Like what you've read?

On Line Opinion is the only Australian site where you get all sides of the story. We don't
charge, but we need your support. Here�s how you can help.

  • Advertise

    We have a monthly audience of 70,000 and advertising packages from $200 a month.

  • Volunteer

    We always need commissioning editors and sub-editors.

  • Contribute

    Got something to say? Submit an essay.


 The National Forum   Donate   Your Account   On Line Opinion   Forum   Blogs   Polling   About   
On Line Opinion logo ON LINE OPINION - Australia's e-journal of social and political debate

Subscribe!
Subscribe





On Line Opinion is a not-for-profit publication and relies on the generosity of its sponsors, editors and contributors. If you would like to help, contact us.
___________

Syndicate
RSS/XML


RSS 2.0

Gaping hole in greenhouse gas emissions

By David Leyonhjelm - posted Monday, 4 March 2019


Imagine a librarian sitting in the corner of her library, wishing that her noisy library was quiet.  But the only thing she does to make this happen is to be quiet herself. 

There might be dozens of people scattered around the library, but she wouldn’t try to work out where the noise was coming from.  Nor would she ask the noisy patrons to keep it down, perhaps by persuading them of the benefits of a quiet library.

She would simply sit in her corner, quietly telling herself she was doing the right thing and setting a good example.

Advertisement

This recipe for frustration and failure is akin to Australia’s approach to greenhouse gas emissions. While we sit in our corner of the world, promising ourselves to reduce our emissions over the decade ahead, the rest of the world increases its emissions.

Even using the rosiest projections, just the increase in global emissions will be double Australia’s total emissions in the decade ahead.  So even if Australia disappeared — twice — global emissions would still rise.

It’s as if the librarian sewed her lips together, yet still the noise in the library became deafening.

If we were genuinely concerned about global emissions, a good start would surely be to establish which countries are set to increase their emissions, particularly if those countries are already big emitters. 

In Senate Estimates, I have been asking the bureaucrats in Canberra about the projected emissions of big emitters over the coming decade.  Anyone who thinks climate change is our greatest moral challenge would have found the replies disappointing.   

The bureaucrats didn’t know the projected emissions of the big emitters.  Many of the world’s biggest emitters haven’t bothered to advise the rest of the world how much their emissions are expected to rise over the coming decade.  And it seems Australia has not only failed to seek an answer to this basic question but has also not made its own projections.

Advertisement

Others estimate that China, whose annual emissions in recent years were nearly 12 gigatonnes, might come close to doubling its emissions over the next decade.  India, whose annual emissions have recently exceeded 3 gigatonnes, might double its emissions too.  And countries like Saudi Arabia and Iran, each with much bigger annual emissions than Australia’s half a gigatonne, also fail to report their likely emission increases.

And it seems, at least from outward appearances, that our governments and bureaucrats don’t care.

It’s as if our librarian won’t even wander the aisles to see who the noisiest patrons are.  Or perhaps she secretly thinks the patrons have a right to make as much noise as they want.  Yet, if this is the case, the library is destined to be noisy and it is pointless for the librarian to take a vow of silence herself.

  1. Pages:
  2. Page 1
  3. 2
  4. All

This article was first published in the Australian Financial Review.



Discuss in our Forums

See what other readers are saying about this article!

Click here to read & post comments.

46 posts so far.

Share this:
reddit this reddit thisbookmark with del.icio.us Del.icio.usdigg thisseed newsvineSeed NewsvineStumbleUpon StumbleUponsubmit to propellerkwoff it

About the Author

David Leyonhjelm is a former Senator for the Liberal Democrats.

Other articles by this Author

All articles by David Leyonhjelm

Creative Commons LicenseThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Photo of David Leyonhjelm
Article Tools
Comment 46 comments
Print Printable version
Subscribe Subscribe
Email Email a friend
Advertisement

About Us Search Discuss Feedback Legals Privacy