| Are you getting bored by all the posturing from | | | | emission reductions. I don't see anything sinister in |
| politicians and various interest groups about global | | | | Chinese reluctance to be monitored as I think |
| warming, carbon and carbon trading? I certainly | | | | there would be a huge resistance to international |
| am and I am passionate about the subject. I | | | | monitoring of US or Australian emissions. I see |
| should think most people are totally "over it". | | | | this as a dignity and trust issue. |
| Thank goodness Copenhagen came and went. | | | | A recent survey conducted for BankSA found |
| Hopefully the Australian Government will now | | | | 69% of business owners and 68% of consumers |
| allow us to have a rational national debate about | | | | preferred direct or voluntary action - rather than |
| the issue. They were elected largely on a "green" | | | | an enforced emission Trading Scheme - to cut |
| vote to help prevent global warming and to fix | | | | carbon emissions by 5% by 2020. |
| the Murray Darling water problems and in my | | | | The survey on sustainability also found that while |
| opinion they have done little that is effective | | | | consumers have embraced targets for mains |
| about either. | | | | water conservation, the plastic bag ban 5that is in |
| So what can we do to reduce our carbon | | | | place in South Australia and bottled water |
| emissions? There are three practical suggestions. | | | | consumption cuts, they reject change in areas |
| 1. Increase the size of the renewable energy | | | | that affect quality of life, as shown by a reported |
| target and start building gas-fired power stations | | | | rise in power consumption for air-conditioning. |
| on the sites of the existing brown-coal power | | | | And business owners are yet to be convinced |
| stations. Get brown coal out of the system as | | | | about the selling power of sustainability, with 55% |
| soon as possible. | | | | saying they do not believe green credentials |
| 2. We should start taking energy efficiency | | | | attract customers. Only 15% are promoting their |
| seriously, in homes and commercial buildings. | | | | environmental efforts and only 13% have any |
| 3. Help the small to medium business sector to | | | | formal environmental certification. |
| understand the problem and take action to make | | | | In spite of what they say, almost one-third of |
| savings in their businesses. | | | | consumers are actually using more electricity and |
| Then there are other things like sorting out some | | | | gas, as well as fuel for vehicles. |
| of the tax subsidies that actually encourage some | | | | Seeking greater sustainability seemed to be |
| industry sectors to consume fossil fuels. It | | | | off-limits in other key areas, with 75% of |
| certainly makes sense to stop paying polluters | | | | consumers rejecting a switch to toilet paper |
| before we implement a polluter pays scheme. | | | | made from recycled paper and I am with them |
| My observation of the Australian Government's | | | | on that - my bottom does the voting there; and |
| proposed scheme is that it will push up prices, | | | | preferring to use their own vehicles instead of |
| subsidise some households so that they have no | | | | public transport. My observations with the |
| incentive to change behaviour, leave small to | | | | transport is the inconvenience of waiting because |
| medium business badly squeezed in the middle and | | | | the services are not a frequent, they are |
| have little if any impact on the amount of | | | | uncomfortable and also dangerous as with no seat |
| greenhouse gas emissions from Australia. | | | | belts people get thrown about. Certainly when I |
| On a global scale, we need to help developing | | | | fly into Sydney and especially Brisbane, I always |
| countries like Indonesia retain their forests | | | | catch the train in preference to taxi because it is |
| because trees are one of the very best ways to | | | | convenient, faster and much cheaper so even |
| absorb carbon dioxide. At present deforestation | | | | carrying luggage, the train is a better choice. |
| globally has the same impact as all the global | | | | BankSA Managing Director, Rob Chapman says |
| vehicle emissions every year. If we reduced | | | | the results show commitment to sustainability is |
| vehicle emissions AND prevented deforestation | | | | both price-sensitive and influenced by the desire |
| that would really make a difference. | | | | for comfort and convenience. |
| What a contrast from the Chinese approach | | | | "More than 90% of the businesses we surveyed |
| where they are closing the dirtiest power stations, | | | | were actively seeking to reduce the amount of |
| building enormous renewable energy installations, | | | | waste they sent to landfill, while 69% of |
| producing most of the world's solar panels and | | | | consumers said they were prepared to pay more |
| limiting cars to only drive on alternate days so | | | | for grocery items produced using better |
| nearly halving vehicle emissions. They have a huge | | | | environmental practices," Rob says. |
| population so their total emissions are huge but | | | | "However, we also found that lifestyle and cost |
| they are miniscule per head compared to ours. | | | | can be deal-breakers. |
| And they have set very substantial targets for | | | | |