Clarification: Climate Change Authority research paper on international emissions reduction units
Anthea Harris, Chief Executive Officer, Climate Change Authority writes: Re. “Overseas carbon credit schemes: no brainer or disaster in the making?” (yesterday). I write to provide a clarification for your readers. As stated in our response to your publication’s enquiries yesterday, the Authority does not recommend that Australia seek to achieve the minimum 5% reduction target using only international emissions reduction units. Rather, we propose a balanced approach, with Australia using international units to supplement its domestic emissions reduction efforts.
As the Authority’s research paper states, if Australia relied too heavily on international units (rather than reducing its domestic emissions), it could face higher costs and more disruption as the world moves to a low-emissions future. On the other hand, using some international units to help meet Australia’s targets offers significant benefits — including reducing costs and supporting industry competitiveness — and in turn may help to drive stronger global climate action over the years ahead. The Authority considers that a mix of domestic and international emissions reductions therefore represents the best approach. This continues Australia’s transition to a low-emissions economy, and helps manage the risks of rapid and unexpected increases in the price of international units.
Paddy Manning responds: For the record, yesterday’s story did not suggest the Climate Change Authority was recommending Australia buy all its abatement offshore. The piece did say the CCA’s report showed we could be missing out on the bargain of a lifetime.
On Syria and foreign loyalty
Jim Hanna writes: Re. “Brandis’ call to imams will win no Muslim hearts and minds” (Monday). While I don’t for a second endorse the departure of young Muslims for the conflict in Syria, I have to ask why there isn’t the same outcry over the departure of Jewish Australians to Israel to take up arms in the Occupied Territories. Many human rights groups have denounced the activities of the Israel Defence Forces — collective punishment, illegal occupation, imprisonment of minors, torture of prisoners, bulldozing of homes, expansions of settlements and deployment of cluster bombs. Both are examples of loyalty to a foreign country and should be treated equally.
Self-publishing no longer a mark of vanity
Alison Alexander writes: Re. “Pollies and their books can still win prizes” (yesterday). At least you didn’t talk about ‘vanity press’, Ms Tips! Yes, self-published books used to be looked on as rubbish, but in these days of easier design and printing and wary publishers, things are looking up. Many self-published books are excellent. As a historian, I can recommend a number of really good self-published books, and there are doubtless many slim volumes of poetry, novels and the rest of it well worth reading.
Hear, hear, Alison Alexander.
Some authors who start being self-published are then picked up by publishers. An obvious recent example was 50 Shades of Gray, not that that series would be in the running for a literary prize. Older, but well known examples include Beatrix Potter’s Tale of Peter Rabbit and Proust’s Remembrance of Things Past.
There is a long history of books being rejected by many publishers before they are eventually picked up (e.g. Harry Potter and many, many more). These days it is much easier for an author to self-publish so some books which would have waited for a publisher in the 20th century may now start off being self-published.
And some established authors are moving to being self-published, David Mamet being the most prominent.
A number of well-known authors have used their own publishing houses, have paid publishers upfront to publish their books or have been paid on commission (i.e. the publisher recoups the upfront publication costs before paying royalties to the author). Think Jane Austen or Lewis Carroll as examples. These would probably have been excluded from the PM’s awards, and other similar awards.
So why limit literary awards to “traditionally” published books rather than basing them on the quality of the books?
To Jim Hanna,
My understanding as to why the government is worried about young jihadist going to Syria is that they’ll return hating the west even more and with better training to destroy it from within. They are already disloyal to Australia before they go.
On the other hand Jewish Australians pose no such threats. To date I’m not aware of any Jews ever having threatened to blow up anything in Australia or wanting to impose their religion or laws on us. On the contrary, any anti-terrorism expertise they learn in Israel could be put to good use by Australian defence forces.
That’s easy Jim Hanna – one’s Right and everyone else is wrong.
Jim Hanna,
Talk about the bleeding obvious, I suspect that Brandis’s main concern, rather than any disquiet about dual loyalties, mirror that of western governments that are preoccupied by the possible return of battle hardened jihadists from Syria and Iraq.
In particular those that have training in weaponry and bomb making are particularly worrisome to western governments. I am sure that even Jim may find the prospect of the return of these Aussie jihadists unnerving – http://www.smh.com.au/world/australian-jihadists-in-macabre-threat-to-soldiers-20140704-3bdw0.html.
It has only been 2 or 3 years that radicalized Australians have been going to fight in Syria and now Iraq. In contrast Australians have gone to Israel and joined the Israeli army for the good part of 60 years.
Is Jim Hanna privy to information that indicates that these Aussies upon m return from Israel have participated in terrorist activities inside Australia subsequent to their return? If so please provide evidence to the relevant authorities.
However if indeed those returning from a stint in the Israel army are thought likely to engage in such acts in the future, then I am in total agreement with Jim that they should be subjected to the same treatment as any putative jihadists returning from Syria and Iraq.