Prime Minister Rudd axes Biodiversity Fund in carbon pricing shakeup

Elimination of the $1 billion Biodiversity Fund is a major impact of Prime Minister Rudd's shake-up of Australia's carbon pricing policy and bringing forward the introduction of the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) by one year to 1st July 2014. This relegates Australia's funding of biodiversity programs to the same level as many third world countries like the Congo and Iraq. Well done Prime Minister. A real race to the bottom on conservation.

There is a global Biodiversity crisis with habitat and climate change causing a 6th mass extinction. Species biodiversity under threat from the velocity of climate change. Even many Common plants and animals facing dramatic biodiversity decline from climate change.

Obama's climate Action plan and Australia

Last week President Barack Obama launched his Climate Action Plan for the United States at Georgetown University. It outlines the executive and regulatory actions to cut US greenhouse gas emissions to 17 per cent below their 2005 levels by 2020. The plan follows up in detail Obama's statements on tackling climate change in his inauguration speech and State of the Union Speech.

But the plan does not go far enough to meet the magnitude of the crisis, and really only meets the US voluntary commitments made by Obama at the 2009 Copenhagen UNFCCC climate conference. Such voluntary commitments still fall far short of limiting global warming to 2 degrees Celsius and are likely to result in 3 to 5 degrees C of arming by the end of the century.

"We're happy to see the president finally addressing climate change but the plain truth is that what he's proposing isn't big enough, and doesn't move fast enough, to match the terrifying magnitude of the climate crisis," said Bill Snape, a senior counsel with the Center for Biological Diversity.

Diverting attention from addiction to coal

While Kevin Rudd announced a crackdown on tobacco advertising and increased sales tax on cigarettes, attention was diverted from the elephant in the livingroom: climate change and addiction to coal. At the same time Friends of the Earth Australia denounced the development of two new coal export terminals near Bowen in North Queensland, insisting the expansion of Queensland's biggest contributor to climate change must come to an end. Adding an extra $2 sales tax a pack to cigarettes is a diversion from the real problem: Australia's multi-billion dollar addiction to coal. What Kevin Rudd needs to do is put a $35 per tonne carbon levy on coal to send a significant message to business and the public on climate change and public health.

Related: Punishing the people who stand up for the common good | Conservationists and scientists angry at Rudd retreat on climate | Crikey: Pity the coal lobbyists are more powerful than the tobacco lobbyists

UN Leaked Document verifies world heading for 3 degree plus temperatures

A leaked draft UNFFC document dated 15th December shows that current committments of emissions reductions "remain on an unsustainable pathway that could lead to concentrations equal or above 550ppm with the related temperature raise around 3 degrees C.".

The document was first reported on by by the MediaPart French press outlet as well as the tv/radio show Democracy Now.

The document (PDF) can be downloaded from 350.org and other sites


While the fact that commitments have not matched the scientific targets is well known, the acknowledgement from the United Nations signifies that the conference secretariat is well aware that, even by its own accounting, the deal likely to be signed tomorrow will not accomplish the stated goal of even the most powerful negotiating countries (hold to 2 degree rise), let alone the goals of the most impacted countries (well below 1.5 degree rise).

So this is the result of two years of negotiation since Bali? What have our negotiators been up to all this time?

For an MIT software model of where current commitments will take us see the Climate Interactive Scoreboard. This model says with existing pledges we are more likely to result in a temp increase of 3.9 C, not a mere 3 C.

Concerned? You can communicate directly to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Climate Minister Penny Wong in Copenhagen through Fax or email via the Getup! Campaign page Kevin's Chance to Lead. Tell our leaders to put forward their most ambitious targets and real financial support for developing countries by sending your urgent fax straight to Kevin Rudd and Penny Wong in Denmark.

Don't leave it to tomorrow, do it now.

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My own email statement

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Dear Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Climate Minister Penny Wong,

I have been following scientific reports on climate change since 2004, so I am aware what climate scientists say we need to take action to avoid dangerous climate change.

I was proud of the leadership of the newly elected Rudd Government in signing the Kyoto Protocol in 2007, and the pivotal role Penny Wong played in last minute negotiations that brokered the Bali roadmap.

I am also proud of my union, the NTEU for adopting a climate change policy that reiterates the policy response that scientists have said we need for effective action.

Copenhagen is a unique pivotal moment in history, and I want to be proud of Australia as a leader on climate policy by placing the most ambitious targets and real financial support for developing countries on the negotiation table.

I ask for you to table a 40% emission cut on 1990 levels by 2020. If you can't do this, then table the Governments stated maximum of 25% on 2000 levels, even though this is insufficient according to the reductions needed and demanded by the science.

I would also like Australia to adopt the 350ppm target, and 1.5 degree temp rise as the level for a safe climate, and support our island nation neighbours and many of the poorer developing countries. I believe over 100 countries support the Tuvalu proposal and ask why Australia is condemning our neighbour states to oblivion through sea level rise by targets to low.

I also want to see a substantial contribution to long term aid for developing countries. This should be new Money. Hilary Clinton announcement of $100billion per year by 2020 is a significant concession.

Australia is the biggest per capita polluter in the world, and we need to take leadership on emission reduction mitigation and funding adaption measures in the third world.

Please act on climate ambitiously, fairly and with justice
For your children and my children.

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Takver is a citizen journalist from Melbourne who has been writing on Climate Change issues and protests including Rising Sea Level, Ocean acidification, Environmental and social Impacts since 2004.

Polluters subsidised under emissions trading with households footing the bill

An Emergency Climate rally in Melbourne attacked the Federal Labor Government on its CPRS negotiations saying it had made too many concessions to coal and the power industry.

The Kevin Rudd Labor Government announced the negotiations with Ian McFarlane of the Liberal Party - a much watered down Emissons Trading Scheme - the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS). Additional compensation to industry of $7.01 billion, including handouts to Coal Industry doubling to $1.5 billion, and $4 billion more in free permits to coal fired power station owners, and $1.1 billion to mining and manufacturing sector for increased energy prices while compensation to households was reduced by $5.67 billion.

Australian Election: Bush Ally Howard Defeated in Labor Landslide, Kevin Rudd new Prime Minister

The Australian Labor Party (ALP) were elected in a landslide win in the Australian Federal election on Saturday, November 24. The 'bastards' of the Liberal and National party coalition Government have been voted out. And the Prime Minister, John Howard, once called by a Liberal Party colleague 'the lying rodent', is likely to lose his own seat in the swing against the conservatives, only the second Prime Minister to do so in Australia's short political history since federation in 1901.

The Australian Labor Party is now in government in all states and territories and federally. The highest ranking elected Liberal Party politician in power is the Lord Mayor of Brisbane.