Jennifer Marohasy

a forum for the discussion of issues concerning the natural environment

Carbon Trading

An Opportunity for Ordinary Australians to Oppose the ETS

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IT would be difficult to justify an emissions trading scheme (ETS) that imposed large costs for purely symbolic benefit during a period of prosperity – it is absurd to consider as much during a financial crisis.

Given the outcry the Rudd government in Australia has decided to postpone introduction of its proposed ETS by one year. That’s good news.

But the enabling legislation is still going to parliament this June and every vote will count in the Senate.

Send the Senators in your state an eCard to let them know how you feel.

You can choose from one of three different cards at http://www.ListenToUs.org.au .

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This campaign is an initiative of the Australian Environment Foundation.

Orwellian

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WITH the rise of big government convinced that belief in a climate crisis will be good for us, it is perhaps pertinent to remember George Orwell and his novel ‘1984’.   The term ‘Orwellian’, his idea that wellbeing is crushed by restrictive, authoritarian and untruthful government, has its origin here.   Read more.

Changing the Lexicon to Progress the Green Agenda

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PRESIDENT Obama likes the concept of cap and trade, but apparently not a lot of people understand that the “cap” in his proposed cap-and-trade legislation refers to the limit that the government would impose on industrial emissions of greenhouse gases and that the trade refers to the need for industry to buy emission permits from the government and from other companies to “trade.”

Furthermore, according to an article in the Los Angeles Times, President Obama’s strategist are realizing that the term “trade” reminds people of the volatile stock market, which makes them uneasy about the policy.

So, the President plans to change the language he uses.  

According to yesterday’s article by Peter Nicholas and Jim Tankersley pollsters have tested 19 phrases and found “clean energy jobs” had the widest appeal, with 42% of the respondents “very enthusiastic” about it.

[Read more…] about Changing the Lexicon to Progress the Green Agenda

Obama’s Plans for Cap n Trade Criticised

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An artificial market in US government-mandated carbon credits would be “monstrously stupid to do right now,” Berkshire Hathaway Inc. CEO Charlie Munger told CNBC, adding that the move is “almost demented” considering other nations’ intention to continue industrial development, emitting vast amounts of greenhouse gases.  Read more here.

How to Kill an Economy

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The Australian government has postponed introduction of the Emissions Trading Scheme claiming current economic troubles. Yet the same Government keeps telling us that the sooner we start on the ETS, the better our economy will be. “Green” jobs will sprout like the harvest after the spring rains… The postponement suggests the Government is somewhat less than confident this will prove true.  Read more here by Tom McCrann.  Also read here by Alan Wood.