New Zealand gets climate 'fossil' award

BY DAVID WILLIAMS IN COPENHAGEN
Last updated 07:57 11/12/2009

Press reporter David Williams talks to Radio New Zealand

SHAME: New Zealand youth delegation member Georgina Morrison accepted the award - a cup filled with coal and adorned with a toy dinosaur.
DAVID WILLIAMS
SHAME: New Zealand youth delegation member Georgina Morrison accepted the award - a cup filled with coal and adorned with a toy dinosaur.

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Prime Minister John Key's comments on climate change have come to the world's attention, earning New Zealand a "fossil of the day" award at the Copenhagen climate change negotiations.

The awards - which are not an official part of the talks - are a hall of shame for countries seen to be obstructing progress in the talks. The recipients are decided by a daily vote by the 450 members of the Climate Action Network.

New Zealand's third place dishonour on Thursday, behind Poland and Germany, was awarded for Key's comments in Parliament this week that he would not increase the country's 2020 greenhouse gas emissions reduction target.

Yesterday's "fossil" was New Zealand's first since the Copenhagen conference opened on Monday.

New Zealand youth delegation member Georgina Morrison, of Pahiatua, in the Wairarapa, accepted the award - a cup filled with coal and adorned with a toy dinosaur.

"I think we do deserve to get this award ... John Key made some pretty embarrassing statements in Parliament," she said.

"Our emission targets are low and that's not supported by the New Zealand public.

"John Key should listen to the people of New Zealand and support a really high emission target of at least 40 per cent, which is what the science recommends he does."

More than 180,000 New Zealanders have signed on to Greenpeace's "Sign On" campaign calling for a 40 per cent cut in emissions, relative to 1990 levels. 

Scientists say developed countries should cut their emissions by between 25 and 40 per cent to avoid catastrophic climate change.

Key said in Parliament on Wednesday achieving New Zealand's highly conditional target for reducing emissions would be a "significant milestone".

"What I am focused on is going to Copenhagen and making sure that New Zealand can successfully negotiate the conditions that we think are important in order for us to achieve a target of 10 to 20 per cent.

"If we do not negotiate those conditions we will not be able to achieve a target of 10 to 20 per cent and we would have to have a lower target."

Almost 200 countries are in Denmark to try and hammer out a new global deal on climate change.
Key is due to arrive next Thursday.

* This story is now closed for comments. See what readers said below:

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- © Fairfax NZ News

255 comments
Macca   #255   12:57 pm Dec 11 2009

Georgia Morrison, who is she anyway. Some self important nobody... Good on John Key, let's not agree to anything until China,India and the US come into line.

John M   #254   12:51 pm Dec 11 2009

Very childish really !!

Si   #253   12:51 pm Dec 11 2009

Wow.

Global Warming... Hmm, no, we can't say that... it's getting colder... OK... ummmm... Climate Change? Yeah. Yeah that's the one. Start the propaganda machine Lou... some of us need squillions of dollars to enjoy life.

Imagine what happens to science when money and politics get involved. A man with a big bag of money tells you to prove his hypothesis re: Climate Change. Don't blame the scientist for trying to make a living. Shame, then, that truth is the biggest casualty.

If you say a lie loud enough it becomes the truth.

What about the pillaging of seas world-wide? Sorry Mr Mediaman, forgot you needed something you could easily take a picture of and write a story about; horrific acts by humans or what the celebrities are twittering about.

What about the appalling amount of packaging that gets put into the rubbish and makes it's way into the landfills? Boring! Won't sell any newspapers / get hits on our website that way.

You have to marvel at man's incomprehensible arrogance that he can pick the true, 'one and only', cause of something or other.

Haha. Such a massive fail.

Sassy   #252   12:50 pm Dec 11 2009

Let's make a protest to this Copenhagen bunfight. How about having a New Zealand Fart Day and really get the emissions up. Would love to make a stink over this idiocy and just show those retards that we aren't full of hot air.

Sassy   #251   12:47 pm Dec 11 2009

Sounds like a typical day at the kindergarten. Pathetic, tragic and a waste of money. also what about this carbon footprint? Must have used a lot of those to get to Copenhagen. Just another conference to figure out how to rip off the people. Someone is making a mint out of this Global Warming farce. A whole lot of bull!!

John   #250   12:45 pm Dec 11 2009

Ironically, all NZ really needs to do is to boost its level of tree planting (AKA forestry) which will als pay its own way. The deal with the Maori Party should help a lot, and a few more trees in the central North Islad would also be helpful.

Stephen   #249   12:45 pm Dec 11 2009

Moe wrote "Only idiots or people in serious denial think climate change is not an issue!

It is so dissapointing that so many people can be so closed minded and refuse to contribute to the effort of reducing emmissions!"

So who is closed minded? Are you sure it is not you MOE? If you opened your eyes (especially to the science) you would see that climate change is normal and has been going on since time begain. The issue is if man is having any influence. Most scientists are now say 'we don't know but most likely not'. Of course some can't say so openly as they will loose their job. See the recent pressure put on by the Met Office in the UK. Sign or no contract! (or course they didn't quite word it like that).

Luke   #248   12:42 pm Dec 11 2009

180000 people is the amount of people that vote for the green party if anyone has noticed?

jonJ   #247   12:36 pm Dec 11 2009

Based on comments by an Action group with a total membership of 450... AND it makes the headline news. you can do better than that STUFF.

Ian   #246   12:35 pm Dec 11 2009

Congratulations Mr Key, do it again. We are taxed for no good reason with ETS and if the world can see this is nature at work we will all be better off. Go with the flow and forget the Greens.


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