Australian Politicians At Loggerheads Over Climate Change Policies

I am amazed how the Howard Government continuesgeneration, baby boomer era, are of the opinion that it
it's stoic stance on the refusal to participate or complywon't be our problem to worry about, because we
with the Kyoto Protocol. Using economic drivenwon't be here anyway. I'm appalled by this attitude, as
reasons for this, is fast becoming a paper thin mask,well. What of our children and humanity's future in
for what the real purpose of this is, and that is to retaingeneral?What price will they pay for our greed and
political power, with promises of economic reforms forapathy? Where will our food come from if our major
Climate Control, which have come too late and tooRiver Systems are not managed immediately to
little.address the rising salt tables and drying up of our most
As an Australian citizen I am embarrassed by theproductive produce regions?
slamming Australia received in the International arenaNot to mention either, the rising sea levels, which seem
at the recent UN meetings in Europe. Australia needsto be increasing faster than previously forecast. The
to make a much tougher and more immediate targetIce caps are melting at a pretty phenomenal rate.
to bring the reduction of our Greenhouse GasWhat will happen to our beloved coastline and in
Emissions down to an acceptable level. Rudd andparticular, our beloved Gold Coast? Surely there must
Garret however, have taken a tough stance againstbe sufficient economic cause there to drive the political
this Governments inaction and seem to be making itengines into action with regard to the possible loss of
their main political drive, coming up to the Federalso much Tourist based revenue?
Elections. Whilst we all realize that these changesI attended the first ever Greenhouse Conference held
cannot occur overnight and will in fact, take a greatin Sydney in 1988. That was almost twenty years ago
deal of forward economic planning, I am of the opinionnow. The scary thing is that some of the scientific
that most Australian citizens are so concerned aboutpredictions forecast back then, to start occurring by
the effects of Climate Change, that most people I2050, are starting to happen now! It's exponential and a
have spoken to about this topic,are not concernedrun away train, but panic will not solve the issues, only
about the personal cost to themselves. If it means thataction. Australian Politicians need to form a united front
we all give another dollar or two in taxes for thison the entire issue, pull together and stop using it as a
specific purpose, then so be it! After all, we are allpolitical point scoring agenda.
acutely aware of the effects Climate Change isWe are on the brink of a mass extinction event. Do
having in our country and it seems it is getting worsewe really want to be one of the species counted
every year.among them?
How long are we going to wait? Many of our