|
October 23, 2007
Jim Douglas, writing in the Canberra Times on climate change, says that:
You get the feeling, under these circumstances, of being in a luxury car accelerating towards a sheer drop, as its demented driver ignores your shouts of alarm and regales you with enthusiastic details of what a wonderful vehicle it is, and how well he has maintained it.
That's what the Liberal's "Go for Growth "campaign slogan signifies. It means more of the same kind of growth with the economy machine being run with energy produced by dirty coal power.
Pat
Some reality is dawning. The Liberals are backtracking on nuclear power as the key solution, due to the unpopularity of nuclear power plants in the electorate. Clean coal is the key. But that's ten years down the track, if not more. In the meantime?
What is lacking is an acknowledgment that any plan for deep cuts in greenhouse emissions entails a major roll-out of renewable energy technologies and the introduction of ambitious renewable energy targets to reduce emissions and to secure Australia’s share in the boom in renewable energy occurring globally. The danger is that Australia is becoming a renewable technology importer and it's losing the chance to move to a clean energy economy.
If the Liberal's "Go for Growth" campaign slogan was modified to read "Go for Sustainable Growth", then I'd start listening to them. So far they give every indication that they do not understand the significance of an increase of 2 degrees in temperature.---its impact on the Great Barrier Reef, the melting of the Arctic sea ice, prolonged drought and less water. They talk incessantly about the costs of an emissions trading scheme on economic growth but never about the costs of acting too late.
|
Gary,
They are in denial over climate change. They are avoiding putting in place what is required to ensure a transition to a low carbon economy--strong emission targets or a carbon tax.
The Coalition still talks in terms of a trade off between economic gowth and cutting emissions and continues to subsidise old industries who have their snout in the public trough.
The ALP has realized that without an environment there is no economy; and that climate change will create new industries and alternate forms of growth. But they are spooked by the neo-liberal agenda that is so hostile to strong interventions by the government.
It's crippled the responses by the Rann ALP Government in SA. They just talk the talk and do nothing. It's been this way for 3 years.
I should add that I'm reading Kenneth Davidson's 'Playing Politics: the environment is the economy, stupid' in the latest issue of Dissent.