The Greens - a bad joke
The Greens are trumpeting the results of a Galaxy poll that they claim shows that the majority of voters want the government to adopt tougher emissions reduction targets. The ABC reports:
The Galaxy poll says 54 per cent of people support at least an unconditional 25 per cent reduction in emissions by 2020.
The Government says it will commit to that target only if the rest of the world agrees.
Greens Leader Bob Brown told Sky News most Australians back the stronger position of the Greens.
“The Government’s going for a very paltry per cent and the majority of people are saying ‘let’s get behind the 25 per cent’, which is where the Greens are placed,” he said.
“The amendments we’ll be putting to the Government’s legislation would lift it to a 25 per cent minimum reduction.” (source)
So let’s have a close look at the question they asked:
The government has proposed a minimum emissions reduction target of 5% by the year 2020. Scientists and environmentalists have suggested a more ambitious target if we are to properly address the issue of climate change. In your personal view, should the aim of the legislation be a minimum reduction of 5% as suggested by the government, or a reduction of at least 25% as argued by scientists and environmentalists?
- 5% target
- At least 25% target
- Neither/Don’t know
(source)
So who can spot the elephant traps here? Firstly, the two main options, 5% or more than 25% conveniently leaves out any option of a middle ground, and secondly, the sentence “Scientists and environmentalists have suggested a more ambitious target if we are to properly address the issue of climate change” almost gives respondents the answer the Greens want! And it that wasn’t enough, it repeats the “scientists and environmentalists” line a second time, just to ram it home. The question so blatantly telegraphs the desired result, it’s amazing they didn’t get a higher percentage!
In other words, Bob, the poll is a joke, the results are a joke, and the Greens are a joke as well.
Australian Climate Madness 
“Greens joke” — is that a tautology?
The other interesting thing here is the references to “scientists and environmentalists”. That is – you can be one or the other — i.e. either someone who is interested in facts and evidence, or someone who is a complete froot loop. But obviously you can’t be both. The Greens sure got this one right!
the question in the poll was :
The government has proposed a minimum emissions reduction target of 5% by the
year 2020. Scientists and environmentalists have suggested a more ambitious target
if we are to properly address the issue of climate change. In your personal view,
should the aim of the legislation be a minimum reduction of 5% as suggested by the
government, or a reduction of at least 25% as argued by scientists and
environmentalists?
Result
5% target 35%
At least 25% target 54%
Neither/Don’t know 12%
First, you say or more than 25% … yet the question says at least 25%
Second, no political party is offering a target between 5% and 25%, so why ask?
You underestimate the desire of the majority of Australians for realistic targets … the Greens don’t.