Tag: 1992

Categories
Australia Recycling

June 22, 1992 – Keating has to pretend to give a damn

Thirty four years ago, on this day, June 22nd, 

For the first time since becoming Prime Minister, Mr Keating donned a green mantle yesterday at the launching of the Government’s waste-minimisation and recycling strategy.

Mr Keating made big claims for the strategy – an information campaign aimed at halving the amount of waste going to landfill by 2000.

Garran, R. 1992. Recycling drive brings out the green in Keating. Australian Financial Review, June 23.

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 356ppm. As of 2026, when this post was published, it is 432ppm. This matters because the more carbon dioxide in the air, the more heat gets trapped. The more heat, the more extreme weather events. You can make it more complicated than that if you want, but really, it’s not. Fwiw, I have a tattoo of the Keeling Curve on my left forearm.

The broader context for this was that Australia’s political elites had had ample warnings about CO2 build up. In 1988 they asked for a ‘what can we do?’ report. In 1989 there were debates within the federal government, led by Prime Minister Bob Hawke about what to do. The Environment Minister Graham Richardson had suggested that Australia adopt the so-called Toronto target of a 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2005. Richardson lost that fight, as he admitted at the time, because treasurer Paul Keating resisted vehemently. Keating also managed other successes in his fight against green issues. And in late 1991 he had succeeded in toppling a tired, worn out Bob Hawke and as leader of the Labor Party, and then Keating became Prime Minister. This spelt the end of the Ecologically Sustainable Development policy process as anything approaching viable, Keating kicked it into committees where it was then killed off. 

The specific context was that Keating also needed some way of pretending to give a shit about the environment, especially as he had not gone to the Rio Earth Summit, the only OECD leader not to. He had sent his environment minister, Ros Kelly.

And so what is the most meaningless, ineffectual, but somehow has a warm glow, topic that even a fierce neoliberal like Keating can get behind? Why it’s recycling, motherhood, apple pie and emptiness. And so it came to pass. 

What I think we can learn is this: if ever you see a politician, especially one noted for his or her hostility to environment action in a public relations bind, you will then see them standing smiling at a recycling centre with a hard hat and a high-vis in order to allay the concerns of people on their own side who yeah anyway…

Somebody could write something about recycling and CCS as forms of bargaining, self-soothing…

What happened next: Keating won the 1993 Federal election against all expectations. When a carbon tax proposal was in front of his cabinet, he was either neutral or hostile. Keating is still alive: it’s not too late to get him to the Hague. 

You can see the chronological list of All Our Yesterdays “on this day” posts here.

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.

If you want to get involved, let me know.

If you want to invite me on your podcast, that would boost my ego and probably improve the currently pitiful hit-rate on this site (the two are not-unrelated).

Also on this day: 

June 22, 1976 – Times reports “World’s temperature likely to rise” – All Our Yesterdays

June 22, 1978 – ETSU report about Human Activity and Carbon Dioxide – All Our Yesterdays

June 22, 1980 – G7 meeting in Venice – All Our Yesterdays

June 22 ,1988 – Roger Rabbit on forced consumption (and so on to #climate apocalypse) – All Our Yesterdays

June 22, 1990 – ALP already undermining green agenda – All Our Yesterdays

Categories
Brazil UNFCCC United Nations

June 14, 1992 – Rio Earth Summit finishes

Thirty four years ago, on this day, June 14th, 1992, 

Rio Earth Summit finishes 3 to 14th June. Everyone signs the UNFCCC… (except Saudi and a couple of others, who waited until it was inevitable and they’d be left out in the cold if they didn’t).

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 356ppm. As of 2026, when this post was published, it is 432ppm. This matters because the more carbon dioxide in the air, the more heat gets trapped. The more heat, the more extreme weather events. You can make it more complicated than that if you want, but really, it’s not. Fwiw, I have a tattoo of the Keeling Curve on my left forearm.

The broader context for this was that in 1968 the United Nations had agreed to a Swedish proposal to host a conference on the human environment. This had happened in 1972 in Stockholm, and one of the few things to come out of it was the United Nations Environment Programme, UNEP.  UNEP, the World Meteorological Organisation, and the ICSU, had sponsored various scientific gatherings through the 70s and 80s about climate, and especially carbon dioxide build up, leading to the Villach conference in 1985.

And after Villach in several nations, not so much the United Kingdom, but certainly, for example, Australia and the United States, there had been a concerted push to get politicians aware of/concerned about climate change from CO2 build up.

The specific context was in 1988 the problem had become an issue, and the public were concerned. And perhaps the most important sign of this was Thatcher’s speech at the Royal Society in September of ‘88. Then, despite the efforts of the United States to slow things down, or even stop them, there was irresistible pressure for an international climate treaty to be signed at the Rio Earth Summit (kind of a 20 year follow on to the Stockholm conference, but this time, held in the developing world, or third world, or whatever the politically correct term happens to be). 

And there were many books written about the conference, much ink spilled, many protests as there had been at Stockholm. Because guess what? World leaders in limousines with vacuous speeches are not particularly trusted by the rabble because the rabble have been paying attention.

Anyway the crucial insight is that George H W Bush, President of the United States had publicly and presumably privately, vehemently, said that if there were targets and timetables for emissions reductions by rich countries in the text of the climate treaty, he would not sign it. And what’s more, he would not come to the Earth Summit at all

And the proponents of the targets and timetables decided it was better to have Bush at the table than not at all. And there’s an understandable logic to that decision, but what it’s meant is that we’ve spent the next 30 years trying to get targets and timetables for emissions reductions bedded in, and it hasn’t worked, and we’re doomed. 

What I think we can learn is this: That’s all you need to know, is that, thanks to a bunch of stupid white men with ideas above their intellect, we’re doomed. I mean, it’s broader than that, even if we’d taken better decisions in ‘88 to ‘92 the challenges we faced would still have overwhelmed us. I think we’ll never know. 

What happened next: See above. The emissions kept climbing and climbing

On this topic, you might like these other posts on All Our Yesterdays

May 25, 1992 Keating Cabinet discusses Rio

You can see the chronological list of All Our Yesterdays “on this day” posts here.

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.

If you want to get involved, let me know.

If you want to invite me on your podcast, that would boost my ego and probably improve the currently pitiful hit-rate on this site (the two are not-unrelated).

Also on this day: 

June 14, 1979 – the messy inclusion of climate change in energy politics – All Our Yesterdays

June 14, 1993 – International Conference on the Economics of Climate Change – All Our Yesterdays

June 14, 2011 – climate change threat to Australia’s top wines – All Our Yesterdays

Categories
Australia UNFCCC

June 4,  1992 – Australia signs the UNFCCC

On this day June 4,  1992

Australian signs the UNFCCC R Kelly (Minister for the Arts, Sport, the Environment and Territories), Australia signs UNCED climate change convention, 

media release, 4 June 1992.

and

The opposition’s delegate to UNCED in 1992, for example, had criticized the Labor Government’s willingness to give away Australia’s sovereign rights and had emphasized the debilitative economic costs of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.48 CPD, Senate, 4 June 1992, p. 3350.

Matt McDonald, 2005 Fair Weather Friend

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 356ppm.  As of 2026, when this post was published, it is 430ppm. This matters because the more carbon dioxide in the air, the more heat gets trapped. The more heat, the more extreme weather events. You can make it more complicated than that if you want, but really, it’s not. Fwiw, I have a tattoo of the Keeling Curve on my left forearm.

The broader context for this was that Australian political elites had been warned about climate change from the 1970s onwards, but it had only taken action when forced to and initially, for example, at The Hague in 1989 had made the right noises.

The specific context was that by the time Ros Kelly went to Rio, there had been fierce battles against doing anything substantive on climate change, and most of those battles, frankly, had already been won before December 1991, when Keating toppled Hawke. But the coup de grace was Paul Keating becoming Prime Minister and setting fire to any remaining proposals or hopes that Australia would respond adequately as part of the international effort.  Keating just thought it was a load of green crap.

Keating should have been at Rio; e was the only OECD leader not to go, and he sent Kelly instead. 

What I think we can learn is this:  that other futures were possible, but they didn’t happen, and Paul Keating is as responsible for, frankly, the destruction of Australia, thanks to carbon dioxide build up as the more public villain, John Howard.   

What happened next: Kelly continued in post for a couple more years, but was brought down by the so-called sports rorts scandal. She was married to, perhaps is married to, some guy who was at the head of Westpac and Westpac did that ridiculous case for early business action on climate change in April of 2006 the emissions climbed. The concentrations climbed, the impacts began to arrive. 

On this topic, you might like these other posts on All Our Yesterdays

September 4, 1990 – Industry whines about environment minister’s speech

October 13, 1990/97 – Ros Kelly defends the Interim Planning Target vs Australia does nothing

January 28, 1992 – Ros Kelly versus Industry commission on greenhouse plans

April 26, 1992 – Ros Kelly abjures a carbon tax

References

You can see the chronological list of All Our Yesterdays “on this day” posts here.

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.

If you want to get involved, let me know.

If you want to invite me on your podcast, that would boost my ego and probably improve the currently pitiful hit-rate on this site (the two are not-unrelated).

Also on this day: 

June 4, 1979 – Daily Mail reports on climate change without losing its mind – All Our Yesterdays

June 4, 1984 – John Houghton of the Met Office wants research – All Our Yesterdays

June 4 , 1989, 1992, 1996 – from frantic concern to contempt for everyone’s future…

June 4, 1998 – A New South Wales premier signs a carbon credit trade…

 June 4, 2001 – Australians ‘get’ climate change (??) – All Our Yesterdays

Categories
Australia

March 23,  1991 and 1992 – Ninian Stephen and Barry Jones speeches on World Meteorological Day

Thirty five and thirty four years ago, on this day, March 23rd, 1991/2,

“Climate change and policy change : the nexus”  World Meteorological Day address 1991 / by Sir Ninian Stephen

And one by Barry Jones too, dropping truth bombs.

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was roughly 355/6ppm. As of 2026 it is 428ppm, but check here for daily measures. 

The broader context was this was World Meteorological Day – I don’t know if this is still commemorated or celebrated. The climate issue had exploded in 1988 and by now people were probably getting a bit of fatigue, attention fatigue. Ninian Stephen had been appointed ambassador on the environment after a scandal of him as Governor General,   

Barry Jones had been Minister of Science from 1983 to 1990 and had done a brilliant job, even though he was not necessarily well-liked, but that’s not important. And they both gave speeches.

What I think we can learn from this is that the attempt to “embed” climate issues, via things like World Meteorological Day, has, largely, failed. We don’t like to look at confronting facts. We turn away…

What happened next I don’t think World Meteorological day is really still much of a thing. The caravan has moved on.  

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

Xxx

Also on this day: 

March 23, 1969 – US TV network CBS asks “What are we doing to our World?”

March 23, 1989 – cold fusion!!

March 23, 1993 – UK “The Prospects for Coal” White Paper published.

 March 23, 2011 – Ditch the Witch rally in Canberra

Categories
Australia

December 7, 1989 and 1992 – “Ecologically Sustainable Development” goes from hero to zero

Thirty-six/thirty-three years ago, on this day, December 7th, 1989/1992, ESD went from hero to zero.

CANBERRA: The Prime Minister, Mr Hawke, won approval yesterday from industry, union, farm and green groups in aiming to achieve the “ecological sustainability” of all Australia’s major resource industries within a year.

Seccombe, M. 1989. Hawke backed in bid to gain ecology-industry harmony. Sydney Morning Herald, December 8, p.4.

and

ESD and greenhouse agreement COAG, Perth Council of Australian Governments (COAG), Communique, ‘Environment – ESD and greenhouse’, COAG Meeting, Perth, 7 December 1992,

(By this time Keating and his gang had obliterated all concern for environment, and especially greenhouse gas reduction hopes).

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 353-356ppm. As of 2025, when this post was published, it is 430ppm. This matters because the more carbon dioxide in the air, the more heat gets trapped. The more heat, the more extreme weather events. You can make it more complicated than that if you want, but really, it’s not. Fwiw, I have a tattoo of the Keeling Curve on my left forearm.

The broader context was that there had been a previous wave of eco-concern from the late 1960s to the early 1970s. It had run into the buffers, thanks to industry lobbying, state resistance and civil society exhaustion. From 1987 or so, first with the ozone layer and then the “greenhouse effect”, demands for actual action had grown.

The specific context was that these two events mark the beginning of hope and the triumph of experience.

What I think we can learn from this – the defeat then shaped the battlespace forever after.

What happened next – failure and defeat piled upon failure and defeat, as the scale of the problems grew beyond wicked to, well, existential and impossible. And yet we breed…

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.

Also on this day: 

December 7, 1928 – Noam Chomsky born

December 7, 1967: Towards Tomorrow “Assault on Life”

December 7, 1967 – Swedish “Monitor” program talks environmental crisis

December 7, 2011 – a CCS network is launched

Categories
Australia

September 17, 1992 – Paul Keating versus climate action (spoiler: Keating wins)

Thirty three years ago, on this day, September 17th, 1992,

Paul Keating does not like carrying out Bob Hawke’s ideas, like the ESD strategies which is one reason nothing has happened since the ESD groups made their reports last November. He also wants to gain green votes without upsetting the business world, and at a meeting in Canberra last Thursday [17th] with green and business lobbies, he listed the government’s new high-priority environment issues, says our Press Gallery reporter.

They don’t include mining or the logging of native forests, which split the community, but they do include: Soil degradation, industrial waste reduction and disposal, air and water quality, the urban environment, feral animals, marine protection and land and water management.

The green and business lobbies told us after the meeting that they were unhappy that Paul had nothing firm to offer them on ESD except the promise of a strategy in November (believed to be part of an Environment Statement) although it was better late than never.

Luker, P. 1992. Things I hear. Greenweek, September 22, p.2.

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 356ppm. As of 2025, when this post was published, it is 430ppm. This matters because the more carbon dioxide in the air, the more heat gets trapped. The more heat, the more extreme weather events. You can make it more complicated than that if you want, but really, it’s not. Fwiw, I have a tattoo of the Keeling Curve on my left forearm.

The broader context was that, as Treasurer, Paul Keating had been one of the most effective delayers of climate action, reducing ambition, kicking the issue towards groups that could be guaranteed to gum up the works.

The specific context was that Keating had become Prime Minister in late 1991, toppling Bob Hawke. He then was the only OECD leader not to turn up to the Earth Summit in Rio, and was allowing Federal bureaucrats to shit all over the Ecologically Sustainable Development program.

What I think we can learn from this is that we can get a BOGOF deal for air tickets to the Hague (one way) for Keating and Howard. Just saying.

What happened next – the Australian policy elite have persisted in being depraved planet-slaughering psychopaths ever since.  And that is me being generous.

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.

Also on this day: 

September 17, 1954 – nuclear electricity will be too cheap to meter – All Our Yesterdays

September 17, 1969 – trying to spin Vietnam, Moynihan starts warning about #climate change

September 17, 1987 – report on “The Greenhouse Project” launch

September 17, 2002 – UK Government announces feasibility study into Carbon Capture and Storage

Categories
Australia

July 7, 1992 – Greenhouse Action Australia briefing

Thirty three years ago, on this day, July 7th, 1992,

Greenhouse Action Australia, in Sydney on Weds July 7, Dr Noel Brown, UNEP regional director.

Anon. 1992.Post Earth Summit Briefing. Greenweek, July 7,  p.1.

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 356ppm.  As of 2025, when this post was published, it is  430ppm. This matters because the more carbon dioxide in the air, the more heat gets trapped. The more heat, the more extreme weather events. You can make it more complicated than that if you want, but really, it’s not. Fwiw, I have a tattoo of the Keeling Curve on my left forearm.

The broader context was that Australia had looked like it was going to take climate change seriously (1988-1989). Or, if you squinted and chose to be optimistic, you could believe that, as the various conferences and jamborees of 1988-1990 took place.

The specific context was that from 1990 onwards there had been a very effective (though crude, and lucky) fight back by the usual suspects. Australia was also lucky in that the George HW Bush administration did most of the heavy lifting on reducing the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to mostly empty but nice-sounding words…  By the time of this seminar, the UNFCCC had been agreed, the greenies were back from the “Earth Summit” hoping what they knew was going to happen wouldn’t in fact happen.

What I think we can learn from this is that the failure to act was baked in, 33 years ago. Oh well.

What happened next is that what the greenies hoped wouldn’t happen has happened.

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.

Also on this day: 

July 7, 1969 – Newsweek writes about the “good earth,” mentions carbon dioxide build-up

July 7, 1970 – an Australian banker goes “Full Extinction Rebellion”, 50 years early…

July 7, 1988 – foolish “Jumping the greenhouse gun” editorial in Nature.

July 7, 2008 – Liberals start back-tracking on climate promises.

Categories
Australia

June 26, 1992 – BCA versus reality (BCA wins in the short-term)

Thirty three years ago, on this day, June 26th, 1992 the Business Council of Australia was defending the short-term interests of the rich, while weeping crocodile tears for the poor and completely ignoring the future. So good that they’ve changed their MO since then, eh?

“Australia would be “severely disadvantaged economically” if a 20 per cent reduction of greenhouse gases is achieved by 2005, according to the Business Council of Australia.

The council’s assistant director, Chris Burnup, in her address to the Institution of Engineers’ greenhouse policy seminar yesterday, said that Australia’s international trade competitiveness would decline and there would be a fall in the standard of living.”

 Sibley, D. 1992. Economy may suffer if gases reduced. Canberra Times, June 27, p.4.

This was at an Institution of Engineers Australia seminar – see also

Diesendorf, M., Kinrade, P., 1992. Integrated greenhouse policies for energy and transport post-Rio. Institution of Engineers Australia seminar on Australia’s greenhouse policy, Canberra, 26 June 1992. Australian Conservation Foundation, Melbourne.

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was roughly 356ppm. As of 2025 it is 430ppm, but check here for daily measures. 

The context was that the Rio Earth Summit had finally been agreed; it did not contain targets and timetables for emissions reduction (Uncle Sam had threatened to boycott if those were in the text, and the French blinked).  Australia had signed, having said no to a carbon tax at the same time (there’d be another battle in a couple of years).

What I think we can learn from this,  Business always wants to keep the beaches open. What’s a few people chomped by Great Whites between friends?

What happened next. The BCA continued to play a spoiler role. Of course. Crucially, it and the Minerals Council of Australia (then known as AMIC) created the “Australian Industry Greenhouse Network”, which fought against domestic and international action with great success. 

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.

Also on this day: 

June 26, 1991 “environment is not flavor of the month any more” – All Our Yesterdays

Categories
Australia Energy

May 29, 1992- ANAO says it will look at DPIE’s energy management programme

I know, I know, hardly scintillating!

Thirty five years ago, on this day, May 29th, 1992,

“On 29 May 1992, the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) announced its intention to undertake an efficiency audit of DPIE’s energy management program. The audit was to consider the potential for improvement in the administration of the program and in the reporting of program performance. The auditors focussed on the administration of the interim greenhouse gas response initiatives with a view to contributing to efficiencies in the implementation of the NGRS’”

House of Representatives Standing Committee on Environment, Recreation and the Arts EFFECTIVENESS OF THE IMPLEMENTATION review of Audit Report No. 32 1992-93—an efficiency audit of the Implementation of an Interim Greenhouse Response

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was roughly 356ppm. As of 2025 it is 430ppm, but check here for daily measures. 

The context was various “greenhouse” responses had been proposed. Most had been killed off in the committees and left to die by the wayside. Those that had survived the hazing and salami slicing needed to be looked at for “value for money” etc.

What I think we can learn from this is that you can’t teach an elephant to tapdance.

What happened next  On this particularly? I don’t know. But have a look at Australia’s response to climate change and tell me it hasn’t been catastrophically suicidal. Go on.

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.

Also on this day: 

May 29, 1968 – UN body says “let’s have a conference, maybe?”- 

May 29, 1969 – “A Chemist Thinks about the Future” #Keeling #KeelingCurve

May 29, 2007 “Climate Clever” ad campaign in attempt to save John Howard – All Our Yesterdays

Categories
Australia

May 4, 1992 – Liberals to be terrible on environment, for once.

Thirty three years ago, on this day, May 4th, 1992, in the great southern land…

The Federal Opposition will seek to exploit the Government’s embarrassment over its on-again off-again resource security legislation by prolonging debate in the Senate until after Tuesday’s meeting of the Labor Caucus.

Garran, R. 1992. Opposition to exploit resource indecision. Australian Financial Review, May 4, p 9.

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was roughly 356ppm. As of 2025 it is 430ppm, but check here for daily measures. 

The context was the new Keating government was busy burying any residual “green” ambitions, and the opposition, ahead of an election less than a year away, was punching the bruise and trying to peel away voters from Labor who had got Labor over the line in 1990 (not by attracting them to the LNP, but by making Labor look hopeless).

What I think we can learn from this

Two things – the game is the game and that “Moments” where everyone pretends to care about The Environment are almost by definition fleeting – normal service resumes fairly quickly.

What happened next The LNP managed to lose the unloseable election in March 1993 – Keating’s “sweetest victory”. John Hewson, LOTO at the time, has reinvented himself as a Nice Sane Guy on environment.

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.

Also on this day: 

May 4, 1990 – coal industry sweats over greenie influence

May 4th, 2012 – The Heartland Institute tries the Unabomber smear. It, er, blows up in their face…

May 4, 2016 – South Australian Premier preening at Emissions Reduction Summit – All Our Yesterdays