power the city, as well as grapheme, a substitute rare earth metal. I also recently came across a TED talk by Peter Diamandis discussing how exponential changes in technology, and the giving of large cash incentive prizes to inventors solving grand environmental and social challenges, is shifting how we think. See the talk for yourself at: http://www.ted.com/talks/peter_diamandis_ abundance_is_our_future.html I’d love to hear your views on any of these topics. Please contact me at m.richter@acfonline.org.au Monica Richter Sustainable Australia program manager 30 habitat July 2012
How do we promote the idea that people in cities, where the majority of us live, need to reduce our ecological footprint and live within our environmental means? Millions of dollars are being spent on advertising to sell to us how lucky we are that mining is expanding and how great the benefits will be to all Australians. Big mining companies are gaining power in defining what Australia will look like in the future. Politics has been seduced. There is no doubt that some Australians will benefit and some individuals will become incredibly rich. The reality is, however, that for everyone who benefits there will be others harmed. The economic and social fabric of communities and huge tracts of our natural environment will be irreversibly damaged. People with money and influence are selling us a one-sided story. The advertised promise of mass local employment and shared riches are hollow. ACF research into the average incomes of Indigenous people in the Pilbara (which is flush with mining money) has shown there to be little increase with Indigenous people in the Kimberley region. The incredible employment opportunities of mining show no improvement for these communities. At a recent Indigenous sustainability conference in Perth, a representative of the Chamber of Minerals and Energy WA spoke on the great employment opportunities for Aboriginal people in mining. His presentation highlighted good work. When asked, however, how many Aboriginal people did the Chamber of Minerals employ and Energy to chart the organisation’s direction with respect to this community, their answer was none. This represents a credibility shortfall. What happens in Australia now will affect generations to come. Mined lands will never be the same again and the extracted resources won’t be replaced. Will a period of financial abundance for a few individuals and large companies stand the Australian community in good stead for our future? If you are concerned speak to your politicians, and continue to support your representative environmental and community organisations. The fact that mining companies feel the need to advertise shows they are aware of the power of community opposition. For updates please visit www.acfonline.org.au/northern-australia Dr Sue Jenkins Northern Australia program manager It’s a simple truth. Without your support we are nothing, going nowhere. Over the last few months generous supporter donations have kept our campaigns alive. We’ve been able to build momentum in South Australia for the Murray-Darling by letterboxing thousands of homes. We have plastered billboards with “No Future on a Dead River” posters across the major roads into Adelaide’s CBD. Our Lifeblood Alliance hosted a fantastic public meeting in Adelaide Town Hall attended by many of our members and concerned citizens for a healthy river. It sent a clear, strong message to all political parties that this is beyond politics. The health of our river is the health of our lifeblood. There’s much more to do and with your support, we’ll get the job done. The discussions on Tasmanian forests are reaching a critical decision point. ACF and our partners have been putting forward the case to protect 572,000 hectares of high conservation value forest and support a package to assist timber workers and the industry to adjust. Legislation needs to be passed by Tasmania’s parliament. The process of negotiating a settlement remains volatile but it’s a good sign that industry, union and environment groups remain at the table thrashing out issues fought over for 30 years. We have also been working with partners to push the boundaries on the Australian Government’s new network of protected areas being developed five kilometres off the coast in Commonwealth waters. The Coral Sea in Australia’s northeast waters has been a focus. The area is rich in hard and soft corals, sponges, algae and fish communities. Environment Minister Tony Burke received nearly 500,000 submissions, with more than 99 per cent of those calling for greater protection for what will become one of the world’s largest marine parks. And the Biodiversity Fund championed by ACF has announced $271 million worth of projects aimed at protecting biodiversity and carbon stored in soils and native vegetation. None of which would have been possible without your support. Thank you. For updates please visit www.acfonline.org.au/murray-darling Dr Paul Sinclair Healthy ecosystems program manager habitat July 2012 31
Page 1 and 2: Australia Includes GreenHome and Ea
Page 3 and 4: Letters and tweets to the editor De
Page 5 and 6: Finally, with public pressure and e
Page 7 and 8: ©Newspix. Photo: Ross Swanborough
Page 9 and 10: Biodiversity The bearable lightness
Page 11 and 12: Fight or fl ight for Carnaby Cockat
Page 13 and 14: Since 1 July, every tonne of carbon
Page 15 and 16: Hi Earthkids! Energy is amazing. We
Page 17 and 18: Green events JULY NAIDOC Week July
Page 19 and 20: sustainability environment communit
Page 21 and 22: PLUS 2011/12 Ol man Nonno Fabian Ca
Page 23 and 24: Electricity charges our bills Cost
Page 25 and 26: provides much needed environmental
Page 27 and 28: Ask the Economist Simon O’Connor
Page 29: Best of the best Travel blogs Eco t

habitat July 2012 - Australian Conservation Foundation

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?