Yeah, Clean, Green NZ....

The world's most profitable oil company, which is currently makes $1,318 a second - Exxon Mobil Corp. - has been given a permit which will allow it, (along with a New Zealand company Todd Exploration Limited) to search the Great South Basin for oil and gas. It is said that this will pump over one billion dollars into the South Otago and Southland economies.
That amount of money is sure to get the suits drooling over possible increases in wealth and, already, Bill Walker of the Southland Energy Consortium has said 135 companies are lining up a package to flaunt their services and try and get their foot in the door. Such decisions would be insignificant to Exxon which will have made $395,400 by the time you finish this article.
Energy Minister David Parker is quoted as saying:
"Although the world is working to lessen its reliance on fossil fuels, we will be dependent on oil and gas for some time to come. It is in our economic interest that the oil we use comes from local sources if possible."
It seems Mr Parker is thinking in the short term of our economic interest. $1.2 billion will of course benefit the New Zealand economy greatly, helping soothe our Balance on Payments deficit. Sir Nicholas Stern (Senior Vice-President of the World Bank from 2000 to 2003) states that global warming could reduce the global economy by twenty percent. And in a climate change work programme released in 2006 by David Parker, "Early action on climate change means that New Zealanders can improve their quality of life long term." is the prevailing message. This fits with Stern's report which finds if action was taken immediately, only 1 percent of GDP would be lost as a result of climate change instead of the forecasted 20%.
I would not call letting an influx of fossil fuels into New Zealand (and international markets) the "early action" on climate change that Parker so desires. In fact Greenpeace states: "Encouraging the use of oil and gas is completely incompatible with the goal of carbon neutrality." Now if "clean, green" New Zealand continues this way and Stern's figures are near truthful estimates; as a result of climate change NZ's GDP will fall by $21.2 billion. So, taking into account the 'generous' inflow by Exxon, the New Zealand economy will now only suffer a loss of $20 billion. But if we were to act on climate change now the loss would only be $1.06 billion [as a result of climate change's effect on the economy]. Sure, these figures are not particularly accurate but one must see the general point.
Encouraging the use of (potentially) a lot more fossil fuels in the short term for an increase in foreign investment, is not the way to combat the disastrous effects of climate change in the future.
It does not help matters, that Exxon Mobil has poured $16 million into funding groups that misinform the public on the reality of global warming in the last 9 years.

Failure By Design.

Bloggy, blog. Blog.
Blog. Blog. Blag, Blog, Blawg.

Bog.

Interesting. I'm am not a fan of the following thingles:

1. Human Beings.

It would suck to be one of those. Embarrassing, even.

Oh, hello children. Welcome to my mess.