Addressing the Climate Crisis Through Smart Economics
"We’re not just talking about the environment. We’re
rethinking economics and rethinking the economic model in a way that has to
tackle poverty reduction. It has to be for everyone..." Sylvie Lemmet, Director
for the Division of Technology Industry and Economy for UNEP
Mentioning climate change in the Southland Times just brings out an endless stream of climate deniers who wax lyrical on nonsense based on highly flawed pseudoscience. I feel it is more productive to talk about smart economics that just happens to be 'green':
Dear Sir
There is a clear choice for voters in this year’s election between a ‘business as usual’ Government and a truly progressive, Green influenced Government that will make a real difference for most New Zealanders.
A recent BERL report on
'growth
opportunities in the southern region economy' highlighted the
fact that business
as usual would probably see on going, but modest growth (largely
because of
the dairy industry). The report identified many different
sectors within the Southland
economy that had unrealised potential and smart, future focused
investment would substantially boost the region's income and
spread risk.
I have been appalled at the
Government’s
lack of recognition for the knowledge and capability that exists
in our regions
and the absence of meaningful consultation and collaboration
with our local
decision makers. We wouldn’t have had Solid Energy spending
millions on mad
lignite schemes, while our Southland roads have deteriorated due
to funding cuts.
We could be supporting
sustainable local
enterprises rather than gambling millions on subsidising
overseas corporations while
they search for risky deep sea oil. The tens of millions of
taxpayer money that is being
spent supporting the fossil fuel industry would be better
invested on addressing
the unacceptable cost of our electricity supply.
This Government is now well
out of step
with current economic thinking, the IMF and World Bank are
actively promoting
smart green economics while our government is stubbornly
rejecting that
approach. We are developing into a low wage, backward thinking
economy that is
largely reliant on the export of primary commodities.
While agriculture will
always be important,
our economy should be far more broadly based. We need to become
a high tech,
smart energy economy that will create new jobs and enable
285,000 children to shift out of poverty and provide
them with a real future.
Yours sincerely
Dave Kennedy
Invercargill Green Party Candidate
Comments
There are two or three who write letters to the editor, so far as I can see.
Carol Cowan had their measure and wasn't fraid to match their letter-rate with her own. She was good. Pity she moved out of the region.
Rod Oram dismissed one of those ostriches at a public meeting once, with an elegant and funny reposte. I enjoyed watching that immensely.
The sad thing is that despite the irrefutable evidence and international acceptance we have a Government made up of deniers (I refuse to use skeptics now because given the strength of evidence only the determined deniers remain). There is still a large proportion of the voting public who also refuse to accept the science and as logic has no part in forming their view then logic cannot be used to shift them.
I would rather be getting on with the business of saving the planet than having an endless argument on the sideline with a stubborn, vocal few. Many will quietly shift in their thinking a lot faster if we just focus on the solutions.
Why are jobs better than benefits?
How are jobs created?
You could do both. I do both. Sequestering carbon in the soil of our own backyard is doing something.Many New Zealanders can do that. Key's never done that.
I've been talking climate change too, on the ODT online.
http://www.odt.co.nz/opinion/your-say/297561/reducing-co2-emissions
Like you, we have our pop up deniers that repeat the same old lines. Keep up the good work over at Homepaddock, I'm wondering about backing you up over there, but I'm not sure if it is a wide enough read forum to expend much time & energy on.
regards
Viv Kerr