Tony Abbott wrong, Kevin Rudd running scared, on climate change
Dancing to Abbott’s tune SARA PHILLIPS ABC Environment 16 JUL 2013 Opposition leader Tony Abbott is wrong when he says the world is moving away from pricing carbon.
Abbott’s climate statements are incorrect and Rudd seems to be running scared on climate. Meanwhile the majority of voters still want a leader who is strong on climate change.”……It always surprised me that Abbott, as leader of the party that champions the power of a free market, would be opposed to a mechanism for reducing greenhouse gases that aims to harness this power.
And then there’s his comment that everyone else in the world has moved away from carbon pricing.
This statement is flatly incorrect. First there’s the European Union’s emissions trading scheme, which has been running since 2005 and encompasses 15 nations. Then there’s South Korea, New Zealand, India, parts of China and California (whose economy is bigger than most countries). Meanwhile a separate group of US states have come together with the aim of building an emissions trading scheme. Even Kazakhstan has an emissions trading scheme.
The World Bank released a report (pdf) in May which said “Regional, national and sub-national carbon pricing initiatives are proliferating. Despite weak international carbon markets, both developed and developing countries are mainstreaming carbon pricing initiatives in national climate change and development strategies.”……http://www.abc.net.au/environment/articles/2013/07/16/3803539.htm
Abbott’s comments on carbon dioxide as being an “invisible substance” appeal to those who don’t believe that greenhouse gases are a problem. But the majority of Australians care about the climate and are prepared for action on climate to be taken.
Rudd should remember that he was propelled to power in 2007 partly because of his stronger stance on climate change than John Howard. His expulsion from the top job was in part because he softened his climate approach.
Moving faster to the ETS looks like running scared, when Australians have historically rewarded those who have stood firm on climate.
By dancing to Abbott’s tune, Rudd tangos to a man whose climate statements are incorrect. It’s not a good look for either of them.
No comments yet.
1 This month
of the week – Disrupting War & Militarism in Oceania. Active solidarity. Radical practice.
Antinuclear 
Leave a comment