Is John Howard dragging his feet on climate change because he’s surrounded by Australia’s biggest polluters? High and Dry promises to explain the politics of Australia’s do-as-little-as-possible attitude to climate change.

“In this damning account, Liberal Party member, lobbyist
and former Howard-government advisor Guy Pearse takes us behind the
rhetoric he once helped write. He reveals that the government has no
plans whatsoever to reduce Australia’s emissions, and explains why this
is bad for Australia’s economy. He exposes a prime minister wilfully
blind to Australia’s real Interests – a man who has allowed climate
change policy to be dictated by a small group of Australia’s biggest
polluters and the lobbyists they fund.”

Unfortunately the website is more of a promotion for the book than a backgrounder. This is an opportunity missed, as a more content-rich site would create a wider audience for the author’s message, more media opportunities for him to speak and ultimately lead to more publicity and more sales. His greatest challenge in the coming months won’t be piracy, it will be obscurity. At least he’s included a brief extract from the book.

GET READY FOR THIS ONE: AUSTRALIA’S CLIMATE CHANGE TIPPING POINT HAS ARRIVED.

Saturday, Nov 4th 2006

From walkagainstwarming.org:
“The Government
will only take real action on climate change and protect our kids’ futures if you to tell them to. Join thousands of other Australians in a
peaceful walk urging action on climate change now.”

Sydney – 11am Martin Place (walk to Tarpeian Way
next to Botanic Gardens) other cities at the website.

See you there!

Can the impending climate crisis be averted? Discover one group’s vision of the future through a documentary made in 2055.

Ever wondered why some people aren’t convinced about climate change? Well over at ExxonMobil, they’ve invested millions in scientists and professional communicators with one objective in mind: buying time.

Next time you see a “climate skeptic” look up their name at this site: ExxonSecrets.org

Australia’s “Environment Minister” Ian Campbell has shown the Australian people his own special brand of foresight.

A federal government report has warned that in the near future, 30-50 years time, climate change will make Australia a very different place. Campbell’s got a plan: pretend 30-50 years is a long, long way away.

The following quotes are from the ABC News article: Don’t panic over climate change: Minister.

(All emphasis has been added.)

The federal Environment Minister says a climate change report warning of more erratic weather and rising sea levels is not cause for alarm.

Not cause for alarm? Why not? I’m guessing it’s because if Australians were alarmed about climate change, we might pressure the government to make the kind of tough decisions that might lose a few friends in the oil, coal, automotive and associated industries…

The new government report on climate change says there could be more droughts and storms, higher temperatures and rising sea levels in the next 30 to 50 years.

The Climate Change: Risk and Vulnerability report predicts more possible threats to water supplies, ecosystems and agriculture.

Environment Minister Ian Campbell says the report is evidence that even if all greenhouse gas emissions were stopped tomorrow, climate change would continue because of the build-up in the atmosphere.

So you’ve heard it straight from the Government: We’ve already f*¢d the planet… Why stop now?

Senator Campbell says the warning could be painted as alarming but there is no need to panic.

“The reality is that these changes will happen over time, they’re talking about a 30 to 50-year time span,” he said.

I’ll be 55-75 by then, and if I ever apply SPF 300+ sunscreen to go outside, plan a beach trip to Canberra or watch a televised memorial for the Great Barrier Reef, I’ll reflect on John Howard’s conservative government.

I’ll remember the government’s refusal to ratify the Kyoto Protocol; their championing of fossil fuel industries and the way Ian ‘Business as Usual’ Campbell pretended climate change wasn’t alarming, when his own department reported that it clearly was.

I’ll probably think to myself: I wish we had panicked.