It had to happen

It had to happen sooner or later. There I was turtling along in my Taxi taking my customer (client) to his nominated destination when he said it, he asked me the question. So whaddu ya think of this carbon tax thing?

The majority of customers (clients) hop in the cab and just start expressing their opinion one way or the other but never ask 'the question' so I just nod and do my best uh-huhs.

 I though I'd better check if this was what he really wanted or if he was just looking for an opening to soap box like all the others but he said yes so I started to answer the question.

First of all, I said, I haven't a bloody clue if climate change (global warming) is real or not and I have bugger all authority to judge either way anyhow but, just in case they are right then I think it's seems like a pretty good idea.

Then he replied but nobody else has a carbon tax why should we and I replied that someone has to be first and if we are going to be first at something then I'd rather it be this.

Then he suggested that it will be at least ten years before America even looks at some sort carbon adjustment scheme and I thought to myself, Grasshopper you are making this all to easy for me.

And I said this is even more reason for us to get going now so as we can get the ball rolling thereby giving us the moral high ground thereby increasing our ability to influence others to do something similar so we can, metaphorically speaking, circle our wagons around the USof A and say well the rest of the world has cleaned up its act now it your turn.

And then he made it even easier and said that still leaves us with the biggest polluter of them all, China.

To which I replied, and who sells them all that coal to pollute with? Us, all the more reason to get this thing happening.

Please don't shoot me, these are just the thoughts of a low income Taxi driving veggie gardener who believes and hopes that one way or the other someone somehow somewhere will make reasonably informed decisions and come up with something that works for the majority of us all.

Cheers and stepping off my soap box now,

Stewart

P.S. and if Tony Abbot can make that tree planting thing work then I all for that too.

Walk against warming!

I won't be able to make this but wish I could! Maybe you can.

12 DECEMBER - Global day of action

Climate Change

Renewable target no replacement for strong carbon cuts

Date: 17-Dec-2008

The Australian Conservation Foundation has welcomed today’s release of details of the federal target for renewable energy, but said the Government was failing the climate if it did not improve on the weak carbon reduction target proposed this week.

"ACF welcomes this first, essential step in building the renewable energy industry, but unless it is accompanied by strong emissions cuts in the range of 25-40 per cent by 2020, the Government won’t be doing what’s necessary to play our part to avoid dangerous climate change," said ACF executive director Don Henry.

"The proposed renewable energy target (RET) is a start, but the scheme outlined today kicks in too slowly and will only tap into a fraction of Australia’s very large solar, wind and geothermal energy resources."

"The scheme, as it is outlined, will encourage slow growth in renewable energy for the first five years, with faster growth occurring only after 2015. We urge the Government to ramp up the scheme much earlier."

Mr Henry said ACF was concerned by the Government’s reference to "RET affected trade-exposed industries" and would seek assurances that this does not signal more payouts to big polluters from the public purse.

"Australians would be outraged if still more public money ends up in the bank accounts of the big polluters under the cover of a renewable energy scheme," he said.

"The Government should revisit the weak carbon reduction target announced this week and replace it with one that will position Australia to play its part to save the Great Barrier Reef, Kakadu and the Australian Alps from climate change devastation."