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Turn Down the Heat– a Green Party proposal

The Government’s 2002 climate change policy package is being rolled back, with the cancellation of the carbon pollution charge, leaving the question of what will happen to the negotiated Greenhouse Agreements with industry and the Projects to Reduce Emissions mechanism – which was just beginning to get more renewable energy projects built – unresolved. There is no other plan in place, and officials are just beginning work on what to do instead. It is now less than two years until the Kyoto agreement comes into force, and the scientific evidence all points to climate change being further advanced and more serious than forecast even just a few years ago. Indeed, it is now well understood scientifically that climate change has begun.

Policy chaotic says leading Government scientist
On the eve of a major climate conference in New Zealand, a senior Government scientist has spoken out about chaotic policy in science and climate.
Kevin Patterson, who models energy needs for the Ministry of Economic Development, is disillusioned and considering joining the brain drain overseas.
He blamed the Government's climate change policy - in which projections for meeting Kyoto Protocol commitments mysteriously reversed - on a former Energy Minister confusing a 'target' with what could be achieved.
'Pete Hodgson [the minister] stuffed it up ... he basically directed the staff to model the next target as if it had been accomplished.'
Dr Patterson was distraught at the dropping of the carbon tax, which he said would have solved about 75 per cent of our global warming problems. "

Parker resigns all Cabinet positions
Cabinet Minister David Parker has resigned from all his portfolios.
Mr Parker resigned as Attorney General yesterday after admitting he filed false returns with the Companies Office, but retained responsibility for Transport, Energy and Climate Change."

Annan short-lists candidates selected for top UN post monitoring climate change
Five candidates put forward by United Nations Member States for the post of Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) have been short-listed for interview, following a thorough review of all nominees by Secretary General Kofi Annan and his senior advisers, a UN spokesman said today.
The five selected for interview are: Ambassador John W. Ashe of Antigua and Barbuda; Yvo de Boer, Minister from the Netherlands; Luis Gomez Echeverri of Colombia, of the UN Development Programme (UNDP); Mikls Persnyi, Minister from Hungary; and Simon Upton Minister of New Zealand."

Ballot result is good news for climate
A ballot at Parliament today selecting Greens Co-Leader Jeanette Fitzsimons' 'climate protection' bill is a rare win for all those who are lobbying authorities to take climate change seriously.
'I hope selection of this member's bill in the ballot, which means it will be debated in Parliament, will lead to much better scrutiny of plants burning fossil fuels,' Ms Fitzsimons says. 'It will hopefully also have a spin off in lowering pollution levels in our cities and around our factories.
'Climate change is arguably the greatest threat that life on our planet faces. My bill requires action at a local level - district and regional councils can have a major impact on greenhouse gas emissions.'
Ms Fitzsimons' bill, the Resource Management (Climate Protection) Amendment Bill, repeals those sections of the Resource Management (Energy and Climate Change) Amendment Act which prevented such consideration of climate change.
'Because the Government intended to address carbon emissions with a carbon pollution charge, it took away the right of regional councils to consider climate change emissions when they granted air discharge consents,' Ms Fitzsimons says. 'This meant the coal-fired power station at Marsden Point gained consent with no examination of its effects on climate change."

Scientists urge NZers to face up to climate change
Individual New Zealanders could make a difference to climate change by following some simple rules, a prestigious science group said.
The Royal Society's climate committee is encouraging people to take personal responsibility f or the changing climate by reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
'We must act now to manage and reduce the risk,' the committee's chair and senior climate scientist, Dr David Wratt, said.
Dr Wratt said that regardless what course the Government decided on, all New Zealanders could help out by some simple, painless energy-saving acts.
Two acts the committee was promoting were fitting energy saving light bulbs, and compensating for a long airplane trip by contrib uting to a scheme to grow native bush. "

Is There Now a Role for Economic Instruments in New Zealand’s
Domestic Climate Change Policy? Murray Ward
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Scientists urge NZers to face up to climate change
Individual New Zealanders could make a difference to climate change by following some simple rules, a prestigious science group said.
The Royal Society's climate committee is encouraging people to take personal responsibility f or the changing climate by reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
'We must act now to manage and reduce the risk,' the committee's chair and senior climate scientist, Dr David Wratt, said.
Dr Wratt said that regardless what course the Government decided on, all New Zealanders could help out by some simple, painless energy-saving acts.
Two acts the committee was promoting were fitting energy saving light bulbs, and compensating for a long airplane trip by contrib uting to a scheme to grow native bush. "

Scientists urge NZers to face up to climate change
Individual New Zealanders could make a difference to climate change by following some simple rules, a prestigious science group said.
The Royal Society's climate committee is encouraging people to take personal responsibility f or the changing climate by reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
'We must act now to manage and reduce the risk,' the committee's chair and senior climate scientist, Dr David Wratt, said.
Dr Wratt said that regardless what course the Government decided on, all New Zealanders could help out by some simple, painless energy-saving acts. "

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