Australia’s monopoly media and the climate denialists’ campaign
The last few weeks have shown both the frenzy of the anti carbon tax campaign in Australia, and the fall in credibility of the Murdoch media worldwide. It remains to be seen whether or not Murdoch’s media supremacy will continue in Australia.
That’s a pretty important question, as the Murdochracy has joined forces with the polluting industries to give these industries such power in Australia – even to the extent of getting rid of a Prime Minister. Now their push is on to stop Australia acting on Climate Change, and to get rid of another Prime Minister.
In all this, where is the nuclear connection? Well, the nuclear lobby is being tactfully silent on its claim to be the cure for global warming, seeing that its polluting friends don’t believe in global warming. But the coal and nuclear industries are quite well connected.
Take Gina Rinehart for example. Australia’s wealthiest person, Gina is an implacable foe of Australia’s planned carbon tax, and a finacial supporter of climate denialists like Lord Monckton and Ian Plimer. She refers with admiration to her late father, Lang Hancock. There was a wealthy man who ruthlessly pursued profit, as for example in the asbestos industry. On refusing to put in for a collection for mesothelioma victim, Christine Vos, Lang Hancock remarked that “Someone has to pay the price of progress”
Hancock’s enthusisasm for mining in the Pilabara led him to invite Edward Teller (the ‘father of the atomic bomb’) over from the USA. , planning to use atomic bombs to facilitate mining. I’m not sure what stopped them, possibly government, – certainly not any reservations they had themselves. Teller is reported as saying that a dose of strontium is good for you.
Australia seems to confuse the ideas of wealthiness with intelligence, with an inordinate respect for rich people. . Gina Rinehart has bought into the notion that government action for the general good, ( as in the carbon tax), is an attack on “freedom” Hence her uncritical support for Lord Monckton, with his theory on the global climate change conspiracy. Monckton’s theory implies that many thousands of scientists, world-wide, have been taken in by a sinister plot of someone, (who?) wanting to rule the world.
With the Murdoch media support for Gina Rinehart type thinking, Australia’s public is being led by the nose into anti-science thinking. It is very timely that voices like that of Independent Australia are now calling for a change in Australia’s media monopoly
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of the week – Disrupting War & Militarism in Oceania. Active solidarity. Radical practice.
Antinuclear 
Well you are entitled to your point of view. I am against nuclear mainly because of safety factors and also a reactor requires 200,000,000 of water a day. Don’t know where they think that is coming from – the sea?
But it is a bit biased to suggest that Christine Milne was correct to silent the media if they dare to print any anti climate change science that disagrees with their political cause or agenda. Until very recently the media has supported the government reasoning and climate change being based on AGW. Cutting emissions will has not happened overseas even with carbon trading. And CO2
does not change climates. To say it does is a lie. Sure I agree in climate change but not AGW. Adaptation and sustainability yes. But no tax will stop
any climate change.
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Well, first, Christine Milne is not trying to “silence the media”. I agree with Christine Milne’s view that the media gives inordinate weight to the views of a tiny minority of scientists who deny the facts on greenhouse emissions and global warming.
Secondly – the science, worldwide from hundreds of reputable climate and weather agencies, does tell us that increasing atmospheric C02 and the other ‘greenhouse gases’ does in fact change climate, as the atmosphere heats up.
Thirdly – I am at a loss, because I don’t understand what AGW stands for. Assuming that it means human caused global warming – well, the science tells us that this is true – not a lie.
Finally – “adaptation and sustainability” sounds good. But what does it mean? Sure we need to take measures to adapt to the climate changes, such as rising sea levels.
But I fear that “bushbunny” is now simply voicing another, and more sophisticated version of the climate denialists. Her real message here is “DO NOTHING”. That’s another mantra of the polluting industries. As long as governments DO NOTHING, the polluters keep right on polluting, and making $billions.
Those who are not convinced by the conspiracy theories of Lord Monckton are likely to fall for this second and more persuasive “do nothing” argument – at this critical time in history, when there’s still a chance of at least limiting the rise in global atmospheric temperature.
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