Alan Jones, a famed conservative Australian broadcaster, took one younger colleague to task during a recent exchange on the man-made effects of climate change, at one point describing his country’s contribution as equivalent to a “granule of sugar” on a bridge.
Jones was speaking on local news program “Q&A” Monday night where he was flanked by reporter Alice Workman from The Australian who had just finished a diatribe on the need to “upend the economy,” in Jones’s words, to reverse the pollution that humankind has wrought on the natural world. Asked by a young audience member what exactly is climate change, Jones took the opportunity to ask Workman what percentage of Earth’s atmosphere is made up of carbon dioxide, the gas frequently cited as contributing to global warming.
“The percentage of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, Alice, is how much?” Jones asked as he leaned in to hear her answer.
“To answer the question…” Workman started before going off on a tangent and eventually conceding, “I’m not a scientist, I don’t know.”
“Well if you’re going to argue the case, you ought to know: 0.04 of a percent,” replied Jones. “And of that .04 of a percent, human beings around the world create three percent, and of that three percent Australia creates 1.3 percent.”
A video of the exchange then cut to Jones during one of his previous segments where he concludes his analysis by saying, “It’s like there’s a granule of sugar on the Harbour Bridge. Clean the bridge up, it’s dirty.”
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Jones has been cited as one of the most influential media personalities down under. The 76-year-old began his career as a motor sports driver before transitioning into news commentary. His frequent clashing with liberal guests drew the wrath of Australia’s media regulators, and in 2021 Jones confirmed that Sky News had decided not to renew his longtime contract.
The nation’s left-leaning government has partnered with the Biden administration on climate change policies, and in May signed a pact that promised to adjust the procurement of critical minerals from the Earth in a bid to reduce pollution. While much of the deal has yet to materialize, the GOP is already gearing up for similar moves to establish an equivalent to a “global government” system demanded by the World Health Organization to address climate change. In response, Republicans in Washington have introduced bills demanding the United States leave the international body.