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Letters to the Editor:

Greenhouse pariahs

Australia, along with the USA, is a greenhouse pariah. 
Although Australia produces only about 1.4 percent of the total 
world greenhouse emissions, on a per capita basis it is among the 
highest emitters, along with the US, which is the biggest 
greenhouse polluter at 25 percent of the world's emissions.

Yet, in a disgraceful display of environmental vandalism, the 
Government refuses to sign the 1997 Kyoto agreement that was 
meant to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions, it and the US 
being the only developed industrial nations not to have signed.

Between 2008 and 2012 the protocol has the very modest aim of 
reducing annual emissions to 5.2 percent below 1990 levels.

It must be ratified by at least 55 countries accounting for at 
least 55 percent of the world's emissions. When last month 
Russia, which produces 17 percent of global emissions, came on 
board the figure went past 55 percent and the Kyoto protocol is 
now set to come into force in 2008.

One of the Howard Government's ludicrous reasons for not signing 
on is that it claims the protocol is not viable while ever the US 
doesn't sign it.

The Government also prattles on about protecting Australia's 
"strong economy" as another reason not to sign while the US 
points the finger at developing nations saying they're polluting 
also but not signing up.

And all the while the Howard Government has been part of a 
separate treaty along with the US that allows Australia to 
increase its greenhouse emissions by eight percent above the 1990 
level.

But the real reason is corporate profits. The Bush administration 
and the Howard Government are totally committed to doing 
everything possible to increase those profits. The implementation 
of the protocol would cut into the bottom line of polluting 
companies, and that is unacceptable to them. Best let the whole 
world go to hell instead.

The Government adds that such measures would also cost jobs. Even 
if that were true — and there is no evidence that it is — 
things can be organised to help those workers effected if there 
is the political will to do so. Furthermore, it should be kept in 
mind that Howard has overseen the closure and collapse of 
businesses around the nation, in most cases the workers losing 
not only their jobs but also their entitlements.

In many instances these closures and collapses were the result of 
criminal behaviour on the part of company directors, most of whom 
get a slap on the wrist, if they don't get off scot free.

Anyway, international law experts are warning that businesses 
here will suffer because Australia has not signed up. This is 
because they will be shut out from the trade benefits that come 
with ratifying the treaty.

These include access to a global emission market worth billions 
of dollars, incentives to invest in renewable energy in 
developing countries and financial credits for projects such as 
plantation forests. Existing trade agreements with countries that 
have signed the protocol could also be affected.

As I said, the Kyoto protocol has modest objectives. It was 
watered down by the US with Australia's support at the time it 
was concluded in Japan. But it is a small step in the right 
direction. The world moves forward, we stay back, tied to Uncle 
Sam's coattails.

Marcus Browning
Sydney, NSW

The excellent editorial of The Guardian on the 10/11/04 
commemorating the Russian Revolution and its list of the 
achievements of Practical Socialism has stirred me into action 
time. This letter has been stewing for some time. I can only hope 
that it is not "over-cooked".

I am not an auditor or an accountant, not even a "creative" one 
who can produce any desired results — a profit into a loss or 
vice versa. But as an ordinary run of the mill working man I have 
felt the urge to try my hand at a simple stock take of the 
present state of socialism.

Biased! Of course it will be biased. I am working class. But I 
prefer to call it a "balancing bias" — it is a counter to the 
anti-socialist bias that pours out non stop from the capitalist 
media.

But before I start on the stock take — a little note for my own 
convenience I have divided time into two zones — seasonal, which 
refers as you might guess, to the human life span — and peaks at 
100 years — and then there is history time which is counted in 
millions of years.

Naturally most of our act takes in seasonal time — where as the 
change of society systems takes place in history time — not 
necessarily in millions of years but considerably longer than our 
seasonal time which is why it is so frustrating.

To start the stock take we must begin with Russia — that was the 
birthplace of practical socialism. According to our capitalist 
"friend" Russia and socialism have been written off.

I disagree. Russia may no longer be truly socialist, but neither 
is it a capitalist state. It is in limbo with a great struggle 
still going. The Cold War was supposed to put the Kybosh on 
Russia after the devastating effects of the conflict with 
Germany. It did not quite succeed in my honourable opinion. 
Russia and socialism did not collapse as was anticipated.

A spoke was put into the wheel and it has been temporarily put on 
hold, but will eventually start moving forward again. In the 
meantime the jewel in the crown of socialism (Cuba) continues to 
shine brighter than ever — Venezuela, Brazil, Uruguay are pluses 
with Argentina poised to join them. Vietnam and China are working 
away quietly to produce their own brand of socialism.

In fact we are winning — not spectacular gains but slowly and 
consistently edging forward. After all practical socialism is not 
yet a hundred years old. Our stock is on the up.

Bert Appleton
Woy Woy NSW