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The last 30 days have seen some big developments in the ongoing attempts of Premier Weatherill's plan to import high-level and intermediate level radioactive waste. On Sunday 6 November came the surprising decision of the Premier-initiated Citizens Jury. By the end of their six day deliberations, the 350 second round jurists showed a decided shift in opinion. Their 50 page report, presented to a somewhat discomfited Premier, had a strong two thirds majority against the dump.
Pope Francis has been hailed for his ‘rattling’ and ‘upsetting’ Catholic climate change sceptics and politicians. His predecessors John Paul II and Benedict XVI were ahead of most politicians on the issue, but essentially they underestimated the magnitude and urgency of the environmental problems we face. It is likely that Francis will make a decisive effort to confront climate change during 2015.
Countries including the US, Russia and Japan refuse to sign any binding treaty to significantly reduce their greenhouse gas emissions unless China does the same. Their simplistic argument that China is now the number one emitter in the world overlooks important data.
Columban missionary priest and environmental activist Sean McDonagh reports from the climate convention in Copenhagen, where negotiators have been told to 'go very far and very fast' and turn Copenhagen into 'Hopenhagen'.
In working through the maze of economic and scientific dilemmas at the UN climate change meeting, looking at the faces of the world's poor is not a bad way to start. In the past, solutions to ecological problems have often been directed to needs other than those of the people most directly affected.
It seemed a last minute reprieve for tropical forests could emerge at the UN climate change meeting in Bali. Because 20% of greenhouse emissions are due to forest destruction, stablising greenhouse gas emissions requires reduction in the rate of deforestation.
Sean McDonagh is a Columban missionary priest who is the author of several books. Originally from North Tipperary, he now resides at Dalgan Park, Navan, Co Meath in Ireland.
While the climate change debate has largely focused on how a levy might hurt the economy, the St Vincent de Paul Society has raised concerns about the financial impact on households on low incomes or living in disadvantaged communities.
President Bush and Prime Minister Howard have used scientific uncertainty as an excuse to avoid cutting greenhouse gas emissions. This transgresses the precautionary principle that requires nations to take precautions not to harm other nations.