#AusReadingMonth2022 The Carbon Club

 

by Marian Wilkinson (no photo)

Genre: non-fiction
Rating: B
Review: The Carbon Club (ISBN: 9781760875996)

 

Bad news: I missed any signs of “hard-hitting investigative reporting,” The book felt like I was reading a series of articles from the newspaper…cut and dry facts. 85% Australian party politics…15% analysis climate change.

 

Bad news: Very detailed account of many climate sceptics in government. Perhaps this is more interesting for readers in Australia who know all these AUS politicians ….but not for me. This tactic to quash any “cap and trade” for CO2 emissions by Carbon Club members happened in many countries….especially in USA.

 

Good News: You have to read 18 chapters to finally get to the good news! Ms Wilkinson exposes the collusion of business and politics.
Australian politicians have been fighting climate wars fuelled by the Carbon Club (Coal, LNG production, Rio Tinto mines, brown coal-fuelled thermal power stations like Hazelwood)). But…the Carbon Club is breaking up as the climate crisis becomes more urgent!

 

Good news: Ms Wilkinson takes us back to the Kyoto Climate Agreement (1997-2000).
NOW, I know why GW Bush was “chosen” as president by Supreme Court beating the climate conscious Al Gore: Exxon and other fossil fuel giants wanted NO green deals of environment restrictions. NOW we are paying the price of that foolish decision!

 

Good news: I learned that AUS and USA work in similar ways.
Conservatives are funded by Koch Brothers in US and in AUS they are funded by the Cormack Foundation.
Tony Abbott = Australia’s Trump

 

Personal: While reading this book it is again abundantly clear politicians (Australia) think they can brush climate science aside to satisfy Carbon Club members…but that doesn’t make it go away!

No matter what the subject of a book is ….I ALWAYS learn something! This time I learned that the Minerals Council of Australia is one of the top 10 foreign trade organizaitons who claim that adding CO2 to the atmosphere would be good for the planet. WT*?
8 groups are in the USA (…and they ALL want Trump re-elected!!), one in Canada and one in Japan.

 

Personal: I am amazed as to what lengths climate sceptics (Carbon Club) will go to to convince the world they are right! Tony Abbot gave a “sacrificing goats” speech in London 2017. “…we are sacrificing our industries and our way of living to the climate gods. It’s the spirit of the inquisition.” (Pg 258). This is utter nonsense! I thought Australians were sensible …..but after reading this book about Australia’s foot dragging in addressing climate change…I am not so sure anymore. Are corporate profits (coal) worth months of intense bushfires, heat waves, floods, major bleaching of the coral reefs and drought? Fortunately the world..the younger generation is waking up and will decide climate policy in the future ….not the implacable business and mining CEO’s (Clive Palmer) and media moguls (Rupert Murdoch)