John Howard Says Drought Due To "Climate Shift", Not "Climate Change" - Blames Environmentalists

[hatrack]

THE Prime Minister, John Howard, said yesterday he believed the continuing drought was an example of "climate shift", not climate change. "We are seeing what the experts call a climate shift and I do think we should keep our heads about it. I don't think we should write off farming," Mr Howard told Southern Cross broadcasting.

Mr Howard's office told the Herald the Prime Minister had been influenced by the work of Shahbaz Khan, a professor of hydrology at Charles Sturt University, who recently likened the present drought to the Federation drought of 1895-1902. Other scientists have also used the phrase climate shift in relation to the drought. Many have argued that although the present drought may be a precursor of the longer, hotter dry spells to come in the future, it is not necessarily the result of climate change.

Mr Howard said water restrictions would need to continue but blamed environmentalists for blocking past proposals for dams.

"But if some years ago we had not bowed so much to the greens and had built more dams, maybe things would have been different, and that applies all around the country," Mr Howard said.

EDIT

http://www.smh.com.au/news/environment/climate-shift-no-cause-for-panic-howard/2007/09/28/1190486569828.html

[gateley]

1. I can only laugh and shake my head. nt

[aquart]

2. Someone explain to me the difference between shift and change.

[Javaman]

3. Well when you shift you, um, move sideways?

and when you change you, ummmm...don't?

Howard is a fucking tool.

[diane in sf]

4. More neocon denial blather.

[phantom power]

5. Did he eat fucking lead paint as a child?

[depakid]

6. He's much too clever for that

While he's a world class asshole and probably a sociopath who's taken cues from the American far right- he's mastered politics and demagoguery to an extent that it's difficult for Americans to imagine.

A dangerous fuckwit? Singleminded? You bet. One bent solely on power to the detriment of his country and the world.

But not to be confused with our homegrown imbeciles.