The New Zealand
Climate Science Coalition

18 September 2007 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

"Is your carbon tax really necessary?"

In an echo of the World War II stricture: "Is your journey really necessary," New Zealanders should be asking their Prime Minister: "is your carbon charge really necessary?" Making this comment today, Bryan Leyland, chairman of the economic panel of the New Zealand Climate Science Coalition said that the confirmation that the Government will buy carbon credit to offset emissions of travel by ministers and their staff was a further indication that the Government "has lost the plot."

"Suddenly the debate is all about emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, and not about whether or not dangerous man-made warming is happening, or likely to happen in New Zealand or anywhere else.

"Temperature records for New Zealand and for the world show that there has been no warming in this country since the El Nino peak of 1998, in spite of continuing rises in atmospheric carbon dioxide. The New Zealand experience is conclusive: in this country, the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide is not causing warming.

"That being so, why is the country being saddled with disruption of our economy and increased costs for energy and fuel?

"Perhaps the answer to that question lies in the comment this morning by the Prime Minister: 'It's the way the world is moving, and it's the way we have to move.' In other words, we're behaving like a puppy wanting to please its master, and ignoring the fact that no matter what we do in this small country, it will have no impact on the planet or our own climate.

"A Government claiming to ride the knowledge wave should be demanding an objective scientific review of the evidence underlying predictions of dangerous man-made warming. Instead, it blindly accepts 'projections' from unproven computer models as fact. These same models failed to predict the 1998 El Nino and the subsequent warming. Why should we believe them?

"And if there is no evidence of man-made warming in New Zealand - and in the world - this whole charade of cap and trade, and offsetting ministerial travel emissions, should cease forthwith before any more damage is done to our internationally fragile economy."

ENDS

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