Wednesday, 2 June 2021

Does G7 Stand for the 'Gobshite Seven'?

A 'gobshite' is vulgar northern slang for 'a stupid, foolish or incompetent person'. It describes the quality of what comes out of the mouth. The G7 (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US) is a club of rich nations who always appear willing to talk about their 'amazing ambitions for (climate altering) emissions'. Not just now. Some time in the distant future. It has been revealed that, since the Covid19 pandemic, the 'magnificent seven' have poured billions of dollars more into fossil fuels than into clean energy (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jun/02/g7-nations-committing-billions-more-to-fossil-fuel-than-green-energy). The analysis shows the G7 collectively devoted almost $190bn to support oil, coal and gas in the period January 2020 to March 2021. This support was generally given, without making the funding dependent on reducing emissions. In contrast, in the same time period, the G7 earmarked less than $150bn to support clean forms of energy. The G7 is due to meet, in the UK's Cornwall, for a first 'post-Covid pandemic' face-to-face. They have invited Australia to join them. This might have something to do with trade deals. It has been revealed that Australia's exported coal generates twice the carbon dioxide emissions produced by that country. Naturally, they don't count these emissions as being 'theirs'. As they say, the G7 talk the talk but they don't appear to walk the walk.

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