Govt under fire over climate proposals

The politics of global warming is heating up, with the federal government accused of
taking the green energy sector "hostage".
The government is copping flak for linking up its two major climate change policies.
It says a scheme to massively boost renewable energy can't start properly until its
embattled emissions trading scheme (ETS) gets passed.
Opposition environment spokesman Greg Hunt said the move was outrageous.
"The government is engaged in trying to hold renewable energy hostage," he told ABC
Radio on Thursday.
Tying up the two schemes amounted to a "poison pill" so that the renewable energy
scheme would fail, Mr Hunt said.
Australian Greens leader Bob Brown said the move was "legislated blackmail".
Matthew Warren, chief executive of the Clean Energy Council, called on politicians
to stop playing games with clean energy jobs.
The scheme to have 20 per cent of energy from renewable sources, called the
Renewable Energy Target (RET), will soon go before parliament.
But the government says assistance to industry under the RET will not go ahead until
the ETS passes parliament.
The ETS is facing defeat in the Senate because no one but Labor likes it.
The government says linking up the two schemes is fair because industry only needs
assistance with the RET if it is also facing higher costs under the ETS.
Meanwhile, some green groups have called for emissions trading to be ditched in
favour of direct, immediate action on climate change.
Groups representing 400,000 people say Australia is obsessed with emissions trading,
but the government's scheme is a dud.
They unveiled a "Plan B" on Thursday, which includes phasing out coal-fired power
stations and overhauling public transport.
Millions of homes would get green make-overs and there would be mandatory fuel
efficiency standards for cars under the plan.
There would be more cycle paths and car pooling, and an end to logging of old growth
forests.
The groups include Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, the Wilderness Society and
state-based conservation councils, but some large green groups do not agree with the
plan.
The Senate will have just four days to consider the ETS later this month, before
parliament breaks for winter.