Some people get really annoyed that the Green Party are socialists. You’ve probably heard them, frustrated that there isn’t an environmental party that anyone across the political spectrum could vote for.
There have been a few attempts to have a so called Teal party. Some might remember Vernon Tava’s Sustainable NZ Party, there’s TOP who are resolutely open to National, and the so-called Blue Green wing of the Nats - I assume for party members that feel bad about their own policies, but not enough to do anything about it.
My response is always - why do you find it hard to understand that most people who care about the planet, also care about people too? But lately I’ve been thinking that what is true of the left, must also be true of the right.
I whack my head against a wall, not literally, trying to understand why people don’t care about the existential crisis that is climate change. Hang on a sec, let’s stop for a moment and thing about those words - existential crisis.
We’re not talking about a cost of living crisis, where we struggle to pay for the things we need. Not an economic crisis like a recession, but hold that thought - once ACT are in power there will be one of those, and their backers will make money out of it. We’re talking about an existential crisis - something that threatens the viability of human life on this planet, which is our home.
Anyway, back to it. What occurred to me is - why do I find it hard to understand that most people who don’t care about people, don’t care about the planet either?
You’d think the people that right wing parties work for might have good reason to keep living. Considering they’re typically quite wealthy and enjoy lives beyond the reach of most.
Note, I’m not talking about the average shmo who votes for them, the Kiwi battler that thinks if they vote for an aspirational party, that rewards the wealthy, then one day they will be at the top. Sorry guys, that’s not how Pyramid schemes work.
No, I’m talking about your multi millionaires, your billionaires. The people that filled National’s coffers, helping them win the election. The sort of person that lent David Seymour a private plane to use for campaigning. Surely these people with so much advantage, which they spend millions rorting our political process to defend, would like to have a planet on which to enjoy their lifestyle?
So it makes me wonder - why do the rich want to destroy the world?
I’m not talking about the politicians they bankroll who do nothing about Climate Change, that’s bad, although pretty much par for the course. I’m talking about the ones who are actively making things worse than the status quo. Making life easier for those contributing to climate change, and dismantling measures made to address it.
On the 7th of November Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister of the UK and a man literally richer than the Monarch, will deliver the “King’s Speech”. He’ll use this to announce the expansion of oil and gas exploration, as well as pro car policies. Largely it seems to create a wedge issue in opposing the green policies supported by the left. Presumably the impact on the climate is just an added bonus.
Just last month Prime Minister Sunak extended the deadline for selling new petrol and diesel cars and the phasing out of gas boilers. And just because he’s that kind of guy he removed the requirement of landlords to meet energy efficiency targets. According to the article detailing those changes, last year those living in poorly insulated homes had to spend £1,000 more on gas over the winter.
Addressing Climate Change, or protecting the environment, is boom and bust. Left wing governments introduce measures to help, and right wing ones get rid of them as soon as they can. For example, in the US former President Trump rolled back more than 125 initiatives, allowing “more pollution, drilling and logging while weakening protections for animals such as bees, bears and birds.”
President Biden is trying to restore many of these. Although right now he’s occupied with supporting Netanyahu’s campaign of reprisals against Palestinian civilians.
Meanwhile billionaires like Mark Zuckerberg and Rupert Murdoch use their powerful positions to spread Climate Change denial and misinformation.
In 2020, pro-fossil fuel Facebook ads were viewed 431m times. In just the first half of 2020, ads on Facebook calling climate change a hoax were viewed at least 8m times in the United States alone. Meanwhile, Facebook has muzzled climate scientists trying to share peer-reviewed research.
Over at Fox News more than 80% of climate reporting comes from a position of climate change denial. In Murdoch’s own words “Climate change has been going on as long as the planet is here, and there will always be a little bit of it.” Hmm, maybe Rupert should turn on a different channel. I don’t think “a little bit of it”, covers what is happening right now, let alone what will occur in the near future.
Not to be left out, voters here have chosen to elect the National and ACT parties, who want to get rid of all the measures put in place to address climate change by our last government. Rather than trying to slow climate change they will actually be applying the accelerator to it.
It goes without saying that a National/ACT government have no intention of doing anything about cows belching and farting into the atmosphere. Our parliament has just elected 18 out of 121 parliamentarians with farming or agricultural backgrounds, to see to that. But apparently they have no intention of reducing car emissions either.
They will scrap the Clean Car Discount. National says it will be gone by Christmas, which perhaps should have been their campaign slogan - right public servants?
This incentive to consumers so they shift to electronic vehicles has been hugely successful, seeing Aotearoa in the top three countries with the largest uptake last year. New Zealand was third with a 179 percent increase from 6800 sales in 2021, the year the programme was introduced, to 19,000 sales in 2022.
The Labour government made public transport free for under 13s, and half price for those between 13 and 24. National are committed to ending that funding, which will result in a huge increase in travel costs for those under 25. But others need not feel left out - Nicola Willis indicating that she wants to get rid of concessions for superannuitants, Community Services Cardholders, and other tertiary students too. Of course they’ll also axe Light Rail in Auckland and Let’s Get Wellington Moving.
So why on earth do the rich seem so intent on destroying the planet?
No doubt some of them are waiting for the Rapture. Some are so eager for it’s arrival that they seem intent on starting the disappearance of people, whether the great Bean Counter in the sky is ready or not.
I’m sure there are a few billionaires who think they can buy their way out of it, perhaps a ticket on a rocket ship?
Hmm maybe those space rocket ventures from the tech billionaires weren’t just ego projects after all? There I was thinking it was just a midlife crisis - you’ve already had the affairs, you’ve got a hundred sports cars, how about a Boy’s Own space adventure?
The sad reality though is these jerks know they’ll be dead before things really hit the fan. And it should come as no surprise that, just like every other aspect of their lives, they don’t give a stuff about anyone but themselves.
Why do the rich want to destroy the planet? The only home we have? I also wonder about this, every day. "The sad reality though is these jerks know they’ll be dead before things really hit the fan. " This is why, Nick. You nailed it. The selfish bastards know what they're doing, and they just don't care.
Labour build, national destroy and sadly that's the cycle over and over again.