Its gone...Climate assembly

The citizens assembly on climate change has gone. Not supprising it was a poor idea.

I could see, as Julia was defending the 'Citizens assembly' during the campaign, her mind ticking over; *who thought up this idea!!*


As I wrote during the election campaign::

The problem I see with it is that their is no actual leadership in a citizens assembly. I would rather vote for an environmental plan than somthing that 'might' happen. It's just to wishy washy for me.

Probably a good idea as 'opposition Abbott' would just bag everything out of it even if was a good idea.

Better just having this committee of parliamentarians and then leading stongly from it.

Tony has with his negative stance, let down the conservative side of politics, not allowing anyone on the committee. Thus no conservative influence on environmental policy in Australia.

Related articles

• Gillard scraps climate assembly (news.theage.com.au)
• Climate committee is no citizens assembly, thank God (thepunch.com.au)
• Abbott slams climate assembly (news.theage.com.au)

Progressive Christianity and the Environent

Spotted this interesting article from the Washington Post regarding the environment from a progressive Christian perspective. It's worth while reading the whole article...

It's time for a spiritual awakening in which we turn from obsession with future salvation and begin to savor and save the world that we are in. "I came that they might have life and life in abundance," Jesus says in the Gospel of John. Early Christians believed he meant it, here and now. They taught that through Jesus the doors of paradise had been re-opened. Paradise was no longer lost at the beginning of time, or a realm that could be entered only after death or after this imperfect world was replaced by a new and better one. Paradise was all around us, in this beautiful creation, blessed by God. A fourth century Christian baptismal ritual instructed the newly baptized to open their eyes to see "this paradise before us." No less a theological giant than Augustine taught that the seeds planted in the paradise garden have been scattered throughout the whole earth, so that now Eden is everywhere.

Election 2010 :: Labours Enviromental policy

Rumours today of Labours environmental policy,  as reported by the ABC

A re-elected Labor government would ask a new "citizens' assembly" for climate change advice, under a key part of the ALP's new climate change policy set to be launched by Prime Minister Julia Gillard today.

I cannot but agree with Mr Greg Hunt our local man at Flinders who said

 Julia Gillard's proposed "citizens assembly" will fail to produce action.

The problem I see with it is that their is no actual leadership in a citizens assembly. I would rather vote for an environmental plan than somthing that 'might' happen. It's just to wishy washy for me.

The only person talking any sence in Malcolm Turnbull

"The Coalition's policy is not the ideal from my point of view I grant you that, I'd like to see a market-based solution, but I'll tell you this, it does have the potential to meet the emissions reductions targets by 2020," he said.
"The real question is the policy. Everyone knows where I stand, I've stuck to my principles on it. But the fact is, we have got a policy, Labor has nothing."

I think he is right. Labor has nothing!

Watch out for "Green" companies (Nature Organics)

Shampooing up the other day I noticed the "Nature Organics" two in one shampoo had the ingredients of glycol stearate (from palm oil).

From the Ethical.org.au web site

Palm oil is found in 1 in 10 supermarket products including shampoos, baking oil, chocolate, cosmetics, chips, cookies, margarine and soaps. It has recently been deemed a potential saviour as a renewable resource for use as a biofuel.
Unfortunately, not only does palm oil promote heart disease, but the vast plantations that grow oil palm trees have contributed to the destruction of the rainforest of South east Asia and threaten the survival of animals such as the Orangutan in Borneo, the Sumatran tiger, and Asian rhinoceros. Additionally, burning after deforestation accounts for significant greenhouse gas emissions.

• Learn about the issues and sign the petition for compulsory labeling at Melbourne Zoos "Don't Palm Us Off" campaign website. www.zoo.org.au/palmoil
  
• Check the ingredients - if there is palm oil, avoid it, send a letter to the manufacturer telling them of your action. (note, it may be labeled as simply “vegetable oil”).
• See the 'Helping you buy responsibly' section on the BOS Australia website at www.orangutans.com.au for a list of manufacturers who are committed to avoiding the use of palm oil.
  
• See also www.palmoilaction.org.au and www.orangutan.org.au

Shame on you "Nature Organics" for sprucing as a "natural company" looking after the environment.

National Tree Planting day 2009

We went off on Sunday and planted trees in Olinda for National Tree Planting Day. The kids helped so we didn't get all that many planted, but we got a few!

One of the things that Christina and I want to do is participate with our community in the things that really matter for us. Hopefully our care for the environment will reflect God's heart to those around us.

The other thing is starting early with Jemima and Jo. Having an involvement with care for the earth we can teach them how God created the earth and we have a responsibility in looking after it.

So much more practical than sitting in a Church listening about it! (Well depends on the type of church you go to....)