As was reported this morning:

A major business group says many companies will not be ready for the proposed emissions trading scheme (ETS) by next year’s planned start date.

The Australian Industry Group (AIG) wants the Government to delay the introduction of the scheme by two years.

The group’s chief executive, Heather Ridout, says many companies need more time to prepare for the emissions trading framework. “They can’t make the investment in the emission saving technology because the financials aren’t adding up because of the global financial crisis, and the lack of access to credit and the price of that credit,” she said.

This was in the news too:

Icecaps around the North and South Poles are melting faster than expected, raising sea levels as a result of climate change, a major scientific survey has shown.

And that’s our bind of the moment, that we face the twin and simultaneous difficulties of both an economic and environmental crisis. It’s a tweely glib piece of affogato-leftist twaddle (but no less true for all of that) that there are “no jobs on a dead planet”. No industry either. No boardrooms. No Fed. No Wall Street. No ABS. No GDP. No chamber of manufacturers. No new-start building approvals. No current account deficits. Just increasingly fecund expanses of warm swamp.

The AIG and others (perhaps even the Federal Government) need to face the fact that pretty soon now we’re all going to have to combine walking and the quiet but purposeful chewing of gum.  

Big thanks to everyone who contributed to the Crikey/First Dog Bushfire Appeal. Here is the final accounting.  Subscription donations: $8880

First Dog’s eBay sale: $4045

$25 signed cartoons: $3475

$100 signed cartoons: $3000

Less expenses of: $1517.00 (printing of cartoons etc.)

TOTAL: $17,883.00

Of which:

$6524.50 will go to Wildlife Victoria and

$11,358.50 will go the Red Cross

Thank you.