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Global warming: Our PM shows more leadership

November 13, 2006 on 10:13 am | In Uncategorized |

The penny has belatedly dropped with our Prime Minister that global warming is not a plot by left-wing loonies who are pissed off because they can’t afford to drive Toyota Landcruisers and live in air-conditioned McMansions. His frantic efforts to look like he’s on top of the problem promise to provide some wonderful entertainment between now and the next election.

His initial responses have gone down like a lead balloon. I think most people understand that $60 million worth of experiments and trials, plus vague talk of nuclear power in 20 or 30 years, is a less than satisfactory response to an urgent issue. Especially when he makes the announcement just after committing $90 million to fund chaplains in schools. It’s a pretty obvious statement of priorities.

Nothing daunted, Howard is making another effort to ’show leadership’ on the matter. He wants global warming to be the main topic discussed at the APEC meeting to be held in a few days. Mind you, from what he’s said he doesn’t have any contributions to make to the discussion, it will be a kind of “Well what do you guys reckon?” exercise. But at least it’s better than nothing … after all China and India and the USA will be there and as he never ceases to remind us, there’s no point doing anything unless they’re along for the ride.

But wait! Hasn’t he already set up a forum with China and India and the USA to talk about global warming? Prime Minister what happened to AP6 - the body you announced with such fanfare earlier this year? Remember AP6? It was the true way forward, better than that silly Kyoto thing that everybody else kept rabbiting on about.

Australia, China, India, Japan, Republic of Korea, and the United States have agreed to work together and with private sector partners to meet goals for energy security, national air pollution reduction, and climate change in ways that promote sustainable economic growth and poverty reduction.

Remember? So how come you need to get these countries to talk about it again at APEC? Why don’t you just let us all know details of the progress that AP6 has made? I mean they should have the problem pretty much licked by now, what with the private sector being involved and all.
I think, Prime Minister, that when it comes to global warming you’re the emperor without any clothes. And with the size of the hole in the ozone layer that you’ve done nothing to address, getting around without any clothes is likely to be very dangerous to your health.