Scientist Tim Flannery Eviscerates Howard Government On Climate - "We've Lost A Decade" - AFP

[hatrack]

The Australian government Friday came under attack for its environmental policies from Tim Flannery, the scientist it named as citizen of the year just a day earlier. The leading environmentalist and author slammed Australia as the "worst of the worst" on global warming, highlighting its failure to sign the Kyoto Protocol.

"There's no doubt this government's been dragging the chain," Flannery told public radio. "I've said in the past that Australia has been the worst of the worst in terms of addressing climate change ... but I'm hopeful that we'll see over this year some movement."

Flannery said by refusing to ratify the Kyoto agreement on reducing greenhouse emissions, Prime Minister Howard's government had held back the rest of the world. "We've lost a decade of inaction and we've held the world back really from addressing this issue because we haven't been part of Kyoto. So we need to move doubly swiftly now and this year is the year we need to see that action," Flannery told Sky News.

In his acceptance speech Thursday, Flannery warned he would continue to criticise anyone he thought was pursuing "wrong-headed" policies in this area.

EDIT

http://www.terradaily.com/2006/070126033716.jc0nyd0y.html

[phantom power]

1. I take exception to that. The US is clearly the worst of the worst.

The only competition is for 2nd place. Eat our dust!

[NNadir]

2. Eat our dust?

Don't you mean "suck our gases?"