greens

Australia appears to be stuck in a political quagmire, with neither major party offering concrete solutions to the challenges facing the nation’s future. What can be done? Andrew Wong makes the case for why you should send the two major Australian political parties a message on July 2.

Geoengineering a new climate: a story of moral hazard

February 16, 2016April 28, 2013 by ESSA Writers

In the latest episode of his satirical news show Mad As Hell Shaun Micallef made light of the inefficacy of European Union’s emissions trading scheme – due the economic slowdown the carbon price has dropped so severely that it no longer serves as a disincentive pollute.

“Isn’t the market and the need for economies to continue growing generally the problem? If the whole point of the exercise is to reduce carbon emissions and save the planet surely it’s in everyone’s interest for the financial crisis in Europe to continue. If no one makes anything and the factories keep closing, then it doesn’t matter what you’re charging to use your emissions.”

Read more

New Greens Leader: The Christine Milne Approach

February 16, 2016April 22, 2012 by ESSA Writers

christine_milne_729-420x0 — Christine Milne in action

Like him or loathe him, Bob Brown has made a remarkable achievement in leading the Greens from their origins as a protest movement to an organised and successful political party. He leaves the Greens holding 9 Senate seats and 1 House of Representatives seat federally, as well as having political representatives in State and local government levels around the country.

The Carbon Tax: Tony Abbott’s Ticking Time Bomb

February 16, 2016April 8, 2012 by ESSA Writers

On the 9^th July 2010, Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced the Government’s intention to introduce a ‘carbon tax’ in order to put a price on pollution and thereby give firms an incentive to reduce carbon emissions. The carbon tax passed the House of Representatives and the Senate on the 12^th October 2011 and the 8^th November 2011 respectively, and consequently on the 1^st July 2012 a tax of $23 per tonne of carbon emissions will come into effect.