Comments on: Ignorance in high places

By: Too Little, Too Late â€” Hot Topic

Too Little, Too Late â€” Hot Topic — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:00:03 +0000

[...] this of our benighted Minister of EnergyÂ in New Zealand who complains that energy policy has been captured by climate change policy and needs to be separated!)Â There is also some readiness under Milliband [...]

By: Tangled up in blue (first reprise) â€” Hot Topic

Tangled up in blue (first reprise) â€” Hot Topic — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 08:06:40 +0000

[...] chopped the carbon neutral public service programme. This comes on top of Gerry Brownlee’s removal of the moratorium on new thermal generation, the curious case of the ETS scheme that’s on [...]

By: Juggling science and denial â€” Hot Topic

Juggling science and denial â€” Hot Topic — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 22:47:38 +0000

[...] of Charles Chauvel’s parliamentary question which was brought to our attention yesterday in a comment I thought I should buy a copy of Investigate magazine (against the grain though it goes) and have a [...]

By: Bryan Walker

Bryan Walker — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 03:50:03 +0000

password1

Thanks for drawing this to our attention.

I don’t get Investigate but if Chauvel is quoting correctly it would be an even more alarming sign than Gerry Brownlee produced that ignorance extends right into the upper ranks of government. Rodney Hide will no doubt be delighted.

By: password1

password1 — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 01:49:54 +0000

Does anyone read the Investigate magazine? If so, can you confirm this (from yesterday’s question time):
…
Charles Chauvel: Is not the real reason for the foot-dragging by the Prime Ministerâ€™s Government on climate change policy revealed by the Prime Ministerâ€™s reference, in an interview with Mr Ian Wishart in this monthâ€™s Investigate magazine, to the need to â€œhave flexibility so that if the science deteriorates and the climate change sceptics are right, we have an ability to alter the impact on our economyâ€?

Hon BILL ENGLISH: I think the member can understand how much uncertainty there is around the climate change policy process. The Australian Government is not exactly clear where it is going, the world carbon price is very difficult to predict, and the effect of recession on carbon emissions is also very difficult to predict. The Prime Minister is wisely making sure that people understand that the Government retains the flexibility to adapt to those circumstances.
…

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0903/S00051.htm

By: cindy

cindy — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:55:04 +0000

hehehe great thought Bryan.

indeed, Gerry’s gonna be a very busy man. He’d best get himself over to the US pronto – Congress just voted down a World Bank Clean Technology Fund package because it included paying for coal-fired power stations in the developing world.

Maybe he’d better take Don. They’ll sort out those pesky Democrats.

By: Bryan Walker

Bryan Walker — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 19:47:47 +0000

Gerry might have taken on a bigger job than he realises stamping out idealistic visions. They’re popping up all over the place. This looks suspiciously like another one, from the President of the US no less, speaking to Congress yesterday:

“But to truly transform our economy, protect our security and save our planet from the ravages of climate change, we need to ultimately make clean, renewable energy the profitable kind of energy. So I ask this Congress to send me legislation that places a market-based cap on carbon pollution and drives the production of more renewable energy in America. And to support that innovation, we will invest fifteen billion dollars a year to develop technologies like wind power and solar power, advanced biofuels, clean coal and more fuel-efficient cars and trucks built right here in America. “

By: AndrewH

AndrewH — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 09:16:15 +0000

And…in the same conference, but different day and different speaker. This time it is Vice President Asia Pacific of the World Energy Council, Younghoon David Kim.
The age of cheap energy and suicidal lack of concern about negative externalities is over, a new age has begun. But transition, by definition, defines a process, a movement over time. We depend, and continue to depend, on conventional energy sources to power this transition,”

I suspect Gerry wasn’t there to hear this – but then again when you and I might hear “suicidal lack of concern…..”
Gerry would probably hear
“…………………………………depend on conventional energy sources………..”

By: AndrewH

AndrewH — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 09:07:30 +0000

Here’s a glimmer of hope…..

After reading the Business NZ report, I was immediately struck by the absurdity of calling for a review of duplication of activity in the electricity sector – when any further review would in fact duplicate the Business NZ report.

Now, if that logic is applied in the ETS review…….

By: Gareth

Gareth — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 07:51:35 +0000

These are very worrying signs – confirming my fears that this government just doesn’t “get” the climate problem. I suppose it’s a long jump from comfortable denial to reality, and National hasn’t made it yet. I wonder how happy Nick Smith is about all this…