Essay by Eric Worrall
Leftist concerns about Covid have sadly sent climate protesters back to the streets of Australian cities.
‘Get a real job’: NSW Deputy PM criticizes Blockade Australia protesters
Ten arrested as direct action group begins ‘interruption’ week to ‘fight climate devastation’ as NSW police pledge crackdown
Associated Press of Australia
Monday, June 27, 2022 18.49 AESTThe New South Wales The deputy prime minister has told climate change protesters to “go and get a real job” after police made 10 arrests across Sydney.
The blockaded Australian protesters were part of a group of 50 to 60 activists who gathered in Hyde Park around 8am on Monday, before marching towards the harbour, chanting, playing drums, along with some people pulling signs, pulling wheelie bins down the street and blocking intersections.
One of those arrested was a 22-year-old woman, who is said to have locked herself into the steering wheel of her car and blocked the harbor’s tunnel.
Blockade Australia live-streamed a video of the vehicle as it blocked all lanes from entering the city for about an hour.
Deputy Prime Minister Paul Toole said the protesters did not care about the public and had spent the morning throwing milk cartons, trash cans and other rubbish across the city centre.
“I will say this to the protesters: Go and get a real job,” he said.
“Go and talk to someone who was really delayed in getting to work today.”
…
All of this would be a lot more satisfying if Paul Toolewho told protesters to “get a real job,” was not an outspoken supporter himself.
Paul Toole has spoken frequently about the need for ambitious emissions reductions.
The question is, did Toole mean what he said, when he declared in favor of net zero?
If climate activists are satisfied with the pace of progress and the sincerity of the political guarantees they have received, they will not object.
In my view, bipartisanship has stripped Australian politicians of any authority to push back against climate fanatics. It doesn’t make sense to go around telling people you agree there is a climate emergency, then mock them when they complain about the lack of progress.
Australian politicians really have the power to act on global CO2 emissions. Australia’s domestic CO2 emissions are negligible, but Australia is a major exporter of coal and natural gas – around 200 million tonnes of coal per year, which equates to more than 700 million tonnes of CO2 emissions.
With global annual anthropogenic CO2 emissions of around 36 billion tonnes, halting Australia’s coal exports would simply lead to an immediate 2% reduction in global emissions, at least until as coal consumers find new suppliers – easier said than done in today’s extremely tight coal market.
If Deputy Prime Minister Paul Toole wants to make a significant and immediate impact on global CO2 emissions, he can do it overnight, by ban coal exports from New South Wales, or through the introduction of environmental rules can not be expensive. Similarly, Australian federal politicians can do the same for the whole of Australia.
Clearly banning fossil fuel exports would be a disaster for Australia’s public finances, and would cause major disruption to the economies of our Southeast Asian neighbors. But if politicians truly believe we are in a climate emergency, they shouldn’t worry about trivial things like economic devastation and angry trading partners.
Our climate hypocritical politicians have chosen not to do the one thing they could, which would have a significant impact on anthropogenic CO2 emissions globally.
I understand the anger of climate protesters, although I think their cause is a joke. I would also be angry, if I thought there was a serious problem, and politicians agreed that it was a serious problem, then showed their disdain and apparent lack of sincerity by jerking me, pulling their leg to solve a problem they openly say they agree is serious. .
One thing I loathe more than a climate activist politician, is a fake climate activist politicianwho show their disdain for voters by pretending to support climate action for short-term political gain.
Political dishonesty is a fundamental stain of democracy. Our votes, the whole voting process, are only valid if politicians mainly keep faith with their supporters and try to keep their promises.
I want to be clear, I am not accusing Paul Toole of dishonesty. But I can certainly understand why the climate activists he mocks might come to that point, and why they show distrust of the democratic process.
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