NZ Climate Change Minister ignores pleas from Pacific nations. Featured
NZ Climate Change Minister Paula Bennett’s
10 December, 2015. Paula Bennett’s first act as incoming Climate Change Minister has been to reject pleas from the Pacific Islands for New Zealand to back a 1.5 degree limit to global warming that could give them the chance of survival, the Green Party has said.
Minister Bennett refused to give New Zealand’s support to an explicit goal in the Paris climate agreement to limit global warming to a 1.5 degree increase, despite growing support from allies including Australia, Canada and Pacific nations for a 1.5 degree limit.
“The Minister’s refusal comes amidst pleas from our Pacific neighbours and close allies for a much more ambitious emissions reduction target that could help limit global warming,” said Green Party Pacific spokesperson Marama Davidson.
“Simply paying lip service to the plight of our Pacific neighbours is not enough. The Pacific Islands need a 1.5 degree limit to have a chance of surviving the effects of climate change.
“The National Government is appeasing polluting industries. It needs to stand with our Pacific neighbours and back a global agreement that puts their lives and futures first,” said Ms Davidson.
Peter Emberson, Director of Climate Change for the Fiji Government, said overnight that “any goal that goes beyond the 1.5 degrees celsius is going to wreak havoc on a lot of coastal communities”, and that a 1.5 degree goal is “imperative, we need it now to safeguard our survival”.
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2 comments
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Ko e comment lelei 'a'au Mokofisi. He neu nofo 'o sio atu, ka fakapaasi e 1.5 degree koeni, pea maumau'i 'e ha fonua, 'e 'iai leva 'a e 'eke fakalao mei he ngaahi fonua Pasifiki, pea tahataha kitautolu 'oku namu 'i Nuusila mo Asitelelia pea tau tu'u atu kitautolu he 'aho ni mo e me'a koeni. Fefe kapau na ko Nu'usila kitautolu? Kou tui te tau fai e me'atatau. Ke 'oua mai 'e tali e me'a ni, kae foki mai e fu'u kau 'alu tokolahi pehe'i fau ni pea 'ai ha rally ke faka'eke kinautolu te tau 'ilo ai e kakai na'e 'alu he fatongia mo e kakai na'e toki 'asi hake pe ia he mei 'osi 'a e faiva.
Pea 'oku ke mo'oni koe Mokofisi. Na'e toki puna ni e motu fo'ou heni, na'e 'ikai ketau lava 'o fakama'opo'opo e ashes na'e movete mei ai, pea tene create eia e transboundary pollution, kuo mou tu'u atu 'o 'ai e me'a koena. Kuo mo'oni e lau 'a e folofola, 'uluaki to'o e malamala'i 'akau 'o kita pea toki lea holo. -
CONGRATULATIONS MIN. BENNETT...At last someone in the Pacific stood up to the free-for-all global warming frenzy, led by U.S. Pres. Obama in the Climate Change conference in Paris. Unfortunately for the Pacific Island states, we have boarded "The Sky Has Fallen" band-wagon hysteria that we're all doomed to sink to the bottom of the ocean because industrial countries have polluted the earth's atmosphere unfairly.
1. Min. Bennett, a Maori MP in PM John Key's Cabinet, seems overly protective of NZ's interests when it comes to pledging support of the global warming 1.5 C-degree limit determined in Paris, and supported by all the Pacific islands.
2. While industrial nations are accused of polluting the air unfairly, what have Pacific Islands done to reduce the much heralded global warming disaster? I see motor vehicles on the streets of Nuku'alofa spewing ugly and smelly dark CO2 smokes from their exhaust pipes because there are no emission testing to promote clean air in Tonga.
3. And almost every five years, we have a volcanic eruption in Tonga that spews more pollution into the atmosphere than years of man-made carbon dioxide.
4. Meanwhile, our Min. of Climate Change (Hon. Sovaleni) goes to Paris with government's full support of the 1.5C-degree limit on global warming. How about spending time at home to figure out how to improve the country's economy for a starter? The technical schools have recently graduated 429 students this year; where will they find employment in Tonga?
4. Including Peter Emberson, Director of Climate Change for the Fiji Government, Pacific Islands delegates seem overly eager to condemn Min. Bennett for taking a "time out" approach from this hysteria and to protect NZ's interest. Perhaps Pacific Islands should stop importing NZ products so they can reduce global warming.
5. Pacific Islands detractors of Min. Bennett need to learn some history and archaeological lessons on their spare time: How long have these islands been formed in these waters? Thousands of years, million of years? Our own Kao and Tofua volcanic islands are at least 3 million years old. Please provide specific data and scientific analyses to support your hypotheses instead of political hysteria.
6. Additionally, Tonga has been dedicated to the Rule of God's Realm. Why should I trust some meteorologist's theory based on the weather when he can't even forecast the weather correctly?
7. Good for you Min. Bennett. Standing up to the Global Warming bullies is good statesmanship. The debate on Global Warming in the scientific community is still waging; let's consider all pertinent variables before scaring the home folks with half-cooked scientific hypotheses. How about importing less New Zealand man-made products to reduce global warming?