http://www.facebook.com/notes/greeneration-y/where-is-the-fuss-over-the-un-climate-talks/107352562638948
Today, one of the most important meetings in our history begins, though you probably wouldn't know it.
The 2010 UN climate talks in Bonn, Germany, won't make the front page of the newspaper, and Prime Minister Kevin Rudd won't attend. Since Copenhagen in December, the media, politicians and public have shifted their attention from climate change to other things. Dinner-table chatter now focuses on health reform, population growth or Tony Abbott's abs
Where has climate change gone? As Peter Costello aptly put it in an article for the National Times last week: "Can a momentous moral challenge fizzle out like this?"
I thought Costello was lamenting the lack of progress on climate policy, and I shared the sentiment. However, he was trying to tell us that the urgency over climate change was nothing more than politically-driven spin.
He's right in that politicians and the media have irresponsibly played climate change as a wedge, rather than the serious issue that it is.
But he's wrong in trying to convince us that the urgency of pushing through legislation before Copenhagen was just another attention-grabbing, invented catastrophe. It wasn't a con – the urgency was real. If Australia and other countries had passed ambitious climate policy before Copenhagen, we may now have a decent global agreement, and these talks in Bonn could be implementing innovative climate solutions.
Both sides of politics are trying to get out of failing to implement climate policy by blaming lack of interest from the electorate. They're hoping that interest in the UN climate talks will wane, so that climate change doesn't have to be fought as an election issue.
However, despite setbacks (such as the extensive media coverage of climate deniers and the Liberal Party's reversal on climate policy), the public (and the science) is still as adamant as ever about the need for climate action. Only two weeks ago the CSIRO and Bureau of Meteorology highlighted significant warming in Australia in the past 50 years. National Academies of Science from the US, UK, Australia, India, China and others, have confirmed that climate change science is as settled as it gets — as certain as the science linking smoking to lung cancer and HIV to AIDS. Climate change a reality that's already affecting Australia and the rest of the world.
However, instead of moving to action, the Government and Opposition blame waning public attention for their lack of courage on climate policy, whereas the opposite may actually be the case.
Could it be that lack of progress on climate policy is leading to disinterest from the public, rather than the other way around? If both sides of politics had actually risen to the "greatest moral and economic challenge of our time" (as Rudd put it) then we would be seeing much more interest from the community now. Bonn might even be on the front page of major newspapers. The public is certainly entitled to be cynical when politicians continue to play politics with the most serious issue facing our future.
The 2010 UN climate talks in Bonn, Germany, won't make the front page of the newspaper, and Prime Minister Kevin Rudd won't attend. Since Copenhagen in December, the media, politicians and public have shifted their attention from climate change to other things. Dinner-table chatter now focuses on health reform, population growth or Tony Abbott's abs
Where has climate change gone? As Peter Costello aptly put it in an article for the National Times last week: "Can a momentous moral challenge fizzle out like this?"
I thought Costello was lamenting the lack of progress on climate policy, and I shared the sentiment. However, he was trying to tell us that the urgency over climate change was nothing more than politically-driven spin.
He's right in that politicians and the media have irresponsibly played climate change as a wedge, rather than the serious issue that it is.
But he's wrong in trying to convince us that the urgency of pushing through legislation before Copenhagen was just another attention-grabbing, invented catastrophe. It wasn't a con – the urgency was real. If Australia and other countries had passed ambitious climate policy before Copenhagen, we may now have a decent global agreement, and these talks in Bonn could be implementing innovative climate solutions.
Both sides of politics are trying to get out of failing to implement climate policy by blaming lack of interest from the electorate. They're hoping that interest in the UN climate talks will wane, so that climate change doesn't have to be fought as an election issue.
However, despite setbacks (such as the extensive media coverage of climate deniers and the Liberal Party's reversal on climate policy), the public (and the science) is still as adamant as ever about the need for climate action. Only two weeks ago the CSIRO and Bureau of Meteorology highlighted significant warming in Australia in the past 50 years. National Academies of Science from the US, UK, Australia, India, China and others, have confirmed that climate change science is as settled as it gets — as certain as the science linking smoking to lung cancer and HIV to AIDS. Climate change a reality that's already affecting Australia and the rest of the world.
However, instead of moving to action, the Government and Opposition blame waning public attention for their lack of courage on climate policy, whereas the opposite may actually be the case.
Could it be that lack of progress on climate policy is leading to disinterest from the public, rather than the other way around? If both sides of politics had actually risen to the "greatest moral and economic challenge of our time" (as Rudd put it) then we would be seeing much more interest from the community now. Bonn might even be on the front page of major newspapers. The public is certainly entitled to be cynical when politicians continue to play politics with the most serious issue facing our future.
When asbestos was found to be dangerous, the government didn't propose to one-day, hopefully, phase out the use of asbestos where it was most economically efficient, while giving handouts to asbestos companies to keep big business and the opposition happy. It was killing people! So they banned it, and the community jumped on board with support.
This meeting in Bonn provides a good opportunity for leaders to stand up and take bold action on climate change. The creation of an international advisory group to find $US1 trillion worth of financing for adaptation, and the UK committing to sign onto a new round of the Kyoto Protocol are good steps in this direction. Australia needs to stop hiding behind false excuses and step up, especially as recent research has show that reaching a target of 25 per cent emission reduction by 2020 will only cost Australian households the price of a cup of coffee a week – and much less of we get a decent carbon price in place. When governments step up and lead on the issues that matter, the community will follow.
Luckily in the absence of government leadership, community groups have started to lead.
Last week the Australian Youth Climate Coalition launched the "Climate Reality Week" campaign. Armed with a new animation and myth-busting fact sheet, young people across the country will be fighting against misinformation and the policy vacuum, educating their communities about the need for climate action. Expect to see banners draped over bridges, young people pounding the streets and presentations at your local community centre.
Australia's youth want to leave behind the political posturing and get to work.
The best time to act on climate change was 10 years ago. The second best time was before Copenhagen. The third best time is now.
This meeting in Bonn provides a good opportunity for leaders to stand up and take bold action on climate change. The creation of an international advisory group to find $US1 trillion worth of financing for adaptation, and the UK committing to sign onto a new round of the Kyoto Protocol are good steps in this direction. Australia needs to stop hiding behind false excuses and step up, especially as recent research has show that reaching a target of 25 per cent emission reduction by 2020 will only cost Australian households the price of a cup of coffee a week – and much less of we get a decent carbon price in place. When governments step up and lead on the issues that matter, the community will follow.
Luckily in the absence of government leadership, community groups have started to lead.
Last week the Australian Youth Climate Coalition launched the "Climate Reality Week" campaign. Armed with a new animation and myth-busting fact sheet, young people across the country will be fighting against misinformation and the policy vacuum, educating their communities about the need for climate action. Expect to see banners draped over bridges, young people pounding the streets and presentations at your local community centre.
Australia's youth want to leave behind the political posturing and get to work.
The best time to act on climate change was 10 years ago. The second best time was before Copenhagen. The third best time is now.
more information about GREENeration Y
http://www.aiesec.hk/green-y
No comments:
Post a Comment