Wed, 16 Feb 2005

Environment/Kyoto

Kyoto pointless and destructive

"There is no cause for celebrating the coming into effect of the Kyoto Protocol," announced Libertarianz Leader Bernard Darnton today. "The Protocol is a nonsense, as is the politically-driven science behind it."

"At best, New Zealand's implementation of the Kyoto Protocol will make not one iota of difference to the climate," says Darnton, "instead of burning our own coal, the government sells it to China to burn. And at worst, the Kyoto Protocol is an excuse to tax and regulate motorists, industry and farmers more, increasing costs, making our exports less competitive, and increasing the government's shackles on industry."

"This is outright madness in pursuit of an anti-life political agenda!" claimed Darnton.

"Even if climate change is occurring and is anthropocentric - both highly controversial claims - Danish environmentalist Bjorn Lomborg estimates that implementing the Kyoto Protocol will only delay the claimed climate change by seven years and at the cost of billions of dollars. Why should we sign up to such nonsense?"

"We are continually getting more efficient cars, factories, power plants and agriculture through technological innovation, and the continuous drive under capitalism to be more efficient is improving the environment,' Darnton points out. "Higher taxes and regulations only hinder this process." "

As can be seen by the environmental basket-cases of the former Soviet Union and the Third World, a clean environnment is a luxury good that increased wealth allows us to pay for. Keeping us poor and unproductive does little to help anybody, and only increae our chances of joining the Third World ourselves."

"Libertarianz would withdraw New Zealand from the Kyoto Protocol and eliminate all taxes and regulatory measures related to it, including abolishing the worthless Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority and the Ministry for the Environment" Darnton concluded.

ENDS

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