07-09-2023, 10:49 AM
NZ trying to stop climate change is the very definition of pissing in the wind. Which countries are currently most vulnerable to climate change? Poor countries without sufficient resources to mitigate the negative effects. If NZ continues down the path of placing enormous burdens on our economy in what is a completely useless attempt at stopping climate change (or really just a massive virtue signalling "look at us, we're doing our part"), the only result is that we're far less well placed to protect ourselves against the inevitable changes.
ACT isn't turning a blind eye towards climate change, it is just being far more pragmatic and sensible. Even if climate change is 100% caused by human activity, what NZ does or doesn't do will have absolutely no noticeable effect on any changes. The countries that have the largest effect continue to not be interested in making any genuine meaningful changes; therefore, the only logical conclusion is that the climate is going to continue changing. As such, the only sensible approach is to focus our resources on adaptation rather than prevention.
Its not a question of whether or not prevention would be a better outcome than adaptation, it is just an acceptance that prevention isn't an option. NZ pouring resources into trying to stop the climate from changing, therefore vastly diminishing resources available to put towards adaptation, is like me spending all my money on trying to stop it from ever raining over my house instead of putting that money towards putting a roof on my house.
ACT isn't turning a blind eye towards climate change, it is just being far more pragmatic and sensible. Even if climate change is 100% caused by human activity, what NZ does or doesn't do will have absolutely no noticeable effect on any changes. The countries that have the largest effect continue to not be interested in making any genuine meaningful changes; therefore, the only logical conclusion is that the climate is going to continue changing. As such, the only sensible approach is to focus our resources on adaptation rather than prevention.
Its not a question of whether or not prevention would be a better outcome than adaptation, it is just an acceptance that prevention isn't an option. NZ pouring resources into trying to stop the climate from changing, therefore vastly diminishing resources available to put towards adaptation, is like me spending all my money on trying to stop it from ever raining over my house instead of putting that money towards putting a roof on my house.