Apr 05

How We Got Here and Where We’re Going. Tim Blair

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/blogs/tim-blair/how-we-got-here-and-where-were-going/news-story/abf5f26110ae54f56816eb3f1bb930c2

“Just how,” asks former Labor senator Graham Richardson, “did Australia fall from a position where power was so cheap and so plentiful to a place where we rely on the power of prayer and hope for benign ­weather conditions?”

Richo continues:

Still, I guess anything is possible in a land where we sit on 400-year supplies of high-quality coal that will guarantee supply at a reasonable price and a vocal crowd is dumb enough to say we should leave it in the ground.

The worst part of this selfishness is the attempt by some to prevent India from importing our coal to fuel its endeavours to increase living standards. It was only in ­recent decades that some people there still starved to death.

Richardson’s Labor was a sensible centrist party, which is why it won elections. Now Labor and the Greens claw at each other over marginal votes from Australia-hating wokens and people who pretend we can adjust the planet’s temperature.

Speaking of whom, here’s Peter van Onselen:

Opponents of action on climate change have one simple argument they fall back on time and time again: what’s the point of Australia doing more to reduce its emissions when they account for less than 2 per cent of global emissions … ?

If the rest of the world isn’t doing enough, why should we? It’s the argument of the sedentary couch potato. It genuinely baffles me anyone with the privilege of a public platform could use such flawed logic.

Let’s test what life would be like if that approach were taken across the board.

Oh please, let’s do:

There would be little point in individuals giving money to charity. Why donate $100 when that amount of money is no more than a tiny fraction of the millions received by an organisation?

A donation of $100 makes exactly $100 worth of difference. By comparison, reducing Australia’s carbon dioxide output would make no difference at all to the global climate.

Why vote? One vote is so insignificant in a nation of millions.

One vote makes one vote of difference. Ask Malcolm Turnbull about it.

If I drop my rubbish on the street, that won’t make much difference.

Yes, it will. The street will be visibly rubbish-strewn.

Societies are the sum total of their parts. Of course Australia contributing only a small fraction of worldwide emissions isn’t a reason to do nothing.

Why do anything – at enormous, economy-wrecking expense – to achieve exactly nothing? Anyway, see you at the next big anti-China demonstration, Peter: