Burning the surplus

Scott Morrison’s total paralysis in the face of the bushfire emergency gave rise to the most convincing excuse for his recent disappearance – he wasn’t doing anything anyway, so why shouldn’t he go?

John Quiggin.

Part of his problem is that any serious discussion of the problem involves climate change, and even one pull on that thread would risk unravelling the shroud of deception he and the rest of the right are sheltering beneath.

But surely Scotty from Marketing could come up with a campaign that appeared to take action on the bushfires themselves without doing anything about the underlying cause. There’s another factor that hasn’t been mentioned, as far as I can see.

Read the story by John Quiggin - “Burning the surplus.”

The government thinks we’re idiots and is not serious about reducing emissions.

After Scott Morrison’s announcement of his new climate change policy we know two things – the government still thinks we’re idiots, and they are still not serious about reducing emissions.

We don't need this current putrid policy from the government.

I guess we should be grateful that at least the government now realises it needs to look as if it gives a damn about reducing emissions, because for a while they couldn’t even be bothered to do that.

But stuff it. I’m done with giving out prizes for pretence. I’m done with being satisfied with something not even worthy of being called a fourth-best policy. I’m done with the lies.

Do not for one second think this is a policy designed to reduce emissions. It is a political Band-Aid while the actual wound to our economy from its greenhouse gas dependency is open and festering.

It is a fraud, and not even a new one.

Read the story from The Guardian by Greg Jericho - “The government thinks we’re idiots and is not serious about reducing emissions.”

Why Barnaby Joyce and Andrew Forrest have got it wrong on the drought

With Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s National Drought Summit on today,   state and federal political leaders will be pressured to "drought-proof" Australia. We have seen it all before –ideas from the bottom drawer of past policies, reflecting Australia’s obsession to tame nature, rather than live with our reality.

A drought-affected property near Balranald in south west NSW.CREDIT:

Pointless, destructive and outdated ideas are swirling again as they always do in droughts, including those by Australia’s new Drought Envoy Barnaby Joyce, Deputy NSW Premier John Barilaro and wealthy businessman Andrew Forrest – fixing "the problem" with more dams, funded by the sale of Snowy Hydro in NSW, selling environmental water and grazing livestock in national parks.

Read the story from The Sydney Morning Herald by Richard Kingsford - “Why Barnaby Joyce and Andrew Forrest have got it wrong on the drought.”

Coalition wants to boost emissions reduction fund – but what did voters get for $2.3bn?

With Scott Morrison’s new environment minister, Melissa Price, flagging a boost in support for the emissions reduction fund – the centrepiece of the Coalition’s much-derided Direct Action climate policy – it is worth revisiting just what taxpayers have pocketed for the $2.3bn that has been spent on their behalf.

The new environment minister, Melissa Price, wants to push
 for increased funding for the emissions reduction fund.

The summarised view among those who have looked into the scheme ranges from “difficult to know” to “not much we wouldn’t have had anyway”.

Designed by the then environment minister, Greg Hunt, to fit the needs of the former prime minister Tony Abbott, the emissions reduction fund pays farmers and businesses to cut carbon dioxide pollution to below what it would otherwise be. It works as a reverse auction: bidders nominate how cheaply they think they can deliver reductions and what are assessed as the cheapest viable projects win contracts. The government buys carbon credits from the successful projects once the cuts are verified.

Read the story from The Guardian by Adam Morton - “Coalition wants to boost emissions reduction fund – but what did voters get for $2.3bn?”

Lack of climate policy threatens to trip up Australian diplomacy this summit season

Australia has navigated a somewhat stormy passage through the Pacific Islands Forum in Nauru. Scott Morrison’s new-look government faced renewed accusations at the summit about the strength of Australia’s resolve on climate policy.

Australia’s climate stance risks its standing on the world stage.

Australia is neither a small nation nor one of the most powerful, but for many years it has been a trusted nation. Historically, Australia has been seen as a good international citizen, a country that stands by its international commitments and works with others to improve the international system, not undermine it.

But in recent years climate change has threatened this reputation. This is especially so among our allies and neighbours in the Pacific region, who attended this week’s Nauru summit.

Read the piece from The Conversation by Australian Research Council DECRA Fellow from the Australian National University, Christian Downie - “Lack of climate policy threatens to trip up Australian diplomacy this summit season.”