Another ‘threat’. Steve Watkinson used this word, which is a good one to describe the way we are being treated.

We are being threatened constantly with dire consequences if we don’t do this or that by a certain date, and in a certain way, look out!

People who threaten other people are bullies. They seek to gain control over others.

Clive Hamilton recently demonstrated on OLO that bullies can be resisted; not being able to convince people that he was right and they were wrong, he took his bat and went home. But there are still many bullies out there eager to replace him. This morning, the CSIRO threatened us with $8 a litre petrol by 2018. The media revels daily in items to threaten us with. The Labor Government, by nature of its philosophy, is a bully.

The Government has said that we WILL comply with certain measures by a certain date, even though anything we do in Australia will mean nothing in global terms, but will certainly affect our prosperity.

The chief bully in Australia was allowed 8 minutes at the G8 meeting to tell the big polluters – America, India and China – that they should be ‘following’ Australia. They politely said “up yours” to Rudd; they faced down the bully.

It’s well past time when we should face down the climate change bullies and demand that moderate voices not be silenced.

It will be too late when the Australian economy has been beggared by the bullies. They will not even say sorry when their panicked actions are seen to have no effect on climate change.

Mr. Right’s comments about bullies is absurd. People warning other people about the consequences of certain actions or inactions are attempting to reduce harm to other people or the environment. There is nothing in Steve Watkinson’s article to suggest that he is seeking power over others.

To put the economy ahead of the environment is illogical. Which is a sub-set of which?

If Australia wants to advance then we need a shared logical understanding of how the planet works and provides us with the resources we use to provide us with the lifestyle that we enjoy. As well as understanding how the planet works we need to understand how societies fail and succeed.

I ask Mr Right and any one who shares his thoughts to read Tim Flannery’s The Future Eaters and Jared Diamond’s Collapse. After Mr Right has read at least theses two books then I will be willing to listen to him.

For now I must thank Steve Watkinson for his attempt to help our species to have a future.

You are correct Joondalup. Most of these denialists have an ideological suspicion and even hatred of environmental issues (i think it's how they were raised).

However... many of the proposals such as the banning of incadescent globes and slapping on carbon taxes just simply seem like extremely cheap bandaid solutions that don't sound convincing. Populism is probably not the way to go, but outright theft is not going to be appreciated either. Where are the taxes going to go? Welfare to oil companies?

Steve,

I have read Flannery's books. You seem to think that people will change their minds just because one of your idols writes something. Not so. You might believe Flannery; I do not.

The only thing I agree with Flannery on is his 13 million optimal population for Australia, but he seems never to mention that now, having found other ways to stir the possum. If more people really mean more emissions, he should still be thumping that one. Anyone with the slightest concern for Australia’s environment should be putting population policy at the top of their lists, and should have been doing so a long time before climate change became the in thing to worry about.

The last thing I heard from him was a ratbag plan to pump sulphur into the atmosphere.

The economy and the environment are both important. Balance is needed, but the bull-at-a-gate ideas and intentions of the likes of Flannery ( a public servant who gets his pay no matter what) and the Government who listens to such people, will see our economy flattened as the world's worst polluters carry on as normal.

The blather about the costs of not doing anything is nonsense. When we have had our economy driven backwards by the costs your mates intend to levy on us, and the climate still changes back in its own good time, you and your mates will be the ones to look "absurd".

In the meantime, try reading books written by people with views other than those you seek out to justify your own emotions and beliefs.

You might even discover the satisfaction of thinking for yourself instead of hanging onto the coattails of big mouths who have proved nothing but who get all the publicity.

"Government who listens to such people, will see our economy flattened as the world's worst polluters carry on as normal. "

I think flattened is an overstatement, don't you? I would call it unnecessarily punitive, if anything.

Some companies are adapting without all the whining some in the industry and... other individuals... are doing on a continual basis.

http://green.yahoo.com/blog/ecogeek/603/mercedes-to-cut-petroleum-out-of-lineup-by-2015.html

Where some see whining at government others see innovation and new industries. Unfortunately Australians often act like pigheaded, inbreds a lot of the time.

Steel - you confuse normal energy efficiency practices with GW reactions.