SP

The economics are simple, If you increase the cost of doing business in Australia only, Australian business becomes uncompetitive, and those that are marginally competitive go out of business or move overseas.

Only the big businesses that can hurt labor, and the mid to low income households are compensated, but not for job loss.

The change in GHG world wide is close to zero. The droughts and weather conditions continue regardless.

Julia Gillard (Juliar) has a habit of trying to tell anyone what they want to hear, and promising everyone everything as long as it gets her re elected.

Shadow Minister,

Thanks for getting back. I get what you are saying, but do you not think Oz should be doing something more about exploring and developing avenues for effective alternative (non fossil) electricity and fuel production?

I guess I'm asking you to just don your economics and business hat, leaving global warming aside (whether real or imagined), and leaving politics aside, to consider whether a concerted push forward in Oz on alternative development could not provide opportunity for new industry, jobs and prosperity? Two aspects - fuel and electricity.

Rationale: Alternative energy development (setting nuclear aside, since Oz is not keen on it) appears to be a growth industry globally; Oil reserves are limited and it's going to get increasingly expensive; Oz is well placed geographically and geologically to take advantage of some alternatives - if cost constraints are not too prohibitive; we are sadly lacking in secondary industries to provide jobs to replace those lost offshore, let alone for projected population increase; we are also a bit backward in R&D avenues to keep and develop our scientific, technological, engineering and professional labour base, and possibly in the education streams available in Oz for generating high-value labour resources generally; and the Oz public appears fairly determined that we should do something (and hence if Tony Abbott was to propose to do nothing I think he and the Coalition would be lambasted and pilloried); and finally, if we did something constructive on alternatives development and utilisation Oz could feel a whole let better about all the coal we continue to use and export.

The nub: Could this be an opportunity? And how best to take advantage if it is? (I personally don't think a carbon tax is the key.)

I also admit a vested interest as, global warming issues aside, I'm a bit concerned about increased CO2 in the oceans, and the effect this is having on a wide range of crustaceans, corals, molluscs and zooplankton due to supposed measured increase in carbonic acid due to dissolved CO2.

Sorry for being a nuisance. I'm just quite concerned about this issue.