Published 5 May 2009 · Main Posts we’re going to burn Jeff Sparrow Maybe I’m too pessimistic but I just can’t see now how there’s now going to be any serious action on climate change in the short to medium term. As Bernard Keane argues, the Rudd government’s latest amendments to its emissions trading scheme represents ‘almost complete surrender to the largest polluters, who will now face virtually no increased cost associated with their carbon emissions’. The whole tenor of Rudd’s approach has been to insist that there’s no crisis, no emergency, and that targets for carbon reduction can be dickered about as if they were donations to a charity, where you just give amount depending on how generous you feel. Framed that way, they’ll always be trumped by some more immediate issue. As David Spratt argues in the forthcoming edition of Overland, the real argument’s quite different. Either you accept the science or you don’t. If you agree with the scientific consensus, you reach certain targets or you suffer the consquences. You can’t just do the best you can since failing by a small amount produces results just as disastrous as failing by a lot. That’s why climate denialism seems to be gaining ground. By acting as if climate change were simply another issue to be bargained about, the Rudd government sends out the message that, really, it thinks the scientists are exaggerating. And if you agree with that — if you feel that the scientific establishment isn’t telling the truth when it warns of looming disaster — why do anything at all? In any case, it’s clear now that there’s going to be a hard core of climate denialists in the conservative parties and that these people will have the continued support of the Murdoch press (despite Rupert’s alleged conversion some years back). In other words, there’s not going to be a political consensus about the need for action. To get anything done, Rudd will have to stare down the Australian and and its tabloid siblings. In other words, he’ll have to fight. And that’s something for which he’s never shown any enthusiasm. Jeff Sparrow Jeff Sparrow is a Walkley Award-winning writer, broadcaster and former editor of Overland. More by Jeff Sparrow › Overland is a not-for-profit magazine with a proud history of supporting writers, and publishing ideas and voices often excluded from other places. If you like this piece, or support Overland’s work in general, please subscribe or donate. Related articles & Essays First published in Overland Issue 228 10 November 202311 November 2023 · Subscriberthon 2023 On the final day of Subscriberthon, Overland’s most important members get to have their say Editorial Team BORIS A quick guide to another year of Overland, from your trusty feline, Boris. I liked the ginger cat story, though it made my human cry. I liked the talking cat, too, but I’m definitely in the “not wasting my time learning to talk” camp. But reading is good. And writing is fun, though it’s been challenging […] 1 First published in Overland Issue 228 9 November 20239 November 2023 · Subscriberthon 2023 On the second-last day of Subscriberthon, Overland’s co-chief editor Evelyn Araluen speaks truth to power Editorial Team To my friends and comrades, I’m not sure if there’s language to communicate how this last month has utterly changed me. This time a few weeks ago the busyness and chaos of bricolage arts and academic labour had so efficiently distracted me from my anxiety about the upcoming referendum that I forgot to prepare myself for its inevitable conclusion.