Ep. 36. New Year's Day Special!

Aired on 1 January 2009.

Click to Download: Ep. 36. New Year's Day Special!

10 000 Riel and a Case of Wine
Equivalent to around $2.50 - a paltry payout to displaced indigenous landholders in Cambodia, and also the name of a new documentary by a young Sydney film-maker. The documentary spolights some of the big players behind land-grabs in Cambodia; some transnational corporations fetching up to 100 million hectraes of land for aluminium smelters, logging and the like, leaving local communities without their livelihoods - but they're not going without a fight.

SCAG and Direct Action Penalties
The Chair of the Ministerial Council on Energy has asked the Standing Committee of Attourneys General, 'SCAG', to undertake a review of penalties that apply to unlawful disruption of energy facilities. The request emphasises, as a matter of urgency, the importance of protecting energy infrastructure and preserving energy security for "the Australian economy and way of life". This request comes alongside the Government's release of their 5% emissions reduction target and the expected demonstrations against what many are calling an inadequate response to climate change. NSW MP Lee Rhiannon spoke with The 3rd Degree's Libby King.

Emissions Trading Schemes
Following on from the release of the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme White Paper, we take a closer look at the merits of an emissions trading scheme, and paint what international context we can expect for 2009. Is an ETS essentially 'privatising the air'? What does it mean for global trade agreements? Will it further increase international inequalities?

This Week's Guests: Tim Frewer, Sydney student and maker of '10 000 Riel' talks us through some horrifying Cambodian and international land and environment politics; Adam Wolfenden from the Australian Fair Trade and Investment Network (AFTINET) talks about discriminatory trade agreements and emissions trading schemes.

And we all battle with hangovers. Happy New Year :)

Presenters: Nick Hollins and Tessa Dowdell