Berks in our backyard

Looks like we have our very own astroturfing outfit in Australia called the Australian Environment Foundation (AEF). Don Burke of Burk's Backyard is the chairman, and he chairs a quality crew — some of whom are presenting at their Rydges Carlton meeting in Melbourne over the next two days. Andrew Bolt is pumped and pumping (tyres apparently).

Prof Bob Carter, the environmental scientist, will talk on the “myths of climate change”, showing it’s not clear man is to blame for any warming.

Entomologist Rick Roush will explain the benefits of biotechnology in a state that has—for no rational reason—banned genetically modified food crops that have been grown safely by our big competitors for years.

Ziggy Switkowski, who led an inquiry into nuclear power, will again prove that if we want electricity that doesn’t emit greenhouse gases, we can’t beat nuclear, so ignore the scares.

And Gunns’ resources manager will tell why the $2 billion pulp mill it hopes to build in Tasmania’s Tamar Valley is not the poisonous menace that green crusaders are trying to paint.

Wonder if we can reverse engineer the list of industries and special interest groups that provide funding for the AEF? Let's see, Bob Carter... well, he does not believe in global warming, so that would be a fossil fuel industry link. Then we have the GM industry, the nuclear industry and, well, Gunns. I didn't want to mentions companies they are well known, but there you go, Gunns. They are linked to the Institute of Public Affairs. Hardly your environmentally minded group. More your right-wing think tank.

Here's the programme. Oh, and here are the sponsors: Monsanto (GM), and Auscott Limited among them.

Global Warning Climate Change Energy