Sunday, February
11, 2007
Media Release
Greens Want Long
Term Plan To Phase Out Coal Exports
Greens Senator
Bob Brown wants a plan prepared within 3 years on how to phase out coal exports
in the longer term.
Ms Kelly Marks,
Greens candidate for Coogee, outlined how seriously Australian coal exports
contribute to global warming. She said,
"Australia
is the world's largest coal exporter, accounting for about 30% of total world
trade. This makes us a heavy contributor to global warming.
In fact our Coal
exports result in emissions of more than 600 million tonnes when burnt. This is
more than Australia's total domestic emissions.
One coal mine
proposal currently under consideration in the Upper Hunter, Anvil Hill, would
produce enough coal each year to release 27 million tonnes of CO2 each year,
which is more greenhouse gas than comes from the entire transport sector in
NSW. "
Greens candidate
for Maroubra, Anne Gardiner, stated that a controlled phasing out the coal
industry would allow a transition process for workers to be retrained.
Ms Gardiner said,
"Central to
the Greens policy is ensuring that workers in the industry are retrained.
Communities once dependent on the coal industry can have a jobs rich future.
The jobs growth in clean green manufacturing is enormous if State and Federal
governments will help Australian industry pick up export contracts. "
Ms Gardiner says
the Greens believe that the renewable energy industry offers a much more robust
and larger source of jobs. She elaborated,
"Each unit
of energy generated by wind creates four times the number of jobs than coal. A
planned transition to renewable energy would swamp the number of jobs lost in a
phase out of the coal industry and would address high levels of youth
unemployment in many parts of NSW."
CONTACT: Anne Gardiner Greens candidate for
Maroubra (02)9349-2315 Kelly Marks,
Greens candidate for Coogee 0422-059-542
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Bob Brown's media release
Brown backs Flannery -"Australia should
have a plan to end coal exports" 9th Feb 07
Australia should
develop a plan, in the next three years, to reduce and phase out coal exports,
Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.
"Neither the
Howard Coalition nor Rudd Labor will tackle our biggest cause of climate change
- burning coal. Both the parties support burning more, not less," Senator
Brown said.
"This is an
extreme position considering the massive economic and environmental crisis the
world is facing. The nation should rapidly transform to being the world's
largest exporter of solar power technology, other renewable energy options and
energy efficiency technology - creating thousands of jobs and a multi-billion
dollar export income in tandem with the replacement of coal," Senator
Brown said.
"Australia
can no longer put its head in the sand. Even if we do nothing to phase out coal
exports, our customers will. The Europeans are already talking about sanctions
and restrictions on coal imports. The issue is not just what we think the
future of coal is, but what our customers think the future is. Business in
Europe is not going to accept the Australian government freeloading with
coal," Senator Brown said.
According to the
Australian Bureau of Statistics, coal mining employs 28,300 workers. Over the
last 12 months, employment growth was over 299,000.
"The Prime
Minister claims to be concerned with coal industry jobs, but Qantas employs ten
thousand more people than the coal industry and the government will do nothing
to ensure their jobs are secure."
"In the next
period of government the burning of native forests - another major cause of
climate change - must be halted forever. The double win here is that the trees
left standing will be worth much more to the public purse in a carbon-exchange
world than they are on the back of a ship headed to Japan," Senator Brown
said.
Further
information: Ebony Bennett 0409 164 603