Climate Change

Even though climate change policy is a federal government issue, I thought it would be good to share with you Family First's position on climate change. The text comes from the Family First's website which can be found here.

The 5 pillars of the current 'climate change doctrine' are:

1. Climate change is occurring.
2. Climate change is primarily caused by increases in carbon dioxide as a
   result of human activity.
3. Carbon dioxide is a pollutant.
4. If humans don't change their behaviour and reduce their carbon
   dioxide emissions there will be catastrophe.
5. The government must legislate in order to get people to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions.

Family First's position is:

1. Climate change has been occuring since time immemorial
2. Many hundreds of eminent scientists have strongly criticised both the 'climate change doctrine' and the predictions made by the International Panel on Climate Change. Claims that 'there is a scientific consensus' and 'the science is settled' are not true.
3. Carbon dioxide is not a pollutant, it is plant food. The more crops can
   get of it the better they grow.
4. Carbon dioxide has had no discernible influence on the world's
   climate in the past and there is no reason to believe it should in the future.
5. The use of the phrase 'putting a price on carbon' is misleading and inane and highlights either the ignorance or deception of those who use it.
6. China and India have made it abundantly clear they will not scale
   down their huge program of electrification based on coal-fired power stations.
   The carbon dioxide emissions from these two countries alone will soon
   exceed the rest of the world put together.
7. As the UK experience has shown, the economic impact following the introduction of the European Emissions Trading Scheme cannot be accurately predicted by so-called 'economic modelling' (eg the Stern Report did not predict the doubling of electricity prices or the abandonment of investment in new power stations). The impact of such a scheme in Australia will be felt most by Australia's families and pensioners.
   
   In summary, Family First opposes the introduction of any emissions trading scheme or so-called 'carbon tax' and believes it would be grossly irresponsible to proceed with such a policy that will involve major changes to the Australian economy without first having a proper, independent enquiry eg a Royal Commission, which was prepared to listen to the many distinguished scientists who disagree with the current 'climate change doctine'.