Guest essay by Eric Worrall
As demand for Australian coal soars to new records, Democrat John Podesta has threatened “consequences” over Australia’s defiance of Biden’s global climate initiative. But there are forces in motion which make the Biden administration’s climate demands a geopolitical irrelevance.
Podesta: Quad will demand Australia does more on climate change
By Latika Bourke
April 28, 2021 — 11.58pmSaveShareNormal text sizeLarger text sizeVery large text sizeLondon: Senior Democrat John Podesta has warned Australia will be confronted by its fellow Quad members over its weak carbon reduction targets as the Biden administration places climate change at the heart of its security agenda.
Podesta, a political consultant, chairs the Washington-based Centre for American Progress, ran Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign and co-chaired the Obama transition committee in 2008.
Speaking to the podcast Rekindling Hope hosted by Labor’s climate spokesman Chris Bowen and former Labor candidate Sam Crosby, Podesta said Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s insistence that technology will sort out emissions reductions “is just not going to cut it”.
“The Biden administration is going to expect a lot more than they got at the summit out of the government,” Podesta said. “Everybody’s moving and Australia is left behind and at the end of the day that’s going to have important consequences.”
…
Biden’s net-zero emissions goal by 2050 is shared by Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga. Both India and Japan pledged higher cuts than originally planned for 2030.
However, like Morrison, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not pledge any new goals for slashing India’s carbon output – the developing giant is the world’s third-largest emitter.
…
Read more: https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/podesta-quad-will-demand-australia-does-more-on-climate-change-20210427-p57mwa.html
Why is Australia so relaxed about ignoring the Biden administration’s climate threats?
The reason is our Asian market. Asia needs Australian coal, and iron ore, like never before.
An increasingly aggressive China is pouring money into expanding a naval fleet which already by some measures matches the firepower of the US Navy, at least for near shore operations in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait.
China’s neighbours, including India, are increasingly alarmed at China’s growing naval power, and have quietly initiated emergency military buildups of their own. Vietnam, which for much of the last 2000 years has either been occupied by or at war with China, is building up their maritime militia. Even Japan is building up its military, to counter the growing China threat. Taiwan of course is also taking the China threat very seriously.
Trillions of dollars are being poured into preparations in Asia for the next major military confrontation, and Australia is cashing in, selling coal and iron ore to whoever asks for it, including China. A substantial share of the soaring military budgets of Asian superpowers is being spent on the purchase of Australian coal and iron ore.
With money of that magnitude on the table, and the promise of much more to come, nobody in the Australian government cares what the Biden administration has to say about carbon tariffs, climate change or reducing Aussie coal exports.
Canada’s green Prime Minister Justin Trudeau once said “No country would find 173 billion barrels of oil in the ground and leave them there“. I guess that applies just as much to Australia’s coal and iron ore bonanza.
It also applies to American coal exports – interestingly enough entirely through a Canadian port located at Tsawwassen B.C. just north of the US Canada border. You probably didn’t know about that. For obvious reason the usual claque don’t talk about it.
I didn’t know about that – thanks Terry.
Yes, the incredibly woke NDP/socialist govt in BC that was so dead set against the Transmountain oil pipeline expansion, happily expanding the coal export facilities for both Canadian and USA origin coal.
Stupid and hypocritical is endless
I’ve always been mystified why the ultra-green governments of BC over past decades have been so rabid about not ‘polluting’ the air there with CO2, yet have stood idly by while the provincial capital (Victoria) gushed rivers of barely-treated sewerage directly into the “pristine” waters of Georgia Strait.
(I believe they’re just doing something to curtail this now).
Apparently, salmon lives don’t matter.
doing something to curtail this now
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The new provincial slogan: If its yellow, let it mellow.
There is a lot of coal exported through the Tsawassen terminal from the British Columbia mine up in Tumbler Ridge. But US coal would have to travel past me here in White Rock just south of Tsawassen, and I have yet to see a coal car on these tracks. A lot of sea-cans, other freight, the Amtrak, but no coal.
I live in Bellingham and see the coal trains heading north multiple times a day. Sadly, local authorities killed a coal loading terminal in Whatcom County. Since rail traffic comes under US federal authority they cannot stop the flow of coal trains passing thru the county and giving the coal loading jobs to Canadians.
Tumbler Ridge coal is shipped via Prince Rupert on the north coast if British Columbia.
Speaking of US coal exports 😉
https://uscoalexports.org/2021/04/20/eia-us-coal-production-export-consumption-forecasts-rise-for-2021/
Yes. Add in the natural gas exports and it’s clear Podesta , a Clinton era hasbeen is just parroting the green groups he’s a mouthpiece for.
Podesta usually speaks for the Democrat elites. So what he is saying is what is being talked about in the Biden administration.
I’m glad that Australia is in a postion to be able to ignore these arrogant dictates from the radical Democrats in the United States.
Keep in mind that at least half the people in the United States do not share the radical Democrats view of the world, and are allies of Australia.
Podesta does not speak for everyone in the United States. Neither does Biden.
And that Podesta funds climate and environment propaganda machines; e.g. desmog.
Terry
Thanks – I guess we should get used to this as the new norm as we enter the fossil fuel prohibition of the new energy Puritanism.
New Al Capones by the dozen are waiting in the wings.
Why is the oil price rising? – must be for all the backup gensets you will need…. Its just a repeat of the MM’s Planet of the Humans… Dont listen to what they say, watch what they do
Actually the more they talk about it, the less chance of labor winning the next oz election… We are living the renewable nightmare of high power prices and blackouts.
oil prices arent that high
fuel prices in aus right now are as IF? the barrel wti was in the 100 or more range! 137c a litre today
“We are living the renewable nightmare of high power prices and blackouts.”
We are living the Marxist dream of high power prices and blackouts. There fixed it for you.
yep they don’t mind making fuel and electricity prices “necessarily skyrocket” (TM-Obama) to save the world from the demon lurking in the shadows
Podesta? The “Spirit Cooker”?
Indeed Kenji, I was thinking the same. One of the gangster brothers who should be doing time.
Podesta, the guy who’s idea of cyber security was to have his online password set as ‘password’. He’s always been a joke and, presumably, always will be.
Hey, that guy used MY password. WTF??
He puts the “ugly” in ugly American.
Pod-pest-a? Is he working from prison? He’s supposed to be in prison.
Australia being “left behind” in this race to economic suicide is precisely where it should be. In fact it should be moving the other way laying the foundations for future prosperity.
If only things were made in Australia we could just wave the USA off as it heads over the cliff of doom.
Coal and Iron Ore prices are up,
Coal and Iron Ore Exports are up.
Australian Economy is on the up and up.
Why would anyone with the good of their country at heart, ever do anything to stop that !!
https://themarketherald.com.au/australias-iron-ore-exports-estimated-to-hit-record-136b-this-financial-year-2021-03-29/
https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/australian-coal-exports-bounce-back-from-chinas-ban/
Australia should be taking Their Iron and Their Coal and making Their Own Steel to build up Their Navy capabilities. China is just a stone’s throw away from them
That’s like saying Canada is just a stone’s throw from Peru.
Trudeau has the Navy drawing up plans to invade Peru by way of Bolivia.
The choice that is being put to Australia is this:
In Quest of a Multi-Polar World
https://consortiumnews.com/2021/03/26/in-quest-of-a-multi-polar-world/
And the faux Climate Change Crisis fits the bill here, as it facilitates the war against the mixed economy, by driving out factories and jobs.
In the long run, a foreign policy based around requiring allies to hobble their economies is simply inexpedient. IMHO And what do you get in exchange for it? A toxic progressive cancel culture, restricted speech, a dishonest media, massive government corruption, “fortified elections” and a worthless paper currency untethered to a productive economy.
Better for Australia to wait and see if the United States is still a viable nation in ten years. IMHO
I am sure other countries would be very interested in the bases in Australia. A visit from Lavrov to discuss joint strategic arrangements between Australia and Russia would soon adjust US attitudes.
Lavrov could arrive Down Under and announce-
“we are own all your bases”
or “all your base are belong to us“
We don’t need to wait ten years. The US, that Republic whose liberty constitution all our democracies are founded on is done and dusted politically, socially, economically and, soon to be, militarily.
Australia itself has already been destroyed industrially and socially through 60 continuous years of disastrous economic policy. It depends entirely on having a powerful friend. We need to start cosying up to another.
I really would like to see more stuff made in Aus. Not going to happen with compulsory super deductions rising every year by .5% to 12% in 2025. From July this year I receive a .5% reduction in pay (It may go to my super fund, minus TAX, which I have not much control of until 67, but it is still money not in my hand).
Australia went off the cliff decades ago and now we rely on China.
John would love to have your child over to a swim and for dinner and party. Maybe see Joe and Barry at ritual , I mean party,
Alberta’s doubling down on fossil fuels by granting coal-mining leases. Trudeau wants them to leave the coal in the ground. We need to reorganize North America along vertical, rather than horizontal, lines.
In the modern global world to be able to respond to external and internal forces appropriately countries actually need to be smaller. A countries ability to respond to the needs of their citizens in a cohesive and caring manner goes down as the country gets bigger. Hope you enjoyed the redrawn map of North America.
I think you are on to something here. I have wondered if a truly free and liberal nation is not possible above a certain size, and especially so if it is multicultural. Thus, the U.S. is becoming illiberal — a balkans of squabbling interest groups. Smaller is better, perhaps.
Look no further than the EU for proof that bigger is a disaster.
I agree Kevin.
I’ve always thought that a city of ~ 1 million population is the most viable & efficient. Critical mass to support all necessary infrastructure & services, but not so big as to become ungovernable (or unliveable, as many big cities are today).
Once ‘ideal’ population size range is reached, only accept new entrants in balance with births, deaths & voluntary exits.
(Hand in hand with this notion is the eradication of ‘mid-level’ governments (ie state / provincial), so only 2 tiers of government remain – national & (beefed-up) local governments.
Outside of the major regional hub you describe, I (as planning king/god) would also limit the smaller cities to a max of 80,000 … with a reasonable distance (30 miles) between them.
Seems that with a higher population level, the govt management is easily distanced from those that they are supposed to be serving.
Trudeau wants them to leave the coal in the ground.
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That is because the provinces (Alberta) own their natural resources and the Feds (Trudeau) want them.
Hmm what might the real consequences of not “doing more to tackle the climate emergency” could include:
Lower energy costs
More reliable electrical grids
More competitive manufacturing and other industries
More jobs
More “wealth for toil”
More birds and bats as they aren’t fed into giant windmills
Seems to me that we Aussies’d be best served by completely ignoring the Senile fool that has managed to fall in to the Whitehouse, as the consequences seem to be overwhelmingly positive!
I wouldn’t take much notice of a Democrat official. It is usually difficult to see what such people are trying to do – let alone trying to boss other countries around. From the Democrat point of view, I would suggest that they want to ruin the US economy and have what is left over for them selves. John Kerry for instance runs a huge budget running around the world in his private jet in order to promote “climate change”. I would say “sucks” for both Kerry as well as Podesta.
Shouldn’t this guy be in jail by now?
Podesta has some “consequences” waiting just around the corner. Not long now, I think.
It’s to generate electricity.
Before Covid 19 Australian metallurgical (coking) coal exports were almost double the value of thermal coal $41b and $24b respectively, most metallurgical coal going to India.
Currently there is no alternative to metallurgical coal for the manufacture of steel.
In 2019 Australia was the world’s biggest exporter of metallurgical coal accounting for 55% of the world’s supply (with the United States in second, at 15%).
Speaking to the podcast Rekindling Hope hosted by Labor’s climate spokesman Chris Bowen and former Labor candidate Sam Crosby, Podesta said…
So the SMH (openly woke Sydney based daily newspaper) is quoting a slur on (nominally) ‘conservative’ Prime Minister Morrison made on a PodCast hosted by a current Labor (aka ‘the opposition’ in the current Australian government) member and someone who is openly clearly linked to the ALP and this is news?
Spoiler? Podcasts get less attention then the Oscars (live streaming for all those sweet SuperChat bucks is where it is at) and this podcast is clearly a forum for Woke to talk Woke at Wokes for Wokes.
Now I don’t claim their little podcast shouldn’t exist, but do wish to comment on the selective attitude traditional media displays when it comes to New Media.
example?
US Leftie slags ScoMo on podcast? Valid News Source
Fans on YouTube discuss the Woke/Broke train wreak that Disney has become? Toxic Racist Incels!
Sorry – Toxic Racist Incels who are part of an organised hate group funded by the Alt Right!
You Australians share a language with we Americans, but I often have to read Australian several times to get your meaning!
Notice who John Podesta did not threaten: the greatest culprit for burning huge quantities of coal namely China? Too scared to take on the big boys or not politically expedient?
Cowardly. Prefers to throw a tantrum at those that won’t hit him back.
Podesta didn’t threaten India, either.
Australia should tell John Podesta and Biden to go to Hades Mind their own business. Prove coal is harmful to the Earth’s climate before castigating others.
It’s much better to badger your allies; it strengthens friendship. Joke aside, Chris Bowen is an idiot, much like all of Labor Party these days
I think its a third alternative that they are bought off. Biden has a major problem with a third of the population believing they cheated to win the election. So their thinking lets blame the Russians thinking most Americans will remember the cold war and will unify against the Russians.
Well I have news for the Biden administration, a lot of us no longer believe their lies about Russia. Podesta could be just another of the many Chinese bought off politicians that the CCP is using to wage their cold war against Australia. Since their is documentation in the Hunter Biden laptop on how Biden is sold out to the CCP it stands to reason many people in the highest levels of the democrat party are sold out plus the rhinos.
“As demand for Australian coal soars to new records, Democrat John Podesta has threatened “consequences” over Australia’s defiance of Biden’s global climate initiative. But there are forces in motion which make the Biden administration’s climate demands a geopolitical irrelevance.”
Has anyone bothered to tell Podesta that coking coal is need to make solar panels and the steel for wind turbines? If he wants the world covered in the things to fight climate change, then he needs to stop treating coal like some kind of evil demon. But I guess when there is somebody in govt who is as clueless as he his, we can’t expect him to demonstrate a whole lot of common sense.
I for one would be shocked if he did.
They think everyone uses hydrogen for industrial reduction…
@Eric:
“They think everyone uses hydrogen for industrial reduction…”
So Eric, are you saying that they do not need coking coal to make silicon for solar panels nor for the steel for wind turbines? I thought hydrogen made steel brittle?
Please clear up my confusion here. Thank you.
He said “they” think. They also believe in unicorns. I’d say he was being obviously sarcastic
Hydrogen is a joke CD.
I don’t know about that. When I worked in the electronic materials business we got our electronics grade silicon from a Union Carbide plant that used coking coal as step one in the process — silicon dioxide to metallurgical grade silicon.
Democrats have to have someone or something to demonize when they are seeking some policy change, and they have decided to pick on Australia as part of their climate change policy.
Probably because picking on Australia will have the fewest bad consequences for the radical Democrats, while, in their minds, picking on Australia makes the radical Democrats look like they are really doing something about climate change.
It’s the least confrontational stance the radical Democrats can take while still appearing to be pushing the climate change envelope. It’s all about the optics to the radical Democrats.
The radical Democrats are seriously delusional. They really do need therapy. Maybe we can oust these asylum inmates in 2022 and get the world back on track.
Real Americans Love Australia. We remember our common history, with Australians fighting beside Americans in many wars.
“They really do need therapy.”
Problem is, most therapists need therapy too.
Australia is probably weak enough and small enough for them to bomb if they need to
podesta can stfu
re sales of ore
hard call the money n works good BUT theres an old story
pollies that sold china our scrap n it came back as weaponry
Pig Iron Bob
Man wants to make threats, eh? Got some questions about a young fellow named Seth Rich… Chose your fights carefully, Podesta…
Yes, radical Democrats are big on threats. They have an inflated view of themselves, which makes them very dangerous when they have political power.
Pod-pest-a sez he will not warn again – next time – John Kerry will reappear in Australia – you were warned.
Meanwhile in Germany:
“Legal blow for Merkel’s climate plan as German Greens surge”
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/legal-blow-for-merkel-s-climate-plan-as-german-greens-surge/ar-BB1gaIR2?ocid=Peregrine
Could Germany be the first country to be sunk on a Green Economy?
Fingers crossed
Now that is funny right there on so many levels … Germany scores an own goal and takes one for the team :-).
Surely in an America awash in lawyers a smart one could rewrite this lawsuit and apply it to the massive debts being dumped onto “the children” of the future. How angry will those people be? How stupid will they judge us to have been? Like leeches, Nazism, slavery seem to us now, how could billions of people have gone along with this CO2 nonsense?
Gee whiz, it also applies to the 500 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in the Mediterranean basin, now being developed by Egypt, Israel and Jordan. Yes, that number is correct. That is the best guess so far, but there is the possibility that it may be more. I dropped an article link about that in the “NEWS TIP” section a few days ago.
Podesta is just looking for attention, nothing more. He is an attention-seeking twit, SO lame and pathetic, can’t accept not being relevant any more.
Interesting. Apart from Australia being a massive “carbon” sink.
About the only Australians who would give a rats what John Podesta said or thought would be the left MSM and greentards because it plays from the book. It will get a niche playtime and be quickly ignored.
Australia is, quie demonstrably, ruled by the inner city elites. The Left MSM IS the media! There are few who watch anything else. So ‘no’ Podesta will not be ignored. What is happening is dangerous to us all
Podesta sounding dictatorial threatening a US Ally with just not going to cut it. What would that “it” be.
There are consequences, and then there are consequences. Biden could order the US Navy to intercept Australian coal shipments on the high seas. Operation Greta, if you will. If nothing else, it’s one way of generating just a whole lot of attention.
Much cheaper for Biden to subcontract China to intercepts Australian coal shipments
He’ll want 10%
When Hillary lost in 2016, she knew SHE wasn’t to blame. Podesta was next in line, to deflect blame from himself he made up the “Russia collusion” story. Hillary didn’t belive it either, but it was alot better than blaming the folks in Philly and Detroit for not stuffing mail-in ballots.
Hard to believe Podesta is still welcome in Dem circles- he lost to Trump!!!!
Tell Biden to go pound sand. He’s not the president (neither is Harris). What an embarrassment.
Australia told China to fack off. They will tell China’s puppet Xiden to do the same
Unfortunately, Aus telling China to pluck off is very dangerous. Aus constantly overestimates both it’s own importance and strength – military and industrial….oh, and cricket.
Podesta and his brother ran a lobbying firm for foreigners (Iraq, Moldova, Azerbaijan and Saudi Arabia). No FARA certification. Democrats get away with exactly what Manaforte did. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/lobbying-firm-shuttered-tony-podestas-fate-mueller-probe/story?id=55298024
Search “Podesta Artwork” in any search engine.
Sell and burn that coal baby
Australians don’t care what a filthy rock spider has to say. He should be in prison.
China is currently using the global warming idiocy to convince the stupid not to invest in coal in an effort to pick up Australia’s substantial coal assets for nothing. You have to admire them for that, they barely have to hide it anymore.
Sod off, John Podesta. I am seriously tired of ignorant Americans, especially their politicians, whether Democrat or Republican, sounding off about my country from their position of zero knowledge. Australia is not perfect but we are one of the very few countries that has met our Kyoto obligations and we’re stupid enough to have signed up to Paris and again look like we will be one of the few countries to get close to those commitments.
Instead we are harangued by ignorant fools trying to cover up for their own incompetence. By the time Americans wake up, they will no longer have the democracy they keep spouting off to the rest of the world.
So I’d like to deliver a little lecture back. How about you learn how to run a decent democratic vote for your president that doesn’t allow fake voting, multiple voting and vote harvesting. My country, Australia, again is not perfect but we do require our citizens to at least front up to a ballot box and we definitely do not require people to register with a particular party. The rules for election for our federal politicians are the same across the country through the Australian Electoral Commission. We usually have a pretty good idea of who actually wins our elections within 24 hours and we don’t need our High Court to decide it for us.
So I finish my comment where I started it.
Sod off, John Podesta.
Im almost starting to think if Podesta and Biden as bullies
Podesta is threatening countries?
Threatening them with what?
A) Vague threats about sycophant big bully countries?
B) That Biden’s religious climate believers will do something substantial?
B) The return of Hillary and her vengeance?
Shouldn’t Podesta be in Jail somewhere?
Whatever Australia or any other country does to improve its economy and alleviate its poverty is its business, and others shouldn’t preach to it or denounce it. If the countries that are importing Australian coal are supposedly so concerned about global emissions, all they have to do is quit buying it, but let’s see how fast that happens. Also let’s see how fast the EU is willing to cut its imports of US coal.