Climate Code Red, bringing together all the science that shows us that we already have too higher concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and that we must go to zero emissions as soon as practical while concurrently developing means to actively drawdown atmospheric CO2.

Today Beyond Zero Emissions in conjunction with VoteClimate have released our Policy Analysis, here in a simple double sided A5 sheet all the political parties' policies are crtiqued against a comprehensive list of climate change policy options.

Because of recent scientific discoveries his book, "Heat" needs an extreme update, revising his call for 90% emission reductions by 2030 to 110% - 115% reductions by 2030. This would take us to 290-350ppm We are currently at 387ppm atmospheric carbon.

The federal government has not taken climate change seriously, nor have the state Labor Governments, We're now in a position where we're moving towards "Permanent drought" according to Water Services Association of Australia executive director Ross Young.

Loy Yang power station is operating at half capacity this morning as APEC protesters chained themselves to a conveyor belt taking Coal into the furnace.

"The only rational approach to dealing with climate change now is to aim for zero carbon emissions by 2030. That's the only means we have of ensuring that greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere remain below the level at which they are bound to cause a climate change catastrophe. A move now towards zero carbon by 2030."

"The evidence is mounting internationally that so called 'clean coal' will never be achieved as an economical alternative to Renewable Energy", said Matthew Wright, Beyond Zero Emissions Lead Campaigner. The FutureGen Industrial Alliance has released an Initial Conceptual Design Report to investigate the feasibility of a 'clean coal' plant. Beyond Zero Emissions believes that the report is just an attempt to promote the coal industry.

Sea levels will rise by several metres by the end of the century due to rapidly increasing greenhouse gas concentrations, according to research by a group of esteemed international scientists. Led by James Hansen from NASA's Goddard Institute, the group warns that the Earth is 'perilously' close to entering a new era of dangerous runaway climate change.

Victoria's water shortage crisis can be solved with the state-wide transition of electricity generation to zero emission renewable energy. Wind power, fully backed up by gas, would use 91 per cent less water than the coal-fired power generators, and would be much more cost effective in an era of increasing water and carbon costs.

On February 28th 2007 federal Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull said, "You can't run a modern economy on wind farms and solar panels. It's a pity that you can't, but you can't." Yet the Danish government has announced it aims to generate 75 per cent of their electricity needs through wind power by 2025 and Denmark has set the agenda to reduce fossil fuel imports to zero as part of their massive renewable energy plans.

Australia has the potential to reduce its housing sector greenhouse gas emissions to zero if it replicates Germany's solar photovoltaic revolution. The European country installed 960MW of solar photovoltaic power in 2006, and will be increasing this to over 2800MW by 2010. At the current growth rate of solar electric installations in Germany, in 2010 they'll be installing the equivalent of over one million units on house rooftops per year. Beyond Zero Emissions is calling for a similar nation-wide roll out of solar photovoltaic technology in Australia. By matching the annual international growth rate of photovoltaic installation, in 2020 every residential home in Australia should be powered by zero emission solar photovoltaic cells.

By 2016 all new homes built in the United Kingdom will be zero emission on heating and cooling. The UK Government's 'Code for Sustainable Homes' legislates binding regulations for energy reduction with staggered targets: 25 per cent more efficient by 2010, 44 per cent by 2013, and 100 per cent, or zero emissions by 2016.

In August last year the City of Melbourne opened the new Council House 2 (CH2) building, setting a new international standard for ecologically sustainable commercial construction. CH2 is now in full operation, using 70% less water and 85% less energy than conventional office buildings. The building was awarded six green stars by the Green Building Council of Australia, representing world leadership in office building design.

A high-speed rail network powered by 100 per cent renewables will eliminate greenhouse gas emissions produced by long distance air travel in eastern Australia. Based on a rapid implementation of the French TGV system, Beyond Zero Emissions is calling for Adelaide, Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney and Brisbane to be linked in this visionary nation-building project.

“A lack of rainfall is often referred to as a ‘drought’, yet droughts are by their nature transient, and in the areas under discussion there is no prospect that the rain will return. Instead what has occurred is a rapid shift to a new, drier climate.” Tim Flannery The Weather Makers (p. 124) Australia faces a future with little or no water unless we move to a zero carbon emissions economy. After eleven years of inaction by the Federal Government to reduce emissions, Australia is beginning to feel the devastating effects of climate change.

Logging of Australia's pristine old growth forests is dangerously accelerating the effects of global warming, accounting for twenty per cent of our annual greenhouse gas emissions. A study conducted by the Australian National University and the Cooperative Research Centre for Greenhouse Accounting found that Australian forests can sequester and store up to 1500 tonnes of carbon per hectare if maintained as mature old growth.

The potential for Australia to resurrect its languishing manufacturing sector and secure homegrown jobs is being undermined by the federal government's failure to promote the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV). The plug-in option is an enhancement that Toyota has announced they may release in their 2009 series Prius.

The Prime Minister John Howard would not agree with the state Premiers in Canberra last Friday to set a definitive target of greenhouse gas emissions. They were urging him to adopt a target of 60% reduction by 2050. The prime minister has said he won't adopt a target till he sees the report of a federal task force on carbon emissions, due out in May.

Australian local governments are at the forefront of widespread institutional solutions to combat the catastrophic effects of climate change, seizing the opportunity to lead with zero emissions targets and local action plans. Whilst the federal government is blind to the urgency, local councillors are envisaging collective futures based on renewable energies and ecologically sustainable development. The public has awoken to the dire consequences of climate change and local councillors have taken note.

On March 20th Spain's wind power generation rose to contribute 27 per cent of the country's total daily lower demands, surpassing supplies by nuclear and coal. This is a new record for contribution of wind-generated power at a given time to their electricity grid. As projected this occurred without any stability issues.

South Australia announced in December it would source 20% of its power from renewables by 2014. Refreshing news in one of the worst per capita greenhouse polluting countries in the world. Last Friday the EU, announced their target to produce 20% of their power from renewables by 2020 as well as reduction in overall greenhouse gas emissions by 20% in the same time frame.

"Horrifying" new ice-core data reveals that around 5 million years ago there was massive melting of the Ross Ice Shelf, destabilizing the earth's climate for the following 3.5 million years. This is how Viereck-Gotte and other scientists from the Antarctic Geological Drill team are describing the situation. They are extremely alarmed at the scale of melting which had occurred due to an increase in average global temperature of only 2 to 3 degrees Celsius.

Prime Minister Helen Clarke is setting the direction for a realignment of the NZ economy to carbon neutrality. New Zealand is taking the lead to be the first country to be net zero emissions across all sectors. The New Zealand government is in the process of developing a series of targets, the first of which is that 6 of its 34 own agencies will be carbon neutral by 2012.

Liberal Environment Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, said earlier today, "You cannot run a modern economy on wind farms and solar panels. It's a pity that you can't, but you can't." Turnbull's comments indicate the federal government's inability to redirect Australia's energy future and economic security.

Beyond Zero Emissions has condemned Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd's carbon copy of the Howard government's 'clean coal' lie. "Surely, the major parties realise that 'clean coal' would not arrive for at least ten years, if ever, and that renewables on the market today are ready to rescue us from climate catastrophe," said BZE spokesman, Matthew Wright. "It is irresponsible of politicians to still be wasting public time and money on this unnecessary distraction from real pollution-free solutions."

Today Beyond Zero Emissions launched its scoping document discussing the measures for Victoria's swift conversion to a near zero emissions electricity sector. The document is the first of a portfolio of papers charting the fast transition of all sectors of the Australian economy to near zero emissions by 2020.

"We must go to zero emissions and start removing existing atmospheric carbon straight away if we are to avoid dangerous run-away climate change," said Philip Sutton to rapturous applause at the Edge theatre, Federation Square on Friday. Mr Sutton said we are facing a sustainability emergency and that we must "institute the structural reforms required as a society to immediately take all sectors to zero emissions."

Today, yesterday's climate change deniers have appeared, pretending to be at the coalface fighting the fire that's now burning their electoral chances. Leading the charge (or should he be charged?) is John Howard who after flatly denying human-induced climate change for the past 10 years is now trying to trick the Australian public into voting for him on the back of dangerous greenhouse gas producing nuclear power.

This summer we've experienced record bushfires, temperature extremes leading to record air conditioner use and heat-related stress, low rainfall leading to water supply problems; when it finally rained it poured and when a cold front hit, temperatures were colder than those on a July winter's day. These ongoing events are all symptoms of human-caused climate change that have been predicted by climate scientists for over 20 years. Even urban Victorians have been directly affected with most households losing their power due to bushfires affecting the main electricity feeds from NSW. (Although the bushfires appear to be comparable to past events, they are far more severe. Their severity is being hidden by advanced modern firefighting technology including thermal imaging, and air-crane helicopters.)

Despite its massive levels of growth, China succeeded in reducing energy consumption per unit of GDP in the third quarter last year. Internally the government has committed to a 4% cut each year for a total of 20% cut in energy intensity of its economy by 2010. BZE campaigner Matthew Wright said: "This is Australia's shame. We have been a major contributor along with the bulk of developed countries to climate change, and while we still emit at the highest per capita rate of emissions in the world, we point the finger at China to shirk our responsibility. China's population is huge, yet while achieving massive growth rates, have managed to increase the energy efficiency of their economy."