In every 1st world country, the costs of politician's promises plus the expectations of welfare recipients exceed existing tax revenue, so new taxes are needed and a "carbon tax" is easier to sell because who doesn't want to save the planet? Of course, no amount of carbon tax will reduce emissions from China, India and other emerging countries, so the outcome for human civilisation remains the same, regardless of where you are on the doom & gloom scale. As someone wrote the other day, to hold atmospheric CO2 where it is now, 80% of the world's currently identified fossil fuel resources would have to stay in the ground - and that is simply not going to happen.
Absolutely http://www.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2012/11/chart-only-017-percent-peer-reviewed-papers-question-global-warming
Daz, I agree the world is warming but I also believe this is a NATURAL occurrence all to do with the cyclic ice age that has been happening for many thousands of years. Just because we are around now and can comment on it doesn't mean we are causing it ..... we may be adding to it but it's not countires like ours doing the damage
Well John you are certainly entitled to that opinion, but it isnt supported by the majority of scientific evidence, hence the link above.
This is 100% my view also, and what I was taught at school, ie. cyclic temperature changes of our planet. BUT I can see no wrong in us chasing more self sufficient energy sources. This can only be a good thing. I just wish it was not sold on media hype and panic. What this panic does is actually cause the opposite and I can already see this with my kids (some in their twentys) and with all the rubbish that other kids drop around where we live. Basically they are so sick and tired of hearing about environmental issues they are rebelling against it. For example: My elder son had a problem with his car and I was able to solve it by bypassing the fuel tank fume extraction device (not sure of the correct name) and he was more than happy because he could not give a ***** about the environment. This is from a person that 8 or so years ago used to argue against me that motorracing is disgusting and ruining the planet. Thus the media and panic brigade and turned many of Gen Y into "I don't care anymore, just please stop talking about it" generation. Just like we grew up blasé about a potential nuclear war. Pete
George Carlin on global warming, puts a perspective on it. The planet is fine. Note NSFW - contains swearing. [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BB0aFPXr4n4[/ame] M
I would like us to stop reducing the number of trees though. IMO every year there should be more trees planted than felled ... Pete
What a joke Fairfax and ABC are - hopelessly biased to Labor party. New Newspoll out today, a poor result for Gillard & Labor. Covered in most media outlets, EXCEPT Fairfax and the ABC. Primary vote back to 32%. No mention at all on Fairfax website, ABC radio news only started running it this afternoon after Gillard made a statement responding to the poll. Fairfax can be as twisted as they like - they're a commercial operation and know how to appeal to their target market. But the 78% of the population who don't vote Labor pay for the ABC, yet don't receive an impartial, honest news service.
How to start each day with a positive outlook Open a new file in your computer. Name it "Julia Gillard". Send it to the Recycle Bin. Empty the Recycle Bin. Your PC will ask you. "Do you really want to get rid of Julia Gillard?" Firmly Click "Yes." Feel better? Tomorrow we'll do Wayne Swan!
The world's greatest treasurer!!!........?? So how did he win this crown,and the competiton was............. The treasurer of Greece,Spain,italy? That"s like saying "I'm a good fighter" because you just rolled a drunk in an ally! The "Cream of the crap" Imagine him running his own business! He'd last as long as fart in a fan factory.
Is climate change real or not?....who cares? This is actually a risk managment exercise http://www.youtube.com.au/watch?v=zORv8wwiadQ
I felt better just reading that. It gave me hope. I can have a file for Julia, 1 for swannie, 1 for shorten, 1 for Wong, 1 for Rudd & 1 for each and everyone of the useless, dishonest, wealth destroying bastards called greens. But I'll do each of them every day thanks!
His argument is fundamentally flawed... he missed the outcome option of "all efforts expended but the climate still changed" and the input option of "couldn't get China, India, and the US to participate". In the output case that climate change cannot be stopped the funds would have been better spend preparing for that change rather than trying to prevent it... In the case of the failed input the countries that did spend all their money lose whether anything happens or not... so they are wasting their money - which could be put to much better use preparing for change...
Just because China doesn't sign up to 'feel good' forums doesn't mean they're not doing anything - in fact they're miles ahead of everyone else. Do some research and you'll find they already have 12% of electricity from renewables, a huge wholesale carbon tax (levied differentially on local and foreign producers), low carbon footprint per person and nation-wide, and more solar panles than you thought existed! Like many matters - others talk, China just 'does'.
You have some good points so take China out of my comment... the rest of it still stands As for China they are building lots of things... they also burn truck loads of coal (which is good because I mine coal from time to time )... they are building nuclear power stations (which I also thinkg is very good), in most things they have a long term view - a very good thing. On the other hand a low carbon footprint per person is easy when you have 1.3b... with half of them living in the country with virtually no carbon footprint...
