Guest essay by Eric Worrall
Failed Aussie Conservative Leader and ANU “Tax and Transfer Policy Chair” Professor John Hewson thinks Coronavirus “plusses” such as the noteworthy setting aside of civil liberties offers an opportunity for ramming through climate policies.
Sorry to disappoint climate deniers, but coronavirus makes the low-carbon transition more urgent
April 6, 2020 6.04am AEST
Climate deniers have been hanging out for the United Nations’ next big summit to fail. In a sense, the coronavirus and its induced policy responses have more than satisfied their wildest dreams, precipitating a global recession that they no doubt hope has pushed the issue of the low-carbon transition well down the political and policy agenda.
The next round of international climate negotiations – the so-called COP26 in Scotland – has been delayed until 2021. Presumably, climate sceptics hope governments and policy authorities will now be consumed by, in the words of our prime minister, the need to “cushion” the impact of the recession and ensure “a bounce back on the other side”.
Deniers argue that further disruption to economies and societies will be avoided at all costs.
Sorry to be the harbinger of denier disappointment, but there is every reason to expect that the virus crisis will strengthen and accelerate the imperative to transition to a low-carbon world by mid-century.
…
As Christiana Figueres, former executive secretary of the UN’s Framework Convention on Climate Change, states in her recent book:
“We are in the critical decade. It is no exaggeration to say that what we do regarding emissions reductions between now and 2030 will determine the quality of human life on this planet for hundreds of years to come, if not more.”
…
There are a few “pluses” from the experience of coronavirus. Emissions are falling (although clearly no one would advocate a global recession as a climate strategy). And the response of governments to the crisis has seen decisive domestic action – working individually, but together, in meeting what is a global challenge.
Individual governments have demonstrated how quickly they can move once they accept the reality of a crisis. We’ve also seen just how far they’re prepared to go in terms of policy responses – lockdowns, social distancing, testing, rapid and historically significant fiscal expansions, and massive liquidity injections.
It’s noteworthy that issues that in “normal times” could not have been ignored – such as civil liberties and concerns about intrusive governments and effective competition – have so easily been set aside as part of emergency responses.
…
Read more: https://theconversation.com/sorry-to-disappoint-climate-deniers-but-coronavirus-makes-the-low-carbon-transition-more-urgent-135419
John, what is missing from your glorious climate action revolution is large scale buy-in.
Most people in Australia and elsewhere have accepted the Coronavirus lockdown because there is solid evidence that Coronavirus is a problem. Horror news videos coming from New York, Iran, Italy, Spain and Britain have sent a powerful message which most people have accepted, that it is worth some serious inconvenience to avoid joining those poor dying people gasping for breath in overcrowded hospitals.
There is no solid evidence climate change is a problem. The only “evidence” climate activists have presented for their economic lockdown is a bunch of fear mongering UN elitists whom nobody likes, a 17 year old puppet with serious psychological issues, and a bunch of jet setting professors who keep having to revise their calculations when all the bad things they predict fail to happen.
Until you and your friends can present genuine evidence climate change is a problem, nobody in their right mind is going to accept a climate change lockdown, or anything remotely resembling the kinds of economic cuts failed politicians like you want to inflict on the people you once aspired to lead.
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Precisely!
Sorry to disappoint real crisis deniers like you John but since we now live under a threat of biowarfare attack from communist China we don’t really give a shite about your hypothetical future centuries of slightly warmer winters.
We now have a new boogie man to keep up awake at night and the golden age of climate scam funding is over. No more money left.
So Sorry.
What kind of communist country allows private ownership of the means of production?
China has a fascist economy.
China has a hybrid economy with a left of center political structure.
Left of center, far left of center, the kind our elites would love, since the CCP does give a rat A$$ how many people it has to kill to keep control. Or how much they have to lie about a troubling virus that they cannot control. Our elites and Europe do except they are almost their. Elite answer to voters, no way on God green earth if they get their way, it irreverent they are a bunch of stupid people that won’t know which way north is if you ask them. They have a hard enough time with up and down.
National Socialism?
Observer, I see where you are going with that, and I concur … on the basis of the original fundamental definitions.
What is more important is this: fascism and communism are the same thing, at the fundamental root. They both pivot on coercive control of “the means of production.”
The means of production: the minds, volition, autonomy, and productivity of free human beings. When these are “controlled” by the force-wielding authority, it is of little consequence if they are stamped “fascist” or “communist.”
Both are murder.
They have historically led to genocide in most cases, and have never succeeded over time
Fascism is exactly what it is. The “Communism” is just a facade they use so they can pretend to be “for the worker”. it is just a centralized economy that uses private ownership and management to optimize the economy. This still doesn’t work properly because it is so corrupt. It is very similar to Nazi Germany’s operating structure.
Concur.
Additionally, the United States is becoming more like that form of fascism, since the appearance of private property is high, but control by authority is increasing.
Ayn Rand has the most powerful insight into penetrating into the base to discover that these “forms” of government, fascism and communism, are the same at the root.
She identifies that they are ‘collectivism.’
Not fascist – more like socialist. They both allow private ownership of production but control it from the top. Both are just different brands of the same idea, but Fascist governments are differentiated by having a charismatic leader. Italy’s Mussolini is the prototype. Hitler, although less charismatic, was able to talk his people into killing about five million of their neighbors. China does not have a charismatic leader, nor does North Korea. Fear does not charisma make.
Fascist government is the correct moniker for the (so called) Peoples Republic. Most of the fawning “roaders” are also fascists at heart, especially those who wish to undermine what it took centuries to build with respect to a liberal democracy and the rule of law.
China has an artificial dependent economy. See them fall back into near collapse after Trump burst the bubble made up of US companies bringing technology, investment, modern manufacturing, education on scales they had no idea existed, and a ready made giant market. And then Europe copied this. No inventing a superior mousetrap in the Middle Kingdom. That isn’t what they do. Hundreds of thousands of Chinese are in America studying and stealing American ingenuity, not drawing from their own dry well.
China is coming to heel and accepting a more realistic trade deal with Trump or they know they are headed back into the 19th Century smoke and misery.
All the wonderment and adulation at the “Chinese Miracle” and the encouragement of the gray-faced 19th Century néomarxists in Europe and the American left to replicate this first ever socialist utopia globally, is delusional. All they’ve really seen is that America is orders of magnitude greater and more productive than they even thought.
For those not in the wokeheit delusion, they are witnessing the beginning of the end of their climate enabled dreams. If America doesn’t go along, it ain’t going to happen.
good point.
the transition from communism to capitalism is complicated by the management of the transition by the communist party and the Peoples Bank of China. This strange situation creates many weird contradictions. For example, the branch of the government that owns the major airlines is also the air transport regulator and the branch of the government that owns and operates the stock exchanges is also the stock market regulator.
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2466293
Jerry Brown’s never-ending CA drought is still on pause. Despite a snowless February and claims that the rain and snow could NEVER catch up in March and April … we just got as much as 4ft dumped in the Sierra from a two-day Storm here over the weekend. (And it’s still snowing).
https://opensnow.com/dailysnow/tahoe
The “climate experts” are WRONG so many times … and their outlandishly flawed models simply NEVER replicate reality. And I’m being called the “denier”? Sorry. Get back to me when you demonstrate your slightest understanding of climate … let alone seasonal variability of weather. Just two days ago the Global Warmist embeds in our local Channel 2 weather Dept. were crying about the snow Survey which revealed we were only at 52% for the central Sierra annual average (huh? But our reservoirs are all FULL) . Well … after this ONE storm the (compacted) snowfall is now at 80+%. Don’t these Global Warming shills EVER learn from their FAILED predictions and FAKE prognostications?
And How is it possible that Jerry Brown’s family first arrived in CA in 1852 … yet Jerry conveniently IGNORES nearly 200 years of direct family experience with seasonal variability of CA weather and snowfall, and recurring droughts … and instead puts his trust in FAILED computer models which consistently predict ONLY doom and gloom and the evils of fossil fuels? This so-called professor john-hewson can piss off . He’s an ignoramus too.
We “Deniers” understand climate … and understand ChiCom-19 … farrrr better than the self-anointed intellectual elite. Their graphs are crap, because their data is crap. They’re all shitting a golden Twinkie … about DYING from the ChiCom-19 while we are calmly analyzing the REAL data … not the hysterical hyper hysteric “projections” inscribed in MASSIVE RED LETTERS on the now-malignant Drudge Report. Sheesh. “Professors” like this doosh are worthless humans, wasting space and the efforts of civilized men.
I am keep being reminded that Arizona is in a drought, even though the Palmer drought index says otherwise and surprise surprise, this year all the Salt River dams are filled to capacity. Funny last I heard from the media we were still in a drought.
And Cape Town, that was told they would run out of water two years ago, is going into a third winter (also a Mediterranean climate) with the average dam levels at close to 60%. Where could all this water have miraculously come from?
I think the operative word here is “failed.”
“the imperative to transition to a low-carbon world by mid-century”
Sorry, sir but it isn’t a “low carbon” world that we need to avoid the climate holocaust that deniers deny. What we need is a zero carbon world. Duh!
https://tambonthongchai.com/2020/04/06/a-climate-action-business-model/
what utter nonsense this failed liberal elite waste of oxygen has to say. Unfounded rubbish all to belong to the elite gaggle of charlatans espousing the end is nigh. Grow up
Christiana Figueres: “It is no exaggeration to say that what we do regarding emissions reductions between now and 2030 will determine the quality of human life on this planet for hundreds of years to come, if not more.”
In a way she’s actually right. If we do nothing to the climate human life will improve immensely for hundreds of years! The world has been on an economic boom for years and all the increased wealth, despite a rapidly growing popultation, oligarchs, stock shufflers, bank dynasties, wealthy billionaires, and hundreds of useless bureaucrats making bad regulations the world population is much healthier and wealthier down to the average individual.
“We’ve also seen just how far they’re prepared to go in terms of policy responses – lockdowns, social distancing, testing, rapid and historically significant fiscal expansions, and massive liquidity injections.”
There is a petition in France against the lock down:
https://andele.fr/petition-stop-aux-mesures-de-confinement-generalise-en-france/
merci !
‘fiscal expansions, and massive liquidity injections’
Which will kill savings and render the coin worthless. If ZImbabwe dollars were the solution why work?
Maybe time for a revolution when we run out of cake.
The policy responses are temporary and in an attempt to mitigate a short-term issue. How stupid are these people acting like this can be done on a long-term scale, let alone permanent?
How stupid ….?
To paraphrase that great philosopher Buzz Lightyear “to infinity and beyond”.
Of course, in Australia, a Liberal politician is supposedly a centre right conservative, i.e. liberal in the classical sense with a belief in civil liberties and economic freedom. Hewson’s current views are the very opposite of what a true liberal believes.
John Hewson has always been confused.
About everything.
Especially if he wants to be a “progressive” or a “conservative”
Which basically makes him a “useful idiot”
John Hewson was the greatest moron to ever lead the Liberal Party and he has not changed his spots. He is still a pious failed politician bent on self-aggrandisement. What is missing from his argument is even a vestige of proof that there is a real climate problem. People can clearly see the Covid-19 is a problem and are taking immediate steps to stop it. There is solid evidence that Coronavirus is dangerous. There is no evidence at all that any global warming or climate change is a problem. Warmistas rely entirely on falsified ‘adjusted’ temperature records, sequestration of any weather disaster and fear-mongering predictions that never eventuate, Their top effort was presenting a teenage sock-puppet with serious mental issues as a climate guru. People will only accept economic hardship or lockdowns when they can see a purpose to it all.
The China virus is dangerous, like many other infections. There is no evidence that WHO is correct about the danger.
The WHO apparently has been burning media bandwidth to do live crosses to Lady Gaga, so there is no evidence the WHO are even taking this seriously.
Drop the “serious mental issues ” , it is greatly exaggerated, spiteful and does not advance your augment one jot. It means most reasonable minded folks will write you off as a hateful bigot and ignore the rest of your otherwise valid points.
The same goes for Eric Worral. It’s bad enough to see that sort of thing in comments but I’m surprised Anthony Watts allows this sort thing in articles posted on WUWT. It really does a disservice to the credibility of the site.
Greg, I know and have interacted with a guy with Asperger’s Syndrome. I can safely say from observations, that this has completely wrecked his life as a normal member of society. You may have been lucky to avoid having such people in your life, so don’t make light of it.
I too have encountered a few students with Asperger’s in my university teaching career. Some made it part-way through their Sophomore year; none every graduated. For various reasons, their inability to properly process and access complexities – whether social or academic – seriously interfered with their normal integration into society. Those who misuse/abuse Greta to further their climate agenda … well … you fill in the blanks … their reward is unprintable here.
Should have to do with a short rope and a long drop after a judgement by a jury. Won’t every happen, we won’t even be able to collect the monetary cost they forced on us over nothing.
Why is spell-check turning every “ever” into “every?”
Just because she and her depraved family put her on a pedestal as the world’s climate saviour should not prevent us from calling her out for what she is.
Her recent performances on boats and trains plus claiming to have had CV lend them selves to sensationalist stupidity – akin to a mental issue.
A normal perso/family does not gather around them a gang of thugs as body guards.
Signed,
Another Hateful Bigot
Grow up Greg.
Greg, why do you pretend to have serious mental issues ?
You have no credibility.
Come on nicholas, stop going easy on the turd. He shares Australian political glory with Bill Shorten (don’t you just love the initials?) as the only two Leaders of the Opposition to lose the “unlosable” election. Earns the label LINO (Liberal in name only). For non-antipodeans, the Liberal Party in Oz is a conservative party.
“the Liberal Party in Oz is a conservative party.”
No, it is a centre left, striving to match the progressive parties in dumbness and “virtue seeking” .
John Hewson, Kevin Rudd, Malcolm Turnbull. All elitist self promoting windbag globalists. Australia has suffered enough and now they want the world to suffer. There should be a law against failed blowhards being allowed to waste the world’s time.
“Individual governments have demonstrated how quickly they can move once they accept the reality of a crisis.”
I see this assertion as proof the governments have not really accepted the climate as a crisis. The author should certainly see this as it is central to his argument.
Christiana Figueres says “It is no exaggeration to say that what we do regarding emissions reductions between now and 2030 will determine the quality of human life on this planet for hundreds of years to come,”
This is likely true- Ignore the emissions lies and strive for abundant,affordable energy and life will continue to improve. Choose the Green new Deal and watch the decline of human civilization.
Christiana Figueres says “It is no exaggeration to say that what we do regarding emissions reductions between now and 2030 will determine the quality of human life on this planet for hundreds of years to come,”
She is certainly not wrong. If we continue to squander resources on Climate Change idiocy the future looks bleak indeed.
“Choose the Green new Deal and watch the decline of human civilization.”
The problem is that if they ever manage to get a GND rolling, the resulting decline of human civilization will be blamed on the remaining emissions, and new more drastic restrictions will be imposed.
I hereby propose a Green New Challenge inviting all good Leftists who fear the “climate crisis” to LEAD BY EXAMPLE! Please immediately decarbonize, 100%. For the Planet! If you believe so very sincerely in suicidal green martyrdom, for Gaia’s sake, man, show us how it’s done! Please post videos for universal adulation of your performative CO2 cessation and subsequent “green” composting. All monetization proceeds to Extinction Rebellion, of course!
Oh, those Climate Change fascists! I listen to John Hewson’s words and I hear the cadence of jack-booted Luddites marching in the streets, wannabe dictators preaching environMental Justice and Purity, and eco-ferret block watchers spying and snitching on neighbors for violating the latest carbon neutral diktats.
“The only evidence presented . . .” list of hot air proponents you mention has a glaring omission – the dramaddicted Hollywood crowd, with their sad need for the spotlight.
Shame Shame Shame.
Hard to believe that an ex conservative leader in Australia has fallen so far, even quotes the UN, my oh my.
To the contrary of what Hewson says, a low carbon economy is very UNLIKELY to emerge, given the price/availability of oil, and the near bankrupt state of economies around the world. These economies will be looking to establish the least expensive and most reliable base load generation of power to rebuild industry, carbon.
Why do you think John Hewson was rejected by the Australian electorate? “My way or the highway” doesn’t go down well with the Quiet Australians, who prefer making up their own minds and resist being told what they must think.
Hewson is still publicly active? Colour me surprised.
People still don’t listen to him? Saw that coming.
Also, Eric:
“Most people in Australia and elsewhere have accepted the Coronavirus lockdown because there is solid evidence that Coronavirus is a problem.”
Actually disagree.
People accepted lockdowns not because there was solid evidence, but cause there wasn’t. We BELIEVED Wuhan Virus could leave dead people on every street corner and reacted to the risk, eventually, by closing borders and then closing front doors. People accepted the trade off between not having a job for a while with the reward on not having everyone you know and love gone from their lives.
That was then. Lockdowns were accepted. Past tense.
Now Your Country May Vary, but you deliberately name dropped Australia so let us go there.
So this is now and Australians are either getting their facts from the ABC or they are starting to wonder where all the bodies actually are. Australia is not Italy but despite all the evidence we are constantly reminded that we are where Italy was 2 weeks ago and there will be DEAD EVERYWHERE. Except there isn’t. Why is open to discussion. Possibly we are a statistically healthier and younger population with different population density. Possibly the warmer climate is killing Wuhan bugs a lot quicker than in other parts of the world. Possibly the virus has mutated into a more soy form. Possibly because we don’t have multiple direct flights to Wuhan after agreeing to become a vassal to the Chinese clothing industry.
Wuhan Virus is a harvester, and going by the total deaths in Australia, not even a good one at that. Yes NSW and Victoria have outbreaks but if you look at the graphs for the other states it is difficult to even get meaningful curves the numbers are so small.
People accepted. They will not continue to accept. The youngest death in Australia I could find seems to have been in their 50s, so in practical terms the average Australian has more chance of death from misadventure than being struck down by Wuhan. The people who are having income prevented are increasingly displeased and those fortunate enough to still have an income are dark they are effectively banned from spending any of it (despite the fact that allowing cash into the economy at the moment would be mildly useful).
Yes not being able to spend your own money is a First World Problem, but like the saying goes, “I live in the First World”. If I wanted to live in organic conditions using candles for light and boiling my own bathwater I would vote Greens.
When is it going to end?
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2020/03/20/ny-times-the-response-to-biden-on-climate-change-ranges-from-suspicion-to-resignation/#comment-2942982
[excerpt]
Very-scary global warming (aka CAGW aka climate change) alarmism has always been a false crisis, concocted by wolves to stampede the sheep. It is a global-scale scam created by scoundrels and believed in by imbeciles.
The leaders of the global warming movement know they are lying – no rational person could be this stupid for this long.
The evidence that global warming alarmism is a false crisis is overwhelming – the following paper enumerates 25 facts that falsify the CAGW hypothesis – I could have added many more, but as Albert Einstein famously stated “One would be enough”.”
Time for coffee. I leave you to ponder a few quotes from this remarkable man:
https://www.azquotes.com/author/4399-Albert_Einstein
“I think 99 times and find nothing. I stop thinking, swim in the silence, and the truth comes to me.”
“Everyone has two choices. We’re either full of love… or full of fear.”
“The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything.”
_________________________________________
THE CATASTROPHIC ANTHROPOGENIC GLOBAL WARMING (CAGW) AND THE HUMANMADE CLIMATE CHANGE CRISES ARE PROVED FALSE
By Allan M.R. MacRae, B.A.Sc.(Eng.), M.Eng., January 10, 2020
https://thsresearch.files.wordpress.com/2020/01/the-catastrophic-anthropogenic-global-warming-cagw-and-the-humanmade-climate-change-crises-are-proved-false.pdf
Allan Macrae I wished I’d said this, oh well, I’ll just adopt the expression as my own…kinda like Biden, one plagiarism after another.
“alarmism has always been a false crisis, concocted by wolves to stampede the sheep. It is a global-scale scam created by scoundrels and believed in by imbeciles.
The leaders of the global warming movement know they are lying – no rational person could be this stupid for this long”.
We’re either full of love . . . or full of fear . . . or full of . . . never mind! 😉
The alarmists are scared that will never be able to regain the initiative. And they probably won’t.
“It is no exaggeration to say that what we do regarding emissions reductions between now and 2030 will determine the quality of human life on this planet for hundreds of years to come”
Seems wrong!
How long would it take to wind the “CO2 clock” 20years back, if all human emissions would be cut in half (assuming they are the sole reason for the CO2 increase)
The answer can be seen in the first image here:
https://unfccc.int/resource/brazil/carbon.html
… it would take about two years to go 20% towards the new equilibrium.
So if needs to be humans can turn the clock backwards very quickly, which leaves plenty of time now to get the science right first!
LoN
Laws of Nature – April 6, 2020 at 7:15 pm
Laws of N, …. that was an utterly silly, if not downright stupid question for you to be asking, …. so, …. did you ask it as a result of your ignorance or because you were nurtured to believe the “junk science” of CAGW?
Anyway, Laws of N, given the scientific fact that human emissions of CO2 has extremely little, if any measurable effect whatsoever on the yearly increase in atmospheric CO2, ….. it would take like 1,000 years “to wind the “CO2 clock” 20 years back”.
And Laws of N, …. it is entirely possible that during the next 1,000 years the current Interglacial will commence to end, and if so, atmospheric CO2 will begin decreasing accordingly, …… regardless of what humans do.
“it would take like 1,000 years “to wind the “CO2 clock” 20 years back”
I see, you are repeating the claim from the article (slightly reworded).
What you should have done is visiting my link, which demonstrates that the “IPCC models” use very short time constants for some of the residence time for an atmospheric CO2-surplus.
(that is for the non-equilibrium anthropogenic contribution, not the part due to a possible shift of the equilibrium, but so far that is a rather small amount)
Sam, I doubt your expertise on this topic and would need more than just your words to take you seriously (like a scientific link and such).
LoN
Laws of Nature – April 7, 2020 at 8:45 am
LoN, … your doubt about my expertise doesn’t surprise me in the least.
Given the fact that most of you posted commentary was directly contrary to the actual, factual, evidence supporting the science, you had no other option but to “doubt my expertise”.
LoN, … I am a scientist. I embarked on a scientific career in 1959 when I started my Freshman year in college …… and graduated 4 years later with an AB Degree in the Biological and Physical Sciences.
Laws, it is obvious from your above post that you ACTUALLY believe that human emissions of CO2 has a direct effect on the quantity of atmospheric CO2. So I ask you, LoN, …… HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE …. when calculated, ….. estimated, …..insinuated ….. or guesstimated CO2 emissions by humans are not reflected in the Mauna Loa Observatory Record of daily, weekly, monthly or yearly CO2 quantities?
LoN, how is it possible for you to believe (aka: Keeling Curve Graph) that atmospheric CO2 decreases during NH summer because of the ingassing of CO2 by green growing biomass …… and increases during NH winter because of the outgassing of CO2 as a result of microbial decomposition of dead biomass ……… when both of the aforesaid are biological impossibilities.
scientific link requested, to wit”
When John Hewson sells all of his assets, donates that money appropriately as per his beliefs and lives the life that he expects the rest of us to endure, I might listen to him. The same goes for the rest of the hypocrites.
IIRC Hewson has significant investments in “carbon reduction” boondoggles and the like.
All requiring taxpayer subsidization of course.
I agree with all the criticisms posted above, but the reality is rags like The Conversation, The Guardian and MSM are all getting their message out there with the general population and in general we are not.
Bingo Paul
Shouldn’t we focus on getting rid of the ‘rags’ .
So tell me once again in plain language so I can understand it why the #19 virus is connected to AGW. I’ll wait.
Like you, I failed to see the link between the 2 subjects.
I also have the misfortune to be an Aussie who had to suffer this Labor-lite idiot as a Liberal PM (loosley, the Labor Party in Oz = Democrat, the Liberal Party = Republican.
“ Like you, I failed to see the link between the 2 subjects.”
“HA”, ….. the ‘link’ is “fear”, …… and the “linkees” are the vested intere$t fearmongers’.
I don’t know why Eric called Hewson a “conservative’ because he is far, far from that. Our centre-right party is the Liberal Party ( hey, we are Australian and we distance ourselves from the English out of habit – its a convict thing). In Hewson’s case he would be a Democrat in the US and was always on the leftish fringe of the Liberal Party here. He also managed to ‘lose the unloseable election’ courtesy of a media stuff up of epic proportions over his inability to explain a consumption tax he was proposing yet he is a professor of economics. He has been bitter and twisted ever since, getting more so as he gets older and less and less relevent. He is still a media go to ‘commentator’ / ‘expert’ but that’s really just the media sexing up the day’s news to turn it into a product to flog via their parade of talking heads on TV. In other words he is just a bit of ketchup on the media sausage.
Hewson was what was referred to as a “wet”, claiming to be a conservative but really to the left of the mainstream. He really should have been an Australian Democrat, a party that was supposed to sit across the centre but rapidly moved to the left, similar to the UK Liberals.
He’s a bit of a favourite at the publicly funded Australian Broadcasting Commission as its pet “conservative “…shows how its commentary is “balanced”. All the while he has a secure job during this CV19 economic uncertainty as he has a publicly funded position at a university.
And while we are at it here’s an ANU colleague of John Hewson, Andrew Glikson, who started life as a geochemist and now presents himself as a Paleo-Climate scientist claiming that the current rate of C02 increase is greater than that due to the meteorite impact at the end of the Cretaceous…
https://theconversation.com/while-we-fixate-on-coronavirus-earth-is-hurtling-towards-a-catastrophe-worse-than-the-dinosaur-extinction-130869
Hewson could not explain which ingredients were exempt from GST (Goods and Services Tax)
when baking a cake. For this he lost the election. We didn’t have GST at the time, people needed to understand how it worked. It works, for some reason ours has stayed at 10%. There’s no GST on fresh or unprocessed produce.
“but coronavirus makes the low-carbon transition more urgent”. More urgent for him because he is seriouysly invested in it.
What I don’t get is how all of these otherwise normal and skeptical people have fallen for this fake virus scare. There are plenty of professionals in the medical and infectious diseases fields on record saying variously that this virus epidemic is no worse than previous ones, probably less contagious, less deadly, lower death rates than average flu seasons, mis-reported, over-reacted to, likely to have a ‘second wave’ once lockdowns are removed, and with the responses likely to wreak untold economic and human harm, etc, etc, etc.
From the article: “although clearly no one would advocate a global recession as a climate strategy”
Really? I’m not so sure about that. Advocating trying to power the world with windmills is the equivalent of advocating for a global recession, because that’s what they are going to get if they implement such a policy.
Global recession, worser than that.
When I see the phrase, “climate deniers”, I automatically assign “idiot” to the person spouting it, and I read no further.
Uh….no. Actually there is no money to throw away on fake problems.
Macron still wants to finish closing a 100% working nuclear power plant, the oldest one working, but not that old (40 years in young in the US).