Posts tagged ‘Yallourn’
Just Transition: An Idea Whose Time has Finally Come?
Following the recent federal election, which suggested that the electorate is becoming more polarised about coal, everybody seems to be talking about “just transition”. Colin Long, the Just Transition Officer at Trades Hall, told us he has been inundated with calls. The National Union of Workers kicked off with a statement. The ABC is talking about it. Environment Victoria has released a blogpost, and has made it a focus of their Beyond Coal campaign. And some in Labor are talking about a Green New Deal.
Photo by Marc Kjerland / Flickr
Climate Action Moreland has long argued for just transition to be a key demand of the climate movement. But we need to do more. We can start by fleshing out what this means and how we should incorporate it into our campaigns.
LaTrobe Valley Coal Power pollution poses health threat – World Environment Day
Mercury pollution emissions from Australian coal power stations compared. Source: The Age
June 5 is world environment day and here we publish a question on pollutants from the coal fired power stations in the La Trobe Valley, asked by Brunswick Greens MP Tim Read in March.
Why aren’t these toxic pollutants such as mercury and Sulphur Dioxide more highly regulated and restricted? The technology exists to capture these and other pollutants, but the state government so far hasn’t ensured that the companies responsible fit the filtering technologies which are widely used overseas.
The EPA is currently drafting licence amendments and the licence review process report for the coal power stations. Increased limits, real time monitoring and regulation of pollution needs to be an important part of new licenses for the three energy companies: AGL Energy, Energy Australia, and Alinta.
Premier refuses to answer question on Victorian coal phaseout plan
Ellen Sandell asking about coal phaseout plan
The Premier Daniel Andrews failed to answer a direct question on Wednesday, the last sitting day this year for state parliament, on a transition plan to close Victoria’s dirty coal plants and stop coal mining and burning in Victoria for good, asked on behalf of School strike for climate kids.
Greens MP Ellen Sandell (Melbourne) asked the Premier, on behalf of all the students striking for climate justice, when he would urgently release his coal transition plan. She also highlighted that the Andrews government has extended the licence for the dirtiest coal station in Australia, Yallourn.
Premier, while your government has done some really good things on renewables, you are suspiciously silent when it comes to coal. My question is: will you hear the call of these brave young people and urgently release a plan to close Victoria’s dirty coal plants and stop coal mining and burning in Victoria for good?
Instead of answering the question, the Premier diverted his answer into the Victorian Renewable Energy Target of 50 per cent renewables by 2030 (The kids are demanding 100 percent by 2030), the lack of Federal leadership and in particular raising the old history in another parliament of Greens senators opposition to the CPRS scheme.
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