Friday, 4 May 2007
Who's to blame for China's emissions?
Last night I was listening to the BBC and pricked my ears up to a story on the paradox of China's emissions.
As more manufacturing moves to "low-cost" countries such as China, the emissions caused by the manufacturing process are blamed on China, not the country of origin. In this case, dryer balls (balls you put in your clothes dryer to speed up the drying process, thus reducing emissions) were invented in the UK but are manufactured in China.
And while workers in the Chinese factories have very little emissions because of their lifestyle, the effects of the manufacturing process are ultimately felt around the world.
Ultimately, an emission is an emission, and it affects global warming regardless of where it is produced. The global community, and in particular the West, will need to look carefully at how emission reduction programs are measured and managed to ensure there is full accountability for the affect on the planet.
As more manufacturing moves to "low-cost" countries such as China, the emissions caused by the manufacturing process are blamed on China, not the country of origin. In this case, dryer balls (balls you put in your clothes dryer to speed up the drying process, thus reducing emissions) were invented in the UK but are manufactured in China.
And while workers in the Chinese factories have very little emissions because of their lifestyle, the effects of the manufacturing process are ultimately felt around the world.
Ultimately, an emission is an emission, and it affects global warming regardless of where it is produced. The global community, and in particular the West, will need to look carefully at how emission reduction programs are measured and managed to ensure there is full accountability for the affect on the planet.
Thursday, 3 May 2007
Howard's character on the line.....again
The unacceptably stupid and turgid comments from Bill Heffernan about Julia Gillard are one thing. The Prime Minister's inability to hose him down straight up is another.
John Howard's character continues to be called into question.
Why didn't Howard react quickly after the initial uproar about Heffernan's comments? Does the PM actually agree with them? Did Howard hope the storm would actually be a mere puff of redneck wind? Is he sick of his Ministers painting the Tories as a bunch of Neanderthals, but was just too tired to be bothered?
It's again a question of character, attitude and ability...
John Howard's character continues to be called into question.
Why didn't Howard react quickly after the initial uproar about Heffernan's comments? Does the PM actually agree with them? Did Howard hope the storm would actually be a mere puff of redneck wind? Is he sick of his Ministers painting the Tories as a bunch of Neanderthals, but was just too tired to be bothered?
It's again a question of character, attitude and ability...
Wednesday, 2 May 2007
Innovating Innovation
Kim Carr's release last week of our new directions for innovation is another example of powerful policy development on our side of politics.
Australia must become smarter in the way it plans, acts and integrates areas of knowledge generation, business research and development incentives, technology take-up, international collaboration, government procurement, university-business links, improving the skills base, establishing innovation priorities, strengthening national governance and streamlining of programs.
Our key initiatives include:
■ Investing up to $200 million over four years to establish 10 Enterprise Connect innovation centres to connect business people with new ideas.
■ Restoring the chief scientist to a full-time position, recognising the fundamental contribution science makes to the nation's wellbeing.
■ Establishing industry innovation councils for key sectors to support a strategic and long-term approach to innovation, and to ensure that Labor's innovation initiatives meet industry needs.
■ Bringing the key policy areas of industry, innovation science and research together within one department.
With these initiatives, Australia can not only compete more effectively on a global scale, but lead the world in both introducing new inventions and taking clever ideas in one field and applying them to others. This will mean enhanced productivity, generation of export dollars that drive real value through the economy, and the construction of new employment sectors based on a more skilled and creative workforce.
Australia must become smarter in the way it plans, acts and integrates areas of knowledge generation, business research and development incentives, technology take-up, international collaboration, government procurement, university-business links, improving the skills base, establishing innovation priorities, strengthening national governance and streamlining of programs.
Our key initiatives include:
■ Investing up to $200 million over four years to establish 10 Enterprise Connect innovation centres to connect business people with new ideas.
■ Restoring the chief scientist to a full-time position, recognising the fundamental contribution science makes to the nation's wellbeing.
■ Establishing industry innovation councils for key sectors to support a strategic and long-term approach to innovation, and to ensure that Labor's innovation initiatives meet industry needs.
■ Bringing the key policy areas of industry, innovation science and research together within one department.
With these initiatives, Australia can not only compete more effectively on a global scale, but lead the world in both introducing new inventions and taking clever ideas in one field and applying them to others. This will mean enhanced productivity, generation of export dollars that drive real value through the economy, and the construction of new employment sectors based on a more skilled and creative workforce.
Australia a "Strategic Nuclear Concern"
I've recently been pondering John Howard's rationale for the rapid development of a nuclear industry in Australia. His statements over the past few months and the insistent catapulting approach (after 11 years in office - there has been plenty of prior opportunity...) lead me to wonder about the development of home grown nuclear weapons.
Does Howard want Australia to have nuclear weapons? Does he see a nuclear Australia as a deterrent against invaders wanting to ransack our mineral wealth? Does the Prime Minister see Australia's role as Deputy Sherriff in the South Pacific expanding to one of "middle power in Asia with big stick?"
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute is certainly concerned about Australia becoming a country that is a "Strategic Nuclear Concern". According to SIPRI, "these countries have components of a nuclear fuel cycle and therefore play an important role in the context of nuclear nonproliferation while having the technological potential for developing nuclear weapons."
Australia has had a leading role in the international non-proliferation movement over the past 35 years. Why is it acceptable to now trade in this reputation for perceived short term economic or defence gains?
The challenge for John Howard is to come clean on his motives for the development of a nuclear industry that can process nuclear grade weapons material. He cannot attempt to hide behind the global warming debate, a debate in which he is both late to and agnostic.
I ask again: Does John Howard want Australia to build it's own nuclear weapons capability?
Does Howard want Australia to have nuclear weapons? Does he see a nuclear Australia as a deterrent against invaders wanting to ransack our mineral wealth? Does the Prime Minister see Australia's role as Deputy Sherriff in the South Pacific expanding to one of "middle power in Asia with big stick?"
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute is certainly concerned about Australia becoming a country that is a "Strategic Nuclear Concern". According to SIPRI, "these countries have components of a nuclear fuel cycle and therefore play an important role in the context of nuclear nonproliferation while having the technological potential for developing nuclear weapons."
Australia has had a leading role in the international non-proliferation movement over the past 35 years. Why is it acceptable to now trade in this reputation for perceived short term economic or defence gains?
The challenge for John Howard is to come clean on his motives for the development of a nuclear industry that can process nuclear grade weapons material. He cannot attempt to hide behind the global warming debate, a debate in which he is both late to and agnostic.
I ask again: Does John Howard want Australia to build it's own nuclear weapons capability?
Tuesday, 1 May 2007
Newspoll Results
Good morning Friends,
Good news again in the latest Newspoll.
We're down a couple of points in the two-party preferred of two weeks ago but significantly are still tracking on the same results as the beginning of March. Only 18% of people are dissatisfied with my performance as Leader of the Opposition and 46% of those polled think I would make the better Prime Minister.
The NewsCorp Tories have asserted these results are giving Howard a scent of a chance. He's always had a sniff - PM for 11 years and we need to win 16 seats. We ignore the political realities at our peril.
Still, the figures continue to be encouraging and there is a very long way to go until we can claim victory on election night.
Good news again in the latest Newspoll.
We're down a couple of points in the two-party preferred of two weeks ago but significantly are still tracking on the same results as the beginning of March. Only 18% of people are dissatisfied with my performance as Leader of the Opposition and 46% of those polled think I would make the better Prime Minister.
The NewsCorp Tories have asserted these results are giving Howard a scent of a chance. He's always had a sniff - PM for 11 years and we need to win 16 seats. We ignore the political realities at our peril.
Still, the figures continue to be encouraging and there is a very long way to go until we can claim victory on election night.
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