Look. We all knew that Australia’s current policies on climate change left a whole lot of everything to be desired. We knew that the rest of the world had probably been laughing at us—in the most embarrassingly concerned sense—over our government’s stance on climate change. But being called a literal menace (or, “public enemy number one“) by a nobel laureate, in regards to the United Nations climate change negotiations at the end of the year..?
Australia’s policy and stance on climate change was described as a unique embarrassment and nemesis, as Doherty said:
“People are saying informally that Australia and Canada are emerging as public enemy number one for the Paris talks on climate…No other names are being mentioned. Australia is seen as very much out of touch and out of sync with what’s happening globally.”
According to The Guardian, Peter Doherty claimed that climate change policy would function better under the leadership of Malcolm Turnbull, and also called out the lack of progress towards climate issues in Australia, as well as the lip service to change, rather than tangible action:
“These are robust, tough people. The difference between people like me and the person running the government is I’m interested in evidence, insights, solutions and solving problems, and he [Tony Abbott] is interested in ideology and looking backwards. But we won’t be deterred.”
Lead image by Paul Kane via Getty.
