Australia's astounding eco-hypocrisy

It's all starting to get a bit ridiculous Down Under.

It's just a dull pain behind my eyes...

The Tony Abbott government has already unleashed a broadside of anti-environmental measures that are virtually unprecedented in Australia's recent history (see our blogs below and associated press release).

Among many other missteps, these include scuttling the Climate Commission, a leading scientific-advisory body on climate change, and doing everything in its power to sink Australia's hard-won carbon-tax scheme. 

Now Greg Hunt, Abbott's Minister for the Environment, has announced that Australia will use its presidency of the G20 Global Leaders Summit--to be held in Brisbane in November--as a "catalyst" to help the G4 nations find a solution to climate change.

The G4 are the big four global polluters--China, the U.S., the E.U., and India.

The G20 heads of government will quickly learn that, when it comes to the environment, the Abbott government's double-speak can be dizzying.  Its motto should be: do what I say, not what I do. 

Remarkably, despite helping to pilot what is increasingly perceived as an ecological train-wreck, Minister Greg Hunt does not appear poorly informed about environmental concerns.  One wonders how far he will be willing to go to back the present government.