Issue #99 March 2007 RRP $5.50 printed on recycled paper CLIMATE CHANGE • Ten Reasons Why Climate Change May Be More Severe Than Projected • Election Year Climate Politics • Australia Isolated at United Nations • Carbon Quotas feature articles ‘Inhabited’ Tasmania’s Beyond Photo Southern Coal include Exhibition Forests contents Friends of special features the Earth Edition #99 - March 2007 Climate Change feature essays Publisher Friends of the Earth Australia, ABN 81600610421 Climate Change Election Aboriginal Heritage Under - Emma Brindal 8 Threat In NSW Chain Reaction Team - Binnie O’Dwyer 22 Jim Green, Cam Walker Climate Science: 10 Reasons Why Climate Change May Be Government Attacks Aboriginal Layout & Design More Severe Than Projected Land Rights (NT) Act Natalie Lowrey - Barrie Pittock 10 - Jim Green 24 Printing Australia Isolated At UN ‘Inhabited’ Photo Exhibition Arena Printing and Publishing, Melbourne Climate Negotiations - Jessie Boylan 26 - Steph Long 12 Subscriptions Federal Environment Laws Four issues: $A22 (within Australia) Carbon Credits Further Weakened Cheques, etc payable to - David Spratt & Damien Lawson 14 Chain Reaction - Jim Green 30 Contraction, Convergence Subscription Enquiries & Compensation Tasmania’s Southern Forests Chain Reaction, PO Box 222, Fitzroy - Will Mooney 32 - Rachael Mead 18 Vic, 3065, Australia. Ph (03) 9419 8700, Fax (03) 9416 2081 Beyond Coal Email: [email protected] Zero-Minus-Fast: The Best - Geoff Evans 34 Target For A Safe Planet ISSN: 0312 – 1372 - Phillip Sutton 20 Victoria’s Native Forests: Cheap as Chips Copyright - Review by Anthony Amis 40 Written material in Chain Reaction is free of copyright unless otherwise indicated, or where material has been reprinted from another source. Please acknowledge Chain REGULAR SECTIONS & UPDATES lipio Reaction when reprinting. Permission to use graphic material must be obtained EARTH NEWS 2 from the artist. FoEA NEWS 4 The opinions expressed in Chain Reaction are FoEI NEWS 6 not necessarily those of the publishers or any Friends of the Earth group. MOVEMENT NEWS 41 Chain Reaction is indexed in the LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 42 Alternative Press Index. Chain Reaction is produced in Melbourne and BOOK REVIEWS 43 Katoomba. We acknowledge the traditional Chain Reaction is published three times a year. owners of these lands and the fact that INSPIRATION: Susie Zent 46 Indigenous land has never been ceded. ANNOUNCEMENTS 47 Cover Image: Rodney Dekker www.rodneydekker.com CHAIN REACTION ADVISERS BOARD Karen Alexander - Biodiversity campaigner [Vic] Greg Buckman - Author/Researcher [Hobart] Damian Grenfell - Globalism Centre RMIT [Melbourne] Jo Immig - National Toxics Network [Bangalow, NSW] Damien Lawson - Adviser to Greens senator, Kerry Nettle [Sydney] Binnie O’Dwyer - FoE representative [Lismore, NSW] Chris Richards - New Internationalist Magazine [Melbourne] Alison Tate ACTU - International Officer [Melbourne] James Whelan - Co-director of the Change Agency (activist education) and board member of EDO Qld [Brisbane] The board provides big picture thematic and political advice to the CR editors, advice on themes for future editions, as well as helping to ensure that a broader range of sectors/ constituencies are represented in the articles. The CR editorial team are still responsible for content, editing and design and so any problems, omissions or other failures are ours! www.foe.org.au Chain Reaction March 2007 3 earth news Australian Youth forests and wildlife. Justice Shane emissions, and extremely high per capita Climate Change Marshall’s judgement in the Federal Court emissions, due to the absence of an effective Coalition Launched means that logging at Wielangta in Tasmania national policy framework to tackle climate – and in other areas where it endangers rare change. and endangered species – is outside the law. _________________________________ In November 2006, the Australian Youth More information: Nuclear Free Solutions to Climate Change, Climate Change Coalition was formed at <www.wilderness.org.au/campaigns/nuclear> The judgement criticises Forestry __________________________________ a national summit in Melbourne attended Tasmania and its expert witnesses, by 60 people representing 35 different who claimed that logging, burning and organisations. The Coalition aims to chemical applications at Wielangta do not ensure that the federal government takes harm Tasmania’s Wedge-tailed eagle, the climate change seriously, rather than just Swift parrot or the Wielangta stag beetle. making vague statements, launching token projects, and backing off from real action. Greens Senator Bob Brown said: “This is a watershed for Australia’s forests Summit organiser Anna Rose said: and wildlife. No doubt, though, the “Global warming is the biggest threat my woodchippers and their Labor and generation faces. We’ve come together Liberal backers will be furious. We must here in Melbourne to create strategies expect an angry reaction like that which to communicate the concerns we have followed the High Court decision which to politicians and business to make sure saved the Franklin River on 1 July 1983.” they actually take some serious action _________________________________ before it’s too late. Australia must sign More information: <www.bobbrown.org.au> Kyoto and commit to legally binding The Federal Court judgement is at: carbon emission reduction targets, _________________________________<www.austlii.edu.au/au/cases/cth/federal_ct/2006/1729.html> rather than distractions like nuclear, geosequestration and ‘clean coal’. The Clean Energy Solutions fossilised government needs to invest in to Climate Change our future through renewable energy.” Australian Nuclear The five action priorities decided upon The Wilderness Society has produced a Reports by the Coalition are: organising youth report on clean energy solutions to climate change being adopted in Europe. The paper climate conferences; a national day of Three reports were released in late focusses on a number of European Union youth mobilisation on climate change; 2006 advocating an expansion a schools and universities strategy; Member States that are dealing effectively with their Kyoto Protocol target and have of Australia’s uranium industry: an election strategy; and a cultural rejected nuclear power. • The government-appointed panel campaign to educate and mobilise youth. headed by Ziggy Switkowski advocated _________________________________ The report notes that Europe is on track an expansion of uranium mining and the More information: <http://youthclimatecoalition.blogspot. to meet its Kyoto Protocol target, it has com> introduction of nuclear power. Its report _________________________________ implemented the world’s first multi- is at <www.pmc.gov.au/umpner>. The national emissions trading scheme, and EnergyScience Coalition was formed Victory for European leaders have recently endorsed a to counter the Switkowski panel – see 15-30% reduction target by 2020. Endangered Species <www.energyscience.org.au>. Greenpeace has also commissioned expert reports On the other hand, the United States, with The December 19, 2006 Federal Court 103 nuclear power reactors, has the world’s to counter the Switkowski report – see decision on the Bob Brown vs. Forestry largest domestic nuclear power industry <www.greenpeace.org.au>. Tasmania case is a victory for Australia’s yet it has steadily rising greenhouse gas • The Uranium Industry Framework is 4 Chain Reaction March 2007 Australian Youth The judgement criticises Forestry Climate Change Tasmania and its expert witnesses, Coalition Launched who claimed that logging, burning and chemical applications at Wielangta do not harm Tasmania’s Wedge-tailed eagle, the In November 2006, the Australian Youth Swift parrot or the Wielangta stag beetle. Climate Change Coalition was formed at a national summit in Melbourne attended Greens Senator Bob Brown said: “This by 60 people representing 35 different is a watershed for Australia’s forests organisations. The Coalition aims to and wildlife. No doubt, though, the ensure that the federal government takes woodchippers and their Labor and climate change seriously, rather than just Liberal backers will be furious. We must making vague statements, launching token expect an angry reaction like that which projects, and backing off from real action. followed the High Court decision which saved the Franklin River on 1 July 1983.” Summit organiser Anna Rose said: _________________________________ “Global warming is the biggest threat my More information: <www.bobbrown.org.au> generation faces. We’ve come together The Federal Court judgement is at: Australian Nuclear <www.austlii.edu.au/au/cases/cth/federal_ct/2006/1729.html> here in Melbourne to create strategies _________________________________ Reports to communicate the concerns we have to politicians and business to make sure Clean Energy Solutions Three reports were released in late they actually take some serious action to Climate Change 2006 advocating an expansion before it’s too late. Australia must sign of Australia’s uranium industry: Kyoto and commit to legally binding • The government-appointed panel carbon emission reduction targets, The Wilderness Society has produced a headed by Ziggy Switkowski advocated rather than distractions like nuclear, report on clean energy solutions to climate an expansion of uranium mining and the geosequestration and ‘clean coal’. The change being adopted in Europe. The paper introduction of nuclear power. Its report fossilised