Mitigation, adaptation and misery

Facing climate change we have a choice between mitigation, adaptation and misery. Mitigation is cheaper than adaptation, which is preferable to misery. Likelihood is we’ll get all three but the ratios are for us to decide.

In our lives we are happy to pay for mitigation, we try to prevent fires with smoke alarms and ceiling sprinklers and if your house catches on fire you call the fire brigade who, funded by your taxes, puts out the fire, that’s mitigation. Adaptation would be to let the fire burn, hope you can adapt to the outcome and rebuild from the wreckage. Misery is when you can’t afford to rebuild and have to live in the wreckage.

Right now the world is smouldering and a fire has broken out in the arctic, the attic of the world. If you set your attic on fire, you wouldn’t say, “hey don’t worry it’s still nice and cool in the basement”. Nor would you say “well fires have occurred naturally in the past so even if I did cause this one it’s nothing to worry about”, you’d call the fire engines. It’s time we did the same for the planet.

With thanks to John Holdren science advisor to Pres Obama and Dr Jeff Masters who had these ideas first

The Science of Climate Change: Questions and Answers

The Australian Academy of Science is a prestigious body of Australia's most outstanding scientists. They have just released a short booklet on the science of climate change written by some of Australia's top climate scientists.
Scientific Academies tend to be quite conservative, so when they release reports like this you can be confident it is based on well established, consensus science. Highly recommended for anyone wanting to learn more about the science of climate change.

Download the pdf of view the booklet online here.

UQ Sustainability Week

Next week UQ Climate for Change are running Sustainability week at UQ, there's lots of good stuff on, so if you are at UQ make sure you check out some of the events.


(Click to see large flier)

'The Last Hurrah' Ryan Candidates Forum - Wed 18th August

On Saturday August the 21st the nation will vote.

On Wednesday August 18th you have one of the last opportunities to meet your local candidates and hear their views on issues important to you. Ryan is one of the most marginal seats in the country and it is important to know the person behind the 30 second sound-bite who will be representing you in Canberra.

Who are the 'Real' candidates?
What personally drives their vision for our electorate and the nation?"

We have asked the candidates to address the following;
Local issues of concern such as *transport *overcrowded schools *support for adaption of businesses to cleaner, greener practices
National issue: what do they see as the environmental, social and economic strategies needed address climate change and create a Sustainable Australia?.

Each candidate will have 10 mins to concisely state their position then the floor will be open to your questions.

Don't miss this opportunity to see your local candidates;
Steven Miles - Labour,
Sandra Bayley - Greens,
Michael Johnson - Independent

(Jane Prentice- Liberal, still to advise).

When: Wednesday August 18th 7:30pm
Where: Uniting Church hall
982 Moggill Rd Kenmore

Local power's bulk solar panel buying group is back

Local Power, a not for profit group based in Brisbane have a new Solar Panel (PV) buying group going.
After over 400 homes and 600kW of power installed in buying groups 1-4, buying group number 5 is now open.

The Local Power model is to get a big bunch of householders together and then buy the solar panels and inverters in bulk to keep the costs down. Prices for a 1.5Kw scheme start at around $3700. So if you are interested take a look at there website, where all the information and costs are laid out.
Also they generally fill their buying groups pretty quickly, so if you are interested, don't muck around and get in touch with them.

Ten climate policy ideas Julia or Tony could steal

Did you know that India has a tax on coal burning? No, neither did I. Thankfully Graham Readfearn's on the case and has an article on the ABC called "Ten climate policy ideas Julia or Tony could steal" where he investigates policies being used overseas to cut carbon emissions, including carbon taxes, electric car rebates, green roofs, solar hot water mandates and the rather intriguing Carbon Points rewards scheme in Korea.

Perhaps most surprising is the fact that India, a developing country, has introduced an (admittedly small) tax on burning coal which will go towards installing solar power, something that a rich country like Australia has been unable to achieve.

Check out the article.

Ryan election forum Aug 18th - hosted by Transition Kenmore

Our local seat of Ryan is shaping up to be one of the most interesting contests in the federal election. Taking in much of Brisbane westerns suburbs and stretching along the Brisbane river from Milton to Karana Downs but also over Mt Coot-tha to include suburbs like The Gap the race in Ryan looks tight.

Transition Kenmore's monthly meeting next Wednesday 18th will be a candidates forum where everyone is welcome to come and hear from the candidates and ask questions on a range of topics.

Already confirmed are:
Sandra Bayley - candidate for The Greens
Michael Johnson - Indepedenant and current member for Ryan
Steven Miles - candidate for the ALP

Jane Prentice and the Family First candidate have also been invited.

Transition Towns Kenmore Election forum
Wednesday 18 August 19:30
Uniting Church hall,
982 Moggill Road, Kenmore

All are welcome, see you there.

Other upcoming forums include:

ACF/WWF/GetUp hosted forum
Thursday 12 August 18:30 - 21:30
Peter Doherty Theatre, Indooroopilly State High School,
107 Ward St, Indooroopilly