Damnatio Memoriae for climate deniers
by David Atkins
The United States isn't the only nation embarrassing itself and endangering the world on climate issues. The conservative Abbott administration in Australia is proving itself corrupt and anti-science as well:
The Abbott government has launched a formal review of Australia's 20 per cent renewable energy target, choosing senior business figure Dick Warburton – who has been sceptical about mainstream climate change science in the past – to head it.
Environment Minister Greg Hunt and Energy Minister Ian Macfarlane launched the inquiry on Monday afternoon, with Mr Hunt saying the review's terms of reference would focus on progress towards the target, investment certainty and its impact on electricity prices.
"We are a government that are unashamedly doing our best to take pressure off manufacturing, households, to do anything that can lower electricity prices," Mr Hunt said.
"But this is about certainty, it is about the long-term. [The review] was always due and always predicted."
The target, established under the Howard government and expanded under Labor, mandates that at least 20 per cent of Australia's electricity comes from renewable energy sources by 2020. But with electricity demand falling in Australia some industry groups complain the target – which mandates 41,000 gigawatt–hours of power be produced from renewables by decade's end – will be overshot by up to 7 per cent.
Who wants to bet that the Abbott administration will find the 20% goal simply "too costly for consumers" and "burdensome to business"?
What's worst about this is that Australia, with its drought-prone climate, severe weather and coastal cities, will be among the nations hardest hit by climate change. It's also unfortunate that by the time the damage Abbott and his cronies is fully felt, most of them will be too dead to face crimes against humanity charges as they deserve.
The Romans had an elegant solution for this problem called Damnatio Memoriae, in which all villains too powerful to be held accountable during their lifetimes would be cursed and stricken from history after their deaths. For today's corrupt climate change deniers, that may be the best bet. That and a hefty estate tax.
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