Premier goes cold on global warming bonus

Alan Carpenter yesterday performed a backflip on the issue of global warming and its impact on WA, declaring it was not good for the State.
On Friday, Mr Carpenter said the State was well placed to cash in on the global crisis by selling natural gas to countries seeking to wean themselves off coal.
The West Australian’s State political editor Robert Taylor asked him: I mean, we are one of the big energy producers in the world, as you’re pointing out we will be more and more an important player in this. So from our point of view is it achievable, can we save the planet?
Mr Carpenter: I actually think it’s good for us, I do. From Western Australia’s perspective I think that this scenario is something that provides us with great opportunity because we’ve got this massive reserve of clean energy.
But in an about-face, Mr Carpenter released a statement yesterday claiming: “At no stage did the Premier say ‘Global warming is good for us’ ”.
The statement declared Mr Carpenter’s comment was merely an observation that there was an increased need for cleaner energy sources and that WA had massive reserves of clean energy.
“The Premier does not believe global warming is good for anyone, let alone WA,” the statement said.
Conservation Council director Chris Tallentire said WA would not benefit from the crisis because the cost of adapting to climate change would far outweigh any gain from increased natural gas sales.
“I was quite amazed when I read the Premier’s comments,” he said. “There is no cause for anyone to be celebrating climate change because the costs of adaptation are going to be enormous. No one can put a dollar value on it.
“I don’t think the Premier is right in describing gas as perfectly clean because burning gas does lead to substantial emissions of carbon dioxide, though it is better than coal.”
Greens MLC Giz Watson said the only good thing was that climate change was now getting the attention it deserved.
“I think it is wrong to say, both in terms of the social impact and the environmental impact, that global warming is going to be good for WA,” she said. “In fact we are one of the places on the planet likely to be most acutely impacted.”
Shadow environment minister Steve Thomas said WA could benefit by charging other countries to store their carbon dioxide.
“I’m not sure Alan Carpenter understands the whole process,” he said. “There are grave threats to WA, it is not all upbeat.”
DANIEL EMERSON
Alan Carpenter yesterday performed a backflip on the issue of global warming and its impact on WA, declaring it was not good for the State.
On Friday, Mr Carpenter said the State was well placed to cash in on the global crisis by selling natural gas to countries seeking to wean themselves off coal.
The West Australian’s State political editor Robert Taylor asked him: I mean, we are one of the big energy producers in the world, as you’re pointing out we will be more and more an important player in this. So from our point of view is it achievable, can we save the planet?
Mr Carpenter: I actually think it’s good for us, I do. From Western Australia’s perspective I think that this scenario is something that provides us with great opportunity because we’ve got this massive reserve of clean energy.
But in an about-face, Mr Carpenter released a statement yesterday claiming: “At no stage did the Premier say ‘Global warming is good for us’ ”.
The statement declared Mr Carpenter’s comment was merely an observation that there was an increased need for cleaner energy sources and that WA had massive reserves of clean energy.
“The Premier does not believe global warming is good for anyone, let alone WA,” the statement said.
Conservation Council director Chris Tallentire said WA would not benefit from the crisis because the cost of adapting to climate change would far outweigh any gain from increased natural gas sales.
“I was quite amazed when I read the Premier’s comments,” he said. “There is no cause for anyone to be celebrating climate change because the costs of adaptation are going to be enormous. No one can put a dollar value on it.
“I don’t think the Premier is right in describing gas as perfectly clean because burning gas does lead to substantial emissions of carbon dioxide, though it is better than coal.”
Greens MLC Giz Watson said the only good thing was that climate change was now getting the attention it deserved.
“I think it is wrong to say, both in terms of the social impact and the environmental impact, that global warming is going to be good for WA,” she said. “In fact we are one of the places on the planet likely to be most acutely impacted.”
Shadow environment minister Steve Thomas said WA could benefit by charging other countries to store their carbon dioxide.
“I’m not sure Alan Carpenter understands the whole process,” he said. “There are grave threats to WA, it is not all upbeat.”
DANIEL EMERSON