Australians March Against Climate Change
AUSTRALIA: November 17, 2008
SYDNEY - Tens of thousands of Australians took part in mass protests around
the country on Saturday to call for tough government action on climate
change, organisers said.
The demonstrations were held as Australia prepares to set national
greenhouse gas emissions targets, expected around the end of this month.
Environmentalists accuse industry of pushing for targets that are likely to
compromise the environment.
Australia is the world's 16th biggest carbon polluter, producing about 1.5
percent of the world's global emissions. It is the fourth largest emitter
per person, with five times the pollution per person of China.
The centre-left government will outline its preferred emissions following
public consultations involving global miners such as BHP Billiton and power
companies like AGL Energy.
An interim framework in July led to business group accusations that steel,
cement and papermaking firms would be forced out of business or to shift
operations overseas to Asian bases where emissions costs were lower or
non-existent.
To ease concerns, Climate Change Minister Penny Wong and Treasurer Wayne
Swan last month released Treasury modelling that found carbon trading would
cut average per capita growth by 0.1 percent a year from introduction in
2010 to 2050, with only a small one-off inflation impact.
The government has also promised proceeds from the auction of emissions
permits will be used to compensate poor families and motorists for rises in
the cost of fuel and electricity, which is mostly powered by burning coal.
On Saturday, protesters took to the streets of Sydney, Melbourne and other
cities, chanting calls for renewable energy and carrying banners with
slogans such as "Renew our economy with strong targets" and "Turtles against
climate change".
Cate Faehrmann, executive director of the Nature Conservation Council of New
South Wales state, said the march came amid a background of pressure from
the fossil fuels industry for the government to adopt relatively soft
emissions targets.
"When it comes to climate change you just cannot have half measures when it
comes to targets," Faehrmann said, adding scientists have urged targets that
will limit global average temperature rises to two degrees Celsius.
"There is not enough investment in renewable energy in this country. Job
creation can occur there."
Australia was one of the longest holdouts against the Kyoto protocol, which
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd finally committed the country to joining following
his landslide election win last year, leaving the United States as the only
major country not to have joined it.
(Editing by Jeremy Laurence)
REUTERS NEWS SERVICE
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