(Blair) Australia 'must rethink Kyoto'

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BRITISH Prime Minister Tony Blair has sent his chief scientific adviser to Australia to convince the Federal Government to sign up to the Kyoto protocol on greenhouse gas emissions. Sir David King said he had met several cabinet ministers in Canberra to urge them to reconsider Australia's opposition to Kyoto. He said he was pleased to discover that not all cabinet ministers appear to support Australia's decision not to sign the protocol.

"I am confident after my discussions with ministers that there is not a single view expressed in the Australian cabinet and that in itself, is of course, interesting," he said. "The British government would like to see Australia and the United States move with us in terms of Kyoto."
Australia and the US are the only developed countries to have refused to ratify the Kyoto protocol, which calls on countries to cut greenhouse emissions by 5.2 per cent below 1990 levels between 2008 and 2012.

In July, the two countries unveiled a new greenhouse gas pact between six countries, including Japan, China, India and South Korea. The Asia Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate also commits the countries to develop and share clean technology. Sir David said the pact was a welcome step but it failed to set any greenhouse gas reduction targets which would encourage private companies to work with governments to reduce global warming.

He also downplayed the Federal Government's claims that signing up to the Kyoto protocol would damage Australia's economy. "I do believe investment in alternative sources (of energy) is likely to boost economies," he said. Sir David also stood by his long held belief that global warming poses a greater threat to the world than terrorism.
However he said it was often easier to focus public attention on terrorism than longer-term issues such as climate change.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,16915523%255E29277,00.html
(just amazing he has the nerve to say anything
Tony Blair has admitted that he is changing his views on combating global warming to mirror those of President Bush - and oppose negotiating international treaties such as the Kyoto Protocol.

[texastoast]

1. A thinking person!!

"I do believe investment in alternative sources (of energy) is likely to boost economies," he said.

That's the real issue. Oil companies don't want to share ANY of the pie. And shrubito is their boy.

[Kailassa]

2. Little Johnny Howard, AKA The Lying Rodent,

has not had his head out of *'s arse long enough in the last 5 years to see that the sky really is falling after all. And this despite the fact that more and more farmers here are being forced off the land due to drought, and last summer Sydney's water catchments had only 15% of their capacity, and Syneysiders were having to buy water because what came from the taps tasted foul.

Even Melbourne is on permanent water restrictions now.

Water is fast becoming the new oil.