While I work on a bigger post (or at least one requiring a bit more research), here’s a quickie on an interesting parallel observed last week.
Part one
In the same week that Minister for Energy and the Environment Josh Frydenberg joined in a parliamentary stunt playing with a lump of coal, he also launched a self-admitted flawed bid to save trees on St Kilda Road.
Deputy PM Barnaby Joyce juggles a lump of coal during #QT @gabriellechan @GuardianAus #politicslive pic.twitter.com/9MAvfyWwn0
— Mikearoo (@mpbowers) February 9, 2017
Part two
Meanwhile, the State Opposition’s Michael O’Brien thought that green activists gathering outside State Shadow Minister for Energy David Southwick’s office to protest the Opposition pledging to scrap the Victorian renewable energy target, should instead have been protesting the removal of trees in Murrumbeena for “skyrail” grade separation works.
250yo @BMurrumbeena river red gum turned into wood chip even though clear of #Skyrail station #springst #StopTheChop #LXRAwatch pic.twitter.com/aMjsdmSa0K
— No Skyrail (@NoSkyrail) February 14, 2017
Here’s what ‘green’ groups *could* have protested, if they cared about the planet. But why save a tree when you can protest a Lib? #springst https://t.co/poXLEwvpmN
— Michael O’Brien (@michaelobrienmp) February 14, 2017
O’Brien perhaps has a point of course. I bet it’s a lot easier to get a bunch of left-leaning protestors to gather outside a Liberal electorate office than a Labor one.
Save the world, or save the trees?
Two observations here.
1. Green shift: Arguably (at least in my probably overly-simplistic view) the green movement started out by (amongst other things) trying to save trees at a local level, hence the term treehuggers. For instance the Australian Greens party has its origins in 1970s protests in Tasmania.
Apparently, saving trees has become mainstream enough that Coalition politicians are calling for it, at least where it can help meet political ends. (Politicians never seem quite as concerned when tree removal is for one of their preferred projects.)
Meanwhile the green movement has moved to bigger things. The energy debate is closely related to emissions, and climate change. It has become about the future of the planet.
It would be nice if politicians on all sides started to address climate change with the urgency it deserves. But for now there are too many denialists and vested interests.
Don’t these coal fired politicians know what they’re really doing is hugging trees ? #auspol
By @leunigcartoons pic.twitter.com/yywjZlGXor
— Environment Victoria (@EnviroVic) February 14, 2017
2. Activists tend to be from voluntary groups.
PTUA isn’t really a green group, but let me tell you from experience: you probably won’t get very far by demanding that a bunch of volunteers drop their chosen campaign and instead do your bidding.
