Financially panicked, morally bankrupt

The Australian Industry Group is today calling for the introduction of the Government’s emissions trading scheme to be delayed for two years as a result of the global financial mess.

According to the SMH, the Australian Industry Group’s national executive, Heather Ridout, declared the Government’s plan to start the emissions trading scheme in July 2010 was “neither necessary nor realistic”.

It’s not clear which planet they think they are living on. On earth, where I and my family spend most of our time, the evidence of runaway global warming is mounting by the day and scientists are becoming increasingly hysterical at the lack of urgent action. The findings of International Polar Year, a global research project involving 60 nations, were released yesterday. They confirmed that warming in Antarctica was greater than previously understood and the rate of ice loss from Greenland was increasing.

The AIG took this opportunity to announce their calls for a delay to emissions reductions, as well as to restate their opposition to a renewable energy target.

It’s clear that the financial crisis is a major, immediate problem that is already resulting in hardship for many. But it is also clear that climate change is now an emergency that is likely to result not just in economic hardship, but in a life threatening catastrophe. Whether it be increased bushfires, heatwaves, floods, drought or rising sea levels it is difficult to see it ending well.

The science was pretty much clear in the late 1980’s. Twenty years later our business leaders are still calling for delays in action. It’s hard to describe the morality of the Australian business community on this issue. I’ll give it a go. How about…self serving…myopic….pigs in a trough…parasites…sociopaths?

The kind of economic stimulus that is required to solve the current financial crisis is exactly the kind of economic response that is required to drive an urgent transformation to a low carbon economy. As Obama said so eloquently in his speech to congress ” We know the country that harnesses the power of clean, renewable energy will lead the 21st century.”

Groups like the AIG are incapable of being dragged out of their “quarry mentality” and their obsession with next years profit results. As a result, they and their members are breaking their social contract with the Australian community and are rapidly losing their social license to operate. But for now they are still able to bend the ear of our polical leaders who have yet to develop the confidence to stand up to their crude economic bullying.