http://www.thepunch.com.au/tags/climate-change/ Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. en Copyright 2012 The Punch penberthyd@newsltd.com.au penberthyd@newsltd.com.au Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:00:12 +0000 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:00:12 +0000 Politics, opinion, world news, sports news, latest news, views, Barack Obama, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Nathan Rees, Malcolm Turnbull, Peter Garrett, Barnaby Joyce, Australian, federal politics, opinion polls, election, The Punch, thepunch, punch ExpressionEngine 1.6.7 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 15 http://www.thepunch.com.au/images/punch-logo-rss.png http://www.thepunch.com.au/ 144 70 Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. Search The Punch keywords http://www.thepunch.com.au/search/ http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/We-must-be-mugs-for-accepting-the-hoax-boson/ This week, scientists announced that hey, you betcha, they’re darn nearly almost kinda totally sure that they’ve confirmed the existence of a thing no average person can see or hear or feel. And the world said, okey dokey, we pretty much believe you. Not exactly sure what all this means or how it affects us, but hey, we’ll buy it. You’re the guys in the lab coats, after all, and we’re the ones stupid enough to wear cargo pants. Therefore, or “ergo” as you guys would put it, you must be right. Right? Hands up who’s guessed where this thing’s heading… feedback@thepunch.com.au (Antony McMullen) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/We-must-be-mugs-for-accepting-the-hoax-boson/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/We-must-be-mugs-for-accepting-the-hoax-boson/#item7386 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:00:12 +0000 Climate change sceptics shouldn’t have to resort to juvenile ‘Gotcha’ tactics to get attention. But Professor Ian Plimer just did. And his target? Schoolteachers. Nice. Prime Minister John Howard aided and abetted him, speaking at the launch of Plimer’s new book, How to Get Expelled from School: A Guide to Climate Change for Pupils, Parents and Punters. The first bit of devious trickery is evident in the title - the ludicrous implication that a student would get kicked out of school for asking questions is just a nod to the conspiracy theorists who think the world’s scientists are engaged in an enormous scam. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/how-plimers-climate-change-book-might-just-work/ Climate change sceptics shouldn’t have to resort to juvenile ‘Gotcha’ tactics to get attention. But Professor Ian Plimer just did. And his target? Schoolteachers. Nice. Prime Minister John Howard aided and abetted him, speaking at the launch of Plimer’s new book, How to Get Expelled from School: A Guide to Climate Change for Pupils, Parents and Punters. The first bit of devious trickery is evident in the title - the ludicrous implication that a student would get kicked out of school for asking questions is just a nod to the conspiracy theorists who think the world’s scientists are engaged in an enormous scam. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Antony McMullen) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/how-plimers-climate-change-book-might-just-work/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/how-plimers-climate-change-book-might-just-work/#item7362 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:00:12 +0000 Climate change sceptics shouldn’t have to resort to juvenile ‘Gotcha’ tactics to get attention. But Professor Ian Plimer just did. And his target? Schoolteachers. Nice. Prime Minister John Howard aided and abetted him, speaking at the launch of Plimer’s new book, How to Get Expelled from School: A Guide to Climate Change for Pupils, Parents and Punters. The first bit of devious trickery is evident in the title - the ludicrous implication that a student would get kicked out of school for asking questions is just a nod to the conspiracy theorists who think the world’s scientists are engaged in an enormous scam. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/biggest-moments-of-2011-11-carbon-outrage-in-canberra/ What happened On March 23 some 2000 to 3000 people gathered in Federation Mall in front of Parliament House in Canberra to protest against the Government’s carbon pricing policy. This No Carbon Tax rally was the first demonstration in the national capital of a grassroots opposition to the policy, a protest movement Opposition Leader Tony Abbott had been attempting to marshall. The event’s aim was overwhelmed by the starkly hostile and sexist signs and placards wielded by the demonstrators. Prime Minister Julia Gillard was called “JuLIAR,” as pioneered by 2GB broadcaster Alan Jones. She was called a “bitch’’ and a “witch” and speakers at the rally reflected the tone of the signs held by listeners. Government MPs were furious, particularly women, and the rally was condemned from Labor benches in Parliament during Question Time. Tony Abbott spoke from the protest platform and embarrassingly was photographed in front of a sign reading “JuLIAR Gillard…Bob Browns (sic) Bitch”. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Antony McMullen) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/biggest-moments-of-2011-11-carbon-outrage-in-canberra/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/biggest-moments-of-2011-11-carbon-outrage-in-canberra/#item7313 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:00:12 +0000 Climate change sceptics shouldn’t have to resort to juvenile ‘Gotcha’ tactics to get attention. But Professor Ian Plimer just did. And his target? Schoolteachers. Nice. Prime Minister John Howard aided and abetted him, speaking at the launch of Plimer’s new book, How to Get Expelled from School: A Guide to Climate Change for Pupils, Parents and Punters. The first bit of devious trickery is evident in the title - the ludicrous implication that a student would get kicked out of school for asking questions is just a nod to the conspiracy theorists who think the world’s scientists are engaged in an enormous scam. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-world-has-a-fever-and-its-going-to-make-us-sick/ Climate talks in Durban, South Africa, have ended. Developing and developed countries both agreed that a deal to slash emissions “with legal force” would begin in 2020. This has been hailed by Climate Change Minister Greg Combet as a ““significant milestone”. But today on The Punch a youth delegate at the conference, Melia Condon, explains that one thing keeps getting left out of discussions about climate change: it will have a serious impact on our health. Increases in temperature, extreme weather events and sea level rises are not the impacts of climate change we should be most concerned about in the short term. It is often overlooked that even just a small change to our environment can have a profound impact on human health. Meanwhile, the size of endemic areas and severity of vector, food and water-borne infectious diseases are on the rise. As are tropical storms, floods and droughts that many Australians are all too familiar with and the flow on effects to malnutrition and mental health in some cases. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Antony McMullen) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-world-has-a-fever-and-its-going-to-make-us-sick/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-world-has-a-fever-and-its-going-to-make-us-sick/#item7351 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:00:12 +0000 Climate change sceptics shouldn’t have to resort to juvenile ‘Gotcha’ tactics to get attention. But Professor Ian Plimer just did. And his target? Schoolteachers. Nice. Prime Minister John Howard aided and abetted him, speaking at the launch of Plimer’s new book, How to Get Expelled from School: A Guide to Climate Change for Pupils, Parents and Punters. The first bit of devious trickery is evident in the title - the ludicrous implication that a student would get kicked out of school for asking questions is just a nod to the conspiracy theorists who think the world’s scientists are engaged in an enormous scam. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/climate-change-debate-is-the-enemy-of-environmentalism/ Here’s the real problem with the climate change debate. It’s not that the deniers have hijacked the overwhelming scientific consensus, sneakily turning a huge body of evidence into what many now perceive to be a 50/50 proposition. Neither is the problem the fact that the carbon tax will bankrupt us (which it won’t) or that Bob Brown has become our de facto prime minister (which he hasn’t) or that we’re pissing some perfectly good industries down the drain in the search for new clean jobs (which we aren’t). The problem with the climate change debate is that this whole endless shouting match is supposedly about saving the environment, yet no one is actually talking about the environment. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Antony McMullen) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/climate-change-debate-is-the-enemy-of-environmentalism/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/climate-change-debate-is-the-enemy-of-environmentalism/#item7203 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:00:12 +0000 Climate change sceptics shouldn’t have to resort to juvenile ‘Gotcha’ tactics to get attention. But Professor Ian Plimer just did. And his target? Schoolteachers. Nice. Prime Minister John Howard aided and abetted him, speaking at the launch of Plimer’s new book, How to Get Expelled from School: A Guide to Climate Change for Pupils, Parents and Punters. The first bit of devious trickery is evident in the title - the ludicrous implication that a student would get kicked out of school for asking questions is just a nod to the conspiracy theorists who think the world’s scientists are engaged in an enormous scam. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Australian-nuclear-power-the-facts-the-costs-the-pitfalls/ The option of using nuclear power to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from electricity generation has been raised from time to time during the national debate on the carbon tax and climate change. Although nuclear power it is not currently on the government’s energy agenda, Australia is a major supplier of uranium to the global nuclear industry which produces 14 per cent of the world’s electricity from four hundred and forty reactors in thirty countries. Their combined fifty year experience provides a basis on which to consider the deployment of nuclear power here. As memories of the 1979 Three Mile Island accident and the 1986 Chernobyl catastrophe receded, a global nuclear power renaissance seemed likely as climate change concerns mounted. Then came the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster following a massive earthquake and tsunami. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Antony McMullen) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Australian-nuclear-power-the-facts-the-costs-the-pitfalls/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Australian-nuclear-power-the-facts-the-costs-the-pitfalls/#item7185 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:00:12 +0000 Climate change sceptics shouldn’t have to resort to juvenile ‘Gotcha’ tactics to get attention. But Professor Ian Plimer just did. And his target? Schoolteachers. Nice. Prime Minister John Howard aided and abetted him, speaking at the launch of Plimer’s new book, How to Get Expelled from School: A Guide to Climate Change for Pupils, Parents and Punters. The first bit of devious trickery is evident in the title - the ludicrous implication that a student would get kicked out of school for asking questions is just a nod to the conspiracy theorists who think the world’s scientists are engaged in an enormous scam. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/punch-q-a-a-fraction-too-much-fission-over-uranium/ The Labor Party is set to backflip on dealing uranium to countries that have not signed the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. At the upcoming ALP conference, Prime Minister Julia Gillard will push to lift the ban on selling to India - and chances are it will go through. The move has upset the Greens, and some in Labor’s left faction, who argue that even though India may not use Australian uranium for weapons, it could free up uranium from other sources to be used by the military. The Punch spoke to Professor Stephen Lincoln from the University of Adelaide, an expert in uranium, nuclear power and climate change, about what it all means. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Antony McMullen) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/punch-q-a-a-fraction-too-much-fission-over-uranium/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/punch-q-a-a-fraction-too-much-fission-over-uranium/#item7160 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:00:12 +0000 Climate change sceptics shouldn’t have to resort to juvenile ‘Gotcha’ tactics to get attention. But Professor Ian Plimer just did. And his target? Schoolteachers. Nice. Prime Minister John Howard aided and abetted him, speaking at the launch of Plimer’s new book, How to Get Expelled from School: A Guide to Climate Change for Pupils, Parents and Punters. The first bit of devious trickery is evident in the title - the ludicrous implication that a student would get kicked out of school for asking questions is just a nod to the conspiracy theorists who think the world’s scientists are engaged in an enormous scam. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/The-carbon-tax-is-a-done-deal-now-stop-your-whingeing/ You’ve put a price on carbon and stumped up $13 billion dollars for renewable energy. It doesn’t sound very hard when you say it quickly. Actually, it has been excruciatingly hard. Is there anyone who isn’t completely sick and tired of the whole debate? From the moment Tony Abbott got the leadership, he and his dogged faction of supporters in the media have been biting and snarling at anyone associated with climate action. As Laurie Oakes wrote of Mr Abbott recently, “His style is pure attack dog, as feral as you’d get.” feedback@thepunch.com.au (Antony McMullen) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/The-carbon-tax-is-a-done-deal-now-stop-your-whingeing/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/The-carbon-tax-is-a-done-deal-now-stop-your-whingeing/#item7101 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:00:12 +0000 Climate change sceptics shouldn’t have to resort to juvenile ‘Gotcha’ tactics to get attention. But Professor Ian Plimer just did. And his target? Schoolteachers. Nice. Prime Minister John Howard aided and abetted him, speaking at the launch of Plimer’s new book, How to Get Expelled from School: A Guide to Climate Change for Pupils, Parents and Punters. The first bit of devious trickery is evident in the title - the ludicrous implication that a student would get kicked out of school for asking questions is just a nod to the conspiracy theorists who think the world’s scientists are engaged in an enormous scam. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/gillards-carbon-victory-more-toxic-than-sweet/ Two years after Kevin Rudd’s carbon pollution reduction scheme crashed in Parliament, Julia Gillard is poised to achieve what he could not: a fixed price on carbon leading to a full emissions trading scheme from 2015. Debate in the Senate will be “guillotined” later today to bring on a vote on the bills thereby concluding the crucial legislative phase of what has become the most divisive political argument in decades. The 19 bill package setting a $23-a-tonne price rising by 5 per cent for the following two years is expected to pass on a combination of Greens and Labor votes. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Antony McMullen) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/gillards-carbon-victory-more-toxic-than-sweet/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/gillards-carbon-victory-more-toxic-than-sweet/#item7095 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:00:12 +0000 Climate change sceptics shouldn’t have to resort to juvenile ‘Gotcha’ tactics to get attention. But Professor Ian Plimer just did. And his target? Schoolteachers. Nice. Prime Minister John Howard aided and abetted him, speaking at the launch of Plimer’s new book, How to Get Expelled from School: A Guide to Climate Change for Pupils, Parents and Punters. The first bit of devious trickery is evident in the title - the ludicrous implication that a student would get kicked out of school for asking questions is just a nod to the conspiracy theorists who think the world’s scientists are engaged in an enormous scam. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Carbon-pricing-is-about-more-than-a-warm-fuzzy-feeling/ The Australian Senate is currently debating the Government’s Clean Energy Future package and will shortly vote on these historic reforms. Earlier this week, during debate on the legislation, I spoke about the unrivalled natural beauty of the Australian environment and landscape and of our profound relationship with the land on which we forge our lives. We are a unique nation, and our identity stems from our landscape. We have developed our character through our values. We believe in mateship, we believe in backing the underdog and, importantly, we believe in a fair go. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Antony McMullen) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Carbon-pricing-is-about-more-than-a-warm-fuzzy-feeling/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Carbon-pricing-is-about-more-than-a-warm-fuzzy-feeling/#item7089 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:00:12 +0000 Climate change sceptics shouldn’t have to resort to juvenile ‘Gotcha’ tactics to get attention. But Professor Ian Plimer just did. And his target? Schoolteachers. Nice. Prime Minister John Howard aided and abetted him, speaking at the launch of Plimer’s new book, How to Get Expelled from School: A Guide to Climate Change for Pupils, Parents and Punters. The first bit of devious trickery is evident in the title - the ludicrous implication that a student would get kicked out of school for asking questions is just a nod to the conspiracy theorists who think the world’s scientists are engaged in an enormous scam.