Paris talks within incredibly narrow parameters - Burdon

Peter Burdon.

Discussions at the Paris climate talks take place within incredibly narrow parameters. In fact, it would not be too great an exaggeration to say that the summit’s main purpose is to send the private sector a message about which way it should steer its future investments.

The financial press tends to be the most explicit on this point. The Financial Times, for instance, described the purpose of the Paris summit like this:

“Investors will need to be persuaded that governments are going to make it easier for them to make money from a new electric bus system or a wind farm rather than a highway or a coal power plant.”

I am under no illusion about the scale of business investment required to help developing countries move to low-carbon energy sources.

Read the piece on The Conversation by Senior lecturer, Adelaide Law School, University of Adelaide, Peter Burdon - “Naomi Klein’s ‘Leap Manifesto’: we can’t rely on big business for a climate fix.”

Atheist or religous, Pope's enclical is a big deal

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obody, whether atheist or religious, can deny that the Pope’s encyclical on caring for our common home is a big deal, according to Peter Burdon.

Writing in The Conversation, the senior lecturer in the Adelaide Law School at the University of Adelaide said its immediate importance comes from its potential to influence world leaders and galvanise the developing world ahead of the Paris Climate Conference this year.

“Moreover,” he writes, “ the encyclical positions Francis in conflict with conservative think tanks such as the Heartland Institute, future contenders for the US presidency (five Catholics are expected to challenge for the Republican nomination), and even climate deniers within the Vatican itself.

“The stage is set for a battle royale, and Francis shows little sign of flinching. Instead, he has asked readers to “receive this document with an open spirit”. Now that the encyclical has been published, we are in a position to evaluate it on its own terms,” Burdon says.

Read Peter Burdon’s story - “Pope Francis throws down the gauntlet for Paris climate summit”.

We are being duped if we think $200 million is fair

Peter Burdon, of the
University of Adelaide.

Australian people are being seriously duped if they believe the country’s contribution to the Green Climate Fund answers, in any way, what is needed.

The money promised is insignificant against that need and the meagre contribution and it is not new money rather, it has been filched from Australia’s existing Foreign Aid budget.

President of the GV Environment Group and Beneath the Wisteria supporter, John Pettigrew, today said:  "These funds have simply been transferred from the already savaged Foreign Aid budget.”

Illustrating his disappointment with the announcement he said: “Not good enough by any standards Tony!"

Writing on The Conversation today, a senior lecture at the University of Adelaide, Peter Burdon, said, “Climate debt is financially complex but morally simple. It is the idea that rich countries should pay reparations to poor countries for damage suffered as a result of climate change.”

His story, headed: “Australia’s $200 million climate pledge falls short of its true debt” concludes in saying: “My fear is that as pressure mounts for climate negotiations to yield progress, power will concentrate in fewer hands and developing countries will continue to be sidelined.”

Peter Burdon's thoughts refresh our hope

Peter Burdon - words of hope.

The late author Louis “Studs” Terkel always said that it is hope that dies last.

Hope had taken something of battering over recent years, but now the thoughts and writing of University of Law lecturer, Peter Burdon, has refreshed that resource.

Writing in the ABC’s environment section, in a story headed: "Climate change: the situation is hopeless ….. let’s take the next step”, Burdon said climate change brings a sadness beyond telling but after grieving we must summon the will to act.

“You have to have a grassroots movement to do the moving,” he wrote.

Two decades old, but still inspiring today

Peter Burdon.

Something that happened more than 20 years ago is inspiration today for those of us who gather Beneath the Wisteria.

The Union of Concerned Scientists wrote, in 1992, a “World Scientists’ Warning to Humanity”, which has, at it essence the core of what is that drives those who gather Beneath the Wisteria.

The work of the Union is referred to by Peter Burdon in a piece he has written on The Drum headed: “Don’t leave it to politicians to change the world”.

More than 100 Nobel Prize winners are among those who wrote the “World Scientists’ Warning to Humanity”.