This planet of ours currently has two simultaneous global crises – the global financial crisis [GFC] and the global warming/climate change crisis [GW/CCC]. Many world governments, at least in first-world and second-world countries, have implemented financial stimulus packages primarily aimed at the GFC. As a corollary of Occam’s Razor, it’d be more efficient to help both crises with one intervention rather than two. So the more enlightened governments have aimed their packages at the GW/CCC too – by targeted spending on green transport, buildings, jobs and energy. This graphic shows the volume and percentage of the packages and their green component for 11 nations. Hovering your cursor over each country’s circle provides detail of that country’s package. Australia comes miserably far down the list – seventh of the 11 in terms of green percentage. As a member of the AMA, each month I receive Pulse+IT – a health information technology magazine. An article in the March 2009 issue’s titled ‘If we are to have a stimulus, let’s have one that makes a difference!’. It means making a difference to health; but it’s infinitely more applicable to a GW/CCC difference. The GW/CCC response of my country’s Rudd government has been, and continues to be, so very disappointing. Last Monday I wrote I was proud of Australia’s decision to boycott Durban II. But vis-a-vis its GW/CCC response, I can but despair.
