Comments on: Wong refuses Senate request to model 40% target http://blogs.crikey.com.au/rooted/2009/06/24/wong-refuses-senate-request-to-model-40-target/ Nourishing the environmental debate Sat, 21 Nov 2009 20:24:09 +1100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Altakoi http://blogs.crikey.com.au/rooted/2009/06/24/wong-refuses-senate-request-to-model-40-target/#comment-765 Altakoi Thu, 25 Jun 2009 01:53:39 +0000 http://blogs.crikey.com.au/rooted/?p=1223#comment-765 Our government is no longer a reality based system when it comes to climate change and, for all our sophistication, we are in no better shape that the last of the Easter islanders. Will building big statistical edifices to the GDP save guarantee plenty? We had better hope so, but the historical record is not reassuring. Our government is no longer a reality based system when it comes to climate change and, for all our sophistication, we are in no better shape that the last of the Easter islanders. Will building big statistical edifices to the GDP save guarantee plenty? We had better hope so, but the historical record is not reassuring.

]]> By: Matt Francis http://blogs.crikey.com.au/rooted/2009/06/24/wong-refuses-senate-request-to-model-40-target/#comment-764 Matt Francis Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:22:56 +0000 http://blogs.crikey.com.au/rooted/?p=1223#comment-764 There are plenty of issues that come up in politics that can be used 'tacticly' by governments and oppositions; i.e using the issue as part of a broader strategy in the great political game. I wish that on just this one issue, given its enourmous importance (which is true whether or not you 'belive in the science') that the worst excesses of politics could be put aside, and something constructive done. To the contrary, both the government and opposition have squeezed the maxium political milleage out of this. It's a sad state of affairs. Leave the tactics and strategy to utes, emails and alco-pops! Still, Copehagen is the main game (and probably the Last Chance) and if the planets align and a meaningful deal is made there, surely the politics can be reset somewhat to get something through. The mechanism to reach whatever target that may be set will still need to be debated, but hopefully the path here will be assisted by any global framework that comes out of Copenhagen. I fear that you would have to be pretty optmistic to expect that to occur though. There are plenty of issues that come up in politics that can be used ‘tacticly’ by governments and oppositions; i.e using the issue as part of a broader strategy in the great political game.

I wish that on just this one issue, given its enourmous importance (which is true whether or not you ‘belive in the science’) that the worst excesses of politics could be put aside, and something constructive done. To the contrary, both the government and opposition have squeezed the maxium political milleage out of this. It’s a sad state of affairs. Leave the tactics and strategy to utes, emails and alco-pops!

Still, Copehagen is the main game (and probably the Last Chance) and if the planets align and a meaningful deal is made there, surely the politics can be reset somewhat to get something through. The mechanism to reach whatever target that may be set will still need to be debated, but hopefully the path here will be assisted by any global framework that comes out of Copenhagen. I fear that you would have to be pretty optmistic to expect that to occur though.

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