After a summer of record temperatures, bushfires and floods, Ian Lowe asks what it will take for Australia’s leaders to see through the myth of endless economic growth and start to tackle the ecological credit crisis. Expect sparks to fly when the President of the Australian Conservation Foundation speaks to the National Press Club, in Canberra on 29 May. Read more

In recent years the world has seen what a crisis looks like. The GFC shook economies and prompted drastic emergency action from governments in Europe, the US, Australia and elsewhere.

Now we face an environmental crisis. Our natural assets – clean air and soil, healthy rivers and oceans, forests, reefs, wetlands and native species – are stretched and stressed as never before. We have “maxed out” our ecological credit card and are deeply in debt. But, even in an election year, the “solutions” on offer from our political leaders do not come close to matching the scale of the problem. In fact, our politicians seem determined to exacerbate the problems.

Multinational mining companies continue to get nearly $3 billion dollars a year so they can get their fuel cheaper than ordinary Australian motorists. The business lobby is pushing to have environmental approval powers handed from federal to state governments.

The Great Barrier Reef – already so degraded UNESCO is considering putting it on the ‘shame’ list of endangered world heritage sites – is under further threat from the massive increase in coal mining and coal exports, with more and more ships traversing the reef with cargo that will be burnt in China and India, adding to the world’s climate change problem.

After a summer of record temperatures, bushfires and floods, Ian Lowe asks what it will take for Australia’s leaders to see through the myth of endless economic growth and start to tackle the ecological credit crisis.

May 29, 2013

11.30am – 1.30pm

“Address to the National Press Club”

Professor Ian Lowe is President of the Australian Conservation Foundation, emeritus professor of science, technology and society at Griffith University in Brisbane, and adjunct professor at Sunshine Coast University and Flinders University.

Professor Lowe has authored 20 books and more than 500 other publications.

Professor Lowe’s contributions to environmental science have won him a Centenary Medal, the Eureka Prize for promotion of science, the Prime Minister’s Environment Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement, the Queensland Premier’s Millennium Award for Excellence in Science, and the University of NSW Alumni Award for achievement in science.

Professor Lowe was named Humanist of the Year in 1988 and made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2001.

Professor Lowe has been ACF president since 2004.

To give some idea of how hard hitting, no hold barred, Ian Lowe will be, here’s just one reaction from the ACF to the recent budget:

One fossil fuel loophole closed, $10 billion worth to go

15 May 2013:

The Government has closed one loophole, but missed the opportunity to remove $10 billion of fossil fuel subsidies from the Federal Budget and limit further climate change, according to Paid to Pollute, the alliance of environment and community organisations.

The Paid to Pollute alliance has welcomed the change to the mining exploration deductions, which will save $1.1 billion over four years.  However the fuel tax credit subsidy remains the Government’s 14th largest expense, costing $5.9 billion in 2013-14 alone.  That’s half the entire Federal Government spend on schools. This massive subsidy undermines the carbon price and makes polluting cheaper.

The alliance has vowed to continue campaigning against these wasteful subsidies in the lead up to the Federal election and into 2014 when Australia will host the G20.  As Chair, Australia may find it difficult to justify providing the highest levels of producer subsidies of the G20 nations, given the group has collectively agreed to phase out fossil fuel subsidies.

Environment Victoria’s Campaigns Director Mark Wakeham said: “Only one of the five major fossil fuel subsidies has been cut, with taxpayers to save $1.1 billion over the next four years from the Government’s decision to reduce depreciation for mining exploration and prospecting.   Despite a few positive elements this budget has missed an opportunity to consolidate Australia’s transition to a low carbon economy and protect taxpayers’ funds by ending wasteful and polluting fossil fuel subsidies.”

WWF Australia’s Climate Change National Manager Kellie Caught said: “The Government has again missed the opportunity to phase out Australia’s biggest fossil fuel subsidies, including the business fuel tax credit scheme, worth $5.9 billion.  Ditching these perverse subsidies would help the planet and the budget bottom line.  The Government should stop underwriting carbon pollution.”

Leading international organisations, including the World Bank, the International Energy Agency (IEA), the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the United Nations, have all called for an end to government subsidies for fossil fuels, as has the G20, which Australia chairs from later this year.

The Australian Conservation Foundation’s Climate Change Program Manager Tony Mohr said: “The carbon price is pulling pollution down, but these handouts are pushing pollution up.  This contradiction needs to end before Australia can say we are cleaning up our economy.”

Polling conducted for Market Forces in January 2013 showed 64% of Australians were opposed to the mining industry’s fuel tax credits, with the highest opposition (72%) found in Queensland.

Market Forces Lead Campaigner Julien Vincent said: “Cutting the mining industry’s taxpayer-funded fuel discount was an opportunity for Treasurer Swan to make a multi-billion dollar per year saving that would actually be popular with the community.  Sadly, it appears the mining industry’s ‘hands off our money’ ads have worked, keeping their unnecessary handout at the expense of nation building projects that are still lacking funds.”

Throughout the Paid to Pollute campaign, people have stood up and made their voices heard. The $1.1bn savings from removing the tax break on exploration is a sign community pressure is working.  The alliance will be keeping up pressure on our politicians until Australia no longer pays those who pollute.

Source: www.npc.org.au and www.acfonline.org.au