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According to the acting chief executive of the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney, Alan Dupont, US President George Bush has a serious image problem in Australia, reported The Sydney Morning Herald (3/10/2007, p. 13).

Two-third of polled Australians have unfavourable opinion of Bush: This is largely because of the unpopularity of the Iraq war, the survey commissioned by Sydney University’s United States Studies Centre confirms. More than two-thirds of those polled had a somewhat or very unfavourable opinion of Bush. However, his image-makers would be even more concerned by this unpalatable statistic – only 4 per cent had a very favourable view of Bush, compared with 42 per cent who had a very unfavourable view.

Public support for US defence alliance: Yet these negative perceptions of Bush have not translated into a reduction in long-standing public support for the US defence alliance, which remains the foundation stone of the US-Australia relationship. An extremely high 92 per cent expect the US to be a very close, or close, security partner over the next decade.

Climate change is as serious a threat as Islamic fundamentalism: A second notable trend is the dramatic loss of confidence in the US ability to manage world problems and an accompanying rise in the positive way China and Japan are perceived. Fifty-nine per cent of respondents had a favourable opinion of the US compared with 56 per cent for China. Japan trumped both by recording historically high levels of popularity (75 per cent). Three-quarters of respondents felt that climate change was as serious a threat as Islamic fundamentalism, or more so. And it is clear that anxieties about climate change are shaping Australian attitudes to the US Government as well as our own. Two-thirds said that both US and Australia should set emission targets for greenhouse gases.

The Sydney Morning Herald, 3/10/2007, p. 13

In May, Australia’s black-coal industry recast a voluntary COAL21 Fund levy to raise in the order of $1 billion over the next 10 years with the aim of making affordable, low emission coal-fired electricity generation a reality, wrote Michael Roche, in The Courier Mail (9/10/2007, p. 61).

Coal industry’s commit­ment: The coal industry had undertaken to direct the Queensland share of the COAL21 levy — about $600 million — to local low-emission technology projects. The allocation of that $600 million — together with a taxpayer commitment of $300 million — was being overseen by the Queensland Clean Coal Council, chaired by Premier Anna Bligh and including Mines and Energy Minister Geoff Wilson, coal industry leaders and senior representa­tives of the research sector.

Roadmap top priority: The council’s top priority was to draw up a roadmap for clean-coal technology development and the assessment of individ­ual projects. Australia needed a strong clean-coal research and development capability to complement and support demonstration and deployment efforts and they saw no better focus for that effort than Bris­bane.

Government support requested: Queensland Resources Council was calling on the incoming federal govern­ment to support the establish­ment of a National Clean Coal Research Centre, utilising the adjoining facilities and excep­tional expertise of the Queens­land Centre for Advanced Technologies, and the Centres for Low Emission Technology and Coal in Sustainable Devel­opment.

The Courier Mail, 9/10/2007, p. 61

One hundred zinc workers had been exposed to carcino­genic acid mist at Hobart’s Nyrstar plant, according to the Con­struction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union, wrote Michelle Paine in The Mercury (10/10/2007, p. 13).

Lives at risk for profit: Nyrstar’s ramping up of production had led to workers enduring 12-hour shifts of high heat and sulphuric acid mist, the CFMEU had said. Workers had sought medi­cal help for serious nosebleeds, headaches, and eye and skin irritations, with reports in­creasing over the past 10 days, said Tasmanian secretary Tony Benson. “In the 21st century it’s unconscionable that any com­pany would put the lives of its workforce at risk for profit,” Benson said. He said an engineering solu­tion was needed to reduce the toxic emissions. “Nyrstar has refused to put a stop to the deadly emissions by introducing an engineering solution to lower production temperatures, choosing in­stead to offer workers heavy facemasks,” he said.

Independent assessment requested: The union had called for an independent health assess­ment of the risks. Nyrstar Hobart general manager Francis Terwinghe had rejected fears. “We take the health and safety of our workers very seriously and we are proactive in managing risks and inform­ing our workers of those risks,” Terwinghe had said. CFMEU organiser Marshall Reeves said power and heat had increased to meet zinc demand, causing the liquid foam cover over the acid to dissipate. “Workers have been offered helmets, which have a battery-operated pump and a filter at the back of the helmet At the moment that’s voluntary,” Reeves said. “The company needs to do a risk assessment.”

The Mercury, 10/10/2007, p. 13

A report by the Total Environment Centre, Australian Conservation Fund and World Wildlife Fund Australia found that the GreenPower market – government-accredited new, renewable energy sourced from wind, water, waste or the sun – had improved in recent years, but some companies were still misleading consumers about the products they sold, reported The Sydney Morning Herald (8/10/2007, p. 8).

Only accredited GreenPower will reduce gas emissions: The report said consumers should steer clear of products sold as 100 per cent renewable energy because only “accredited GreenPower” would reduce the greenhouse gas emissions attributable to electricity generation. “Non-accredited green electricity is very unlikely to make any difference to Australia’s greenhouse emissions or increase the amount of renewable electricity supply,” it said. “This electricity generally comes from schemes that have been part of our generating mix for a considerable time and which most Australians already unknowingly buy as part of their regular electricity.”

GreenPower products ranked: By law, residential GreenPower customers had to be offered a minimum of 10 per cent accredited GreenPower, but Green Electricity Watch had called for this be raised to 20 per cent because the extra costs for consumers were minimal. It ranked 52 GreenPower products, giving the highest rankings to those that offered 100 per cent accredited GreenPower, did not mislead consumers with marketing spin and did not describe the percentage of non-accredited power offered in any particular product as renewable energy.

The Sydney Morning Herald, 8/10/2007, p. 8

On 24 September 2007 the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet released for public comment a discussion paper: Abatement Incentives Prior to the Commencement of the Australian Emissions Trading Scheme, reported The Australian Financial Review.

Proposals included in the paper: The paper included proposals for:
• arranging to ensure firms were not disadvantaged in their permit allocations for undertaking new abatement prior to the emissions trading start date;
• defining ‘existing assets’ eligible for compensation for disproportionate loss; and
• providing incentives for new, additional abatement prior to the commencement of the emissions trading scheme.

Web site to obtain discussion paper: The discussion paper could be downloaded from the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet’s emissions trading website: http://www.pmc.gov.au/climate_change/emissions/early_action/

Details of public consultation sessions: Interested parties were invited to attend public consultation sessions on the proposals outlined in the discussion paper. The public consultations were to be held at the following locations:

RSVP requested: People planning to attend were invited to RVSP with attendance details via email to emissionstrading@pmc.gov.au. by Monday 22 October 2007.

The Australian Financial Review,

Renewable energy group Epuron announced its proposal to install about 500 wind turbines northwest of Broken Hill, reported The Mercury (9/10/2007, p.21).

Feds drag heels: Epuron executive director Andrew Durran said if approved by the NSW Government, the wind farm, near the historic town of Silverton, could be operational in stages by late 2009. NSW Energy Minister Ian Macdonald said the government would look positively at the wind power proposal. However, Premier Morris Iemma has warned the Federal Government’s uncertainty around a national trading scheme could hold up the investment.

March 2008 application The company would submit a development application for the farm in March next year, with approval expected by the end of the year. The $2 billion project could produce up to 4.5 per cent of NSW’s annual energy needs, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by three million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year. the company said.

The Mercury, 9/10/2007, p. 21

A report by the director of the sustainability centre at the University of NSW, Mark Diesendorf, said a 30 per cent reduction in Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 was achievable but would need both energy efficiency and renewable energy measures, as well as a change of diet, wrote Mathew Murphy in The Age (11/10/2007, p.B1).

Beef destroys environment: According to the report, ‘Paths to a Low Carbon Future’, slicing beef consumption by 20 per cent, while “politically challenging”, would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 15 million tonnes on 1990 levels. “Beef consumption is chosen in this measure because it is responsible for the biggest share of livestock-related methane emissions,” it said. “This measure could be reduced by shifting to kangaroo meat and/or lower-meat diets.”

CO2-dump mirage: Dr Diesendorf also attacked governments for failing to make a commitment to a short-term target for greenhouse gas reduction. He said a target for 2020 was vital to prevent average temperatures rising by more than 2 degrees. “The dearth of interim targets may be explained by both major parties’ hopes that domestic emissions can in future be addressed by unproven technology for capture and burial of emissions from coal power plants,” he said. “Yet even the World Coal Institute concedes that only nine coal power plants with carbon capture and storage plants are likely to be operating by 2020.”

Wake-up call: The best-case scenario outlined in the report would reduce Australia’s emissions by 33 per cent from 1990 levels by 2020 through proven technology and energy efficiency. Greenpeace, which commissioned the report, said it should act as a wake-up call to the major parties.

The Age, 11/10/2007, p. B1

The US-led “war on terror” had been a “disaster” and Washington and its allies must change their policy in Iraq and Afghanistan to defeat Al-Qaida, an independent global security think tank said, reported The Advertiser (9/10/2007, p.27).

A total failure of strategy: The Oxford Research Group said in a report that Western strategy, since the 11 September 2001, attacks on the US had failed to extinguish the threat from Islamist extremism and even fuelled it. “Every aspect of the war on terror has been counterproductive in Iraq and Afghanistan, from the loss of civilian life through mass detentions without trial. In short, it has been a disaster,” report author Paul Rogers said. “Western countries simply have to face up to the dangerous mistakes of the past six years and recognise the need for new policies.”

Hands off Iran, too: He also warned that any military action against Iran over the Islamic republic’s disputed nuclear program would further aggravate the situation. “Going to war with Iran will make matters far worse, playing directly into the hands of extreme elements, and adding greatly to the violence across the region,” Rogers said. “Whatever the problems with Iran, war should be avoided at all costs – the mistakes already made will be completely overshadowed by the consequences of a war with Iran.”

Haven for terrorists: Chief among the report’s criticisms was that the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003 was a “grievous mistake” which had created a combat training zone for extremist elements linked to, or inspired by, Osama bin Laden’s Al-Qaida. The report, ‘Towards Sustainable Security: Alternative Approaches to the War on Terror’, said the situation was comparable to the rise of the mujahedin that rose against the Russian occupation of Afghanistan in the 1980s.

The Advertiser, 9/10/2007, p. 27

Carbon offset schemes should be formally accredited, according to tourism lobby group Tourism and Transport Forum, wrote Melissa Ketchell in The Courier Mail (8/10/2007, p.33).

Transparency vital for credibility: Airlines, accommodation providers and resorts had been among dozens of businesses to announce schemes in a bid to calm tourist guilt about travel. But TTF managing director Christopher Brown had said trans­parency was vital if the schemes were to maintain credibility. He had called for a mandatory scheme of accreditation to give consumers confidence that the carbon offset schemes were delivering on their prom­ises.

Monies going into approved projects: Some major companies al­ready explained how their carbon offset monies were spent. Virgin Blue’s program saw money going towards the Aust­ralian Greenhouse Office’s ap­proved greenhouse friendly abatement projects. It included an agreement with a company that traded carbon credits from the com­bustion of landfill gas. Jetstar also put money from its carbon offset program into AGO-approved projects. Within a week of launching in late September it had found one in 10 passengers was choosing to offset carbon emissions.

The Courier Mail, 8/10/2007, p. 33