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Little talk and no action on 90% of ACT greenhouse emissions
More than 90% of the emissions caused by Canberrans are outside the government’s so-called “net zero emissions” target. They are “Scope 3” emissions that occur outside the ACT. A report by the Commissioner for Sustainability and Environment made twelve recommendations on Scope 3 emissions. The ACT Government’s response agreed only to Recommendation 2: “ACT GovernmentContinue reading “Little talk and no action on 90% of ACT greenhouse emissions”
What “net zero emissions” really means
“Net zero emissions” is often greenwash for “large amounts of net emissions.” For China, “net zero by 2060” commonly means “more than 250 tonnes net CO2 per person from 2001 to 2060” From 2001 to 2018 the average Chinese caused 103 tonnes of net CO2 emissions from the burning of fossil fuels and the manufactureContinue reading “What “net zero emissions” really means”
Quality of Canberra’s bicycle fleet leaves a lot to be desired
Canberra Times, 31 May 2022. Does the ACT Government expect Canberra’s commuters to help it out by commuting on unreliable, poorly-equipped bicycles? The government targets the proportion of cycling commuters to increase from 2.3% in 2001 to 7% in 2026. By 2016 the rate had risen to only 3%. In 60,000 kilometres of bicycle commutingContinue reading “Quality of Canberra’s bicycle fleet leaves a lot to be desired”
Canberra’s bicycles: poorly equipped, poorly maintained, rarely ridden
If the ACT Government or Pedal Power ACT want more Canberrans to ride bicycles, they must address issues of reliability, inadequate equipment and high maintenance costs. Canberrans do less than one fiftieth of their travel by bicycle, even though they own as many bicycles as cars. The time costs and financial costs of bicycle maintenanceContinue reading “Canberra’s bicycles: poorly equipped, poorly maintained, rarely ridden”
Australia’s least polluting cars
Introduction Australia’s fourteen lowest-emissions cars all use electric/petrol hybrid engines. Three of them are plug-in hybrids. The lowest-emitting pure electric car comes in at fifteenth. If you need six seats, your ten lowest-emitting engine choices include petrol, diesel, electric/petrol, plug-in electric/petrol, plug-in electric/diesel, and pure electric. This guide identifies the Australian passenger vehicles that causeContinue reading “Australia’s least polluting cars”
Why Rod Griffiths should resign from the Conservation Council board
Rod Griffiths is currently vice president (and acting president) of the Conservation Council ACT Region. On 3 March 2022 I sent him the following message. As at 4 May I have received no response. Dear Mr Griffiths Please explain why you should remain on the board of the Conservation Council. Six of the other eightContinue reading “Why Rod Griffiths should resign from the Conservation Council board”
Extracts from “Mitigation of Climate Change”
Extracts from “Mitigation of Climate Change” – Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group III April 2022 contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, formatted by Leon Arundell. NOTE: the original report is difficult to follow, because the footnotes are jumbled in with the text. In these extracts,Continue reading “Extracts from “Mitigation of Climate Change””
My request to the president of the ACT Conservation Council
On 2 February 2022 I asked the President of the Conservation Council ACT region to engage constructively with the Council on its board’s longstanding practice of making rushed and unconstitutional decisions. As at 25 April I am still awaiting a response. Please engage constructively with the Conservation Council Dear Ms Reid Thank you for acknowledgingContinue reading “My request to the president of the ACT Conservation Council”
ACT Transport Elasticities
Booz Allen Hamilton’s 2003 ACT Transport Demand Elasticities Study was a seminal piece of analysis for transport planning in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). It examined the impacts on car use and public transport patronage of changes in car parking charges, public transport fares, wait times, walk times and in-vehicle travel times. It has beenContinue reading “ACT Transport Elasticities”
Conservation Council establishes governance subcommittee
Conservation Council ACT Region member organisations were informed in February 2022 that the Council’s board had not only established a governance subcommittee, but had already approved its terms of reference and accepted its first recommendations. Member organisations were not told who is on the subcommittee, what its terms of reference are, or what it recommended.Continue reading “Conservation Council establishes governance subcommittee”
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