Friday June 3, 2011

Prime Minister John Key’s recent declaration of support for carving into Southland’s vast Lignite reserves is disturbingly shortsighted says climate campaigning organisation, 350.org.

The world’s leading climate scientist, Dr Jim Hansen of NASA, recently toured New Zealand highlighting the danger that lies ahead from continued exploitation of coal resources including lignite. On the last day of his tour, Dr Hansen wrote a letter to the Prime Minister, in which he stated “business-as-usual is expected to cause sea level rise exceeding a meter this century and to set ice sheet disintegration in motion guaranteeing multi-meter sea level rise”.

With recent international reports showing that the world can feasibly move toward 100% renewable energy generation, this Government’s commitment to fossil fuel exploitation is immoral says 350.org spokesperson Aaron Packard. “This government has repeatedly shown that it pays little concern for the future impacts of climate change – and the massive cost it will incur on young and future New Zealanders, not to mention the relocation costs for our Pacific Island neighbours” says Packard.

It is also becoming increasingly obvious that Prime Minister Key and his ministers are out of tune with the public on this. A recent Colmar-Brunton survey showed that 73% of New Zealanders support increased investment in renewable energy over fossil fuels.

In his statement, the Prime Minister highlighted that the lignite plans will be subject to environmental regulations. However, Packard notes “current regulations overlook the biggest environmental impact, CO2 emissions. There is simply is no effective regulation to limit CO2 emissions – we have a barely functioning emissions trading scheme which even by the governments own calculations is only expected to reduce emissions a measly 1%.”

ENDS

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