Drill baby drill will not work

Written By: - Date published: 11:14 am, March 31st, 2015 - 25 comments
Categories: climate change, Conservation, energy, Environment, global warming, john key, national, sustainability, uncategorized - Tags: ,

Cleaning up John Keys mess

In a world where climate change threatens our civilisation’s existence and where the plummeting price of oil means that even the most accessible wells are struggling to be price competitive you would think that a sensible government would refuse to allow deep sea oil drilling in a fragile ecological area which is home to one of our most threatened mammals. But this Government wants to allow it.

Simon Bridges is the latest Government cheerleader for the Oil Industry. In perfect Crosby Textor speak he says that while the world must progressively transition towards a low carbon future, it can’t and won’t happen overnight. Dickhead. With every tonne of CO2 or Methane pumped into the atmosphere the possibility of cataclysmic environmental damage increases. People such as scientists who actually understand the science think that we are beyond the point of no return. Having Oil Industry cheerleaders like Bridges in power sucks big time because they only delay the imposition of measures that are absolutely urgent.

His speech to the Oil Industry barons is full of double speak, like how New Zealand has a “mixed and balanced approach to our energy future, which sees us pursuing opportunities in both renewable and non-renewable energy”. This is like a diabetic religiously eating celery but balancing it by eating twinkie bars. The net effect is all bad.

He celebrates that the country is a world-leader in geothermal energy, has world-class wind generation, has extensive hydroelectricity, and abundant forestry resources. Funny that the vast majority of the wind generation was developed because of the last Labour Government and the other aspects all depended on progressive governments for them to be advanced.

Bridges is no stranger to climate change doublespeak and obfuscation. Trying to get him to admit recently in Parliament that CO2 production has increased by 20% between 2008 and 2012 resulted in the most ridiculous avoidance imaginable. And speaker John Carter has not helped. As you can see from the video he repeatedly interrupted Russel Norman in his attempts to get Bridges to admit that what he previously said was wrong.

Norman has had the Green Party research unit examine the length of the questions that he asked compared to other questions asked that day. They came up with clear evidence of bias on the part of Carter:

Turns out the question he said was too long was the median length of supplementary question that day – 37 words! And the one he cut off was 44 words, of which there were 11 longer questions that day. Note that he did not rule a single other supplementary question as too long! He’s just a National Party Minister defending the government from the Chair.

The sad thing is that Bridges and National appear to be totally unaware of the urgent need that we do something and we do it now. And apart from drill baby drill, a convention centre reliant on the misery associated with increased problem gambling and flogging off our assets to the wealthy there does not appear to be any plan to improve the economy, let alone a coherent plan.

There is some good news about climate change, at least sort of.  Last year the rate of increase in the production of greenhouse gasses stalled. The amount of GHG in the atmosphere still went up but at least it is not going up by more and more each year.  And this happened despite oil prices crashing. Maybe this is the start of a turnaround.

It is thought that the slow down of growth in China and its reduction in the burning of coal combined with the reduction of GHG production in the European Union is the cause. But we need to do more.

Even the UK Conservative Energy and Climate secretary Ed Davey understands the problem. He recently said this:

These figures show that green growth is achievable not just for Britain but for the world. However we cannot be complacent – we need to dramatically cut emissions, not just stop their growth. Getting a new global climate deal is absolutely vital, and the year ahead is going to be of critical importance.

If cutting emissions is your goal then allowing the drilling of expensive oil wells in pristine deep sea enviroments is the definition of madness.

25 comments on “Drill baby drill will not work ”

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  1. vto 1
    31 March 2015 at 11:35 am

    Simon Bridges is a colonial tree-feller. He has not a single idea of the future beyond the felling of that tree. And does not care.

    This is what his actions describe

    • tracey 1.1
      31 March 2015 at 1:28 pm

      and it certainly won’t happen overnight when Bridges and his ilk won’t do anything now…

      so… deep and heavy reliance on dairy and seeking redemption from oil… shit we are in BIG trouble… or our kids are…

      bridges and Key shitting on the kids…

      • vto 1.1.1
        31 March 2015 at 1:50 pm

        Yep.

        Dig the earth for water
        Dig the earth for oil

        Its like nothing has changed since the start of the industrial revolution.

        The Nats are absolute Luddites

  2. Murray Simmonds 2
    31 March 2015 at 11:42 am

    Excellent article – and some great lines in it:

    “In perfect Crosby Textor speak . . . ”

    Yes exactly – his recent performance in the House when questioned by Russel Norman reminded me of his first(?) appearance on “Campbell Live” a year or two ago. It was absolutely appalling. All he could do was attempt to answer each of Campbell’s questions with a National Party slogan. Never mind whether or not it related even remotely to the content of the question asked. It was a absolutely pathetic. I’ll never forget the look of complete exasperation on John Campbell’s face as he tried desperately to get just one intelligent answer to his line of questioning from Bridges – who seemed to be sitting there just oozing totally unjustified self-confidence.

    Take away the Crosby-Textor goof-sheet and Bridges is left floundering. And that is exactly what happened when Russel Norman questioned him.

    And as for Carter’s ruling on question length (and ‘allowable’ answer length as well) the extent of Carter’s bias was absolutely clear. But what a great idea to actually quantify the extent of the bias by performing a word-count of what was permitted and what was not. Brilliant!

    • grumpystilskin 2.1
      31 March 2015 at 12:24 pm

      I was covering an event that bridges was presenting at a few days after the ill fated campbell live appearance. He kept looking sideways at the crew making sure we weren’t getting his private conversations before he stepped up to the mic. He was as nervous as hell and very careful with his words when were within earshot. I’d say he was very aware he’d made a dick of himself, especially in his current company of very big name corporate execs at that event. I’d never seen an MP look so scared of cameras or embarrassed when those around him constantly made light of his previous nights exposure. I found it all very odd at the time but now I get it.

  3. Steve Withers 3
    31 March 2015 at 11:58 am

    Bridges is a good boy. He does what he’s told by his betters. It’s almost unfair to criticise him as he almost certainly isn’t the one calling the shots. He’s made himself their puppet because he’s an ambitious party hack of the worst sort. The sort of party hack that infests the local seats in MMP….(and always did under FPTP). He won’t know or care how bad his party’s policies are. Party hacks are like that.

    The Speaker is just the personification of Gerry Brownlee (and National’s) contempt for parliament and democracy.

    Auckland’s democracy was gutted by the amalgamation. 106 Councillors became 20 who don’t control anything that matters. Christchurch’s was dispensed with after the earthquake by King Gerry. ECAN’s elected body status has been shot in the head yet again to allow the farmer water coup to roll ever onward.

    We have little to fear from foreign terrorists. The proven enemy of New Zealand’s democracy is in the Beehive.

    • grumpystilskin 3.1
      31 March 2015 at 12:27 pm

      “We have little to fear from foreign terrorists. The proven enemy of New Zealand’s democracy is in the Beehive.”

      Exactly!

    • saveNZ 3.2
      31 March 2015 at 2:41 pm

      @Steve.

      +100

      We have little to fear from foreign terrorists. The proven enemy of New Zealand’s democracy is in the Beehive.

  4. Draco T Bastard 4
    31 March 2015 at 12:43 pm

    In perfect Crosby Textor speak he says that while the world must progressively transition towards a low carbon future, it can’t and won’t happen overnight.

    And it certainly won’t happen if we keep propping up the Suck it up and BURN!!! culture of the oil moguls.

    Bridges is no stranger to climate change doublespeak and obfuscation.

    Being able to deny reality while holding a straight face is a requirement for being a National MP.

    The sad thing is that Bridges and National appear to be totally unaware of the urgent need that we do something and we do it now.

    IMO, they’re aware of it but getting rid of fossil fueled generation will impact on some rich peoples profits and they won’t allow that.

  5. infused 5
    31 March 2015 at 12:46 pm

    We could have 0 emissions tomorrow and it wouldn’t make an ounce of difference on a world scale.

    What he is saying is sensible and you call him a dickhead? It can’t be done overnight and it won’t be done overnight.

    • Maui 5.1
      31 March 2015 at 1:04 pm

      It’s called leadership, something we used to be good at. If we all had that defeatist attitude nothing would ever change for the better.

    • tracey 5.2
      31 March 2015 at 1:31 pm

      fisi is WAY funnier than you.

      not only not done overnight but nothing done at all in the last 6+ years… deeper dairy and oil reliance, that’s the future according to your and your ilk. You must hate children.

    • ghostwhowalksnz 5.3
      31 March 2015 at 1:49 pm

      Thats what is called the Jeremy Clarkson attitude.

      But unlike Clarkson they dont have the guts to say, lalalala, my foot is staying planted to the floor

    • Draco T Bastard 5.4
      31 March 2015 at 2:17 pm

      We could have 0 emissions tomorrow and it wouldn’t make an ounce of difference on a world scale.

      It would make several tonnes of difference per year actually as well as saving us several percentage points in GDP per year as well as we would no longer need to use fossil fuels.

      What he is saying is sensible and you call him a dickhead?

      No it’s not and he is a dickhead. Why is it that sensible for RWNJs means costing us several million dollars per year of costs that we don’t need?

    • Naturesong 5.5
      31 March 2015 at 4:52 pm

      Personal responsibility.

      Heard of it?

  6. saveNZ 6
    31 March 2015 at 2:39 pm

    Drilling is madness in this day and age.

    Especially in NZ. Immigrants are flocking here for the +pristine+ environment which is being polluted and sullied by all and sundry every day. Soon NZ is going to look like Thailand, open pollution one area, beautiful sea next, lovely building, next to ugly shanty or apartment block. As the rules are thrown away with the current RMA we are getting polluters and anyone else wanting to save a dollar just doing whatever they feel like. As long as the council gets their fees, National gets their donations, and Nat and Labour get their trade deals they don’t seem to care or even understand it is false accounting.

    Look at Mobil, after polluting for 50 years the tank farms in Auckland they walk away not having to clean it up, and worse the public are now paying their costs!! Doesn’t sound like a good deal to me! Like tobacco these big polluters know all the tricks, by lobbying governments and giving donations, they save a fortune by being given preferential treatment and just litigating away any consequences or saying they can’t be held to account because others polluted it too!

    Like tobacco, the victims are taken through the mill being told that other causes contributed to their cancers…. They die before they even get any compensation and they need a fortune to even try to get compensation.

    I hate to see this country going down this US style litigation model, when you can do what ever you like, and the poor are just crushed underfoot, their lives destroyed.

    Hello this is happening now, what about if they go mad and sign TPP?

    Goodbye Maui dolphin, goodbye Waitemata harbour, goodbye NZ life style as we have come to know it…

  7. Dorothy Bulling 7
    31 March 2015 at 3:12 pm

    What reallyneeds t happen urgently is much more research into the development of cleaner use of existing fuels. There appears to be nothing being done to ameliorate the effects of large tractors and trucks used in food production. Yes we can have electric cars which are not poluuting in use, but the factory to produce the cars does pollute, but nowhere have I seen anything to state how the world’s food is to be produced wthout cultivation of the soil and without the large trucks to move the raw food to processing plants. When I see that happening I will know there is serious work being done on climate change.

    • Draco T Bastard 7.1
      31 March 2015 at 5:06 pm

      What reallyneeds t happen urgently is much more research into the development of cleaner use of existing fuels.

      BS. Solar and wind are already cheaper than any fossil fuel and continuing to burn fossil fuels will just continue the destruction of the environment that we depend upon to live.

      but nowhere have I seen anything to state how the world’s food is to be produced wthout cultivation of the soil and without the large trucks to move the raw food to processing plants.

      Vertical Farming

      Don’t need large trucks to move the food when the food is grown in the local community.

  8. Instauration 8
    31 March 2015 at 7:26 pm

    block-offer-2015
    Can the NZ Government be perceived as an “honest broker” in any commercial negotiations ?
    Petrobras previously walked away. I suspect all non-5eyes resident companies will too.

  9. grumpystilskin 9
    31 March 2015 at 9:47 pm

    Regarding cleaner fuels etc.
    I met a dude who developed a water powered car, a kiwi. He was paid out several hundred thousand for the patent and to not pursue further development, by a big oil company. He’s a colourful character, a back yard tinkerer and inventor. I wasn’t inclined to belive him at first but his wife insisted it was true.
    The options are out there, just not common knowledge. A bit like Tesla towers, look into that one. JP Morgan backed his research but pulled funding when Tesla insisted on making the energy freely available. Oddly enough that’s around the time his lab burnt down..

    • Atiawa 9.1
      31 March 2015 at 10:56 pm

      I met 100 or so oil & gas exploration workers who have recently lost their jobs in Taranaki. Then I met a couple of hundred heavy engineering/fabrication workers who before christmas and the 8 or 9 years previous were earning $60k – $90k annually in the same province but are now either unemployed or building car trailers or calf-ateria’s 40 hours/week. Then I met 50 +- highly skilled & qualified mechanical & instrument/ electrical degree holders who worked for companies in the province that either no longer exist or have down- sized their workforce. Then I met a number of production operators who were returning from Australia because the job they had on a FPSO no longer exists.
      When I walked up New Plymouth’s Devon Street recently I was surprised by the empty restaurants and the $10 lunch specials.
      Then I saw the advertisement for “truck drivers required” removed from the prominent roadside space it had occupied for many months.
      Then a local tradesman mate rang to borrow the caravan to take to the South Is to work on a dairy factory upgrade as a (in)dependent contractor, leaving his friends & family behind.
      And so on & so on.
      Winter is coming and the gas bottle is filled.

  10. tc 10
    1 April 2015 at 6:16 am

    Bridges is a classic example of what the wrecking crew are all about.

    Have the script and slogans down pat, he’s unlikely to be privy to the full agenda and play book being quite a numpty and believes he will be at the top table till he passes.

    The born to rule class is alive and well in new zild and dominates the minister portfolios, the arrogance is breathtaking toward democracy and non club members with zero attempt to hide the contempt.

  12. millsy 12
    1 April 2015 at 7:53 am

    Oil prices are falling and the extractive industries are in a downturn. I doubt that this is a good idea.