[Vision2020] Australian Government Climate Change Advisor: "awful contest between knowledge and ignorance."

[Ted Moffett]

As "Bush's Brain" Karl Rove succinctly phrased it after the Republican
gains in the last election, "Climate is gone."  Forget significant
legislation at the federal level from the current US Congress to price
CO2 emissions, though if I understand correctly, the EPA has the
authority to regulate CO2 emissions, unless this effort has succeeded:
 March 8, 2011 "House Subcommittee Votes to Strip EPA’s Authority to
Regulate Greenhouse Gases":
http://www.eesi.org/house-subcommittee-votes-strip-epa%E2%80%99s-authority-regulate-greenhouse-gases-14-mar-2011
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http://talesofchange.org/money-in-government/

>From website above:

"It’s time for climate activists to admit our tactics have failed. I
commend the movement for all of its efforts but the recent
congressional takeover by Republicans demonstrates how ineffective
we’ve been. Karl Rove is right, “Climate is gone.”
( http://thinkprogress.org/2010/11/04/rove-climate-is-gone )
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Maybe Australia can make more progress...

Radio Australia broadcast can be listened to off the Internet at
website below, an interview with Professor Ross Garnaut, Vice
Chancellor Fellow at the University of Melbourne and Government
climate change advisor (his 63 page pdf "Garnaut Climate Change
Review" is here (
http://www.garnautreview.org.au/CA25734E0016A131/WebObj/GarnautClimateChangeReviewInterimReport-Feb08/$File/Garnaut%20Climate%20Change%20Review%20Interim%20Report%20-%20Feb%2008.pdf
).

"Climate advisor Garnaut joins Australian carbon pricing debate"

Updated March 17, 2011 21:47:11

http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/asiapac/stories/201103/s3167039.htm

Political controversy continues to rage in Australia about setting a
price on carbon, but the government has been told how to do it. Its
principal advisor Professor Ross Garnaut says a price of between 20
and 30 dollars a tonne is fair to begin with, and should lead to an
emmission trading scheme and there should be compensation for some
industries and for lower income households. A frustrated Professor
Garnaut says it's the best way to bring down Australia's greenhouse
gas emmissions.

Speakers: Professor Ross Garnaut, Vice Chancellor Fellow at the
University of Melbourne and Government climate change advisor; Greg
Combet, Climate Change Minister; Tony Abbott, Opposition leader; John
Connor, CEO Climate Institute

SNOWDON: If the Professor was less polite he might say ..just get on with it.

GARNAUT: Well here we are again.

SNOWDON: But there's a lot of politics to push through before
Australia has a detailed policy.

GARNAUT: I'm back for a good reason. Climate change is a real and
important problem for Australia. Much of the raucous discourse
surrounding climate change policy in Australia today is there, because
quite a few Australians, including some prominant Australians don't
think climate change is real. There's no point in covering up the
truth, we're living through an awful contest between knowledge and
ignorance.

SNOWDON: Ross Garnaut is an economist who wrote the Australian
government's major report on climate change in 2008. In his sixth
paper on the topic he puts some meat on the bones of an emissions
trading scheme. He says Australia can't wait for others to do
something before it takes action. He prefers a market based price as
an incentive to cut emissions and develop low polluting industries
rather than the heavy hand of government regulation.

GARNAUT: I suggest a starting price should be between 20 and 30
dollars (a tonne) and once it's set that it should rise at four per
cent in real terms per annum.

SNOWDON: Already, a Prime Minister has lost his job in part over his
plans for an emmissions trading scheme. The current Prime Minister
Julia Gillard faces a public backlash over her previous statement
there would not be a carbon tax in her government. The Opposition is
waging a fierce campaign against the very idea, despite supporting it
in the past. It's in this climate a government sanctioned multi-Party
committee including the Greens and independents has to get to work and
come up with the goods.

GARNAUT: The outstanding feature of global action on climate change at
the moment is the action by the major developing countries. Led by
China, they have moved more quickly and further than I had anticipated
in 2008 towards changing the relationship between their economic
growth and their greenhouse gas emissions.

SNOWDON: The leader of the major Opposition Liberal Party Tony Abbott
says it confirms his fear, the Australian economy will face a big tax.

ABBOTT: Professor Garnaut has confirmed what the coalition has been saying.

SNOWDON: The Garnaut proposal includes initial compensation for the
biggest emitting and trade affected industries and for lower income
earners to minimise the impact of the carbon tax on the standard of
living. The Climate Change Minister Greg Combet says the Multi-Party
Committee will consider the report.

COMBET: Professor Garnaut also makes clear that a market mechanism is
the best way, the most economically efficient manner that we can
reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

SNOWDON: The Climate Institute's Chief Executive John Connor welcomes
the plan, calling it pragmatic. But he says the price will be too low
on its own and needs to be backed up with regulation.

CONNOR: I'm worried that its not going to send enough of a signal for
inv in poll red tech here in Australia. And you'll need extra measures
in energy efficiency and in other incentives for clean energy perhaps
for example, bringing on big solar energy.

SNOWDON: So if additional measures aren't included and its not enough
encouragement of new industries, does Australia risk seeing new
industries go offshore potentially to Asia?

CONNOR: Well certainly we're seeing in Asia massive investment in
clean energy and pollution reduction technologies. We saw half a
trillion dollars investment in clean energy last year and that's
increasing. So that's why we need a good mix of both a strong price
but also other policies as well.

SNOWDON: There is bipartisan support to meet the target of cutting
Australia's 2000 emissions by 5 percent by 2020. Under business as
usual, Australia will instead increase its emissions by 24 percent in
that time. A carbon price of 26 dollars a year will earn the
government 11 billion dollars in the first year. Professor Garnaut is
to deliver his final report by the end of May.
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Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett