Australia’s anti science legacy from Tony Abbott
Tony Abbott’s harmful legacy lives on in climate silence, SMH April 5, 2016 Peter HartcherSydney Morning Herald political and international editor “………Australia had a bipartisan consensus on climate change under John Howard, Kevin Rudd, Brendan Nelson and Malcolm Turnbull. The consensus was that climate change was real and that pricing carbon through an emissions trading scheme was the best way for Australia to respond.
Abbott shattered the consensus. He rode to power a conservative reaction against climate change action. He used it to destroy Turnbull’s leadership and then Rudd’s and, finally, Julia Gillard’s.
Together with his footsoldiers in politics and the media, he succeeded in muddying the public’s understanding of climate change in the process. The conservative reaction intimidated some scientists, news editors and commentators. And Turnbull, in fear of reviving an angry conservative rearguard, has bound himself to the Abbott policy.
The net result today is Australia’s muted debate and confused response to climate change……..
The planet is far from saved from the depredations of climate change; just look at the reef. But the news is not all bad. Australia might even recover sufficiently from the Abbott era to begin to care again.
http://www.smh.com.au/comment/tony-abbotts-harmful-legacy-lives-on-in-climate-silence-20160404-gnxvfy.html#ixzz44ziIxncr
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