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November 15, 2006
Though the Howard Government trumpets its world leadership in addressing climate change, Australia only has observer status at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Nairobi. Australia's big move is to host a cocktail party for the AP6 group in Nairobi. The strategy of this group has no targets, no plans other than geosequestration technology, and no incentives to deploy the techology when it come on stream in a decadwes time. That is how it is going to minimise the risk of a 2C rise in temperatures - seen as the threshold for dangerous climate change -
Geoff Pryor
This is a government, which defends the polluting actions of the minerals, aluminium, power, paper and chemicals companies, has blocked any all attempts to introducing emissions trading in Australia, and closed down research in renewable energy. It has done little to encourage the take-up of readily available energy-efficient technologies and know-how to produces less pollution, less warming, more electricity and more output and continually runs the line that low emissions need low growth and stifling Australia's economic growth. As Andrew MacIntosh says:
The Government's strategy on climate change has been simple. Deny it and muddy the waters on the science for as long as possible, while providing large subsidies to the fossil fuel industry under the guise of greenhouse programs. his dual approach is intended to stifle the impetus for change...The Government will deserve accolades if it introduces a comprehensive carbon trading scheme. Anything less is just window-dressing designed to put off the inevitable.
Even though it has done nothing for a decade, the Howard Government now spinning a major new climate change strategy called post-Kyoto. Even though the Kyoto Protocol is now fully operational, a global emissions market already exists now and it's worth $30 billion, and Kyoto includes a Clean Development Mechanism which could generate $100 billion for developing countries.
Kyoto is dismissed as a slogan by the Howard Government. The Australian business round table on climate change, which is set up by a number of leading Australian business people is currently running the line that the Kyoto Protocol was obsolete and the Howard Government must move on.
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The spin is incredible - and the incredible hypocrisy being shown by Howard and co is just breathtaking.
I am just totally dumbfounded by it all.
Will Howard's minimal gestures towards greenhouse reduction actually convince the voters that we are doing something?