Media Release

24 September 2008

Greenhouse Mafia captures Politics.

The Greenhouse Mafia representing major polluters from the fossil fuel industry were out in force this morning capturing Government, and their climate policy, to make sure business as usual greenhouse emissions continue in the face of dangerous climate change.

We are here today, outside parliament house to show how the Greenhouse Mafia, a self styled lobby group representing major emitters from the oil industry, coal industry, and steel industry have ensured subsidies and tax breaks continue to go their way and allow them to continue polluting and driving climate change," said spokesperson for the activists Ellen Roberts.

"Recent announcements from the Australian Labor Party detailing large amounts of taxpayers monies are continuing to go to the fossil fuel industry show how well they have been captured. These include $500m to research the oxymoron of clean coal, $150m for a new brown coal fire power plant in Victoria and $1.7 billion to the oil industry in 2005-2006, all from the taxpayers pocket."

"We clearly have a situation where our political leaders' climate policies have been captured by the Greenhouse Mafia which has the result of keeping pollution profitable and real action on climate change a non-event," said Ms Roberts.

"Government is pumping large amounts of taxpayers money into  the oxymoron of so-called 'clean coal' at the expense of renewable and ready energy options we know will work and are ready to be implemented immediately. In contrast to the myth of so-called 'clean coal' that even those in the coal industry admit may not work and will not be ready in time to avoid dangerous runaway climate change."

" Our Government must free itself from the grips of the Greenhouse Mafia and start serving the interests of the people of Australia. To take real action on climate change we need a moratorium on new coal and massive investment in a suit of renewable energy alternatives, creating jobs, solving energy security and  climate change and will not leave a legacy of pollution and uncertainty for generations to come," Concluded Ms Roberts.