ID :
11261
Wed, 07/02/2008 - 10:25
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/11261
The shortlink copeid
Rudd to overhaul public transport
(AAP) - Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has hinted at a new frontier for tackling climate change: a national overhaul of public transport.
The introduction of emissions trading is dominating the climate change debate, with a major report to be handed down by government adviser Ross Garnaut on Friday.
But Mr Rudd told reporters he also had other fish to fry on global warming policy. He said it was "time to act" on public transport, and signalled the federal government would get involved.
"Ask yourself this question, how much do people waste each week sitting in
unnecessary traffic queues?" he said.
"And how much ... do they put into the environment in terms of greenhouse gas
emissions because we have yet to evolve a large, long-term investment into urban
public transport systems, with the national government playing its role as well.
"I think it is time to act."
Mr Rudd also said he would take action on energy efficiency and alternative fuels.
The latest Newspoll has shown Australians support an emissions trading scheme (ETS)
but are divided on the thorny issue of whether petrol should be included.
The weekend poll published in The Australian newspaper found 61 per cent of
respondents supported such a scheme and 56 per cent said they would be prepared to
pay more for energy to slow global warming.
But according to the poll, voters were divided 46 per cent to 42 per cent on whether
petrol should be part of the scheme.
A separate poll shows big business is unprepared for the ETS.
Only 36 per cent of the senior executives surveyed were aware the federal government
scheme will kick into action in 2010, the Australian Institute of Management,
Victoria and Tasmania, (AIM) survey found.
Eighty per cent of respondents said they knew very little or were only somewhat
aware of the scheme.
A leading economist sought to clear up some of the confusion over an ETS, saying it
must hurt or it won't cut carbon emissions.
There have been calls for consumers to be shielded from price rises caused by
emissions trading, possibly by mass compensation.
But Chris Richardson, director of Access Economics, said the point was that prices
would rise to force consumption down.
"The whole idea of carbon pricing is that if it doesn't hurt it won't work," he told ABC Radio.
The introduction of emissions trading is dominating the climate change debate, with a major report to be handed down by government adviser Ross Garnaut on Friday.
But Mr Rudd told reporters he also had other fish to fry on global warming policy. He said it was "time to act" on public transport, and signalled the federal government would get involved.
"Ask yourself this question, how much do people waste each week sitting in
unnecessary traffic queues?" he said.
"And how much ... do they put into the environment in terms of greenhouse gas
emissions because we have yet to evolve a large, long-term investment into urban
public transport systems, with the national government playing its role as well.
"I think it is time to act."
Mr Rudd also said he would take action on energy efficiency and alternative fuels.
The latest Newspoll has shown Australians support an emissions trading scheme (ETS)
but are divided on the thorny issue of whether petrol should be included.
The weekend poll published in The Australian newspaper found 61 per cent of
respondents supported such a scheme and 56 per cent said they would be prepared to
pay more for energy to slow global warming.
But according to the poll, voters were divided 46 per cent to 42 per cent on whether
petrol should be part of the scheme.
A separate poll shows big business is unprepared for the ETS.
Only 36 per cent of the senior executives surveyed were aware the federal government
scheme will kick into action in 2010, the Australian Institute of Management,
Victoria and Tasmania, (AIM) survey found.
Eighty per cent of respondents said they knew very little or were only somewhat
aware of the scheme.
A leading economist sought to clear up some of the confusion over an ETS, saying it
must hurt or it won't cut carbon emissions.
There have been calls for consumers to be shielded from price rises caused by
emissions trading, possibly by mass compensation.
But Chris Richardson, director of Access Economics, said the point was that prices
would rise to force consumption down.
"The whole idea of carbon pricing is that if it doesn't hurt it won't work," he told ABC Radio.
