Climate change ad censorship reversed in Australia

Greens welcome reversal of climate change ad censorship

The Australian Greens today welcomed the reversal of a ban on a television commercial promoting solar energy and the threat of climate change but expressed concern at the state of the global warming debate in Australia.

Australian Greens energy spokesperson Senator Christine Milne supported the bid for compensation by the Adelaide-based renewable energy company concerned, SolarShop.

"FreeTV Australia's self-regulatory body has reversed its rejection of the commercial featuring Australian scientist Dr Tim Flannery alerting Australians that climate change is the greatest threat to humanity," Senator Milne said in Canberra.

"SolarShop's calls for compensation and an apology to Dr Flannery are reasonable.

"The ignorance and political sensitivity on climate change demonstrated by FreeTV Australia's ad vetting body Commercial Advice (CAD) is symptomatic of the hold that the Howard government has on the climate change debate.

"Across Australia, everyone who wants to say something about the reality of climate change seems to need to look over their shoulder.

"At the first meeting of the parties to the Kyoto Protocol in Montreal last December the whole world except Australia and the US moved beyond asking whether climate change is happening to talking about ways to adapt to climate change.

"It is a tragedy that Australia is light years behind the rest of the world in understanding that climate change is the greatest threat to humanity this century.

"This episode is another example of attempts to censor scientists speaking about the implications of climate change where they challenge vested interests and government policy."

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