Today COP15 – the 15th United Nations Climate Change Conference – opens in Copenhagen. Given this graph, it’s for sure the most important conference this year. Probably this decade. And maybe this century. My country produces only about 1% of my planet’s carbon emissions. But we’re the largest per capita carbon emitter. So we have a responsibility to lead at COP15 – not to follow. Despite whatever words prime minister Rudd and minister Wong may utter, it’s actions that count. So in the three days preceding COP15, what’s the highest profile event in Australia? Not a global warming/climate change demo. Oh, no. It’s the Sydney Telstra 500. A 3-day car racing carnival around a street circuit in Sydney’s Olympic precinct. Of course the racing cars aren’t zero-emission Formula Zero, but gas-guzzling V8 Supercars. To make matters worse, the event’s sponsored by the NSW government – which should know better. Damn it. And also Telstra. This week I was invited, and I agreed, to be a panellist in My Telstra Experience – an online group of Telstra customers who feed back to Telstra their telecommunications and media experiences. I’ll be telling Telstra what I think of motor racing. And especially its sponsorship of it. I’m only one person, but I’ll do what I can. Meantime COP15 runs until 18 December. I’m pessimistic about the outcome. I hope I’m wrong.
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