Is NSW listening to Garnaut warning bell? - 30 September 2008

Greens MP Ian Cohen today urges the NSW Government to take a substantial stand against climate change after the release of the final report by Professor Ross Garnaut today.

“Where Garnaut has fallen short in adequately addressing the urgency, he is highlighting the critical problems of our age. It may not be loud enough but Garnaut is ringing a vital bell,” said Mr Cohen.

“Garnaut says, “While an effective response …. must take shape and be put in place over the next few years. Without such action, if the mainstream science is broadly right, the Review’s assessment of likely growth in global greenhouse gas emissions in the absence of effective mitigation tells us that the risks of dangerous climate change, already significant, will soon have risen to dangerously high levels”.

“The NSW Government’s response to the Garnaut report, vividly displayed by a V8 Supercar race, is what I call delusional,” said Mr Cohen.

“The amount of emissions released by the V8 Supercar race, plus the destruction of trees in the process, makes a mockery of Garnaut’s recommendation of 10 percent cut to carbon output by 2020. After all the time and money expended by the NSW Government towards making Sydney Olympic Park a leader in environmentally sustainable management, with the remediation and restoration of degraded wetlands, conservation of the endangered Green and Golden Bell frog, plus the use of renewable energy across the Park, “said Mr Cohen.

“With dangerous climate change happening at a faster pace than expected it is time for our State Government to take action. Not doing so now is delusional not the other way around,” said Mr Cohen.

“Even in Newcastle, with its job dependency on the coal industry, the community want effective realistic action to deal with climate change to slow our dependence on coal, said Mr Cohen.

“Carmel Tebbutt would be a refreshing change in NSW if she listened to the advice of prominent scientists and followed up on Rudd’s statement that the science is staring them in the face about climate change, “says Mr Cohen.