Drought

Nationals put mining ahead of farmers

Media Release | Spokesperson Bob Brown

Sunday 30th November 2008, 6:58pm

The Australian Greens are appalled that the Nationals have buckled to mining industry pressure to allow mining exploration under prime farming land without a water sustainability study.

Greens Leader Senator Bob Brown, who today moved amendments to the Water Amendment Bill, originally proposed in the lower house by New England Independent Tony Windsor, said the Nationals had buckled under mining industry pressure.

Senate backs pipeline opposition

Media Release | Spokesperson Bob Brown

Monday 13th October 2008, 3:35pm

The Senate today passed a motion by Greens Leader Bob Brown:

"That the Senate-

(a) notes the arrest of a farmer in Victoria who opposed the Sugarloaf Pipeline, which is being forcibly constructed from the Goulburn Valley to Melbourne; and

(b) calls on the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts
(Mr Garrett) to urgently reconsider his approval of this costly,
environmentally-unsound and controversial project."

Senate calls on Garrett to look at dam options in Queensland

Media Release | Spokesperson Bob Brown

Tuesday 23rd September 2008, 4:43pm

The Senate has passed this motion:

That the Senate calls on the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Water (Mr Garrett) to ensure that the assessment of the proposed dam on the Mary River in Queensland include all prudent and feasible alternatives.

Protecting the Mary River a National Priority:Brown

Media Release | Spokesperson Bob Brown

Monday 8th September 2008, 5:48pm

Saturday 6 September 2008

Government to shelve its proposal to build the destructive Traveston Crossing Dam on the Mary River.

Senator Brown today joins local residents for the GetUp! Climate Torch Relay, a national campaign for Australia to reduce carbon pollution.

Senator Brown said the dam could lead to the loss of at least three endangered species, and would continue to cause deep community distress and social dislocation.

"The environmental impacts on the Mary River Turtle, the Mary River Cod, the Australian Lungfish, and other endangered species - together with the threat the dam poses to the Great Sandy Strait wetland and the Fraser Island world heritage area are ample grounds for the project to be ruled out under the Commonwealth Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999."

Garnaut's weak targets recipe for catastrophic climate change – Greens

Media Release | Spokesperson Bob Brown, Christine Milne

Friday 5th September 2008, 2:43pm

Rudd must lead globe towards strict targets

The weak targets advocated in the supplementary report from the Garnaut review released today are based on outdated science, risk catastrophic climate change and will undermine global negotiations towards an effective climate treaty, Australian Greens Senators Bob Brown and Christine Milne said today.

"Professor Garnaut concluded that it 'is worth paying less than 1% of GNP as a premium for the 450[ppm] strategy'. Surely, then, this should be our starting point, not our ultimate goal," Senator Brown said.

"The weak target of reducing emissions by 10% below 2000 levels by 2020 would lead to an over-allocation of carbon permits in the same way that the over-allocation of water entitlement has lead to the Murray-Darling Basin crisis," Senator Brown said.

Greens could win Mayo, says Downer

Media Release | Spokesperson Bob Brown

Thursday 4th September 2008, 5:57pm

"Voting Green is the best way to focus national attention on the Murray" - Brown

Alexander Downer's anguished letter to the voters of Mayo expressing fear that the Greens' Lynton Vonow or an independent could win the seat means just that - the Liberals could lose on Saturday, Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.

Wong's Desal Blunder

Media Release | Spokesperson Bob Brown

Tuesday 22nd July 2008, 12:00am

Climate Change Minister Penny Wong has blundered in backing the Brumby government's Bass Coast desalination plant, Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.
"Minister Wong has said she is too busy to visit the beautiful site for this huge industrial implant, and it shows. She should be advocating a roll-out of water tanks to collect rainfall across Melbourne's metropolitan area, rather than this unnecessary desalination factory, which the locals so trenchantly oppose," Senator Brown said.
"The desalination plant will sop up 90 to 120 megawatts of coal power, claiming to offset this with renewable power. In real terms that means 1 million tonnes of CO2 per year, the equivalent of putting another 280,000 cars on Victoria's highways. The Minister is failing her portfolio," Senator Brown said.
"I would be very happy to take Minister Wong to the Bass Coast to show her why this plant is so inappropriate," Senator Brown said.
Further information: Ebony Bennett 0409 164 603

Roy Morgan results: Environment most important issue

Speech | Spokesperson Bob Brown

Tuesday 20th May 2008, 12:00am

ENVIRONMENT MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE FOR AUSTRALIA By Michele Levine, CEO Roy Morgan Research Future Summit 2008, May 12-13, Sydney The environment (including climate change/global warming, water resources, drought, famine) is the most important problem facing the World and Australia. China is the most important region to Australia for economic purposes; Indonesia is most important for security purposes; and Japan is the country Australia can most effectively work with on both. The Number One for Government Policy over the next ten years should be monitoring a balanced Budget and no increase in Public Debt, according to a special Roy Morgan survey for the Future Summit 2008. As a World problem, 35% (up from 14% in 2006) of Australians consider the environment the biggest problem, ahead of economic issues (24% up 5%) and terrorism, wars, safety and security (14% down from 32% in 2006). 30% (up from 8% in 2006) of Australians consider the environment the biggest problem facing Australia, ahead of economic issues (23% up 3%) and social issues such as education, drugs, and other societal problems (11% unchanged). Concerns about terrorism are now only seen as a major issue of Australia by 3% (down 9%). Full Details: http://www.roymorgan.com/resources/pdf/papers/20080505.pdf

Drought to hit food prices - Greens

Media Release | Spokesperson Bob Brown

Tuesday 23rd October 2007, 12:00am

The drought and climate change will hit food prices and bring greater hardship to Australia's pensioners and low income earners Mr Howard's forgotten battlers, Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.

"Neither Howard nor Rudd mentioned the Murray-Darling Basin's plight in the Leaders' Debate but as October shapes up as the hottest and driest October on record, the impact will be national," Senator Brown said.

"This is prime growing season. The seriousness of the impact of global warming on Australia's top food producing region is not registering as it should in Canberra," Senator Brown said.

"The big parties have to face the seismic change in thinking, in national structured adjustment for climate change, if we are to meet this emergency,' Senator Brown said.

The Producer Price Index (PPI) lifted by a higher than expected 1.1% in the September quarter, its highest level since mid-last year. The latest CPI figures will be announced tomorrow.

Further information: Ebony Bennett 0409 164 603

PM should be on his feet, not his knees, says Brown

Media Release | Spokesperson Bob Brown

Saturday 21st April 2007, 12:00am

The Prime Minister, John Howard, is asking for divine intervention to end Australia's drought which he, more any other person alive, is responsible, Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.

"As the nation faces rising food prices, Mr Howard's plea for Australian's to 'hope and pray' is as much about his election prospects as it is about rain," Senator Brown said.

"For 11 years he has ignored the climate change which makes this drought so severe. Besides diminishing rainfall in much of rural Australia, climate change has meant higher average temperatures, evaporation and drying across much of rural Australia and many of its cities."

"Mr Howard should have ratified Kyoto in 1997, curbed coal mining, stopped logging and burning forests and illegal land clearing, brought in a decent carbon price and put a water tank in every yard."

"Mr Howard should be leading Australia on his feet, not his knees," Senator Brown said.

"If forecasts for better-than-average rain in winter come true, it will be interesting to see if Mr Howard takes credit, or gives it to the Almighty," Senator Brown said.

Further information: Ebony Bennett: 0409 164 603