A Kick In The Teeth For Honest Scientists

I did not like Malcolm Fraser's decision to boycott the 1980 Olympics; the Howard Government's intervention against the Northern Territory's pro-euthanasia legislation; and the horribly misguided school chaplain scheme. Some people will obediantly support a political party through thick and thin, like many slavishly support their religion (or their trade union or their football team). Yet, whilst I have always supported Liberal Party principles, I have at least opposed it on the three major issues with which I disagreed. At least the Liberal Party, unlike the A.L.P., tolerates dissent. 

Now there is a fourth major policy issue with which I totally disagree – and it is arguably the most serious. Climate Change is one of the greatest scientific, political and moral challenges of our time. I observe with great sadness the Federal Liberal Party's vacuous approach to it. Instead of leading the way and instead of educating the public about climate change science, their policy ambiguously vacillates between denial and appeasement, depending on whom they may be directing their remarks to.

As a strong supporter of the Liberal party for over forty years (and a member and activist for about fifteen of those years), I am disturbed by the flippancy with which the Coalition leadership treats climate change. When politicians fail to heed the advice of scientists, you know something is rotten.

To read Joe Hockey's shallow remarks about shutting down the Government's Climate Change Office is the last straw. Like 'flat-earthers', clinging to their geocentric beliefs in the face of overwhelming evidence for a heliocentric Solar System, the Party maintains an irrational disdain for plain facts. It is a kick in the teeth for the honest scientists who, for decades, have accumulated accurate data, analysed it - and made dire predictions which we should heed.

Yet “armchair experts” will just shrug it off and say “Oh, no – sorry, I don't believe in all that global warming stuff.” This despite the fact that "this stuff" is already here. 

Climate Change is far too important to play party politics with - and to watch the opportunistic Tony Abbott and his Shadow Ministers treating scientists with contempt is nauseating. They are playing to the uneducated doubters in their ranks, when they ought to be showing leadership and educating those doubters with the plain facts about climate change. Instead, all they can see are the keys to The Lodge.

Some plain English Climate facts:  http://www.csiro.au/greenhouse-gases/ 

For my astronomy images, please go to:   http://home.exetel.com.au/greybeard/Index.htm