MOSS Team Promotes Action

Australia is still dragging its heels with poor targets, a divided opposition, and gaping lack of political will to take responsibility for its horrific emissions per capita, says Anne Maree Huxley, CEO of Models of Success and Sustainability (MOSS), who is taking a delegation of 25 business, government, academic and community leaders to Copenhagen.

Here’s the message from Anne Maree Huxley in the final edition of MOSS News Views and Events for 2009:

With less than a week to go before the historic UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen (COP 15), Australia is still dragging its heels with poor targets, a divided opposition, and gaping lack of political will to take responsibility for its horrific emissions per capita.

A successful outcome in Copenhagen requires ambitious emissions targets from industrialized countries, as well as stable and predictable finance to support mitigation and adaptation actions by developing countries – with US$10 billion a year up to 2013 needed to kick-start immediate action.

Success in Copenhagen will put the world on a low-emissions growth path and ensure that poor and vulnerable nations are in a position to adapt to the effects of climate change.

UNFCCC Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer says “The stakes are too high for political self-interest. Countries need to work in a spirit of cooperation and compromise”.

According to the Copenhagen Diagnosis: “If we keep on the same trajectory we are set for a 7C temperature increase by 2100. If global warming is to be limited to a maximum of 2?C above pre-industrial values, global emissions need to peak between 2015 and 2020 and then decline rapidly.

“To stabilise climate, a decarbonised global society, with near-zero emissions of CO2 and other long-lived greenhouse gases – needs to be reached well within this century. More specifically, the average annual per-capita emissions will have to shrink to well under 1 metric tonne of CO2 by 2050. This is 80 – 95% below the per-capita emission in developed nations in 2000.”

Germany created 76,000 new jobs in renewable energy (to reach a total of 236,000) in just two years between 2004 and 2006, underpinned by their strong renewable energy laws and complementary Green Skills programs. And although it’s known for car giants like BMW, Mercedes and Volkswagen, by 2020 Germany is projected to have more jobs in the field of environmental technologies than in its entire car industry.

I wonder if any Australian politicians are listening? I’m usually very proud to be an Australian, but at the moment, I’m ashamed of the political game that’s being played out whilst the rest of the world watches in amazement as our political parties bicker over the science, fight over miniscule targets and ignore the Australian public’s desire to take firm action on climate change and the big polluters.

Australia can lead the way on green technology and jobs – all we lack is the political will to do so. It’s only November and we are already experiencing extreme fire danger due to drought and higher-than-average temperatures.

We’ll soon start to experience more flooding as we move into the monsoon and cyclone season. The potential loss from the impacts of climate change will soon overtake the small cost of taking action. When will our politicians make the hard decisions and do what is right for the majority of Australians.

MOSS will be taking a delegation of 25 Business, Government, Academic and Community Leaders to Copenhagen. We’ll provide a full report back to you early in the new year, when we roll out events around the country to share our learning’s. In the interim, feel free to follow our journey, read the latest news and listen in on some of the political debate and thought leadership in sustainable development at http://unfccc.int/2860.php.

Let’s hope for the sake of future generations we get it right and come to an agreement in Copenhagen that’s fair for all, not just those who can afford it. May there be foresight and wisdom, co-operation and collaboration. This is too big for anyone to try to do it alone – it needs the world to unite. I carry the vision of a positive outcome. I hope you too can keep the hope alive by also holding a positive view, rather than deciding its fate before it’s even begun.

May it be a merry Christmas for us all, with a successful outcome in Copenhagen.

Best regards
Anne-Maree Huxley
Founder and CEO
Models of Success & Sustainability

Source: www.moss.org.au

Solar Flight Off the Ground

The Solar Impulse HB-SIA, the first airplane designed to fly day and night without fuel, left the ground for the first time in the past week, giving hope that it will be possible in the future to have solar powered, passenger-carrying aircraft flying around the world.

Dübendorf Airfield, Switzerland.(3 December 2009):

At 13:11 today, the Solar Impulse HB-SIA, the first airplane designed to fly day and night without fuel, left the ground for the first time.

The results of the ground tests conducted these last few weeks to verify numerous parameters (the prototype’s controllability, acceleration, braking paths and, engine power) had been overwhelming positive, thereby leading the team to give the go-ahead to Markus Scherdel, the test pilot, to take the prototype up to its take-off speed.

As the aircraft gently took up speed, the huge wing of the Solar Impulse gradually rose into the air under intense admiration of the project promoters, Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg. After some 350 metres of flight at an altitude of one meter, the prototype graciously landed on the centre of the runway, triggering a frenzied applause from the team.

“On the one hand I find it terrific to see a dream come true. For over ten years now, I have dreamt of a solar aircraft capable of flying day and night without fuel – and promoting renewable energy. Today, our plane took off and was airborne for the very first time. This is an unbelievable and unforgettable moment! On the other hand, I remain humble in the face of the difficult journey still to be accomplished – it’s a long way between these initial tests and a circumnavigation of the world”, commented Bertrand Piccard, initiator and President of Solar Impulse.

“This is the culmination of 6 years of intense work by a very experienced team of professionals! This first “flea hop” successfully completes the first phase of Solar Impulse, confirming our technical choices. We are now ready to start the next phase – the actual flight tests”, said Andre Borschberg, co-founder and CEO of Solar Impulse.

At this stage the solar panels have not yet been connected. With the positive conclusion of this initial “flea hop”, the Solar Impulse HB-SIA will now be dismantled and transported to the airfield at Payerne (VD). Starting in early 2010 onwards, the aircraft will be making its first solar test flights, gradually increasing flight duration until it makes its first night flight using solar energy.

Source: www.solarimpulse.com

AFP Reports from Geneva (3 December 2009):

The prototype of Solar Impulse, a pioneering Swiss bid to fly around the world on solar power, briefly took off for the first time but under battery power, the organisers said.

The high tech single-seater with the wingspan of an Airbus A340 airliner (63.40 metres) made a controlled 400 metre (yard) flight about one metre above the runway at Duebendorf air base near the Swiss city of Zurich, said co-founders Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg.

“A plane like that never flown before and it’s extraordinary… because it’s an area of flight that has been unexplored until now,” Borschberg, chief executive of Solar Impulse, told AFP.

“It was very important to see if it would rise and what way we could keep it stable,” he added.

Despite its wingspan, the aircraft only weighs 1,600 kilogrammes, about as much as a medium-sized car.

Although the prototype is fitted up for solar-powered flight, the four electric motors were powered by batteries for the occasion.

The prototype, which is slightly smaller than the craft that is expected to fly around the world, is primarily aimed at testing the cutting edge technology used to build and control the aircraft, and to fly through the night.

A first non-stop 36 hour flight through darkness is planned in Switzerland from spring 2010, with the prospect of a five stage flight around the world in 2012.

Source: www.news.yahoo.com

Business Wants Emissions Certainty

Business needs “policy and regulatory certainty” on emissions trading, the Business Council of Australia said this week following the Senate’s rejection of the Rudd Government’s controversial Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS).

Felicity Williams in The Australian/Herald Sun (2 December 2009):

The political wrangling over the ETS is bad for business, the Business Council of Australia has warned.

Business needs “policy and regulatory certainty” on emissions trading, the Business Council of Australia said this week following the Senate’s rejection of the Rudd Government’s controversial scheme.

 BCA president Graham Bradley, who supported the failed emissions trading scheme backed by ousted Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull and Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, vowed to keep working with both sides of politics “despite recent developments”.

“For business to make the necessary investments to enable this transition it must have regulatory and policy certainty,” he said.

“These policies must enable emissions reductions to be achieved at least cost to the economy, maintain the reliability and viability of the domestic electricity industry, and maintain the competitiveness of Australia’s industries in the absence of a global price on carbon.”

The Senate struck down the proposed ETS legislation yesterday by an eight-vote majority, ending – for the time being at least – the Rudd Government’s plans for a market-based mechanism to cut the nation’s carbon pollution.

However, Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard indicated the government would try again to win Senate approval for the scheme in February.

Credit Suisse analyst Michael Slifirski said yesterday the defeat of the ETS has helped Australia’s steel-makers, Bluescope Steel and Onesteel, to avoid downgrades to their share price valuations.

“I guess the extent of the downgrade would have been dependent on the extent of carbon exposure,” he said.

“It is a company-specific thing, but steel-making is carbon-intensive.

“The steel guys would have been significantly impacted.”

Bluescope and Onesteel gained almost 3 per cent and 2 per cent respectively by the close of trading on the Australian Securities Exchange yesterday.

Mr Slifirski said the impact of the ETS on the steelmakers was more of a long-term issue for investors and was not expected to affect the companies’ short-term earnings.

“It is not over yet and companies are pretty conservative, but certainly there would have been a bit of relief in the short-term anyway,” he said.

Source: www.heraldsun.com.au

Ready to Walk Against Warming?

Brisbane’s Walk Against Warming on Saturday 12th December, starting at 10am, is connected to rallies and concerts being held around the world. UNEP Director for Asia Pacific Dr Park Young-Woo will be there to send a message from Australia to Copenhagen.

The gathering is expected to be the first event to fill the new King George Square to capacity and has been timed mid-Copenhagen Climate Change meeting to demonstrate democratic will to our leaders and calls for action and agreement on climate change.   

There will be a rally, walk around the city followed by a concert of donated performances by The Red Paintings, Katie Noonan & the Captains, Passenger, The Black Market Rhythm Company, Marshall & The Fro, Dallas Frasca. 

Speakers from the Pacific Islands, Make Poverty History, Queensland Conservation Council, The Wilderness Society, Live Greenblog with Graham Readfearn and more along with live mural painting by renowned environmental artist Howie Cooke. 

It is a free to the public, all ages non-alcohol event in King George Square.

UNEP Director for Asia Pacific Dr Park Young-Woo will send message from Brisbane to Copenhagen for morning news, that the public rallies and concerts around the world on the 12^th of December must be recognized as democratic will.

Brisbane’s Walk Against Warming is organised by Greenfest for Queensland Conservation Council.

ABC Carbon and Ken Hickson will be there.

Source: www.greenfest.com.au and www.qccqld.org.au

Find a walk near you:

Cairns

Walk Against Warming, Cairns Esplanade, 8.30am Saturday December 12th 2009 Protect our coastal and island communities! Come and be a part of this community event to highlight the importance of carbon emission reductions and the need for urgent action from world leaders on this issue.

Melbourne

12noon: meet at the State Library for walk down Swanston St before forming a giant human sign at Princes Bridge.

Canberra

11:30am: Federation Mall (the lawn between old and new Parliament House). There will be speeches, live music and stalls. The walk will take place around the Mall.

Sydney

1pm: meet at Martin Place, Sydney, for a walk to Tarpeian Way Precinct, Botanical Gardens. The walk will finish with live music and stalls.

Brisbane

10am: meet in King George Square, to walk up George St, across Kurilpa Bridge and past the art gallery precinct and then through the city to finish with a concert in King George Square.

Perth

11am: meet at Perth Cultural Centre, walk to Russel Square where their will be speeches, live music and stalls.

Adelaide

11am: start at Victoria Square (Tarndanyangga) to walk to Rymill Park (Murwillaburka), finishing with live music and stalls.

Source: www.walkagainstwarming.org

To Be or Not to Be

Shakespeare is having some influence in Copenhagen. International actress Cate Blanchett – who has played Elizabeth I in two highly acclaimed films – is appealing to global citizens to participate in a climate campaign, while Hamlet’s Kronborg Castle is where the Copenhagen Climate Council will bring togeteher world business leaders on 12 December to help kick-start the low-carbon revolution.

News from Copenhagen:

Failure or success at COP15 will require the private sector to help guide the economy onto a sustainable path. On December 12, the Copenhagen Climate Council will bring together business leaders from around the world at Hamlet’s Kronborg Castle to help kick-start the low-carbon revolution.

Actress Cate Blanchett and Copenhagen Climate Council Chairman Tim Flannery have launched an eleventh-hour appeal to global citizens to join them in pushing for the strongest possible outcome at the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, which opens in less than two weeks.

The Copenhagen Climate Council (CCC) announced last week a momentous eleventh-hour effort to mobilize the strongest possible public mandate for an ambitious and binding agreement at the United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP15, in Copenhagen this December. By launching i speak earth, the CCC is encouraging citizens worldwide to take action against climate change and to share the call for action with family and friends through social media.

The i speak earth initiative lives at — the focal point, an animated video voiced by actress and environmental advocate Cate Blanchett. Compelling and direct, Ms. Blanchett warns of the dangerous, irreversible changes that could face the planet if appropriate action is not taken at COP15.

“This meeting is about the future of our Earth and must establish actionable, sustainable plans to reduce carbon emissions,” says Tim Flannery, chairman of the Copenhagen Climate Council. “There’s been talk but little action concerning melting icecaps and rising sea levels. Now it is time for global leaders and businesses to act decisively to create a solution.”

i speak earth is a simple declaration that reflects a serious concern for the future of the planet. By sharing the i speak earth video and critical messages about the risks of an unstable climate, the voice of the global online democracy has the power to reach worldwide political and business leaders.

Whether through signing the PlanetCall Declaration, Facebook status updates, tweets, e-mails, and/or instant messages, global citizens can ensure that negotiations in Copenhagen reflect a new beginning in the effort to protect a habitable planet.

COP15 has been called the most important meeting of the century, and is, in fact, of great global significance as it will define the role of governments and businesses worldwide in guiding the economy onto a sustainable path. The complexity of global climate policy often leaves people confused and disengaged; however, i speak earth has the power to unite citizens worldwide and help them influence the change they seek.

Climate change is an issue that does and will affect every citizen on Earth. World leaders at COP15 must establish a replacement for the Kyoto Protocol – which expires in 2012 and is not structured to solve the dire climate change problem – that will reduce emissions over the next 10 to 15 years. If not, the opportunity to prevent global warming will be lost and the door to uncertainty will be open.

Failure or success at COP15 will require the private sector to help guide the economy onto a sustainable path. On December 12, the Copenhagen Climate Council will bring together business leaders from around the world at Hamlet’s Kronborg Castle to help kick-start the low-carbon revolution.

The Copenhagen Climate Council is a global collaboration between business and science founded by the leading independent think tank in Scandinavia, Monday Morning, based in Copenhagen. The members of the Copenhagen Climate Council have come together to create global awareness of the importance of the U.N. Climate Change Conference, COP15, in Copenhagen, in December 2009, and to ensure support and assistance to global decision-makers when agreeing on a new climate treaty.

On December 12, at Hamlet’s Kronborg Castle, in Helsingør, just north of Copenhagen, the Copenhagen Climate Council establishes the basis for success at the U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP15) – and presents business leadership visions beyond 2009.

Success at COP15 is crucial to kick-start the low-carbon revolution. In the lead-up to COP15, the private sector has demonstrated true leadership. How will business leaders maintain this positive momentum into the future? And, if Copenhagen fails, how can we fill the leadership void and guide the economy onto a sustainable path? How can we engage not only CEOs, but also consumers, employees, and value chains?

In addition, all participants in the event will also receive a copy of Heroes of the Green Age: A new book focusing on the stories of men and women around the globe and their work with ideas shaping our low carbon future – and why we cannot afford to let them down.

Take part in designing the new leadership for a sustainable economy.

Source: www.planetcall.org, www.to-be-or-not-to-be.eventbrite.com, www.ispeakearth.com and www.copenhagenclimatecouncil.com