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The Government’s booklet and the entirety of its contents purporting to be a plan the Morrison government has adopted for a mid-century target of net zero emissions by 2050 has met with universal criticism.

After weeks of melodrama, the Coalition parties have adopted a plan hastily put together in a matter of days with all the swiftness of an African antelope.

There is much to be said about this agreement between the Liberals and the Nationals, and it is, in my view, a superb exercise in nothingness. Probably the worst in Australian political history is about the best I can do.

 

By John Lord

 

 

It seems to me to confirm that whilst our Prime Minister might believe that climate-heating is happening, he is sceptical about doing anything about it.

No coatings, no modelling, no legislation, nothing to even suggest they have done much work on the problem at all.

They couldn’t have given it much thought because we adopted these objectives five years ago when we signed the Paris Agreement.

When he arrives in Scotland, the prime minister won’t be greeted with handshakes of possibility but a kick up the arse for pursuing nothing.

Here is a selection of headlines from news outlets that capture our government’s hypocrisy (and idiocy) on climate change:

Mathias Cormann calls for carbon pricing to be coordinated across the world, the ABC.

Angus Taylor to promote fossil fuels at Glasgow Cop26 climate summit, The Guardian.

“Angus Taylor has declared he will use Cop26 to promote Australia as a good place to invest in fossil fuel projects in a provocative statement confirming he will attend the climate summit in Glasgow.”

Secret Liberal group pushed for net zero to halt the Nationals, The Age.

‘Go grab a rifle’: Barnaby Joyce says the only way to meet methane reduction targets is to start shooting cattle, The Guardian.

For those of us who clean our glasses with ‘see it clearly’ and see what we are looking at through the lens of honesty, well, we are fascinated by the seemingly appalling lack of enthusiasm shown by the government. Conservatives must be asking why Tony Abbott led this country down the road of crap in the first place. It’s not easy being green.

What an embarrassment we are in the world’s eyes and what an absence of leadership we carry. What a shame we are to ourselves. How confused must be our electorate that we would place power in the hands of people with chastisement in their hearts, authority on their minds, and control in their doing, those who do little for democracy.

Control freaks usually cannot see beyond their own self-importance and are hostile to those who might threaten it.

Here are some more headlines – including some from overseas media outlets:

Australia will be the rich world’s weakest link at COP26 with hollow net-zero and emissions pledges, CNN.

The BBC‘s coverage was also cynical of how Australia in their article, Climate change: Australia pledges net zero emissions by 2050. Australia, as a “massive exporter” of fossil fuels with “some of the highest emissions per head of population” – has “long dragged its heels on climate action.” 

In their article, Australia Pledges ‘Net Zero’ Emissions by 2050. Its Plan Makes That Hard to Believe, the New York Times reported that Morrison’s proclamation of the “Australian way” to achieve net-zero sounded “like he was already campaigning” for next year’s federal election.

The Washington Post raised the devastating bushfires of early 2020 and the urgent push for action against global warming that followed in their article, Australia pivots on climate with 2050 net zero target, but won’t adopt steeper 2030 commitment.

Closer to home again, Katharine Murphy reports in The Guardian that:

“It really is extraordinary that we could spend the best part of a year tracking towards Tuesday’s pre-Glasgow crescendo – and land with a “plan” that is actually the status quo with some new speculative graphs.

But that’s exactly where we are. After the Coalition’s disgraceful, destructive decade – measured substantively, looking at proposed actions, not slogans – the government is still running to stay still, without any obvious remorse, introspection, or regret.”

She went on to say:

“But if the Coalition were to change course radically, it would be tantamount to an admission that a party of government in this country has traded the national interest for a handful of regional Queensland seats for the best part of a decade.”

Internally many organisations were just as scathing, as reported in The Guardian:

“The Greenpeace Australia Pacific chief executive, David Ritter, said the Australian government’s commitment “will not stand up on the global stage”.

He said without an updated 2030 target that did more than just “repackage” state emission reduction targets, the government’s plan was “meaningless”.

Influential software billionaire and climate advocate Mike Cannon-Brookes slammed the plan as “just more bullsh*t”. He is, in my view, correct.

David Attenborough has “blasted the plan for lacking detail and failing to increase 2030 emissions reduction targets.”

 

The Clean Energy Council warned that:

Without a stronger 2030 target, there remains a lack of clarity and positive investment signals to accelerate the decarbonisation of Australia and take advantage of the enormous economic opportunity in play.

Morrison, when he returns from Glasgow and after receiving the condemnation of other world citizens, will as promised, release the modelling within weeks. Given the government’s record on producing reports etc., I can see that waiting until after the election.

The Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese was right onto Morrison’s ploy when he asked during Question Time:

“What is the reason why he says he’s releasing the modelling in a few weeks, rather than now? Don’t Australians deserve the right to see it?”

While:

“Labor climate spokesman Chris Bowen said the next election would be a climate change contest, labelling the announcement a ‘steaming pile of nothingness’.”

Bowen was correct.

The next day:

“Senate estimates was told Treasury had little input into the modelling but provided advice to the energy department… Treasury had little input into the modelling but It’s even possible that none existed or is being done now.”

Morrison dismissed all the criticism by turning his motor mouth to full throttle, saying on the Seven Network that:

“Everyone else who doesn’t understand Australia, our economy and the challenges we have here are entitled to their opinions… I will do what is right for Australia and we are getting results.”

Mr Morrison said Labor won’t release its plan for 2030, and it was yet to reveal if it would take a 2030 target to the next election and had not released its plan for 2050 net-zero.

Labor intends to release its plan after the Prime Minister returns from Glasgow, and this makes sense after being bitten badly by releasing policy too early.

The prime minister produced his smartphone in defending a reliance on unproven technology to achieve his emissions targets:

“An iPhone would never have been existing if it was based on the assumptions of the leader of the opposition,’ Mr Morrison said. “We wouldn’t have had a COVID vaccine. I have more confidence in technological innovation and science than I do in taxes and regulations.”

All this was meant to imply that he had great faith in technology, but he missed the point that millions of dollars had been spent on carbon capture and storage over a long period without success.

The government won’t budge from its 2030 emission reduction target of 26 to 28 per cent on 2005 levels or its 30 to 35 per cent by the end of the decade.

Just what the National Party’s cooperation will cost the country or the taxpayer (businesses won’t pay) in this ill-founded exercise is unknown, but it will come out in dribs and drabs.

Resources Minister Keith Pitt returns to the cabinet, but we will suffer much more than that. And in more ways than one. So, I end this piece with the same paragraph with the exact words as my previous one:

Morrison will have to tell the truth, which is always a delicate proposition, and he will have to say we will do our best, but because our coalition partners don’t want a target, there is “nothing” much we can do. It’s just the way we govern in Australia.

Fools rush in where wise men never go.

 

Read more: https://theaimn.com/and-this-is-the-bloke-were-sending-to-glasgow/

 

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