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The Forum > Article Comments > ETS: emissions trading scheme or energy tax swindle? > Comments

ETS: emissions trading scheme or energy tax swindle? : Comments

By David Flint, published 6/8/2008

We should oppose an emissions trading scheme and abolish the fuel excise.

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Dear O Dear who dug this clown up cant you just rebury him quietly,the fool is a broken record like the rest of his ilk.
Posted by j5o6hn, Wednesday, 6 August 2008 9:16:28 AM
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Just when you think OLO has exhausted its pool of climate contrarians they come up with yet another. The reason for fuel tax is to contribute to government revenues. The reason for carbon trading is to force a steady shift away from carbon intensive energy use thereby avoiding a range of problems including adverse climate change. The reason why Australia and a few other countries should take the lead is get an early advantage climbing up the learning curve while setting an example to greenhouse rogue nations.

Far from falling behind Australia's emissions reduction scheme should spawn a range of new industries and jobs that will still be there in twenty and forty years time. The ETS is not a tax in the sense that the revenue is directly handed back to those it affects. They just can't spend it on carbon. This week's media shows the hapless residents of Beijing experiencing the effects of growth-at-any-cost. Those countries who don't follow the emissions reduction path will ultimately drag themselves down as well as the rest of the world.
Posted by Taswegian, Wednesday, 6 August 2008 9:56:26 AM
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I'm going to take my rolled gold intellect, put the kettle on and grab a seat over at Comedy Central for the rest of the day:

http://www.thedailyshow.com/

- join me anyone?
Posted by Chris Shaw, Carisbrook 3464, Wednesday, 6 August 2008 10:18:56 AM
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As usual a very sensible article.

It will still be some years before it becomes accepted that humans producing CO2 do not cause "Global Warming". In other words a few years before it is commonly accepted that there is no cause and effect relationship.

On can only hope that in the meantime an ETS will not actually get up.
Posted by Sniggid, Wednesday, 6 August 2008 10:29:31 AM
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Sigh......

Yet more paranoid garbage from David Flint, but although this article probably doesn't merit serious analysis, I'll just use a bit of logic to refute a part of his argument.

He states "[i]f only one [of these questions] produces a negative response, the ETS is exposed as just another energy tax. The ETS will be nothing more than an Energy Tax Swindle."

This is clearly wrong for his last 3 questions.

" 3. Do no other factors beyond human control significantly affect the weather?"

Even if the answer is no, that is no reason to do nothing. Speed is a significant factor in causing car accidents. Allowing untrained drivers unlimited access to the roads would also be a major cause of car accidents. That doesn't mean we shouldn't bother with a system of licensing drivers just because speeding is also a problem.

"4. Will the advent of an Australian ETS persuade China, India and the US to enter into a similar world wide ETS almost immediately?"

Assuming AGW is correct, it is clearly in our interests for China, India and the US to enter into a similar process. If we do nothing that will only encourage them to go in the other direction.

"5. Will an Australian ETS by itself have any significant effect on the weather in Australia?"

This is absolutely no reason for doing nothing. As has been pointed out so many times before, just because some people still go around stealing from others, it doesn't mean it's ok for me to do so.

Australia is the largest per capita carbon emitter in the world. We have no excuse for sitting back and waiting for the rest of the world to act before we do - morally or economically.

OK, there is still some doubt whether global warming is caused by man-made carbon emissions; but there is enough evidence to suggest it is very much the case, and therefore to do nothing is a far more reckless act than to make the small changes that are being proposed
Posted by Cazza, Wednesday, 6 August 2008 12:17:22 PM
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We need to put this issue in the public's face on a daily basis. This is a threat to our economic well being. The people must write or email their elected officials and scream NO, NO, NO! If these officials ignore us, we have to turn them out. Period

ETS amounts to nothing more than a system for transferring money from our pockets to those of big business and lobbyists. Even if one could feel good about "saving" the planet and thus justify the cost of ETS, they will not see one thing different happen than what Mother Nature intended to happen. Nothing! If ETS becomes reality, many parents won't afford college for their kids. Will they tell the kids, too late, that we should have made our voices heard and stopped ETS from happening? The world has not run out of the inexpensive energy that built our Country... unless ETS becomes reality.

What will become of the economy? Of the economic security of the average working family? The people must make a stand against this nonsense.

Jeff
Posted by Daisym, Wednesday, 6 August 2008 1:16:45 PM
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