Australia Climate Change
Austrlia and Climate Change
By: Phoenix Arrien
The first draft of the long awaited ‘Climate Change Review’ from Ross Garnaut is out and it reminds me of that John Lennon song:
‘And so this is Christmas
And what have you done?’
Just like we know Christmas is coming around in December, we know we are falling into a global crisis created by climate change, created by carbon emissions, created by humanity. We know from yet another report that we are falling into a bottomless well of thirst, hunger, species extinction and general displacement at a fast rate.
Reports are all well and good but what now? Well, the Labour Party has distanced themselves from it a little, industry is scrabbling for damage control, environmentalists are pointing out that we knew much of it before, the Greens are using it as more fodder to push for political change and we on the streets are feeling a little overwhelmed by the enormity of the problem.
The report brings up a grim future for Australia and offers suggestions about what we can do about it. More ‘economic modelling’ will be available in August. What we do know now is that it needs to hit our hip pocket, it will slow the economy and create hardship.
We have been warned of this for years of course. The easy options are way in the past, when governments should have acted. Most of the actual activity to prepare ourselves for climate change and do something about the environment has been done at grass roots level. Carbon offsetting, planting trees, driving less, using green power, installing water tanks, recycling and so on, has been up to the individual and small communities.
Apart from feeling just a mite fearful about the future, many of us are tired of waiting for the government to do something that will make a big difference. We knew the previous Liberal government would not do anything, now we hear encouraging sounds from the new power and….?
The very problem with governments effectively dealing with this enormous problem is that by their very nature, they are focussed on the short-term. The most rapid effect that will be seen from taking positive action is going to be economic slow-down and grumblings from industry.
It is a rare government that will act for a country’s long term wellbeing because such short-term reactions usually jeopardises its chances at the next election.
No, governments are not going to do much. We need to stop wasting time hoping and keep expanding our individual, workplace and community actions.
And change the Chirstmas story in one respect: soon Santa Claus will not require a sled, because there will be no more snow.
Tags: Australia Climate, climae change, problems with goverment and climate change
