If Politicians Can't Talk About Global Warming When Their Country's On Fire, When Can They?

[hatrack]

EDIT

And so Morrison brings in a lump of coal to parliament. Why? The performance – it annoys the left and it is a good spectacle. The ALP this week has tried their best to not provide any spectacle. There was no fightback of any real note against the idiocy of Barnaby Joyce or Michael McCormack – a lot of “now is not the time”. And that might seem the mature and sensible response, and yet with the spectacle and the performative aspect of politics comes the opportunity to sell your policy and push your agenda

Australia is burning, and it is burning because of climate change. Scientists and fire chiefs know this – and they have been ignored by the government. That’s reason enough for the ALP to raise the issue with fervour. This week the Swedish central bank sold off Australian government bonds because of our high emissions dependency. That won’t be the last time climate change has a major impact in international finance. We all know it is coming, but the government chooses to ignore it and suggests we put off discussion for another time.

We should be talking about it now – no debate on climate change is going to hamper the ability of firefighters to do their job. No firefighter is standing off to the side waiting for Albanese and Morrison to finish their debate so they can go off and put out a fire. It might seem mature to wait for a more appropriate occasion to talk about climate change and bushfires, but politics is about capturing the moment. The conservative side of politics knows this, and uses it again and again on issues of national security and crime.

Conservatives want to wait, because they want to wait until a time when the public will be less invested, less angry and less attentive. Next month it will be Christmas holidays and the attention of voters will be gone. Progressives too often cower and take the mature road and let opportunities go begging.

EDIT

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/nov/17/if-you-cant-talk-about-climate-when-the-country-is-burning-when-can-you?CMP=share_btn_tw

[blm]

1. It's evil.

[beachbumbob]

2. goes back to who are the "stake holders" in such discussions and that is typically business

and business look at ways NOT to spend money that offers no return and they always have the immediate sense of profit today. Throw in human nature where impending disaster can be ignored until you are 20 days into the 40 days of rain concept. As a sentient being, humans are not well equipped to take proactive action as a species. We literally have to be up to our necks in the muck.

Until we can effectively change the psychology of people, little chance in offering convincing argument and reasoned debate. Not to be a "downer" but until real actual cost of the impact of climate change is felt by business, people and government, no effective action is going to happen. Of course we know that at this point nothing is going STOP what is happening, BUT actions can be taken as a delaying tactic to extend the timeline of the inevitable. To me, the discussion among the knowledgeable needs to focus on how some us will survive in 50 years (more likely. less) then on "stopping" climate change. I believe that window is long gone

[Srkdqltr]

3. If they talk about it they have to do something.

That will cost money. So they do nothing. If it is any consolation, this goes on everywhere.