In Australia, we have a Federal Government that comprises of a Lower house of Parliament (House of Representatives) and an Upper house (Senate). The Labor Party has the majority in the House of Reps and are currently in power. However in the Senate, neither major party (Labor or Liberal) have the balance of power and rely on the vote of the Australian Greens, 1 Independent, and 1 Family First Senator to get legislation passed in the Senate. It is this Family First Senator who will be the subject of my post today.
Senator Steve Fielding has just made up his mind that man made climate change is not real and that the planet is not warming. He suggests that solar activity or sun cycles could be driving climate change instead. He confirmed this by attending a climate sceptic’s conference in the US, held by the Heartland Institute. Now, it is well know that the Heartland Institute has in the past been partially funded by …….. you guessed it…. ExxonMobil, to the tune of US$676,500 since 1998. This Institute has been lobbying Washington hard to delay action on climate change since the start of the Bush Era. It looks like they have taken on an international interest in distorting the truth in other countries as well.
Senator Fielding appears to be nothing but a stooge for right wing conservative politics and vested heavy polluting industries. So much for the kids of the future from the families he allegedly supports with is Family First party. The greater proportion of the world scientists are convinced that global warming is real, but of course Senator Fielding, who has no qualification in science whatsoever, knows better. I bet he is also good mates with Professor Ian Plimer!
So Steve, just so you get your facts right, here is a little primer from a layman who can grasp the simple science. Of course it is energy from the sun that causes global warming. That much is not debated. The energy from the Sun is trapped on Earth by greenhouse gases, and is called the Greenhouse Effect, which have increased since man began burning fossil fuels. The higher their level, the more energy is trapped, causing higher temperatures before the Earth gains equilibrium again.
Even Al Gore knows that much!
Yes Senator fielding confounded me too this week.
Let’s take the scenario that it is solar activity that is also responsible for the global warming (which of course means that that IS global warming happening). Can we do anything about that. Even if the CO2 emissions only contributed 25% to warming – should we not deal with what we can – I don’t know anyone who has the thermostat to the sun to turn it down lower!!
Incidently – I do believe tht humans are contributing to the global warming. Got our electricity bill for this 3 months, and am proud to say we are 20% lower than this time last year….
Fielding is a noodle. Burning coal releases CO2. CO2 traps heat in the atmosphere. We’ve been burning increasing amounts of coal for 200 years. It’s not rocket science here, mate…
Incidentally, he only got his seat because the Labor candidates in his area were determined not to give their preferences to the Greens there. Thanks for nothing, partisan politics!
Fielding is a Clayton’s Coalition member. He votes with the Opposition basically all the time.
As soon as I heard he was talking to the Heartland Institute rather than anybody reputable, I knew this result was inevitable. I would describe HI as a right-wing disinformation group, from previous experience.
I agree with you all. Call him what you will, a puppet, fruit loop, zealot, it is all the same in the long run.
*sigh*
I’d like to offer some outraged comment, but…
*sigh*
I think there’s a very *warm* place for Fielding waiting for him down below…