Twenty years ago, on this day, January 14th, 2006 one Australian offshoot of the Atlas Network had shade thrown at it by a very good Australian climate scientist.
“The Institute of Public Affairs supports, as far as I know, road rules and safety standards, for example for automotive design, medical procedures and drugs. Sensible regulation, with carrots and sticks for people to do the right thing, is necessary in an imperfect world. The same must apply to environmental damage caused by human activities that threatens future human health and welfare.”
Pittock, B. 2006 “In global warming war, may market forces be with you”, The Age, January 14.
The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was roughly 376ppm. As of 2025 it is 425ppm, but check here for daily measures.
The broader context was the Atlas Network – well, you can read about it here. The IPA, set up during WW2 had been a fairly stodgy beast, but then became a leading player in the push to the right… .
The specific context was from 1989 the IPA had been pushing doubt and denial. They were (and still are, one assumes) proud of that..
What I think we can learn from this is that there are simple arguments – look up the Plimsoll line – that do cut through all the bullshit.
What happened next
The IPA continued on its merry way and was a major player in the denial-o-sphere of the late 2000s and early 2010s.
The emissions kept climbing. The Age of consequences (for rich white people, the only ones who matter) has begun.
What do you think? Does this pass the ‘so what?’ threshold? Have I got facts wrong? Interpretation wrong? Please do comment on this post, unless you are a denialist, obvs.
References
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Also on this day:
January 14, 1962 – As much truth as one can bear, James Baldwin
January 14, 2003 – WWF Australia raises the alarm – All Our Yesterdays
January 14, 2010 – Investors hold UN summit on #climate risk