Due to her pre-election promises to the Greens. It would seem Gillard has been forced to move ahead with this most unpopular proposition. Another Tax on the average Australian. So we will undoubtedly see heavy fuel, electricity & other energy prices continue to rise over the next few years. Looks like we may all be peddling to work in ten years time ! http://www.theaustralian.com.au/new...ate-policy-today/story-e6frg6n6-1226011223441
This is the most monumental waste of time, money and effort. Wasn't there a pre election promise from Gillard for no carbon tax?
Another blatant tax grab, just like the disaster levy. I wish SHTF soon and that the current monetary system collapses. Most of the hard working Australian's are finding ever increasing living costs, higher taxes and new levies, yet their pay doesn't reflect these increases. I welcome a global reset , a new competent government and a simpler way of life. I don't want to be a working slave till the day I die. 1st July 2012, hope that the USD crashes before then. Slam Edit: There is no proof that carbon causes global warming. This could be a natural cycle of the planets movements. I hate how we as an insignificant nation take the lead on this.
I imagine there are 20 or so government staff in China who's job it is to promote eco idealism to the rest of the World without actually doing anything. Are we so naive to believe they would put their economy at risk over some unproven scientific basis? Average sea temperature increase over 30 years. 0.5 of a degree. Yeah I guess that constitutes hard scientific evidence human interference is the only reason.
China is quietly trying to reduce the amount of carbon emitted per head of population. They threw a spanner in the works at Copenhagen and then turned around and shut down 750 of their biggest and most inefficient factories a few months later. They're already producing more solar panels than any other country in the world and they've just made a big step towards getting a thorium fuel cycle power plant up and running. China is angling to be green before anyone else is because it means they get a first-mover advantage. Not moving first when you have the opportunity too is just dumb.
They're simply adapting to the market of the day. Sorry, I ain't buying the Chinese Eco-conscious thing for 1/2 a nanosecond. Three Gorges Dam is proof of that. The most environmentally destructive project in the history of mankind !
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/22/science/earth/22fossil.html http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/22/science/earth/22fossil.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electricity_sector_in_China Our emissions are nothing
Spot on. I also prefer a tax over a market manipulated emissions trading scheme. I would like to see the tax revenue go straight into renewables (ie, the competition). For instance, start with putting solar hot water on all pensioners homes, thus reducing their energy bills and pressure to raise the pension. Then put 2000w of solar onto pensioners roofs, again reducing pension increases. Then schools, all schools. This investment would grow the renewables service and installation industries, at the same time put downward pressure on future energy costs paid by publicly owned buildings, social services etc. It would be the best user pays tax arrangement, one the rich couldn't dodge. If you want to have 5 air conditioners running at your house, you pay a lot, if you are frugal with energy use, you pay less, if you use good passive design and don't need an air conditioner, you pay none. Nothing seems more fair, as far as tax goes.
Live in the dark and eat grass, and you can avoid the new tax. Fantastic option. To what effective end?
No, they're adapting to the market of tomorrow. Sooner or later, every country in the world is going to start the process of moving to a low carbon economy. Whether that comes about as the result of an international agreement or countries that have previously switched putting pressure on countries that haven't doesn't really matter. The key issue is whoever gets their first gets both a competitive advantage and the ability to dictate terms of trade to those who haven't.
It's all a new derivatives ponzi invented by the banksters to replace their wall street shenanigans. A load of rubbish totally unrelated to improving the environmental quality of the planet. If they were serious about environment there are a thousand things they could do before instituting a new tax system. The Greens are well meaning idiots and will go the way of all the minority parties before them.
They are burning a staggering amount of coal, and it only goes up, with no end in sight. Your contention that the Chinese are going greener is in error. This new tax will achieve nothing besides increasing the cost of energy and hurt those least able to pay.
Yes they are burning a lot of coal. They're also deploying solar faster than just about everyone else. They have a non-radioactive, non-weapons grade thorium reactor power program. The United States doesn't. Neither do we. ...and yet all the revenue from the carbon tax is going towards renewables and subsidies to people making the changes in their energy use...
I was at the launch of the 'Low Carbon Energy Report' in Brisbane last night... An industry spokesman stated in his presentation whether you're for it or against it... because of the indecision on the carbon tax, Queensland is 2-3 years away from 'brownouts'!
