[Peakoil] Climate change angle on Katrina

[Keith Thomas]

On 02/09/2005, at 2:08 PM, Alex P wrote:

> All too often public figures are reluctant to link current tragedies 
> with
> their political agenda.
>
> It's good to see the Federal Opposition is not afraid to make the 
> obvious
> point about Katrina with regard to climate change.
>
> <snip>
> _____________________________
>         MEDIA RELEASE
>
> Anthony Albanese MP
>
> Shadow Minister for the Environment and Heritage
>
> Shadow Minister for Water
>
> Federal Member for Grayndler
>
<snip>
>
> A recent Government report on Climate Change Risk and Vulnerability
> estimates Australia could be 2ºC hotter by 2030 and 6ºC hotter by 2070.
> According to the Report, a further 2ºC increase would be devastating 
> for
> Australia, with more heatwaves and bushfires, extended droughts, 
> reduced
> rainfall in southern Australia and extensive damage to the Great 
> Barrier
> Reef.

To put the above in perspective, the last Ice Age took global 
temperatures down just five degrees below the present.  So 6 degrees 
above the present is pretty serious.

This is the biggest scandal to come out of the Howard government.  For 
the past nine years they have been poo-pooing climate change and, 
therefore the anthropogenic causes of climate change.  On July 26, 
Minister for the Environment Ian Campbell issued a press release, 
spinning 180 degrees, saying climate change is inevitable, get over it; 
a rise of 6 degrees by 2070 is on the cards. And as change is 
inevitable there's nothing we need do about it.