Dr Jennifer Marohasy [pictured below], Chair of the Australian Environment Foundation writes.
GetUp’s global warming television ads are dishonest and inaccurate.
.
For all sorts of reasons a number of groups, of which Internet campaigners GetUp.org.au are one, are pretending that the Rudd Government’s proposed Emissions Trading Scheme is a minor 5 to15 percent adjustment to our way of life.
In fact, the government’s ETS will reduce the amount of energy available to every man, woman and child currently living in the country by an extraordinary 35 percent, absent the discovery and implementation of an unknown source of carbon free energy in the next ten years.
This would be the equivalent of closing down all of Australia’s manufacturing and half its rural industries.
Or thought of another way, it is the equivalent of closing 72% of our current power generation capacity (stationary power).
Population growth masked the severity of the scheme. Our natural birth-rate plus immigration intake adds around 360,000 to the population every year, roughly the equivalent of another Brisbane every 5 years -- 20 percent growth in 11 years -- making 35% look like 15%.
It is understandable that groups like GetUp that stand for nothing and are opposed to everything would want to downplay the severity of the government’s proposals.
If GetUp has nothing to complain about they are out of business, so of course they want to portray the government’s decision in the ‘worst’ light.
The government also has a vested interest in downplaying the severity of their scheme. Kevin Rudd wants to convince Australians that it won’t hurt one little bit, so he’s happy for groups like GetUp to criticize him for being John Howard lite.
In fact, the proposed ETS will make Australians poorer; while it is richer, not poorer nations that are better able to protect their natural environment.
END
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