Reaction to the Liberal Parties environment “Plan”
Who would have thought that money, of all things, would fix the environment?
That's what Tony Abbott says.
He says he'll also put 100,000 solar panels on Australian rooftops every year. If any Government were to do that, which they wont, it will only lead to "grid-fed" electricity prices will go through the roof.
Just like how thousands of homes got water tanks - *ahem* sorry, taxed water tanks- has seen the price of water skyrocket.
Mr Abbott also claims that this won't "cost" the public anything, which means one of two things:
1. $3.2 billion will be made out of nothing and put pressure on interest rates
or
2. The $3.2 billion will be created by making cuts to other sectors.
I think number two is more likely as our schools, hospitals, income tax rates are all at a perfect level.
If he takes a signle cent from anyother sector, the public ARE paying for it by proxy through the degeneration of another portfolio.
What is remarkable , however, is that the confessed skeptic would devise and plan to implement a great plan for the environment.
That last sentence would be true if his plan was actually good for the environment.
Here is some quick blink reactions to the announcement:
- He didn't mention changing our main source of electricity from coal to a renewable source
- He announced the EXACT same 5% cut in emmissions - the same laughable 5% target
I don't care if one is a "Greenie" or not; a 5% cut by 2020 is disgraceful and will not effect the Global environment, let alone our local environment one bit.
Both sides have set this target because it is easy to reach and doesn't ruffle too many feathers.
I only say it doesn't ruffle many feathers because the big polluters have kept unusually quiet about this.
They are quiet because they know they can do their part for this easy taget without having to change their major business model.
By sucking up to industry and the commercial sector both sides of Government have effectivly sold out our childrens future and ignored the desires of the electorate.
He also announced he would plant 20 million trees by 2020. I will let a quote from Ken Caldeira, of the global ecology department at the Carnegie Institution of Washington in Stanford, speak for me:
The idea that you can go out and plant a tree and help reverse global warming is an appealing, feel-good thing [...] To plant forests to mitigate climate change outside of the tropics is a waste of time.
Both of these plans (the ETS and whateverthehell Abbott calls this policy (which is the equivalent of a fingerpainting)) are reactionary plans, not thought out and while sound nice and make great headlines, don't even beging to scratch the potential this country has for making strides in the face of neo-environmantalism and carbon emission cuts.
That is all.
-db
