Guy Pearse

Australia's climate is changing. Water shortage is chronic and irreversible, temperatures are rising, extreme weather events are more frequent, species are dying on land and at sea. The world's scientists agree that to avoid the worst environmental damage we must cut at least 60 per cent of global emissions by 2050. Instead, Australia is on track to Increase emissions by 70 per cent over this period. Why Is the Howard government acting so conspicuously against the world's Interests, and against Australia's own future? In this damning account, Liberal Party member, lobbyist and former Howard-government advisor Guy Pearse takes us behind the rhetoric he once helped write. He reveals that the government has no plans whatsoever to reduce Australia's emissions, and explains why this is bad for Australia's economy. He exposes a prime minister wilfully blind to Australia's real Interests – a man who has allowed climate change policy to be dictated by a small group of Australia's biggest polluters and the lobbyists they fund.

High and Dry

Going green is the new black. In recent years, McDonalds have painted their famous golden arches green, while Richard Branson has funneled money into renewable energy. But are these newly 'climate-friendly' companies and brands really as green as they claim to be?

Big Brands and Carbon Scams

Greenwash

Australia's response to climate change must truly baffle outsiders. Why do our leaders pretend that they are leading the world in the battle against global warming? When do environmental risks outweigh economic benefits? Why dig deeper when the rest of the world is looking for alternatives to coal? This is an essay about 'quarry vision,' the belief that Australia's greatest asset is its mineral and energy resources - coal above all. How has this distorted our national politics and stymied action on climate change? In this powerful essay about the national interest, Guy Pearse dissects the Rudd government's climate change response- from the Garnaut report to the silver bullet of 'clean coal' and beyond. He exposes the shadowy world of the carbon lobbyists; how they think, operate and advance their agenda. He discusses the future of the coal industry and challenges the economic orthodoxy. Quarry vision, he argues, is a trap and a blind faith we can no longer afford. 'A generation ago, our leaders showed courage and vision in pushing for unilateral trade liberalisation - they knew it was good for Australia no matter how fast others acted. They were right to turn Australia's economy outward, and the establishment they challenged was wrong. Today the generation that was right on trade liberalisation has much of it wrong on climate change. They now wear the establishment mantle, and it is their turn to be challenged.' GUY PEARSE, QUARRY VISIONGuy Pearseis a former member of the Liberal Party and was a speechwriter for former environment minister Robert Hill. He has also been an industry lobbyist, consultant and spin doctor. In 2007 he exposed the politics behind Australia's response to climate change on Four Cornersand in his book High & Dry.

Coal, Climate Change and the End of the Resources Boom

Quarry Vision

Going green is the new black for big business. But how real is the climate-friendly revolution that’s being advertised? Toyota would like us to think that Mother Nature drives a Prius, Ford wants us to “Join the Green Revolution,” and McDonald’s has painted its golden arches green. Facebook has even “friended” Greenpeace. All across the globe big corporations are spending big bucks trying to convince us that their policies, actions, and products are earth friendly. But are big brands and the celebrities endorsing them really as green as they claim? In The Greenwash Effect, Guy Pearse looks behind the corporate façade in the tradition of Fast Food Nation and No Logo—and what he finds will startle you. Nothing is sacred and no one is safe from scrutiny: not the World Wildlife Fund or Earth Hour, not Apple or Google, not Oprah or Leonardo DiCaprio. The Greenwash Effect is an entertaining and practical book that helps consumers to pick the truly green businesses from the greenwashers and to demand a higher environmental standard from all.

Corporate Deception, Celebrity Environmentalists, and What Big Business Isn?t Telling You about Their Green Products and Brands

The Greenwash Effect

Going green is the new black for big business. But how real is the climate-friendly revolution that's being advertised? Toyota reckons Mother Nature drives a Prius, Ford wants us to 'Join the Green Revolution', and McDonald's has painted its famous golden arches green. Facebook has even 'friended' Greenpeace. But are big brands and the celebrities endorsing them really as green as they claim? In Greenwash, in the tradition of Fast Food Nation and No Logo, Guy Pearse looks behind the corporate façade - and what he finds will startle you. Nothing is sacred and no one is safe from scrutiny in this exposé of carbon scams: not the Prius or the Nissan LEAF, not the World Wildlife Fund or Earth Hour, not Oprah or Leonardo DiCaprio. For consumers trying to shop the planet green, Greenwash is a wake-up call. It's also an entertaining and practical book that helps consumers to pick the truly green businesses from the greenwashers and to demand a higher environmental standard from all. 'Guy Pearse travels the sewers of misinformation to show us exactly how, from banks to airlines, there's a growth industry in green horseshit. But, after hosing himself off, Pearse also presents us with a far more thoughtful analysis than I've read in other exposés of greenwashing.' --Raj Patel, author of Stuffed and Starved and the New York Times bestseller The Value of Nothing 'Before I read Greenwash I thought I could no longer be shocked by the skulduggery of the marketers. How wrong I was. Read Greenwash to be reminded why advertising is called the dark art and how marketing has become the most destructive force on the planet.' --Clive Hamilton, author of Affluenza and Requiem for a Species '[Greenwash] contains some brilliant exposés of capital scamming the unwary consumer, giving them a green hoodwink while continuing opposite practices elsewhere.' --Adelaide Review 'Guy Pearse's welcome book reveals the difficulty of judging the benefits and real environmental costs of the way we live.' --David Suzuki 'If you want to know how to pick the true greenies from the fakers, this book is for you.' --Green Lifestyle

This is an essay about “quarry vision”, the mindset that sees Australia’s greatest asset as its mineral and energy resources – coal especially. How has this distorted our national politics and our response to climate change? What happens now that our coal-fired resources boom has gone bust? In this powerful essay about the national interest, Guy Pearse discusses the future of the coal industry and argues with the economic orthodoxy. He exposes the shadowy world of greenhouse lobbyists; how they think, operate and skin cats. Quarry vision, he argues, is a carbon-laced trap and a blind faith and a mentality we can no longer afford.

Quarterly Essay 33 Quarry Vision

David McKnight

Bob Burton

Australia’s dirtiest habit is its addiction to coal. But is our dependence on it a road to prosperity or a dead end? Are we hooked for life? And who is profiting from our addiction? Former lobbyist and political insider Guy Pearse, media and politics commentator David McKnight and environment writer Bob Burton cut through the spin to expose the underbelly of an industry whose power continues to soar while its expansion feeds catastrophic climate change. They dissect the charm offensive (and muscle) the coal industry uses to get its way, and reveal the myth of ‘clean coal’ – and the taxpayer-funded PR machine behind it. They chart the stratospheric rise of a new generation of coal barons (some high-profile, others faceless). And they lay bare the desolation in regional communities as prime farming land and much else is strip-mined along with the coal. Most contentiously of all, they explore how Australia can break its dirtiest habit and move towards a prosperous, sustainable-energy future.

Guy Pearse

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