At
the very time when the signals from our climate are that we need more action on
climate change, not less, it is deeply irresponsible of the Liberal Government
to abandon measures which are reducing carbon emissions.
I
have noted that people who draw attention to the increasing frequency and
severity of extreme weather events – floods, droughts, bushfires and storms –
sometimes get accused of seeking to profit from the tragedy and misery of
others. This is pathetic nonsense.
When
an accident happens on a country road, and the local MP demands the road be
improved, I don’t assume they are trying to profit from the tragedy and misery
of others. I assume they want to make the road safer, and make the world safer.
We
don’t assume that people, who demand investigations into plane crashes, or
recalls of cars and trucks following crashes, are seeking to profit from the
tragedy and misery of others. If a Chairlift or a Ferris Wheel causes an
accident we don’t assume people who demand action are seeking to profit from
the accident. We assume they want to prevent repeats, and make the world safer.
So
it is with climate change. It is just not right to leave to our children and
grandchildren a legacy of floods, droughts, bushfires and storms, and people
who point out the increasing frequency and severity of these events are doing
us all a service.
I completely agree with this sentiment Kelvin. Thanks for expressing it, and making your views on this public.
ReplyDeleteAt a time when conservative commentators are coming down hard on anyone who makes this link, thanks for doing so. Need more people doing this.
ReplyDeleteExcellent point Kelvin. We are having a foretaste of things to come and it isn't pleasant. It is critical we mitigate climate change as best we can so we do not leave a legacy of constant bush fires, wild weather, droughts and a depleted ocean for our grandchildren. It is utterly shameful that the Australian Government is dismantling the Clean Energy Legislation. The Direct Action Plan has some good things in it but is nowhere near enough to get our emissions down significantly. More importantly, of course, we should be ending coal exports as soon as possible because the potential emissions from the Galilee Basin coal will make us, in effect, the seventh biggest emitter in the world.
ReplyDeleteActuaries and scientists have already found and described the signature of anthropogenic climate change in the increased number of heat related extreme weather events on record in recent decades, relative to historical records.
ReplyDeleteTo deny any causal link between increasing carbon dioxide concentrations and extreme weather events is akin to claiming that the link between the bronchogenic carcinoma and 30 pack years of smoking in a patient is at best a theory, that some eminent scientists remain unconvinced, that the debate is ongoing, grandpa smoked to 102 and died in his sleep, and that nearly uniform consensus in the medical community is no way to "do science" and anyone who claims smoking causing causes cancer is part of a research establishment conspiracy.
Fantastic to read your comments here Mr Thomson. Please do not cave to the LNC's plans to repeal the price on carbon. Please stick to your guns with the courage required of real leadership. Please argue the case as strongly as you can. Thanks.
ReplyDelete