the great white paper

Did the government White Paper on climate change and carbon emissions go unnoticed on Monday, or is everyone just gobsmacked? I confess that I am still spinning on the floor after falling in a heap.

It had been long awaited. Rudd's speech started off very well with noble references to the import of climate change being a great threat to our people, our nation, and our planet, etc. There were many profound words indeed. It was therefore almost unbelievable that towards the climax he should scrape the bottom of the barrel and pull out a mere 5% reduction target for greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. [ Hysterical laughter.] Even in the lead up to the election in 2007 it was his firm policy statement advocating a reduction of 20%. At the Bali Conference he wowed the world that he would consider 25-40% for 2020. Rudd appears to have missed the bus. In the build up towards 60% by 2050 it is the first 20% reduction that is the easiest to attain. Getting from 20% to 40% will be much harder. However a miniscule 5% is scarcely a start and in the eyes of the World Australia will have lost much credibility.

Rudd must have somehow understood that his figure would be grossly unacceptable and therefore threw out a sop to the renewable energy sector the day before (Sunday), that the $500 M renewable grants would be expedited from six years to 18 months. How does that engender sensible advance planning? Grant applications have to be justified on the basis of demonstrated achievements, technological evidence, passing milestones of progression.

There would have been many energy companies that might have applied that are now excluded for lack of timing appropriateness. As it happens for GDY this is not the case. By good fortune the 1MW pilot plant should be commissioned and ready to turn on a light globe about March 09 with great fanfare and media pomp. GDY thus becomes an ideal candidate to submit a substantial grant application for at least some aspects of its 50 MW Demonstration Plant.

It always seems a bit strange that out of absurdity some potential advantages arise.

Juke