John Howard - Climate Not Biggest Moral, Policy Issue Facing Australia

[hatrack]

Prime Minister John Howard has rejected Labor leader Kevin Rudd's claim that climate change is the overwhelming moral challenge facing Australians. Mr Howard said Australia was a minor emitter of greenhouse gases and could not influence the global climate by acting alone.

The prime minister said he rejected the Labor Party's zealotry about the issue. "Do we need to lower carbon emissions over time? Of course we do," he told the Queensland Media Club in Brisbane. "But to say that climate change is the overwhelming moral challenge for this generation of Australians is misguided at best and misleading at worst. "It de-legitimises other challenges over which we do have significant and immediate control."

Mr Howard said such an approach also obscured the need for balanced government decision-making and fed ideological demands with kneejerk policy reactions.

Climate change was a serious policy challenge and a major priority of his government, he said. "At the same time we know that independent action by Australia will not materially affect our climate," he said.

EDIT

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/climate-not-main-challenge-pm/2007/04/23/1177180540877.html

[ananda]

1. god how depressing is that

..

[Canuckistanian]

2. Thank God most people of Australia don't think that

And how do I know that?

They voted Tim Flannery the 2007 Australian of the Year:
http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,21118159-5006301,00.html

[acmavm]

3. They're talking about cutting off the water supply to farmers

because they'r gonna be short on drinking water. And that's NOT his biggest problem? What is? Getting his head out of bush**s ass?

[GliderGuider]

4. But he'll tell people to pray for rain...

:banghead:

[Fresh_Start]

5. Howard did you notice the drought in AU?

Howard do you understand the economic impact if the agri-water is shutdown?
Howard do you understand that AU isn't trying to solve other peoples climate change problems for them, AU is trying to handle AU's climate change issues?

No, Howard, change the subject and pretend its someone else's problem.

[phantom power]

6. Aha: hypothetical technology and endless growth will save us:

"It is technological progress funded by economic growth that holds the key to environmental progress,''

Clap harder, dammit.