In this issue:
The Apology: My Opinion as a First Nation Sovereign Owner
A Perspective on Public Water Policy
Prospects for Australia’s Climate Change Pledges
The Apology
The apology gave expression to a genuine desire in the Australian community to rectify centuries of injustice and discrimination. But the sense of urgency and dedication has faded. Andrew Boe draws attention to the lack of perseverance in our commitment to making a real difference to the lives of indigenous Australians.
The Apology: My Opinion as a First Nation Sovereign Owner
What does an apology signify if its real meaning and implications are not acted upon? Dale Ruska illustrates the perpetuation of injustice against indigenous peoples with reference to the long and continuing struggle against the exploitation of North Stradbroke Island.
A Perspective on Public Water Policy
Our dams in southeast Queensland seem to be either overflowing or close to empty. We don’t seem to be able to find a happy medium for any length of time. Jim Galletly argues that there are good reasons for this, and that we should fundamentally rethink our “big dams mentality”.
Prospects for Australia’s Climate Change Pledges
The carbon tax proposal is the hot topic dominating Australian federal politics. There is a lot of passion and uncertainty surrounding this latest attempt to introduce a policy that responds to climate change. In this article, Colin Hunt breaks through the hyperbole to examine whether Australia’s attempt to lead the world is realistic.
Multiculturalism
The multiculturalism debate is alive and well, as proponents and critics around the world passionately express their contrasting views. Most of us want a more tolerant society but we seem to have different ways of getting there. Martin Leet suggests that a few historical lessons could help us get what we want.
This is an economist’s perspective and may turn out to be correct, given how often governments to listen to economists, but it contains some serious flaws.
Australia does not have an energy-intensive economy. The energy-intensive sectors, mining and mineral processing, account for about 10 per cent of the economy [and is heavily subsidised]; the services sector makes relatively little use of energy and is 75% of the economy.
The need for baseload power has been inflated by inducements to waste electricity for hot water, but is nowhere near 80% of the peak load.
The 2003 National Framework for Energy Efficiency report showed we could reduce emissions 30% by measures having a payback time of less than 4 years.
Solar hot water is cost-effective everywhere on the mainland [and all northern islands] and accounts for 25-40% of domestic electricity.
It is true cutting transport fuel use requires better urban design & public transport.
The energy intensity of Australia’s economy needs to be cut by almost half to meet even the 5% target in 2020. This will require a 5% improvement every year between now and then. Yet Australia has only managed a 1% improvement in intensity in the last 10-20 years. In the case of baseload electricity, my calculations suggest that even if the requirement was only 60% in 2020, rather than the 80% suggested in my article (which is the commonly accepted level) we would still have great difficulty in meeting the emission targets. This is because, even with an increased contribution of renewable energy, growth in the economy will still require a substantial contribution by fossil fuels.