International Law

Signs you may have a political ideology disorder

by Brendan Brown

110
The R18+ classification is not about children

by Ron Curry

210
Who wants a hot date with a State Treasurer?

by David Penberthy

310
Mid-age weight baloney

by Kate Southam

410
Old age starts at 59. What?

by Judith Ireland

510
Why great buildings need ways in and out for everyone

by Richard Marles

610
Punch on: Open thread 19/03/10

by Lucy Kippist

710
Transparency policy not so candid in practice

by James Ricketson

810
Question Time Live: 18/03/2010

by Tory Maguire

910
What voters really think of Tony Abbott’s religion

by Nic Christensen and Tina Tek

1010

Put coal kings in the dock for their crimes

03 Jun 05:35am

Filed under: Climate Change, Coal, International Law

Have you ever wondered why it is that nobody is going to jail for causing climate change?

You or I can fined $375 for “aggravated littering” (such as dropping a cigarette but near a petrol station), but you can get away with sea level rise, drought, bushfires and global havoc without so much as losing a demerit point on your driver’s licence.

Like these mob bosses, coal kings could be led away in unflattering pants.

Australians have felt this frustration, as we watched our legal system powerless to stop the expansion of Japan’s so-called “scientific” whaling programme. It is not as if there is no precedent for punishing big polluters. Early this year BP was forced to pay almost US$180 million for pollution violations at its Texas City Refinery. Exxon was forced to cough up US$1 billion over the 1989 Valdez oil spill.

Continue reading "Put coal kings in the dock for their crimes" »

Latest 2 of 53 comments

View all comments

Dan Cass says:

09:15pm | 25/02/10

True. KO. They are not really engaging in a discussion, just Punch-ing and ranting and bullying. Read more »
Ken Oathe says:

12:19pm | 17/12/09

The first few comments in this blog show the confusion among the Denialists. Apparently we are about to enter a new global cooling period. And Climate Change is happening, so adapt. The Denialists can even get their opposing story straight. Read more »