The Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has ignored the 20% or so of Australia's greenhouse emissions coming from logging and clearance of forests and woodlands as a huge low-cost opportunity to address climate change, Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.

"Logging, from the Tiwi Islands to Tasmania, is not needed for domestic wood needs as Australia has more than 1.5 million hectares of to-be-logged plantations for its paper and structural timber market," Senator Brown said.

Monday, 1 December 2008

Climate Change Minister, Penny Wong, has again ducked answering a question on what goals in tackling climate change Australia will take to the global conference in Poznan, Poland next week.

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.

"When it came to the crunch - the mining industry raised its finger and the Nationals have come to heel."

The Federal Government should adopt a Senate amendment to the Water Act that protects fertile farming land from mining, according to the Greens.

Senator Brown today successfully moved amendments to the Act originally proposed by the Independent Member for New England, Tony Windsor in the lower house.

Last month Senator Brown and Mr Windsor visited farmers at Caroona, near Tamworth, who are strongly opposed to plans by BHP to mine coal in the area. It's feared the mining may damage local hydrology and greatly affect the productivity of surrounding farms.

Self-regulation by advertisers of junk food does not work and will not solve Australia's childhood obesity epidemic, according to Australian Greens Leader Senator Bob Brown.
Speaking during a Senate inquiry into a proposed ban on junk food advertising on children's television and in schools, Senator Brown said that the industry proposals for self-regulation were aimed at preventing a legislated ban on junk food ads aimed at children.

BHP should listen to the concerns of local farmers and put the Liverpool Plains food bowl ahead of its insatiable appetite for coal, Australian Greens Leader Senator Bob Brown said today.

The Australian Greens will press ahead with legislation for a total ban on junk food advertisements on children's TV, saying that a proposed new voluntary industry code does not go far enough.

Australian Greens Leader Senator Bob Brown said The Greens' legislation would ban junk food advertisements from Australian television during children's viewing hours, and also would ban junk food ads in schools.

As police squads move to arrest forest defenders, Australian Greens leader Bob Brown has written to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd appealing for urgent federal intervention to stop Gunns Ltd destroying heritage tall eucalypt and rainforest in Tasmania's Upper Florentine Valley.

"This forest is habitat for many native species and is a huge hedge against climate change as it holds more than 2000 tonnes per hectare of greenhouse gasses. Forestry Tasmania's claim that logging is ‘carbon positive' is a stunning lie," said Senator Brown.

The invasion of East Timor and, potentially, the Indonesian archipelago by cane toads from Australia demands a huge urgent eradication plan from the Rudd government, Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.

"This is an international biological emergency which threatens huge extinction potential across the archipelago. It could also cost billions of dollars in economic loss for both East Timor and Indonesia, and, potentially, the rest of South East Asia," Senator Brown said.

Garnaut's advocacy of preserving forests 'spot on'

Opposition Treasury spokesman Malcolm Turnbull is being illogical by proposing overseas forests be preserved as a hedge against climate change while supporting logging in Australia, Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.

"Turnbull's right on bio-sequestration, but it becomes bio-obsequiousness when the National Association of Forest Industries knocks on his door," Senator Brown said.