Has the environment been sacrificed on the economic alter?
For decades we have repeatedly seen the environment sacrificed on the altar of the unholy trinity of the economy, growth and jobs.(image: stock.xchng)
As governments around the world throw trillions of dollars into ever desperate bids to prop up failed financial institutions and businesses, there is real concern that so called “economic science” may in fact be only a “black art”.
It is increasingly clear that this ‘economy’ which we have been protecting and nurturing as the centre piece of our way of life has become a combined casino, Ponzi and Pyramid scheme. A stack of cards tenuously held together by greed.
There appears to be no magical levers that can be pulled by government or business with this thing called the ‘economy’. It will take years to amend and may never be put back together. But still the chants continue that doing something tangible about the greatest challenge facing the planet, climate change, could hurt the economy.
For decades we have repeatedly seen the environment sacrificed on the altar of the unholy trinity of the economy, growth and jobs.
Queensland has had a succession of State Governments from Bjelke Petersen to Bligh committed to growth as the answer to the State’s economic prosperity. A continuing influx of people into the State causes economic activity in the form of property speculation and development, creating huge profits for the wealthy elite while destroying the environment. No surprises that developers over took the unions as the largest donators to the State ALP.
Relying on population growth and coal mining has made the Queensland economy extremely vulnerable. This dependence has been a lazy economists’ dream as successive Treasurers sat back and watched as coal drag lines and population migration increased the State’s coffers. The lack of investment in a truly diversified “smart growth” economy now sees Queensland unravelling as it slides into deficit with demand for coal and new development on the decline.
A truly alarming aspect is that the Opposition appear to be even more devoid of vision around sustainable alternatives - a case of “tweedle dumb” or “tweedle dumber”.
Queensland’s economy is addicted to coal yet we know the world can no longer keep burning this dinosaur inefficient fuel source if climate change catastrophe is to be avoided.
The Queensland Government assistance to households to implement energy efficiency is to be commended. However, it is estimated that if we all switched entirely to energy efficient light bulbs the Queensland coal industry would wipe out those gains in just 32 hours. One could be excused for thinking that the government is more intent on spin than tackling the hard issues.
A recent Essential Research poll found 82 per cent of Australians want coal exports capped or reduced. Yet Queensland plans to almost double its export coal capacity by 2030, resulting in greenhouse gas emissions, reportedly equivalent to 80 per cent of Australia’s current national total.
A growing number of experts (New Scientist 16 October 2008) are questioning the ability of the earth to continue to sustain exponential growth. With mass species extinction, resource depletion, population growth and spiralling greenhouse gas emissions the earth’s life support systems are shutting down.
What is clear is the economy is anything but secure and at best based on questionable theories. The most recent International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports, peer reviewed by over 1000 of the world’s brightest climate scientists, identify the immediate need for dramatic cuts to carbon if we are to avert a global climate catastrophe. However, the way some Australian political and business leaders are talking, it is as if the economy is robust science and climate change science is mere fiction.
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, in a recent address to the World Future Energy Summit, called on world leaders not to lose sight of the urgency of the climate crisis.
“The decisions of 2009 will determine the world in 2029 or 2049. Let us put economic growth and combating climate change in alliance, not opposition.”
President Obama also called for funding to modernise the nation's electricity grid and make 75 per cent of all federal buildings and up to 2 million American homes more energy efficient.
"In the process, we will put Americans to work in new jobs that pay well and can't be outsourced – jobs building solar panels and wind turbines; constructing fuel-efficient cars and buildings; and developing the new energy technologies that will lead to even more jobs, more savings, and a cleaner, safer planet in the bargain," Obama said recently in a speech at George Mason University.
Contrast this with infrastructure and stimulus packages being proposed in Australia.
The Federal budget allocated $1.5 billion to the construction of four large solar power stations however also gave $2 billion to the coal industry to try and find the ever elusive “clean coal” solution.
Following the Federal Environment Minister Peter Garret’s approval of the $1.3 billion Gladstone coal port expansion, in 2008 the Federal Government promised $20 billion for infrastructure — most to be spent on increasing coal rail and port capacity.
Federal Resources and Energy Minister Martin Ferguson said the export revenue from coal is predicted to increase by around $20 billion to $43 billion in 2008/9. This increase is totally contrary to reducing emissions.
Governments at all levels need to be investing in infrastructure and projects that deliver not only economic outcomes but also social and environmental ones. Prior to the approval of any investment of tax payer money into major projects a publicly available triple bottom line assessment needs to occur. Government investment decisions need to be smarter as after all it is your money.
Related articles:
- Queensland’s coal expansion
- And the winner is … clean coal
- It’s time … for a real climate policy
- Garnaut’s vision not far enough
- Remove solar hot water from renewable energy target
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Interesting article, which unfortunately leaves out a lot of the real reasons the economy and the environment are in trouble. The author's mention of "smart growth" is very puzzling, there is no such thing. Growth, smart or otherwise always ends in tears, but I now accept as normal that virtually nobody understands the exponential function, not even educated environmentalists who should know better.
Growth is usually measured as a percentage, normally in the range of two to eight percent. Any such growth is by mathematical definition, exponential, and exponential growth always blows up in your face when the Limits to Growth are reached, and we have reached them right about now. Peak Oil is but one signal that this is so.
If anything, like an economy or a bacteria population in a petri dish, grows annually at 3.5% (to use a convenient number!), then that growth unequivocally leads to a doubling of the economy or bacterium numbers over a period of twenty years. This number is easily arrived at by dividing the number 70 by the percentage rate.... 70/3.5 = 20. Eventually, the petri dish fills up (bacteria probably grow at more like the speed of 3.5% per minute..) It's only a matter of time before the Earth is full too. I'd actually argue that this is already the case.
Do the authorities understand this? I often wonder, because if they don't, they are guilty of ignorance, and if they do, of gross negligence.
So why is it then that we are constantly bombarded with the "growth is good for you" dogma when no such thing is true? Well, it's the economy stupid.... as the headline over this article suggests.
Capitalism is fundamentally flawed, and will collapse, no ifs no buts. All money in circulation today is a debt someone else has incurred. ALL money is created out of thin air as borrowings. To repay these borrowings, not to mention the interest on them, even more money must be created - in the form of more debts of course. The current "global financial crisis" is in fact a debt crisis. There are not enough cheap and easily extractable resources left on the planet to feed the growth necessary for repaying all the debts in all the world's ledgers. Your debts, and now the country's debts can not only never be repaid, they will NEVER be repaid. The collapse of Capitalism is imminent, only the timing is the last unknown. Money supply is growing exponentially, but resources are finite. You can print money, but you can't print oil, copper and nickel.
The party's over. Mind you, I happen to believe life could improve dramatically. Just watch this space.
Thanks for the comment Mike.
The following comment is from the author of the article who has preferred not to use a byline.
"I agree with your comments on the negative impacts of traditional exponential economic and the 'law of 70'. However without appearing to be pedantic, the use of the words 'smart growth' was an attack on the way the politicians loosely use the term to justify unsustainable growth.
"Is it going to harm the planet if a new definition of 'smart growth' lead to an exponential growth in renewable energy, demand side energy management, endangered species population regeneration, the growth in distributed water and energy systems and so on?"