Friday 21 August 2009

Reading Between the Lines

The Real Greenpeace Press Release

Occasionally the coquette lets her slip show. The outgoing leader of Greenpeace has just admitted lying, after being pressed by Stephen Sackur on the BBC “Hardtalk” programme. Yes, he has acknowledging that Greenpeace lied when it warned that arctic ice would disappear by 2030.

But it was all in a good cause. The end justifies the means, after all. Didn't your mother teach you that? Gerd Leipold, retiring head of Greenpeace said it was perfectly acceptable to "emotionalize" issues to sway public opinion.

Now what we have long alleged has been admitted to, we find it necessary to gloss everything that comes out from Greenpeace. Since lying to emotionalize is OK (you only apologise when you get caught out) we need to read between every Greenpeace line.

For example, what is the real truth contained in a press release put out yesterday by Greenpeace in New Zealand. Here is the official Greenpeace version:

UN head of climate slams NZ emission target
Thursday, 20 August 2009, 11:07 am
Press Release: Greenpeace New Zealand

UN head of climate slams NZ emission reduction target

New Zealand’s highly conditional emissions reduction target of 10-20 per cent has been strongly criticised by the head of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) , Dr Rajendra Pachauri.

In comments to the Press Newspaper today, Dr. Pachauri said a stronger commitment was required from New Zealand if the world was to have any chance of averting runaway climate change.

“We clearly need a much higher level of ambition” Pachauri told the Press newspaper from India.

When the NZ Government tabled its weak conditional target range on 10th August it stated that “In setting the target the Government has balanced economic opportunities with environmental responsibilities.”

Dr Pachauri also slammed the “fallacy” that rich countries had to choose between the environment and the economy. “There are plenty of examples around the world, which are growing in fact, where countries are going on the path to green growth – developing sectors of the economy which will be far more robust in the future than continuing with business as usual. The political context needs to be changed.”

Greenpeace Climate Campaigner Simon Boxer, said this showed how out of step the New Zealand Government was on the latest climate science, which clearly requires 40% reductions on 1990 levels for developed countries such as New Zealand.

“The Government has tried to spin its target as ambitious but the reality is that New Zealand’s current target makes us a laggard on the world stage.”

Greenpeace is calling for 40% by 2020, in line with the latest climate science.

ENDS

But here is the unofficial, between the lines, non-emotionalised, truthful version:
UN head of climate praises NZ emission target
Thursday, 20 August 2009, 11:07 am
Press Release: Greenpeace New Zealand

UN head of climate praises NZ emission reduction target

New Zealand’s highly conditional emissions reduction target of 10-20 per cent has been strongly endorsed by the head of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) , Dr Rajendra Pachauri.

In comments to the Press Newspaper today, Dr. Pachauri said a stronger commitment was not required from New Zealand if the world was to have any chance of averting runaway climate change. New Zealand was attempting to show pragmatic realism.

"We particularly appreciate the highly conditional nature of the target," Pachauri told the Press Newspaper today. "It shows that New Zealand is being flexible, pragmatic, and realistic."

“While it is true that some countries clearly need a much higher level of ambition” Pachauri told the Press newspaper from India, "New Zealand has set the pace. In fact, I wonder whether they are being far too ambitious."

Dr Pachauri also slammed the “fallacy” that poor countries had to choose between the environment and the economy. “There is no choice at all. Countries have to do all they can to ensure that their people have access to key energy resources to ensure they can lift themselves out of poverty. The political context which criticises such countries needs to be changed.”

Greenpeace Climate Campaigner Simon Boxer, said this showed how in step the New Zealand Government was on the latest climate science, which appeared to show the need 40% reductions on 1990 levels for developed countries such as New Zealand.

“But we know that the 40% target is just emotionalizing the issue. We want to scare the people in the street and get a few headlines. But no-one seriously believes it, least of all us.”

Greenpeace is calling for 40% by 2020, in line with the latest climate science, which is deliberately "mispeaking" on the issue in an effort to gain attention.

ENDS

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