As an outsized group of young people in places like Germany and Italy voted for the right, if not the far right, and didn’t vote for the Greens, despite the Greens being the alleged “go to” team for the young ones, Upton was speaking at the Environmental Defence Society conference.
If you don't know, Upton is the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment.
Here is what he said;
"There is a danger that we all get into a bubble of clear-sighted, righteous agreement and if only other people had sufficient political will and shared our views we would be well on our way to the promised land."
He added, "we can close polluting industries or shun them. But in most cases we will simply import the goods. Under certain conditions we must be willing to entertain environmentally damaging activities like mining."
He said, "calling for green growth isn't the easy economic and environmental win some people imagine as it will continually trade one environmental issue for another. Any change, even a clean, green one, will be costly
"Degrowth wont be an easy sell. Barring something of a spiritual awakening, the reality is we are likely to continue to worship at the church of consumption.
Simon Upton, where have you been all my life?
It's probably why I quite liked him as a Health Minister many National Party years ago.
But there is your wake up call. There is your reality check from a bloke who's job it is to spruik the climate and environment. And the value of his point was laid out in Europe last week.
If you bludgeon people - you lose.
If you lie to them about the perfection of transition - you lose.
If you leave a gap where the lights can't be turned on, on renewables - you lose.
If you pretend EV's are the answer but ignore the mining aspect of batteries - you lose.
If you close down oil and gas with no consultation - you lose.
If you thrash farmers by telling them to have fewer cows and drown them in red tape - you lose.
In Europe last week, they lost.
The theory around renewables and the climate story of late might have smashed into reality and a general fatigue by most of us over the zealous BS that is pedalled at all costs.
The kids in Europe got it. The Environment Commissioner clearly gets it. I hope those at that conference, once they picked themselves off the floor, got it.
How about the Chloe's and Jacinda's of this world start waking up a bit and reading the room too.
Mike Hosking is a New Zealand television and radio broadcaster. He currently hosts The Mike Hosking Breakfast show on NewstalkZB on weekday mornings - where this article was sourced.
He added, "we can close polluting industries or shun them. But in most cases we will simply import the goods. Under certain conditions we must be willing to entertain environmentally damaging activities like mining."
He said, "calling for green growth isn't the easy economic and environmental win some people imagine as it will continually trade one environmental issue for another. Any change, even a clean, green one, will be costly
"Degrowth wont be an easy sell. Barring something of a spiritual awakening, the reality is we are likely to continue to worship at the church of consumption.
Simon Upton, where have you been all my life?
It's probably why I quite liked him as a Health Minister many National Party years ago.
But there is your wake up call. There is your reality check from a bloke who's job it is to spruik the climate and environment. And the value of his point was laid out in Europe last week.
If you bludgeon people - you lose.
If you lie to them about the perfection of transition - you lose.
If you leave a gap where the lights can't be turned on, on renewables - you lose.
If you pretend EV's are the answer but ignore the mining aspect of batteries - you lose.
If you close down oil and gas with no consultation - you lose.
If you thrash farmers by telling them to have fewer cows and drown them in red tape - you lose.
In Europe last week, they lost.
The theory around renewables and the climate story of late might have smashed into reality and a general fatigue by most of us over the zealous BS that is pedalled at all costs.
The kids in Europe got it. The Environment Commissioner clearly gets it. I hope those at that conference, once they picked themselves off the floor, got it.
How about the Chloe's and Jacinda's of this world start waking up a bit and reading the room too.
Mike Hosking is a New Zealand television and radio broadcaster. He currently hosts The Mike Hosking Breakfast show on NewstalkZB on weekday mornings - where this article was sourced.
6 comments:
Well said Mike, obviously I agree with your comments. It is always about achieving improvements that are balanced and rational. Extremist views of any description have no place unless there is a clear and present immediate danger...agreed on by qualified people.
Teaching children that there is no hope because daddy isn't driving an EV doesn't cut it.
Importing foreign coal whilst holding onto our might make some sense for the future, but it doesn't do anything positive for emissions.
A simple question which can always be asked of the more alarmist anti-mining brigade is "Please tell us then from where you imagine raw materials come from. You know, to build things?".
neverthelss i annot see major CO2 reduction being acheived via democratic capitalism. The world will have to wean itself off consumerism.GDP will have to be largely made up from effort with no consumable content. We can all pay and be paid to teach each other te reo.
Why do the greens and Labour think that they appeal to only the young ones. My kid hates them, thinks they’re out to lunch with the daft ideas. Picks their doom saying apart in milliseconds.
Be very wary peddling climate tripe to young people, they are not all stupid.
Just like I don't trust anything that comes out of current MP's mouth's, I don't trust anything that comes out of ex MP's mouth's either. They are still loyal to the 'big club' that they once served. The root word for Government is "mind control", and politicians, many liars.
Excellent comments Mike.
I suspect that no matter the topic, when zealots espouse their views about anything, nothing will change their minds. Not even the possibility of no food or no transport to demonstrations, no lights or heating et al.
In all probability still in denial at the end.
Quite refreshing to read what Upton said, finally someone speaking truth, from the pulpit no less.
I can hear Chloes squeals echoing around mining sites and oil rigs.
It goes ever further than Mike suggested:
The UK is about to witness a revolt in the form of the Conservatives being ousted by the Reform Party. The thinking is that it's worth suffering 5 years of Labour's incompetence because a) the Conservatives weren't much better and b) In the long term the Tories need to be replaced by a real conservative Party.
In the USA the Democrats are wetting the bed because polls show that the youth, blacks and Hispanics are intending to vote in large numbers for Trump. All of a sudden being MAGA is cool.
The elite class call this 'populism' but in reality it is voters taking back their respective countries.
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