Sunday, January 21, 2007

 

John Howard dangerously climate challenged

Why do people doubt the PM’s belief in climate change? Surely this nice man wouldn’t risk the future of our children and grandchildren by playing political games with our nation’s response to global warming? No? You be the judge.

As a famous “dog whistler” (1/) John Howard crafted his latest disinformation campaign on climate change perfectly. “On 10th December, 2006 the PM announced the establishment of a joint government business Prime Ministerial Task Group on emissions trading.” It was not an “enquiry” that might make an honest attempt to deal with the issue objectively. But it sounded like one. And that’s all the clever bastard needed to get off the hook when the electorate went into high anxiety after Gore’s visit and Stern’s Report. “At last he’s doing something,” thought the white bread Aussies that he relies upon not to think too deeply about anything.

It was a “joint government business task force”. Now task forces don’t look for answer; those are supplied. They execute the plans of others. In this case climate sceptic Howard. His plan is to put off doing anything that might interrupt the Australian consumer binge long enough for climate change to be revealed as a hoax and all this weird weather confirmed as normal variation.
He presses all the right code word buttons for the old economy barons of industry to reassure them that Big Coal and Big Energy and Big Oil were still in control. EG. “As a world community we need to find new practical global solutions to climate change that include all major economies and emitters and that take account of national goals for economic prosperity, energy security and environmental sustainability.
Australia is blessed with abundant coal, gas and uranium reserves and significant renewable assets. In assessing Australia’s further contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions these advantages must be preserved."
Which means that he's as serious about kerbing greenhouse gases as Muslim militants in Badgdad are about making peace with each other.
"While there is no one single solution to the global climate change challenge we need to maintain the prosperity that our abundant fossil fuels have given us while at the same time exploring options for global climate change solutions and accelerating the development and deployment of low emissions and clean coal technologies."
These people have less than 6 months to do what 162 nations of the world have taken more than a decade to do: find solutions. Clearly impossible, but that's not the point. This 'task force' from a discredited nation (one of only 2 to refuse to ratify Kyoto) is going to also "advise on the nature and design of a workable global emissions trading system in which Australia would be able to participate". Do you get the joke? Australia is going to tell the world how to solve global warming, PLUS our task forcers will design the carbon trading system. He has such a hide, that man. We are - despite what our foreign minister may say - widely despised as ecovandals and wreckers at many levels overseas. (The Germans, the highest value tourists we attract, are scathing.)
But the best part of the joke is the people on the task force, hand-picked to guarantee the outcome.

Here we have two names listed in the release as members:

Mr Peter Coates, Executive Committee Member, Xstrata
Mr Tony Concannon, Managing Director, International Power

The full name of XStrata is XStrata Coal just as the full name of International Power is International Power. Why so coy about the word "Coal"? Because coal burning power stations spew 50% of the CO2 Austalian industry emits into the air.

Two other members are also big polluters:

Mr Chris Lynch, Executive Director, BHP Billiton
Mr John Marlay, Chief Executive Officer, Alumina Limited

The Group is chaired by Dr Peter Shergold, Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. The other members of the Task Group appears below. 2/

Bet I can guess what their recommendations will be. That we continue burning lots of coal and oil and selling it, and digging up uranium, and using it as well. (They can't make any other recommendation - it's in the terms of reference. See below.3/)

Mr Howard can do what he likes. He's the king. Want a finding in favour of nuclear power for Australia: appoint a telco exec to head the enquiry, but make sure he's a nuclear physicist, which people won't notice/

The PM, when he is finally dragged screaming out of the job, will leave us an enduring legacy of political craftsmanship and strategic mastery, unequalled in the history of the British parliamentary system.

I wonder if he'll live long enough to see the fruits of his cleverness visited on his children and their children.

.............

1. Dog-whistling in politics means to use coded language, which appears to mean one thing to the general population but which has a different or more specific meaning for a targeted subgroup of the audience, according to Wikipedia

2. Members of the Prime Minister's Task Group on Emissions Trading include:
Mr David Borthwick, Secretary, Department of the Environment and Heritage
Dr Ken Henry, Secretary, The Treasury
Mr Russell Higgins, Non-Executive Company Director Australian Pipeline Trust
Ms Margaret Jackson, Chairman, Qantas
Mr Michael L’Estrange, Secretary, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Mr Mark Paterson, Secretary, Department of Industry, Tourism and Resource
Mr John Stewart, Managing Director, National Australia Bank

3. Terms of Reference
Australia enjoys major competitive advantages through the possession of large reserves of fossil fuels and uranium. In assessing Australia’s further contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, these advantages must be preserved.
Against this background the Task Group will be asked to advise on the nature and design of a workable global emissions trading system in which Australia would be able to participate. The Task Group will advise and report on additional steps that might be taken, in Australia, consistent with the goal of establishing such a system.

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