Emissions increases approved by regulator may wipe out $260m of Direct Action cuts

Nearly 60 Australian industrial sites have been given the green light to increase greenhouse gas pollution, potentially cancelling out hundreds of millions of dollars of public spending on emissions cuts under the Coalition’s Direct Action climate policy.

Citic Pacific’s Sino Iron project in the Pilbara is
among the industrial sites that have been allowed
to increase emissions under the safeguard mechanism.

The increases have been quietly approved under the “safeguard mechanism”, which was introduced as part of Direct Action to ensure cuts paid for using the main part of the policy – the emission reduction fund – were not undone by emissions increasing in other parts of the economy.

Under the safeguard mechanism, government agency the Clean Energy Regulator sets an emissions limit for each large industrial site based on its highest level of emissions over the previous five years. But companies can apply to have the limit recalculated.

Read Adam Morton’s story on The Guardian - “Emissions increases approved by regulator may wipe out $260m of Direct Action cuts.”

Productivity Commission pulls no punches on 'appalling' energy crisis, calls for carbon price

Basil Fawlty couldn't have done it better.

Don't mention the war... or the carbon tax.

Treasurer Scott Morrison last week stood at the lectern and delivered a thundering dissertation on the urgent need for cuts to company taxes.

The occasion was the release of the Productivity Commission's latest report on how best to lift our living standards.

So convincing was the Treasurer's speech, so lucid his argument, a reasonable person may well have formed the impression that the commission endorsed his major policy initiative.

Sadly, not. In fact, not a single sentence on company tax is to be found anywhere in the entire report, the modestly titled 'Shifting the Dial: 5 year productivity review', which runs to six chapters with various forwards and appendices.

Read the ABC News story by Ian Verrender - “Productivity Commission pulls no punches on 'appalling' energy crisis, calls for carbon price.”

Abbott makes climate conversation even muddier

Tony Abbott - his
government has only
worsened an already
confusing conversation.

The disruption caused to earth’s climate system by you and me, and all our fellows, is complex, confusing and beyond the understanding of most.

Australia’s new federal government has only further muddied what is already a conversation most feel is irrelevant to their daily concerns.

Plans, already afoot, by the Abbott Government do nothing about easing the exploding difficulties, rather simply make the conversation more mystifying and make the likelihood of Australians having access to reliable information about climate change even more remote.

Today (September 19) the Melbourne Age reported in a story headed: “Scientists say climate cuts leave public in the dark” that Abbott government cuts will deprive Australian and independent information.