Having witnessed the much promoted anti-pollution price protest in Port Macquarie on Sunday, the first thing apparent was the middle aged demographic of the people gathered, most bussed in from the Sydney metropolis for the day.
There were no significant youth numbers and very few families.
The rally was full of blatant scientific, environmental and social misinformation that was aimed at providing a level of fear to the community for all the wrong reasons.
The target demographic was obvious, and the mistruths reinforced by climate denialists such as Barnaby Joyce and Warren Truss who delivered no facts on anything, and whose goal was to confuse and put fear into the minds of those who have not themselves searched for factual information.
The Les Pattersonesque MC was nothing less than brash and he cheered on his line-up of speakers to the distorted recording of some “yesterday’s rock has been”.
The existence of anthropogenic climate was totally denied, and the arguments put forward regarding carbon pollution being perfectly natural and that all life on the planet will benefit from more CO2, are far fetched and nonsensical.
David Archibald told the believers,”You haven’t heard this before, but the planet is actually cooling and CO2 levels are dangerously low”. This was greeted by oo’s and rr’s from the crowd.
What sort of messages does this send from public figures?
Denying the accepted climate science and saying the opposite is happening while suggesting a perceived conspiracy that “government will take their money”, when this is clearly not the goal of any policy being negotiated by The Australian Government.
I congratulate The Nationals Lesley Williams for reneging on her appointment to speak at this rally.
Someone very wise gave her good advice there.
Stephen Lockhart
Presenter for
The Climate Project
