New Australia PM Gets Smacked in the Face by Reality

Kevin Rudd, Australia's new prime minister, was quick to sign the Kyoto Protocol and give his support to the new climate talks going on in Bali. Unfortunately, now that he's responsible for delivering more than promises, he's having to adjust his rhetoric:

A government representative at the talks this week said Australia backed a 25-40 per cent cut on 1990 emission levels by 2020.

But after warnings it would lead to huge rises in electricity prices, Mr Rudd said the Government would not support the target.

The repudiation of the delegate's position represents the first stumble by the new Government's in its approach to climate change.

Imagine that...if you keep electric companies from expanding their facilities or building new ones, the price of electricity will rise as demand does. There's a word for that. Eco-, eco-something.

posted by Gabriel Malor at 03:15 AM

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