Rudd takes Australia inside Kyoto

[Dani]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7124236.stm

Great news

Australia's new stance on Kyoto will isolate the US as the only developed nation not to have ratified the treaty.

Cheers,

Dani

[ryyannon]

The Kyoto Treaty is not worth the paper it's written on.

At least the U.S. had the good sense not to give in to the imbecility of its terms and the moral blackmail of the politically correct.

As usual, we'll do it ourselves, our way, and better.

In the meantime, can anyone name even one country that is even remotely close to meeting any of the terms of the treaty?

By the way, I'm starting a "We Pledge Not To Be Mean To Adorable Helpless Little Puppies On Christmas Day" Treaty that I hope all the RWG members will sign.

I mean, how could anyone refuse?

Unfortunately, someone will always screw the pooch, so to speak, but's that's ok, as long as you've signed the petition: we all know your heart is in the right place.

After all, it's your sentiments that count, not your actions.

Sukkas.

[HauteHippie]

That's too bad. I don't like this new guy Rudd one bit. Howard was the shit. Between Kyoto and the weak dollar, I don't know how the other civilized nations think they are going to compete with us on exports. They are crippling their own economies.

[Dani]

The Kyoto Treaty is not worth the paper it's written on.

At least the U.S. had the good sense not to give in to the imbecility of its terms and the moral blackmail of the politically correct.

As usual, we'll do it ourselves, our way, and better.

Yeah like Iraq.

Cheers,

[Victoria]

By the way, I'm starting a "We Pledge Not To Be Mean To Adorable Helpless Little Puppies On Christmas Day" Treaty that I hope all the RWG members will sign.

I'll sign!

Sukkas.

Quite. That's China giving you all the bird.

[offshore]

I don't like this new guy Rudd one bit.

OK for you guys, we've got to live with the pr*ck, running our country and our lives.

There is only one sure thing with Labour now in power Australia wide, ( both in the States and Federally)

Interest rates will rise! Dramatically.

Any Aussie who doesn't fix the interest rate on their mortgage, has rocks in their head.

I'm sure the millions of younger Aussies who elected Rudd the dud, didn't live through the last dose of Labour in power, when the interset rate went from 4.75% to 17.5%. But us old elephants have long memories.

Offshore

[HauteHippie]

OK for you guys, we've got to live with the pr*ck, running our country and our lives.

There is only one sure thing with Labour now in power Australia wide, ( both in the States and Federally)

Interest rates will rise! Dramatically.

Any Aussie who doesn't fix the interest rate on their mortgage, has rocks in their head.

I'm sure the millions of younger Aussies who elected Rudd the dud, didn't live through the last dose of Labour in power, when the interset rate went from 4.75% to 17.5%. But us old elephants have long memories.

Offshore

I bet. I wouldn't want to live under Rudd rule, either. I feel for you, mate.

[Victoria]

I bet. I wouldn't want to live under Rudd rule, either. I feel for you, mate.

I am not Australian, so I feel I cannot opine one way or another.

I just want to say that democracies absolutely need changes, and this means by force, swings from one political party to another. First, it keeps the other parties honest. Second, it allows people to see what one party has to offer in power, other than just opposition and criping.

Very rarely do you get a country like, e.g. Norway..., whose Labour Party dominated for 30 years STRAIGHT in power. Yipes. I wouldn't like that at all, but if it worked for them, bully.

Howard was refreshing for me, and I've scant opinion of Rudd, but again, I'm not Australian. I just wish Australians well in the coming years. There should be no surprises what will happen, though, as Offshore said.

@Dani: Spiderpig! Love it.

[cornerstone]

"There's no way that a GST will ever be part of our policy....Never ever"

John W Howard, Prime Minister - famous for introducing the GST.

The prosecution rests.

[KB]

Well CS I wasn't going to get involved but suffice to say that Labor didn't ride back in on the back of just the kids.

Ken

[HauteHippie]

Well CS I wasn't going to get involved but suffice to say that Labor didn't ride back in on the back of just the kids.

Ken

I must admit it's not ALL bad from my perspective as these Aussie liberals seem to be surprisingly pro-USA.

[Victoria]

I must admit it's not ALL bad from my perspective as these Aussie liberals seem to be surprisingly pro-USA.

Surprising for some used to entrenched left-wing anti-Americanism, but Australians are a very different kind of people. "Why I love Australia" is a magnificent read.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/..._australia.html

Excerpt:

"Why? Because Australia's geographic and historical isolation has bred a wisdom about the structure of peace -- a wisdom that eludes most other countries. Australia has no illusions about the "international community'' and its feckless institutions. An island of tranquility in a roiling region, Australia understands that peace and prosperity do not come with the air we breathe, but are maintained by power -- once the power of the British Empire, now the power of the United States."

The air we breathe...nice way to bring it back on topic.

[offshore]

"Why? Because Australia's geographic and historical isolation has bred a wisdom about the structure of peace -- a wisdom that eludes most other countries. Australia has no illusions about the "international community'' and its feckless institutions. An island of tranquility in a roiling region, Australia understands that peace and prosperity do not come with the air we breathe, but are maintained by power -- once the power of the British Empire, now the power of the United States."

The air we breathe...nice way to bring it back on topic.

Victoria,

Except the air we now breathe, has a distinctly sour taste!

With those deeds of previous generations of Labour governments now again in our taste buds.

Hell, the Queen, through her GG, had to sack one lot, as they couldn't even find the $$ for next weeks wages and rent!

And now , it appears, we have a couple of malcontents in our admin team, voting for change... for the sake of change.... and to avoid having to sign our admins' new "Workplace Agreement"

To return to my emphasis in your quote... I surely need to know, that the next time we have an invader at our doorstep, we will have a liberal PM, who has promoted and cultured our ties with the US, in charge, who can call on assistance from a friend. Not a PM who has torn down those ties, and then seeks assistance from his more labour orientated allies!

I rarely involve myself in discussions, on political or religous matters.

And my rant on Oz politics ends here.

Suffice to say, "the worm will turn" and when it does, we will hear loud and clear the bleating from those of the "Change for changes sake" majority, as they question why their living standards have been eroded, and they can no longer "pay the piper' and meet their mortgage obligations.

And I will retain this thread for posterity, and as a reference, for the time when the Australian union leaders commence their campaigns to enrichen the lives of their followers, and their own pockets ( Not necessarily in that order)

Offshore

[KB]

Change for changes sake?

Been a Labour voter all my life actually.

Ken

[cornerstone]

I'll tell you one thing about Rudd - how many politicians worldwide can say that they were revealed to have gone to a strip club while on parliamentary business and were too drunk to remember what happened.....and then seen their approval ratings shoot up!

Howard was stuck in the 1950's, he had no plan beyond his own political longevity. He didn't just lose government, he lost his own seat as an MP! As a sitting Prime Minister (in a mega-rich suburb), that takes some talent.

If only he'd gone to a few more strip clubs....who knows what might have been.....

[KB]

Could have been worse CS, he could have handed over to Costello and set the Libs back 30 years. :laugh:

Ken

[ryyannon]

Yeah like Iraq.

Cheers,

It's partly Norway's fault: they refused to let the U.S. use your secret weapon: Lutefisk

All of Iraq would have folded in a week. :cc_surrender:

[Dani]

It's partly Norway's fault: they refused to let the U.S. use your secret weapon: Lutefisk

All of Iraq would have folded in a week. :cc_surrender:

[Victoria]

If only he'd gone to a few more strip clubs....who knows what might have been.....

Delightful! It reminds me of Jeremy Clarkson recently testing an Australian muscle car on Top Gear (which he loved), but saying you almost expected to pour a beer on it to make it stop.

[piratedzeus]

As usual, we'll do it ourselves, our way, and better.

USA Emissions from 1990: +15,8%;

Better?

In the meantime, can anyone name even one country that is even remotely close to meeting any of the terms of the treaty?

Germany: Target: -21,0 % So far: -17,2 %

UK: -12,5 % -14,3 %

ETC BLABLA

[piratedzeus]

That's too bad. I don't like this new guy Rudd one bit. Howard was the shit. Between Kyoto and the weak dollar, I don't know how the other civilized nations think they are going to compete with us on exports. They are crippling their own economies.

Emissions since 1990: (to 2004)

Germany : -17,2 %; USA +15,8 %

Exports per capita:

Germany: $13,749; USA: $3,400

[ryyannon]

USA Emissions from 1990: +15,8%;

Better?

Germany: Target: -21,0 % So far: -17,2 %

UK: -12,5 % -14,3 %

ETC BLABLA

Impressive.

Link?

Meanwhile, back at Reality Ranch:

"...Even with that, however, the treaty has still fallen short of its avowed intentions.

Those Annex 1 countries that ratified the accord only managed to reduce their gas emissions by three percent from 1990-2000 (in real terms their emissions actually increased by 8 percent, although that figure was offset by a sharp decrease in emissions from the collapsing economies of the former Soviet Union).

According to the U.N., the world's major industrialized nations are now severely off-target, with experts predicting a 10 percent rise in 1990 greenhouse gas emissions by 2010 rather than the hoped for 5.2 percent reduction.

Even in the European Union, where advocacy of Kyoto is at its strongest, results are poor. Sweden, France, Germany and the UK are just about on track to achieve the 8 percent reduction to which the EU committed itself in the Protocol.

Other EU nations such as Spain, Portugal, Ireland and Italy, however, are well behind, with the result that by 2004 the EU as a whole had only made a collective reduction of 0.9 percent of emissions.

Devices such as carbon trading have slightly improved the picture. Given that from the outset the accord was criticized by environmental groups for setting its greenhouse gas reduction targets way too low, however, the fact that even the limited targets it did impose are now unlikely to be met suggest that, while not an absolute failure, the Kyoto Protocol is still far from being a success.

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/0...kyoto.protocol/

[piratedzeus]

http://unfccc.int/files/essential_backgrou..._booklet_06.pdf

Page 8

[HauteHippie]

Emissions since 1990: (to 2004)

Germany : -17,2 %; USA +15,8 %

Exports per capita:

Germany: $13,749; USA: $3,400

What does exports per capita have to do with anything? Besides, Germany's population is declining, is it not? The USA's is increasing (for better or for worse). But, that aside, I can not think of any way that export dollars per capita is relevant to the discussion.

[piratedzeus]

What does exports per capita have to do with anything? Besides, Germany's population is declining, is it not? The USA's is increasing (for better or for worse). But, that aside, I can not think of any way that export dollars per capita is relevant to the discussion.

Sorry maybe I got you wrong. I thought you said that countries that follow Kyoto will not be able to compete with the USA anymore? I think I got that wrong please clarify