It was entirely predictable that Prime Minister Kevin Rudd would concede that the Copenhagen summit in December would fail to reach a global emissions reduction deal. ABC Online
Despite his pre-election rhetoric, he is worse than a climate change sceptic and has failed even his own aims on carbon emission cuts! He did an about-face on deep cuts to greenhouse gas emissions just days after Australia's delegation backed the plan at the climate talks in Bali. He backed a 25-40 per cent cut on 1990 emission levels by 2020 rather than 60%. This further whittled away his commitment to only a 5% reduction of carbon levels by 2020!
Like his failed grand gestures on Kyoto and vow to Japan's illegal whaling, this conference in Copenhagen is also doomed!
G8 leaders failed to persuade India and China to join a push to cut greenhouse emissions by 50 per cent by 2050. Why should nations with much lower per capita output of greenhouse gas emissions make more sacrifices than Australia? On the contrary, our obligation, as one of the highest per capita emitters in the world, is to lead the way.
"On a global scale, Australia has the highest rate of greenhouse gas emissions per capita," said Professor Mark Diesendorf, co-director of the Institute of Environmental Studies at the University of New South Wales in Sydney.
Kevin Rudd's real masters are the coal, banking and mining industries.
His "projected" (deliberate) population growth is to stimulate further consumerism. If we accept the reality of anthropogenic climate change, it cannot be addressed while we have a historically high population growth rate and continue supporting highly polluting industries. We are digging ourselves into a hole, and the deeper we go the harder and more costly it will be to scramble out!
With contradictory policies we will see no leadership on climate change from our present Rudd Government. Global population, and a population policy for Australia, should be on the agenda in December. Kevin Rudd is self-fulfilling his own prophesies about Copenhagen!
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