The Dead Roo

There’s been plenty of coverage of John Howard’s foray onto YouTube. Most of that coverage centres around the fact Howard made a youtube vid, practically none of it covers the fact that the vid itself was a pack of lies.

Here’s my debunk of Howard on YouTube.

Australian action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions since 1990, led by my government, will prevent about 87 million tonnes of climate changing carbon a year entering the atmosphere by 2010.

That’s a massive reduction and a tangible example of the Coalition’s commitment to the climate change challenge.

Planet Nerd debunks the claim that this is a signifigant figure in reduction.

The total carbon dioxide emitted since then in Australia is around 10 billion 200 million tonnes, this 87 million tonnes would represent a total reduction of 0.85% in greenhouse gas emissions thus far, and even less when you extend it to expected emissions from 1990 to 2010.

It isn’t a massive reduction, but it is a tangible example of Australia’s commitment on this issue, or more accurately, complete lack of commitment.

There is another issue with Howard’s paltry 0.85% figure. It’s carbon “prevented” from going into the atmosphere. Almost sounds like a carbon reduction, but in truth by 2003 “Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions had risen 23.3 per cent on 1990 levels” (source).

Today I am announcing a further $627 million in practical new measures to tackle global warming, bringing total spending on climate change initiative since 1996 to about $3.4 billion.

3.4 billions, lies. This figure includes money spent on “clean coal”, ie. subsidizing the coal industry.

This will include $336 million for green vouchers for schools to improve energy and water efficiency.

Every school in Australia will be eligible for a voucher of up $50,000 to help install solar hot water systems and rainwater tanks.

Not only will this help reduce energy and conserve water, but it will provide students and our school communities with a first-hand lesson in how we can act locally to preserve the environment.

No, this will show our students that pathetic symbolic actions are a substitue for real action.

I will also be announcing a `cap and trade’ emissions trading system that will help Australia substantially lower our domestic greenhouse gas emissions at the lowest cost.

No, the system being announced is far from the cheapest. Carbon taxation would be far more effective and far cheaper to implement. This will simply create a market in pollution.

Not to mention that capping levels of carbon emissions are not what we need, we need to drastically reduce them.

Stabilising atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases will be difficult, but not impossible. We do not have to sacrifice our economic prosperity to tackle the problem.

If by this Howard means we wont need to sacrifice our reliance on coal and oil he’s lying. And that is what he means when he uses the words “economic prosperity” in this debate.

Australia will more than play its part to address climate change, but we will do it in a practical and balanced way, in full knowledge of the economic consequences for our nation.

Not with this government. They refuse to accept the economic, social and environmental consequences of inaction, and the only part Australia has played under Howard’s leadership has been that of major polluter.

After eleven years of Howard government:

Australia, with 0.32 per cent of the global population, contributes 1.43 per cent of the world’s carbon emissions. (source)

Now that’s tangible…

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