Africa is planning to tell the world in three months that they want to start drilling for their vast reserves of oil and gas 

Never mind the climate, they need the resources.

The Guardian is reporting that the leaders of African countries are planning to make the announcement at COP27, the global climate change meeting in November in Egypt. 

If they do this, it apparently makes it close to impossible for the world to keep temperature increases to below 1.5 degrees Celsius of pre-industrial levels.

But the African leaders reputedly argue that they should be allowed to do what the rest of developed countries have done, and build their nations on the back of fossil fuels. They say if we care so much about the climate then we developed countries should go ahead and take the lead on sharp cuts to our emissions. 

This means China, India and Africa are potentially burning way, way more than little old New Zealand could ever reduce.

So answer me this: do you really think we’re doing the right thing spending so much money trying to reduce our piddly climate emissions? 

The ute tax you now have to pay, the climate tax in every litre of petrol, the climate rates Aucklanders will have to pay and the money taken from roads and put into cycleways.   

All of that is costing you so much money every week. 

Is it worth it? I don’t think it is. I think we’re fools thinking it’ll make a difference.

If you accept climate change is happening - and it clearly is - then the water’s coming for you regardless of how much New Zealand tries to stop it. 

So surely, instead of spending all that money trying to reduce our emissions in the hope it stops the water, we should accept the water’s coming and we should spend the money getting ready for the inevitable, don’t you think? 

Because it’s happening. New Zealand vs Africa. Who do you think has a greater impact?