Australia’s 5% contribution

Today the Rudd government announced their reduction targets for greenhouse gas reductions, a miserly 5% of 2000 levels  by 2020. Hummmm, that is not what I call a stretch target.  Rudd et al have said that if the rest of the world’s polluters play ball they would up the anti to 15%. Wow – should we get excited yet???

So, how does Australia rank against the rest of the world?  The EU (well, those countries that have opted in) are sort of sticking to their 20/20/20 plan although they have a “get out of jail” card up their sleeves should something change. The US is in the midst of announcing a full on “A” team of governmental advisers to address global warming – not sure what targets they will try to hit. India and China have declined to agree to any targets at all. OK, so what next?

As executives wipe the ice from their global economic outlook prospectus and world leaders rack up the air miles attending countless climate change summits, the wood becomes hidden by the trees.  The casual observer decides that it is all too hard and goes about their daily life, trying to become as self sufficient as possible so as to avoid becoming a pawn in this chess game.

So are we doomed? Not in the slightest,  people are not stupid. We may all be forced to sell our third plasma TV’s, second cars and cappachino machines owing to the fact that we are all out of jobs but we will do it knowing that the world will be a greener place for it.