Howard Rejects Climate Pacts, But Gvn Claims "World Leadership" On Climate

Prime Minister John Howard is standing firm against signing the Kyoto Protocol despite growing calls for his government to take more action to counter greenhouse gas emission. At the same time Environment Minister Ian Campbell acknowledged that the debate on climate change is now over, it is real and represents a very serious threat to Australia.

He urged Australians to accept that humans contributed to global warming and should adapt their behaviour to save the planet, calling for a massive injection of new technology, including wind, solar, nuclear power and clean coal.

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The Kyoto Protocol is anti-Australian jobs, particularly in the resource sector, because it imposes burdens on Australian industry and it doesn't impose on like industries in Indonesia and China," he said. "I'm amazed that a former Labor premier should advocate that we should sign up to something that would export the jobs of Australian workers." Senator Campbell said the government had been a world leader on addressing climate change for several years and the Kyoto Protocol was ineffectual.

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Greens senator Christine Milne said Senator Campbell was masking the government's support for coal and uranium with words. "Until the government gets serious about actual targets, emissions targets and caps, and energy efficiency and the Mandatory Renewable Energy Target, all we are seeing is an effort to export more coal and uranium to India and China and very little else," she said.

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John Howard - G.W. Bush with a couple of shrimp on the barbie? I'm just sayin . . .

http://seven.com.au/news/nationalnews/116533