Tag: David Kemp

Categories
Australia Kyoto Protocol

August 18, 2002 – David Kemp is delusional

Twenty-four years ago, on this day, August 17th, 2002,

“In 2002, for example, Federal Environment Minister, David Kemp boasted – without foundation – that ‘increasingly the international community recognises that although we have taken the view that it is not in Australia’s national interests to ratify the Kyoto Protocol, we are actually at the forefront of nations that are taking the responsible attitude,’ adding, ‘We have to be a good international citizen’: “ABC,

‘Minister Defends Position on Greenhouse Gas Emissions’, Insiders, 18 August 2002

http://www.abc.net.au/insiders/content/2002/s651631.htm

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 374ppm. 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 was that the climate issue was flaring up again, in part because George W. Bush, appointed by the Supreme Court as President of the United States, (despite losing the popular vote, and probably having lost Florida) in 2000 had pulled the United States out of the negotiations for the Kyoto Protocol, and crucially, Australia had followed suit in June 2002 two months before Kemp says what Kemp says,

The specific context

On September 10 2001 George W. Bush had apparently asked John Howard whether he was going to back the US or the rest of the world on carbon dioxide and Kyoto. Howard had, of course, said, “I’m backing the US.” Anyway, here we see David Kemp, who had replaced Robert Hill as Environment Minister. spouting utter bilge. Surely, as an intelligent man, he must have known that it was bilge.

What I think we can learn from this is that intelligent people are entirely capable of self-delusion, and ambitious, obedient intelligent people are capable of convincing themselves to believe whatever they need to believe to get through the day. 

What happened next Kemp kept spouting this stuff, and they kept working with the Americans on so-called technology partnerships, including spectacularly the AP six, which was an attempted spoiler operation against the Kyoto Protocol and meanwhile, the emissions climbed, the concentration climbed, the consequences became readily and speedily apparent, and here we are.

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

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References

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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: 

August 18, 1975 – it’s gonna get hotter, not cooler, say scientists

August 18, 1991- Business Council of Australia says “fuck you, future generations,” rejects energy efficiency measures

August 18, 1996, Ex-CSIRO #climate boss shows he has lost the plot

August 18, 1997 – MENSA turns out to be dumb as a rock.

Categories
Australia United States of America

February 27, 2002 – an embarrassing “technology partnership” is launched (as Kyoto spoiler attempt)

Twenty three years ago, on this day, February 27th, 2002,

Climate Action Partnership Announced Between Australia and the United States

The governments of the United States and Australia today announced an agreement to establish a Climate Action Partnership. The agreement was reached following meetings on climate change held in Washington this week between Dr. David Kemp, Australian Minister for the Environment and Heritage, and several senior members of the U.S. Administration, including: EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman, Chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality James Connaughton, Deputy Secretary of Energy Francis Blake, and Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs Paula Dobriansky.

The U.S.-Australia Climate Action Partnership will involve the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the U.S. Department of State and their Australian counterparts.

The initial meeting will be coordinated by Under Secretary of State Dobriansky and Dr. Kemp.

The partnership will focus on practical approaches toward dealing with climate change.

Informal working groups will involve officials, under senior-level leadership, from the Departments of Commerce, Energy and State and the Environmental Protection Agency, and their Australian counterpart agencies, as well as research bodies and industry. They will focus on such issues as emissions measurement and accounting, climate change science, stationary energy technologies, engagement with business to create economically efficient climate change solutions, agriculture and land management and collaboration with developing countries to build capacity to deal with climate change.
Released on February 27, 2002

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was roughly 373ppm. As of 2025 it is 426ppm, but check here for daily measures. 

The context was that George W. Bush had already pulled the US out of negotiations around the Kyoto Protocol. Everyone assumed that Howard, sooner or later, would announce that Australia was going to follow this because of the 1997 leak (LINK).  and also Howard wanting to remain in total lockstep with the Americans, especially after September 11. But more generally, Australia has always been a 51st state or colony since 1942.

If you’re not going to ratify Kyoto, then you need something else to soothe potentially worried voters. The most obvious something else is “tchnology will save the day.” It’s a brilliant narrative because it goes with the grain of technophilia, and because you can dismiss opponents of it as Luddites.

Here we see the Federal Environment Minister, David Kemp, who’s replaced Robert Hill, at the US Embassy, wittering about technology. 

What I think we can learn from this: There’s no bullshit so humiliating that greasy pole climbers in vassal states won’t eat it up and ask for seconds.

What happened next

These various “Technology Partnerships” took up a lot of bandwidth and achieved nothing, And the emissions kept climbing

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: 

February 27, 1988 – Canberra “Global Change” conference ends

February 27, 1989 – Barron’s “Climate of Fear” shame…

February 27, 1992 – climate denialists continue their effective and, ah, well EVIL, work

Feb 27, 2003 – the “FutureGen” farce begins…

Categories
biodiversity

August 26, 2003 – Australian “plan” to save biodiversity

Twenty years ago, on this day, August 26, 2003, another “announceable” plan was launched. People who want to believe it can. Those who don’t can be dismissed as malcontents and trouble-makers…

Kemp Acts to Protect Australia’s Biodiversity from Climate Change – 26 August 2003

Federal Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Dr David Kemp, today announced a new nationwide strategic approach to protect Australia’s biodiversity from the impacts of climate change.

“The Australian Government, together with the States and Territories, is developing a National Biodiversity and Climate Change Action Plan,” Dr Kemp said.

“Together we have appointed an all-governments task force to work on the Plan as a matter of urgency. Their first step is an Australia-wide consultation process which will kick off in early September, with the draft Plan to be submitted to the Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council in April next year.

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was roughly xxxppm. As of 2023 it is 423ppm, but check here for daily measures. 

The context was that the Howard government by this stage had ruled out an emissions trading scheme (twice), it had also ruled out Kyoto ratification. So its one green pretend thing was a biodiversity strategy – nevermind that 20 years previously a National Conservation Strategy for Australia had been created. At least this would create working groups and workshops and task forces and interim reports and draft reports and press releases which would keep everyone occupied while the planet was being turned into a denuded barren wasteland of s***.

What I think we can learn from this

That when they are needing to gild the turd governments will announce the creation of new strategies/task forces/workshops etc and this will seduce enough willingly-ignorant or just plain thick and naive people as a substitute for doing anything. Works every time.

What happened next

I don’t know. Did such a strategy get created? I haven’t bothered to look. Doesn’t matter, because the natural world is getting turned to a crisp by us. What a species we are.

UPDATE – A strategy did get created. You can read it here. Thanks to Georgina on Twitter for the link.

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