Political Blog
Monday, July 17, 2006
Howard’s greenhouse hypocrisies
Today John Howard will presumably repeat his pitch about the importance of doing something about climate change while at the same time defending his government’s decisions not to do anything much about climate change.He will deride Kyoto as having done little to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and in the same breath defend his Government’s record of doing even less.
He will rubbish the EU greenhouse gas trading schemes because it has proved to be flawed and not achieving as much as was hoped. He won’t say that this is because governments caved into fossil fuel industry pressure when setting up the scheme by not providing effective reduction targets now and into the future.
He could then try to defend the his Government’s Mandatory Renewable Energy Target (MRET) program - which is effectively a type of greenhouse gas trading – but not acknowledge is proving to be completely flawed because his Government has caved into fossil fuel industry pressure by not providing effective renewable targets now and into the future.
He might repeat Environment Minister Ian Campbell’s rhetoric that the world needs a 60% reduction in greenhouse emissions by mid century but then refuse to commit Australia to achieving such a goal.
He will spruik the case for nuclear power – an expensive, dangerous and untried technology in Australia while refusing to do any more for renewable energy or energy efficiency – the proven , cost effective technologies that are already deployed in this country.
The solution
Australia needs a renewable energy target of at least 20% by 2020 and a carbon tax now. But don’t expect to hear that from Howard today. Just more hypocrisies and more pandering to the fossil fuel and nuclear industries.
Latest posts
Australians miles ahead of their major party politicians on West Papua
Howard enters Cole Commission
Harry the Hero
AustraliaÕs Right missing in action.
Introducing the Greens newest MP
The sweetest victory of all - Greens hold all 4 seats in Tasmania
Who's whacky now?
Weekend elections point to 2007 struggle between Greens and Family First
Biggest negative advertising blitz ever
Police investigating Greg Sheridan's Scott Parkin leak
blog archives 02.06 03.06 04.06 05.06 06.06 07.06 08.06 09.06 10.06 11.06 12.06 01.07
I hope you enjoy some of my ideas and analysis. I am unashamedly Green and much of what you will find here relates to Green politics however I write about a range of current state and national political issues that might have wider appeal.
