I have just watched a very informative ABC 4 Corners story titled "Heat on the Hill". For those who didn’t catch it, you can view the entire story and extended interviews at the 4 Corners site.
It opened my eyes to just how really powerful that vested interests are in our political system, and how hard they have lobbied the government to change the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme. It made me sick to the core to see carbon intensive industries initiating a campaign to derail our political system. I thought that people voted for governments, not companies, that put profit before people. I trust the goodness and kind intentions of ordinary Australians to do the right thing by reducing their personal carbon footprints, not the perceived good will of a money grabbing company trying to weasel themselves out of their corporate responsibilities.
The government of the Commonwealth of Australia introduces draft CPRS legislation into the lower house tomorrow with a proposed 5-15% reduction in GHG’s from year 2000 levels by the year 2020. Too little, too late as far as the majority of the climate scientists tell us. Not only will we loose iconic Australian natural areas because of our lack of action, but this low target does not send a strong message to other countries who will be formulating a global scheme at Copenhagen in December of this year. This is the moment that true leadership is required, not some watered down target to appease short term thinking, carbon intensive industries. What hope do other countries have in convincing their citizens to take larger cuts in emissions, if Australia, who emit more GHG per capita than any other nation in the world, are not willing to act decisively on this issue. It is not a small issue either, but only the largest self created problem that mankind has ever faced in its existence. How ironic that it is a problem of our own making!
Albert Einstein once said;
"We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them."
It is these real and dangerous problems that cannot be solved by a business as usual approach in our current economical model. The market will not magically solve our problems. Only the concerted and collective efforts of all of the worlds citizens, each doing their fair share and the right thing by each other that will help to claw our way out of this mess we have created.
People power is the only way to solve this Climate Crisis, and by acting in your own small way to reduce your carbon footprint, will we make a true difference to the overall picture, until such time that our elected officials get with the program and do the right thing by all of us!
Also, the results of my poll are in which asks;
Do you think the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme should be delayed due to the Global Financial Crisis?
A massive 92% of respondents believe that there is no time to waste in implementing a fair CPRS. Surely, the will of the people must count for something in the overall scheme of things, or do I just have my rose coloured glasses on today? After all, not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts!
Its not just Oz, Gavin, here in the UK we have companies well known worldwide who are thought to be greasing palms left right and centre in order to achieve their commercial and economic wishes, which have nothing at all to do with saving the planet, reducing emissions or making a better life for us poor ‘minions’. All they see is pounds and dollars in their hands……it makes me sick to the stomach……I wish with all my heart that people like, you, me, rhonda, sharon etc could just sail away to an untouchable island and be left alone to do what we know is right ! God, I get so angry at our mutual politicians and industry so-called-leaders, I could scream……..
Babs xx
As long as politicians face no consequences from the voting public, there’s nothing to stop them from taking their policies directly from corporations. We need to make it clear that it’s unacceptable to pass such weak legislation (haha, like SuperNanny telling the kids what’s ok and not ok!)