Does the ALP energy policy move us out of the dark ages?
September 7, 2004
Does the ALP energy policy move us out of the dark ages?
The Australian Labour Party today pronounced its energy policy at the World
Energy Congress claiming it is a decisive response to our decreasing supply
of oil by proposing Australia diversify our energy supply.
But is the increasing Australia¹s share of gas and a marginal increase
in renewables sufficient as a national response to the inevitable costs
of climate change? Friends of the Earth see such steps are an advance
on the Coalitions energy position, but prefer to see mandatory emissions
targets to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by 2020 and at least
60% by 2050.
Whilst it is great to see environmental sustainability as one of the three
key themes guiding the ALP¹s energy policy the finer print of the policy
indicates a greater priority on maintaining short-term economic benefits
of fossil fuels and elaborate technical solutions such a geo-sequestration.
"The ALP are still not recognising the enormous economic and social impacts
of climate change which are inevitable if we do not reduce our emissions
substantially" stated Stephanie Long, Climate Justice Campaigner for Friends
of the Earth. "If they were, we would see a much greater proportion of
energy coming from renewables and energy efficiency than under this policy."
Munich Re, the world¹s largest insurance company claimed in 2003 natural
disasters cost 65 billion US dollars. This is an increase in costs and
deaths related from natural disasters than in previous years and in keeping
with a pattern of increased costs from natural disasters since the mid
1990s.
Energy diversity is good in principle to increase surety of supply, however
replacing one fossil fuel with another is not an environmental solution
to energy generation. Only when mandatory targets for emissions reductions
are set in place will the piecemeal offerings of a 5% MRET and carbon
tax deliver real reductions in greenhouse gas emissions to the quantity
that we have been advised by the scientific community.
For comment:
Stephanie Long
Friends of the Earth Climate Justice Campaigner
Mobile: 0414 136 461
Landline: 07 3846 5793