Tag Archives: Prime Minister of Australia

Our outcry is working! The Minister has delayed the dredging decision and announced a public consultation. Let’s ramp up the pressure until they kill the project for good — join now and share this with everyone!
Dear Avaazers,

The Great Barrier Reef is at risk of being dredged to make way for a mega coal project. But if one key investor walks away, the deal would be sunk and the World Heritage Site protected. We can convince them to pull out, or get PM Rudd to stop the plan, but we have to act now — sign this urgent petition to help save the Great Barrier Reef:

It would be hard to make this stuff up. Australia’s legendarily irresponsible mining industry has a new plan: while the planet faces catastrophic climate change, build the world’s largest coal mining complex, and then build a shipping lane to that port straight through the greatest ecological treasure we have – the Great Barrier Reef!
This is a terrible idea with devastating consequences, and the investor group Aurizon that’s backing it know it. They’re getting cold feet, and we might be able to push them over the edge, and kill the project. One of the main potential funders has even donated to climate activism!
If one million of us express our head-shaking disbelief at this crazy project in the next few days, we can help get Aurizon to pull funding and maybe even persuade the Australian PM to step in. This is what Avaaz is for, let’s raise a voice for common sense:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/australian_coal_disaster_global_rb/?biEWLbb&v=28206
The Great Barrier Reef — the largest living organism on Earth and home to a quarter of all the species that live in the world’s oceans — has slowly been dying for years. It’s lost half its coral in the past three decades and that rate is only accelerating. Climate change is one cause, but so is Australia’s booming mining industry. The German magazine Der Spiegel reported that “if current trends continue, the unthinkable could happen: the Great Barrier Reef could die.”
And yet, the mining industry plans to build massive new ports at a complex called Abbot Point in Northeast Australia (right by the reef) to make it easier to get the coal it’s mining out to the world. Not only would that mean doubling the number of ships that pass by the reef each year and ripping up to 3 million cubic meters of material from the fragile seabed, but if all the coal from the proposed mines this would enable is burned, it would be three times Australia’s current climate pollution — hurtling us faster towards the point of no return.
The investors are meeting now to decide what to do and the Australian Environment Minister will choose whether to approve the project in the next two weeks. Our voices can signal to all of them to block this disaster, especially to Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd if he hopes to maintain his global reputation in the lead-up to his re-election bid.
They’re all deciding what to do now. Sign this urgent petition and share it with everyone you know to stop the Great Barrier train wreck:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/australian_coal_disaster_global_rb/?biEWLbb&v=28206
The Avaaz community has been fighting to save the unparalleled beauty of the reef for years. Last year, Avaaz members threatened a public US Bank when they were set to invest in reef destruction. And hundreds of thousands of Avaaz members sent messages to the Australian Environment Minister to help win the largest marine reserve in the world. Let’s do it again and put the reef out of reach of these profiteering plunderers.
With hope and determination,
David, Alex, Emily, Lisa, Oli, Marie, Ricken, Alice and the whole Avaaz team
PS – Many Avaaz campaigns are started by members of our community. It’s easy to get started – click to start yours now and win on any issue – local, national or global: http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/start_a_petition/?bgMYedb&v=23917
MORE INFORMATION:
Great Barrier Reef Under Threat (TIME) http://www.avaaz.org/time_great_barrier_reef_article
‘Death By a Thousand Cuts’: Coal Boom Could Destroy Great Barrier Reef (Spiegel) http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/australia-debates-how-to-protect-the-great-barrier-reef-a-900911.html
GVK’s Australia coal project ‘a quagmire, not an investment’ says report (The Times of India) http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/GVKs-Australia-coal-project-a-quagmire-not-an-investment-says-report/articleshow/20651363.cms
Report- Stranded: Alpha Coal Project in Australia’s Galilee Basin (IEEFA) http://www.ieefa.org/report-stranded-alpha-coal-project-in-australias-galilee-basin/
GVK rejects claim Alpha is ‘stranded’ (The Age) http://www.theage.com.au/business/carbon-economy/gvk-rejects-claim-alpha-is-stranded-20130619-2oj96.html
Abbott Point Coal Mine Map (Greenpeace) http://www.greenpeace.org/australia/en/what-we-do/climate/resources/reports/Cooking-the-climate-Wrecking-the-reef/

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

What’s going on in Congress -the Republican led House:eliminated FHA prg (debating&voting) -the Senate dealing with budgets both were voted down

03/09/2011 Nativegrl77

The Senate Convenes at 9:30amET March 9,2011

Morning business until 10:40am with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each equally divided and controlled with the Majority controlling the first half and the Republicans controlling the final half.

At 10:40am, the Senate will recess until 12:00pm for a Joint Meeting of Congress with the Honorable Julia Gillard, Prime Minister of Australia.

At 12pm, the Senate will proceed to H.R.1, the House-passed funding bill with 3 hours of debate equally divided between the two leaders or their designees. Upon the use or yielding back of time, at approximately 3pm, the Senate will proceed to a series of 2 roll call votes:

– Passage of H.R.1 (60-vote threshold)

– Adoption of the Inouye amendment #149, the Democratic alternative to H.R.1 (60-vote threshold)

The Senate is in a period of morning business with senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each.

There will be no roll call votes during today’s session.

Votes:

36: Passage of H.R.1 (60-vote threshold)

Not Passed: 44-56

37: Adoption of the Inouye amendment #149: , the Democratic alternative to H.R.1 (60-vote threshold);

Not Agreed To: 42-58

Unanimous Consent:

Adopted S.Res.63 is a resolution designating the first week of April 2011 as “National Asbestos Awareness Week”.

Adopted S.Res.97, a resolution affirming the importance of exercise and physical activity as key components of a healthy lifestyle, including in combating obesity, reducing chronic disease, and lowering health care costs.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CURRENT HOUSE FLOOR PROCEEDINGS

LEGISLATIVE DAY OF MARCH 9, 2011

112TH CONGRESS – FIRST SESSION

2:43 P.M. –

SPECIAL ORDER SPEECHES – The House has concluded all anticipated legislative business and has proceeded to Special Order speeches.

2:36 P.M. –

ONE MINUTE SPEECHES – The House proceeded with further one minute speeches.

2:35 P.M. –

The House received a communication from John Boehner, Speaker of the House of Representatives. The Speaker notified the House that he has appointed the Honorable Jerry Lewis, the Honorable Fred Upton, the Honorable Andy Harris, and the Honorable Frank R. Wolf to act as Speaker pro tempore to sign enrolled bills and joint resolutions through the remainder of the One Hundred Twelfth Congress.

JOINT ECONOMIC COMMITTEE – Pursuant to 15 U.S.C. 1024(a), and the order of the House of January 5, 2011, the Speaker appointed the following members of the House to the JOINT ECONOMIC COMMITTEE: Mr. Hinchey, Mrs. Maloney, Ms. Sanchez Loretta of and Mr. Cummings.

2:34 P.M. –

On approving the Journal Agreed to by recorded vote: 326 – 91, 1 Present (Roll no. 167).

2:26 P.M. –

UNFINISHED BUSINESS – The Chair annouced that the unfinished business was on the question of adoption of the Speaker’s approval of the Journal which had been postponed earlier in the legislative day.

H. Res. 150:

providing for consideration of the bill ( H.R. 830) to rescind the unobligated funding for the FHA Refinance Program and to terminate the program

2:25 P.M. –

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

On agreeing to the resolution Agreed to by recorded vote: 240 – 180 (Roll no. 166).

2:18 P.M. –

On ordering the previous question Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: 235 – 186 (Roll no. 165).

1:18 P.M. –

DEBATE – The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H. Res. 150.

1:16 P.M. –

Considered as privileged matter.

H. Res. 151:

providing for consideration of the bill ( H.R. 836) to rescind the unobligated funding for the Emergency Mortgage Relief Program and to terminate the program

1:15 P.M. –

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

On agreeing to the resolution Agreed to by voice vote.

The previous question was ordered without objection.

12:27 P.M. –

DEBATE – The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H. Res. 151.

12:25 P.M. –

Considered as privileged matter.

12:04 P.M. –

ONE MINUTE SPEECHES – The House proceeded with one minute speeches.

PRINTING OF PROCEEDINGS IN RECORD – Mr. Hensarling asked unanimous consent that the proceedings had during the recess be printed in the Congressional Record of today. Agreed to without objection.

H. Res. 155:

electing a Member to a Standing Committee of the House of Representatives

12:03 P.M. –

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

On agreeing to the resolution Agreed to without objection.

Considered as privileged matter.

The House convened, returning from a recess continuing the legislative day of March 9.

11:42 A.M. –

The Speaker announced that the House do now recess. The next meeting is subject to the call of the Chair.

JOINT MEETING DISSOLVED – The Speaker announced that the Joint Meeting was dissolved and that the House would recess subject to the call of the Chair.

10:50 A.M. –

JOINT MEETING – The House has reconvened in Joint Meeting with the Senate to receive an address by the Honorable Julia Gillard, Prime Minister of Australia.

The House convened, returning from a recess continuing the legislative day of March 9.

10:04 A.M. –

The Speaker announced that the House would recess and would reconvene in a Joint Meeting with the Senate for the purpose of receiving the Honorable Julia Gillard, Prime Minister of Australia. The next meeting is subject to the call of the Chair.

10:03 A.M. –

The House received a message from the Senate. The Senate passed S. 23.

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE – The Chair designated Mr. Womack to lead the Members in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.

10:02 A.M. –

POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS ON APPROVAL OF THE JOURNAL – The Chair announced that he had examined the Journal of the last day’s proceedings and had approved it. Mr. Womack demanded that the question be put on agreeing to the Speaker’s approval of the Journal and by voice vote, the Chair announced that the ayes had prevailed. Mr. Womack objected to the voice vote based upon the absence of a quorum and the Chair postponed further proceedings on the question of agreeing to the Speaker’s approval of the Journal until later in the legislative day.

10:01 A.M. –

Today’s prayer was offered by the House Chaplain, Rev. Daniel Coughlin.

10:00 A.M. –

The Speaker designated the Honorable Virginia Foxx to act as Speaker pro tempore for today.

The House convened, starting a new legislative day.