Thursday 28th of March 2024

well-known australians to demand a moratorium on new coal mines...

coal to burn...

The Federal Government's new chief science advisor, Alan Finkel, has advocated for an end to coal-fired power but acknowledged it will not happen "overnight".

His comments come as Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull heads off a push from a group of well-known Australians to put a moratorium on new coal mines.

Dr Finkel has been appointed to take over as chief scientist, providing independent advice to the Government on science, technology and innovation.

What does the chief scientist do?
  • Provides independent advice to the PM and other ministers on science, technology and innovation
  • Acts as a "champion" of science, research and the role of evidence in the community and government
  • Works as chief communicator of science to the public, with the aim of promoting understanding and enjoyment of science
  • Reports directly to the Minister for Science and works closely with the PM
Source: www.chiefscientist.gov.au

He replaces Professor Ian Chubb, who will have held the role for almost five years when his tenure concludes in December.

During the media event to announce his appointment, Dr Finkel was questioned about the future of coal-fired power.

"My vision is for a country, a society, a world where we don't use any coal, oil, or natural gas because we have zero-emissions electricity in huge abundance," Dr Finkel said.

"But you can't get there overnight.

 

read more: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-10-27/chief-scientist-finkel-touts-vision-for-coal-free-economy/6887578

 

nonsense...

Bernie Fraser, the former head of the Reserve Bank and Climate Change Authority, says it is "nonsense" and "obscene" for the Federal Government to argue there is a "moral case" to open new coal mines.

Mr Fraser has joined 60 other public figures in signing an open letter which calls for a global moratorium on new coal mines to be negotiated at the United Nations climate talks in Paris at the end of next month.

Mr Fraser conceded the idea, put forward by Kiribati president Anote Tong, may be too late to make it onto the official agenda.

"These kinds of conferences don't like surprises, particularly at late stages but it's a timely occasion to be discussing the idea even if it transpires that it's only around the fringes of the formal meeting," Mr Fraser said.

Federal Resources Minister Josh Frydenberg recently told Insiders there is a "moral case" for Australia to export coal, to help provide electricity to millions of impoverished people in countries like India.

But Mr Fraser said in his personal view that was "nonsense".

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-10-27/bernie-fraser-says-moral-case-for-coal-is-nonsense/6886750

suave, while pressing the wrong buttons...

#Malfunction Mal might scrub up well but given how much he's buggered up so far, Bob Ellis asks if there's a tactical brain in there.

ABBOTT ADVOCATING terrorism in Europe and Dutton defending people smuggling in our region – and cursing Amnesty, a kindly bunch, while he was at it – haven’t helped Malcolm Turnbull much this week.

But Malcolm hasn’t helped himself much either.

He’s proposed we dig new coal mines in lush fertile pasturelands though a minister, Nash, and his own electorate, Wentworth, don’t want any.

He’s claimed his navy “broke no law” when kidnapping on the high seas refugees heading for New Zealand and bribing people-smugglers to dump them off Indonesia.

He’s proposed that certain Aboriginal sacred sites become nuclear waste dumps.

SA RC: naturally they want to put the global nuke waste dump on Aboriginal land! @ChristinaMac1 @independentaushttps://t.co/OnvmzXDqU7

— Sandi Keane (@Jarrapin) October 23, 2015

Is his judgment no better than it was when he called on Rudd and Swan to resign because they’d wrongly commandeered a ute? Could be, could be.

Malcolm was never much good at policy. His Republic model (change the name of the Governor-General) he forced on the Constitutional Convention when two others would have got up easily, predictably lost the subsequent referendum and bewept, on screen, his “broken heart”. 

He buggered up HIH and NBN, the latter now doubled in price and trailing Marconi by a decade in its design.

#MalFunction broken every NBN election promise #auspolpic.twitter.com/zxsPgGpoWI

— BUDGIE (@RunawayBudgie) September 24, 2015

He’s putting off gay marriage for three years and charging the public 198 million dollars to bring it in, money that might else have resuscitated, say, the ABC or SBS, or the CSIRO, or some remote Aboriginal towns in Western Australia.

He may not have been that bright to start with. He modeled himself first on Jack Lang, a real estate agent who saw himself as the Labor Party’s Mussolini. He wrecked some precious ecosystems in the Solomon Islands. He failed to acquire Fairfax. He lost two leadership contests to Nelson and Abbott. He advanced theICAC suspect Sinodinos and retained the simian sadist Dutton. He gave the Treasury to the yapping innumerate Morrison who immediately said we should stop spending money on Australians. He now proposes to alienate China, our biggest customer, by invading in gun-boats alongside America its age-old waters around the Spratleys.

Does he know what he’s doing? He scrubs up well as an image, a figurehead, but is there a tactical brain in there?

There’s no great evidence yet, in this, his 62nd year, that he knows what he’s doing.

And we will see what we shall see. 

https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/malfunctioning-mal-stuffing-up-again,8324