Australia's Carbon Program

I think its appropriate the article is sponsored by Shell Oil.
Although the legislation is probably sponsored by Morgan Stanley,Goldman and originally Enron.
This is a dream money maker for the worlds largest corporations and government coffers.
Constituents demanding to be taxed higher.
A marriage made in a hell of corporate government fascism.
Every morsel of climate "science" propaganda eaten with enthusiasm and noble cause gullibility.

 

The Comments section has some interesting relies.
"5:06 PM on October 5, 2012
"Climate change" is a scam of the global banking cartel and NWO global government to restrict travel, impose U.N. taxes, The Club of Rome bragged that it dreamed up with the idea to bring about an unelected, one-world government that would destroy the sovereignty of nations.
» Group That Admitted Manufacturing Global Warming Threat Still Pushes Same Hoax Alex Jones' Infowars: There's a war on for your mind!

Australia appears to be in the lead of continents/countries that are being forced into serfdom by tyrannical politicians and bureaucrats who will impose ever higher "carbon credit" taxes.

Hey, man, where will all these billions of dollars go? Probably into the pockets of Al Gore, who will use it to pay the monthly electricity bill on his Tennesee mansion. LOL!
Al Gore's 'Inconvenient Truth'? -- A $30,000 Utility Bill - ABC News
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davidnutzuki

4:26 PM on October 5, 2012
Hey LIBS; Further Climate Change Fear Mongering of the Voter's Children is Political Suicide:
*Occupywallstreet does not even mention CO2 in its list of demands because of the bank-funded carbon trading stock markets run by corporations.
*Obama has not mentioned the crisis in the last two State of the Unions addresses.
*Julian Assange is of course a climate change denier.
*Canada killed Y2Kyoto with a freely elected climate change denying prime minister and nobody cared, especially the millions of scientists warning us of unstoppable warming (a comet hit).
Meanwhile, the entire world of SCIENCE, lazy copy and paste journalism and Liberal progressivism had allowed bank-funded and corporate-run "CARBON TRADING STOCK MARKETS"(ruled by trustworthy politicians) to trump the UN's and entire world's efforts into 3rd world fresh water relief, starvation rescue and 3rd world education for just over 26 years of insane attempts at climate CONTROL."

 

The economic cost has not yet been really measured. The new tax came into effect at the begining of July, with the opposition claiming that it will push costs through the roof. Costs did not rise as they predicted, but the true cost has not yet been really measured. One thing that I have noticed - the price of electricity has certainly risen.

Unfortunately, the money raised by the government from the carbon tax is mainly being handed back to the people in the form of reduced income tax charges, and cash handouts to those on low incomes - so they can pay the increased costs that the companies will pass on. Very little of the cash raised is being used to promote development of cleaner energy production, in any form. The result is that as the major poluting companies can just pass on the tax in the form of increased charges, why would they bother to reduce this tax by investing in cleaner energy?

A lot of people see this tax as a waste of effort - as it is not providing the real incentives needed to have companies take up alternative sources of energy. The current opposition party, who are expecting to win the next election, have already stated that they will dismantle the tax when they get into power.

 

I don't even pretend to know the full implications of this but an investment in solar pv on a larger scale would make sense. Vast areas of nothingness could be turned over to solar and you'll get 'free' power during the day. Run your a/c as much as you want for pennies. On an evening the gas power stations or coal base load stations take over.

If solar pv is viable in the UK, then surely in Oz it'll be a complete no brainer, or does the coal mining sector have a big say?

(I have a friend who installed a 4 kwh solar pv array on his roof last year and it's generated above expectations despite us having one of the least sunny and wettest years in over 100 years.)

 

We got Sage... sheezzz,

 

...not sure what the ratio is for Australia of coal export to China/etc vs. coal used domestically.
They should put the carbon tax on the unburned resource, otherwise they seem to just be saving coal for export.

 

I can't imagine the big US banks getting a share in Australia, Enron is dead. Shell has long promoted such things, wanting to be on the green side to differentiate itself from the other oil companies. It doesn't hurt or help big oil.

Australia if they reduce coal ghg will likely at the same time reduce unhealthy pollution, so even if the science is wrong, which IMHO it isn't, this will not cause harm to the Australian economy. Reductions in health care costs could be greater than increases in electricity costs. More efficient cars are also not a bad thing for the australian economy. The goals are quite modest in reducing 2020 ghg from 2000 levels, the US has already reduced to a greater extent today from these levels without any sort of carbon tax. The US has used coal pollution standards and cafe standards, which seem more direct.

 

No, it's how a carbon tax should work. A zero sum tax on consumption. Those who consume less gain, those who consume more lose.

The stupidity is in the insistence on cap-and-trade programs that just adds more wasteful market gambling games.

 

Electricity and Gasoline are the two things that will be taxed the most. Over the long term greater efficiency should offset some of the tax and some demand should be reduced, so prices will rise less than the additional tax. The easy substitution for ccgt from coal doesn't exist in Australia, but there are new natural gas fields.

In the US simply a carbon tax would be enough to make wind less than new coal. This tax may make people shut down some of the most inefficcient coal plants and build more modern less polluting ones. IIRC australia does have other incentives for solar.

Energy taxes are often ineffective. There effectiveness is enhanced by some small support for alternative research. IMHO solar and wind are mature and don't really need subsidies if coal is properly taxed. How high is the tax? IIRC its about 1.6 Australian cents per kwh, which isn't going to kill anyone especially if their income tax is reduced. It is also not high enough in australia to move the electricity sector off coal, other regulations would be needed, inwhich case the tax is just a supplement. The real higher prices might kick in 2015 when a cap is added. It's likely the australians simply ship the coal they don't burn to china and india as someone else has mentioned. Australia will get cleaner air, but its doubtful any significant ghg will be reduced.