PM Rudd has just announced our target for the emissions cuts as part of the planned Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). It’s a tiny little 5% cut. Yep, that’s it, just 5%.
The galling thing is that he announced the number after talking about how important the Great Barrier Reef, Kakadu and the Murray-Darling basin are to Australia. And went on to talk about how urgent it was to do something about climate change.
So why the hell don’t you actually do something about it, Kev? Like, say, set a target of 40% cuts, which is what it’d take to get to 450ppm of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere.
He’s claiming that scientists and greenies are radicals, and that what we want (you know, a country to live in that isn’t crippled by drought) is too bizarre, too controversial, and that’s he taking the safe path. Sure Kev, about as safe as wearing half a condom to stop your girlfriend from getting a little bit pregnant.
Last year a lot of people voted against Howard and for Rudd, because they believed Rudd was going to do more about climate change than Howard would. Those voters have every right to feel betrayed. He’s talking the talk, but he ain’t walking the walk.
More details on the proposed scheme include extra pollution permits for polluters who don’t bother to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, and a pitifully small amount of money actually going into developing renewable energy. You can find out all the gory details at these sites:
Deeply Unserious Targets at Larvatus Prodeo
Rudd’s Climate Placebo at Rooted
White Paper Released, Rudd Announces Target at Climate Dilemma
If you’re annoyed about this, you might like to get out to one of the protests around the country tomorrow - details at the Green MPs blog. They’re all being held in the middle of the day, so I won’t be able to make it. (Why is that? they’d get a bigger turnout for these things if they were held in the afternoon or on weekends!).
Finally, you can leave a supporting comment at the Australian Greens’ YouTube video Is this Kevin Rudd or John Howard?
Australian citizens are going to have to get vocal if we want to change this situation. At the moment, money and denialists are talking louder than we are.
Hi Julie. With you all the way on this one. I even wrote the same type of post before I realised that you had written about the CPRS as well. Great minds think and act alike. The government is a disgrace and will not get away with this travesty!
Gav
I think there’s a lot of people out there agreeing with us - I heard that a group of people went to Peter Garrett’s office today and played ‘Beds are burning”, only they changed the lyrics to “how can we sleep while our planet is burning”.
Oh, yep - here’s a sample of the protests so far: Climate protests erupt around Australia at Crikey.