Friday, 12 February 2010

Inconvenient Truths...the NZ perspective...

...I have commented before that pragmatic southern hemisphere policies on climate change are likely to lead the world. I wouldn't have made that prediction 6 or 7 months ago, when Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's ETS was the only political option on the table for Australia. However, a lot has happened since then; most of those happenings ending in 'gate'. Exceptions to that terminology though are Copenhagen and Tony Abbott. Both have exploded into the debate and changed it forever.
Here in NZ, conscious of our size we like to think that internationally we "punch above our weight". And certainly with a look at the statistics of sport and child abuse we do a lot of punching. With regard to saving the planet though, our ex-PM Helen Clarke, now pulling levers at the UN, was a dutiful and obedient party liner, eager to destroy our economy if she could . Her successor, John Key has played a more cautious pragmatic line, leaving comment largely up to his Environment Minister Nick Smith. And Smith's most recent pronouncement was "I've had calls...to abandon or defer the ETS. That's not what the Government's going to do. It's a very important first step."Smith is also quoted as saying NZ would do its fair share (to cut emissions) but that "it would not be a world leader".The two sentiments seem very difficult to reconcile. In Australia, Kevin Rudd is now seen as "being alone and exposed" over his failure to maintain support for the ETS. If an Australian election dumps Rudd in favour of Tony Abbott, and the USA so-called 'cap and trade' bill fails, as seems likely, NZ and Europe will be the world's only champions of an ETS. Where I wonder would that leave Nick Smith ? Is he reading this, do you think ? Is anyone even asking ?

...The Business Council of Australia no longer considers the introduction of an ETS as providing business certainty and has put a caveat on support for an Australian scheme that cannot be met.
Given the fiasco of Copenhagen, the BCA has urged the government to change its scheme "in line with other international responses". Further, it has demanded the unconditional target of cutting greenhouse gases by 5 per cent by 2020, the same target as the Coalition's, not be lifted "before we have clear and credible commitments, and actions, from both developed and developing countries that are verifiable and monitored".
That's impossible for nations such as China and India to meet: the BCA may as well have urged an ETS be set up on the moon before Australia lifts its target
...more here...

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

You never know. Lots of good thinks come out of NZ and I wouldnt be surprised if they make a valuable contribution to the climate debate!

Anonymous said...

Valuable contribution(s)? We've already made them, but they've been largely ignored. Ask Vincent Gray or Chris de Freitas, both of them scientists not missionaries.

Ayrdale said...

For sure, but it's Nick Smith's infauation with an ETS that worries me.

Nessa said...

When something has the word scheme in its title I think of a con job.


Flash 55 - Priorities

Ron Russell said...

Frankly, I'm quite tired of hearing CO2 called a pollutant. Mankind has little control on the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere---this is controlled by mother nature and our very small contribution is not worth mentioning. But the regulations proposed by those who believe something can be done to reduce the CO2 amounts in the air are pure draconian efforts that will only satisfiy their simple minds while imposing unbearable pain on the general population. People are beginning to see this for just what it is a grab for economic and political control of us stupid peons.

Ayrdale said...

Ron, I heard of a US legal challenge re that point some weeks ago. What's happened with that, any idea ?

Anonymous said...

when India and China
use petrol like America
eat fish like Japan
and electricity like Las Vagas
it dont matter what the rest of the world does
if they all ran 100mtrs regaining their breath would be more then NZ's
carbon output for the year

Anonymous said...

when India and China
use petrol like America
eat fish like Japan
and electricity like Las Vagas
it dont matter what the rest of the world does
if they all ran 100mtrs regaining their breath would be more then NZ's
carbon output for the year

Ayrdale said...

Absolutely anon.

Will Nick Smith take them into account ? If they don't toe the line, he'll probably threaten trade sanctions.

Anonymous said...

And there is the fundamental underlying problem. Gripper Grosser is behind this entire policy approach. He has convinced the less "urbane" in cabinet that we must always sit at the "big" table and he will give away anything to achieve this including soveriegnty of our air. Smooth talking bullshit from this guy is laying us open the the world.
We are good at food and the world is going to get hungry. They will come to us without the need to cripple our economy.

Ayrdale said...

Yes, and Grosser is the Minister responsible for climate negotiations isn't he ?

So, if a FTrade deal with China and India is a bigger prize than a USA deal, and neither will curb their emisiions what's driving the man towards an ETS ?

Carbon Con said...

Hey guess what Ayrdale? I just got spammed by Chiropractic Marketing on my blog as well! I must be moving up in the world; I'm spam-worthy now. Nah, maybe it's just random. Oh well.

Bloody spammers. I'll delete it later.

Ayrdale said...

Chiropractic marketing as global warmers ? Yes, there's high level quackery alert there.

Carbon Con said...

@Ayrdale, heh heh.

MathewK said...

If i were NZ, i wouldn't even bother with an ets, if Australia were to drop down into zero emissions and we all moved into caves, it wouldn't make a skerrick of difference to anything. So you folks are just pissing in the wind with any ets.

But then the greenies and lefties won't be happy, not that i give a shit.

cbullitt said...

I'm stealing that cartoon. Then I'm going to ask the Lemur King to "shop" me one of those "Caution Reality Ahead" signs.
But then again warning the acolytes of Carbon Come is a waste of time--it's all about money and slavery, with the latter designated for us.