The Prime Minister feeds his own Climate Change Pessimism

The Greens say there will be wide spread disruption to the lives of Australians in coastal areas due to climate change.

Speaking at the campaign launch of Wendy Heatley, the Greens candidate for Tasmania's state Upper House seat of Pembroke, Greens Leader Senator Bob Brown said:

" The Rudd Government believes that 600, 000 to 700, 000 businesses and houses hugging the south east coast of Australia could be effected by rising sea levels this century."

"And just last week the Australian National University Professor Will Steffen said that according to latest scientific data the world risks a 1 metre sea level rise by 2100. Add to that greater storm surges and the cost of disruption is quite massive."

"Pembroke includes most of the Eastern Show of the Derwent River in Hobart which is at sea level. Only the Greens are taking the responsible action required to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to avoid this ugly prospect."

"The Prime Minister's own ETS scheme makes this scenario even more likely and is part of the reason for his pessimism about the talks in Copenhagen in December. He is feeding his own pessimism."

"Wendy Heatley is opposing the massive Ralphs Bay canal development on Hobart's eastern shore, pointing to its vulnerability to climate change as part of its negative impact on important wetlands and wildlife," concluded Senator Brown.

Senator Brown will be joining Ms Heatley at a public meeting at the Howrah Sunshine Recreation Centre, 11 Howrah Road, Howrah (Tasmania) at 2pm TODAY.