Old man yells at rest of the world
Old man yells at rest of the world
Written By:
- Date published:
10:53 am, September 26th, 2025 - 12 comments
Categories: climate change, Environment, science, Shane Jones, United Nations, winston peters -
Tags:
Winston Peters is at it again, claiming that other nations should take care of emission reductions required so that we do not cook our one and only planet.
From Anneke Smith at Radio New Zealand:
The Foreign Affairs Minister says the world needs to face the “elephant in the room” on global emissions, during a climate change meeting in New York this morning.
Winston Peters was up early for the United Nations leaders’ breakfast, co-chaired by New Zealand’s Pacific neighbour Tuvalu, to discuss the existential threats posed by rising sea levels.
New Zealand has been contributing to UN efforts to clarify the legal position of countries’ exclusive economic zones, as their land masses shrink.
Addressing the room this morning, Peters said, “We have to be honest and realistic here.
“Four countries comprise 60 percent of the world’s emissions, and the rest of the 191 countries… are wrestling with this problem. We have to face the fact, deal with it – we’re in a battle we can’t possibly win.”
Peters has previously pointed out that the world’s four biggest emitters – China, India, Russia and the US – aren’t pulling their weight when it comes to emissions reductions.
Only four out of 191 countries contributing so much seems so unfair, doesn’t it.
But two of them are the most populous nations on the planet.
India has an estimated 1.46 billion people, China has 1.42 million, America has 348 million and Russia 144 million. Their combined population accounts for over 40 percent of the world’s population.
And the annual per capita greenhouse gas emissions levels are not pretty.
The 2023 figure for the United States is 17.2 tonnes per person and for Russia it is 18.5 tonnes per person. New Zealand is not far behind at 15.3 tonnes, China well behind at 9.8 tonnes and India is a paltry 2.9 tonnes per person.
New Zealand is not in a position where it can point the finger at other countries.
And Peters faux outrage would be less annoying if it was not for the repeated attacks on the last Government’s climate change policies. How about these for a few:
- Restarting off shore oil and gas drilling and setting aside $200 million to invest in this area,
- Repealing under urgence Labour’s clean car discount,
- Repurposing the Carbon Fund for tax cuts,
- Attacks on public transport and cycleways,
- Cancellation of light rail in Auckland,
- Fast tracking coal mining,
- Reviewing the 2050 methane targets.
As said by Kirsty Johnson at Radio New Zealand about this Government’s actions:
[A]nalysis suggests the [Zero Carbon Act] has been hollowed out to little more than a husk. While its legal targets remain, nearly every policy designed to meet them has been scrapped, most without replacement.Data collated by RNZ shows that since it came to power in 2023, the coalition government has repealed, defunded, or delayed dozens of climate initiatives – from electric bus funds to agricultural emissions pricing to subsidies for solar and wind. Officials have been ordered to stop planning for lower car use. Climate scientists have lost their jobs. And this month, a ban on exploration for oil and gas was repealed.
“The Zero Carbon Act is a shell,” said 350 Aotearoa strategic adviser Adam Currie. “It was supposed to be our lifeboat, but this government is deliberately drilling holes in it.”
The contempt for climate change measures is exemplified by Peters’ side kick Shane Jones claiming that the previous approach to climate change was moral hysteria.
Peters’ message is superficially appealing. Other bigger nations should deal with the climate crisis. The one that Jones says does not exist. And the one that is being made worse by this Government’s actions.
A clearer example of talking out of multiple sides of your mouth at the same time is diffficult to imagine.
Great post. Peters is a hypocritical bastard. Shane Jones from your link:
"You and I have a different view about climate. I happen to think that it's largely moral hysteria. I have said this for many years. That is why I'm a proud supporter of the extractive fossil fuels industry….What does New Zealand do when the rain doesn't come, the wind doesn't blow, and the sun doesn't shine. It turns on Huntly, and Huntly runs on coal or can run on gas."
This is what worries me about Jones-he lies consistently.
Jones is an intelligent guy. He (like Trump) knows full well that almost all scientists support urgent measures to alleviate global warming/climate change, and he also knows that in Texas, California, Australia and China, among others, massive battery storage facilities have been built, and are still being built, that permit the storage of excess power from wind and especially solar. This power is able to be used in a way that conserves the water in the lakes such that a dry year/low hydro lake level scenario will no longer be an issue.
If NZ invests in significant solar with battery storage now, in 10 years Huntly would probably be able to be demolished.
Ol' Wily Winnie is full of it. He uses a Climate Denier staple: look over there at those powerful polluters doing fuck all . IMO Its just a means to absolve smaller Countries (ie NZ) from taking meaningful action. NACT1 we are looking at you.
Meanwhile, we know that… small as NZ is, it carries a lot of Mana in the World. So our voice should be heard with a positive,urgent message.
We in NZ lead by example…. dont burn our Planet. Take Action now.
Winston First is chasing the tin foil hat and conspiracy vote next election so of course they have to call into question climate change. Simple answer to aotearoa nz first, if we all act like trump and jones the earth is fooked. We deal with climate rise of 3-4% or more and our kids and grandkids pick up the tab
That per capita measure is a terrible one and shouldn't be used. It basically uses people in poverty to disguise the excess of the wealthy in populous countries and over represents smaller countries with agricultural economies.
I'd bet its less than 10% of the worlds population causing something over 80% of the problem. You know the people that fly around the globe (or into space) , have massive boats, engage in war, have multiple cars, houses etc etc.
As with most things the problem sits with top 1 percent or so, that's who really needs calling out.
Most of it is power consumed in business activity, in the home and on the roads.
Not 1% consumption.
If we are to be honest, here in Aotearoa we live one of the most carbon dense lifestyles.
Agricultural nation (cattle belching, deforesting, emissions and fertiliser inputs), addicted to cars, highly plastic lifestyles, diesel miles embedded into food and other imports, trucking industry lobbyists owns the pollies etc etc.
Burdened with a political system that renders meaningful change unelectable.
Like it or not, we are a big part of the problem.
A(t)las, our CoC's 'strategy' is rated " Highly Insufficient ".
https://climateactiontracker.org/countries/new-zealand/
What we all need to understand is that the original cause of Climate change is our propensity to over reproduce!! Overpopulation. We need to take responsibility for the stress our self- indulgent populating ultimately causes our planet.
Kinda says it all about Ol' Wily….
And Greens Teanau Tuiono calls it. An Existential Threat indeed !
Peters position is simply 'climate freeloading' – he and his coalition partners want NZ to get away with doing very little and then justify that behaviour by pointing the finger at the large population/large emitter countries. If he thinks freeloading is right in principle he is mistaken, and if he thinks that other countries won't notice our freeloading and take action against it, he's also mistaken. It is principled to call others out if you are doing your bit, it's hypocrisy when you are not.
Effective climate change action requires everyone to play a part, because international agreements work that way – as we know from the reduction of CFCs. Once freeloaders start pulling out to appease domestic interests, it will all go to hell in a handcart
Another reason the government has to get out the Taranaki seabed mining
https://www.thepost.co.nz/business/360834688/green-horizons-eu-eyes-new-zealands-wind-power-potential
Our energy mess.
https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/360835443/cost-electricity-has-harmed-our-country-and-our-people