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I’ve been saying the Australian commitment of a 28% reduction by 2030 was an economic suicide pact. Terry McCrann’s got numbers on just how suicidal it is:
The so-called NEG or National Energy Guarantee is dammed upfront by the total irreconcilability of its three aims: to ensure both affordable and reliable electricity (and, indirectly, gas) and meeting our commitments under the Fake Paris Accord to cut emissions of carbon dioxide by 26-28 per cent by 2030.
This, not exactly incidentally, means we have to cut emissions per capita by closer to an economy-killing and individual-impoverishing 50 per cent, and do so, in barely a dozen years, thanks to our crazy-stupid “build another Canberra ever year” high immigration, for want of a better word, policy.
What were our negotiators thinking?
Nobody mention immigration. Australia has the fastest growing population in the West. China wants to use “per capita” calculations for obvious reasons. Australia doesn’t even want to talk “per capita”.
We cut our emissions per capita by 28% from 1990 – 2013, but that was done by stopping land clearing and by confiscating land from farmers, stealing their right to use their property, and jailing them if they cleared without grovelling for permission. Somehow we are supposed to do another 50% cut in half the time? Not only are there no easy gains left, but we’re so far past the easy cuts stage we’ve shredded the spirit of the constitution. That was fun, let’s do double?
The all-critical three words that damn the supposed conclusion that we will get cheaper power at the end of it all are these: compared to “business as usual”.
McCann has a great analogy. To paraphrase: we’re on the Titanic, we’re aiming for the iceberg. That’s business as usual — steaming right ahead. Turnbull wants to get the lifeboats ready so we kill less people. McCrann says: why not steer the shop away from it and lose no lives at all, nor the ship (of state)?
Donald Trump is shining a beacon on the berg, on the terrible deal. He’s lit a neon billboard saying “This Way Out”. Turnbull’s too busy getting life-jackets.
But it’s all a bit academic as McCrann also says: By Christmas there may not be a Turnbull government.