Some varied comments there and I cant possible respond to them all. Instead just some more comments.
Yes our total emmissions are small compared to the rest of the world, so why should we do anything if they dont. However, as Malcolm Turnbull recent said, Australians are the highest poluters per person in the world. We each make 5 times the Co2 as the average Chineese and 10 times as much as the average Indian so they would probably say "Why should we, who are poor and make very little emmisions do anything when the rich Australians who polute more than anybody wont do anything"
Somebody has to be the Adult here.
Well, the real cause of all this is population growth. I have to say that I agree with Dick Smith on this. We seem to be addicted to growth as it drives capitalism. The company I work for wants to grow and I bet yours does too. All the companies out there want population growth so they can all grow.
But are we better off?
The companies tell us it will increase our standard of living. But the increase in house prices, farm prices etc is erroding our standard of living. I bought some farm land a few years back but the loan repayments are more than the profit from the crop. I'm not sure my kids will ever be able to buy a house of their own.
I heard an interview with the outgoing president of the WWF (world for wildlife fund). He said thet they were founded to prevent extinctions but they hadnt saved one. He said that he thought that if they had spent all the money they raised on condoms they might have had more success (most extinctions are caused by loss of habbitat which is caused by increasing populations).
Talking about population growth is political suicide, even the Greens wont do it. So the governments do the next best thing. Pollution/carbon tax. Although it looks like this will also be political suicide.
At least we all have opinions which is better than apathy
