The European Carbon Trading scheme seems both unstable and insecure.
A few of months ago it crashed from E30 to E15 then E1 and may
or may not have been caused by recycled credits.

It is open to fraud and I have not seen any reason an Australian
scheme would not also be vulnerable to such manipulation.

The Russian Oligarchs cleaned up big time by taking over decrepit
soviet era factories and closing them down and selling the carbon
credits to the dopey Europeans.
Where else do you think they got the money to buy Gazprom and other
major Russian industries ?

They are now probably salivating at doing the same in the US & here.

"SIMPLE SOLUTION... as I've said already.. rather than 'trade'... a simple carbon tax..."

Why does a solution always have to be by way of paying tribute "to" government, as if they have some kind of moral authority in CO2? I mean let's face it, they're the ones who lumbered us with coal-fired power stations for the last hundred years.

I"ve just seen a web ad by government telling people not to send nasty SMSs to each other. You will look in vain in the Constitution for a section granting government the power to waste energy and money on this activity, and that applies to a lot, perhaps most, of what government does.

If we really want to reduce our carbon footprint, why do we assume that government has a right to grow as big as it wants, constitutional or not, wasting other people's money on whatever it feels like; but the people who work at productive activity and own the money, have no right to it but what the government decides not to take? Is that fair?

Why not abolish all branches of government that are not explicitly mentioned in the Constitution, starting with the Department of Climate Change, their big flash new office building, complete with aircon and central heating, all their overseas trips, their salaries, holidays, and hotel stays? That''d have to be a good start, wouldn't it?

Al, thanks for walking Nairbe and I through that.
The brains leading the environmentalist sheep of today are as far removed from the "Silent Spring" ethos as is Dow Chemicals. The fact that the sheep know nothing other than what global media feed them does not seem to distract the zealous nature of their defense.

This 9 minutes of straight talking verifiable facts should give a clearer focus the credibility of the environmental agenda you have been sold.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEggt0ldQUI

Hey AL,
Great paper trail, though i think we must have got crossed lines.
I was trying for sarcasm. Failed obviously. Just doing economics shows us that business has much to gain from an ETS. The government money is to keep the "greedy generation" quiet at the polls and of course the big new tax is the Abbott plan to over through a government.
I must say your paper trail helps balance out the Bush administration oil interests and Iraq game to the Al Gore save the whales campaign.
It would appear that there is no one that is really doing it for the best interests of the global community, just for power and money.

Wonderful responses :) (all)....

But if that paper trail got you going..WAIT till you see THIS ONE :)

BIGGER than Ben Hur!

Note this paper trail :)

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203863204574346610120524166.html

Who lent money to who? and...for what ? (hint..what did Obama just BAN in the USA?) *think oil*

Look at what this kindly old man did recently... very recently

http://www.marketfolly.com/2010/06/soros-fund-management-bullish-on.html

See the section on 'increased positions' look for a certain oil company starting with.. 'P'

That puts his total (largest of all his investments) to around $800,000,000.. not exactly pocket change.

Sooooo....

We have the 'kindly old man' ramping up his investment in a Brazilian Oil company. And.. strangely.. we have the Obama team lending that same company 2 billion for off shore exploration :)

Soros has a foundation called "The Centre for American Progress"

What do 'they' do ?

http://www.americanprogress.org/aboutus/staff/PodestaJohn.html

Who appointed him ? "George Soros"

SOROS... huge investor in Petrbras
CAP/Podesta.. advise Obama to ban off shore oil in the USA
Obama does so.
What will happen to the price of oil in the USA ?
Who can supply that oil ? :)

Who is this man?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podesta_Group Ayeee TONY...

Which large company does he selectively represent? (starts with B)

Is Tony related to John ? :) u betcha.. brothers.

Does John and his Centre for American progress have much influence on the White house ? :)

//Most recently, Podesta served as co-chair of President Obama’s transition, where he coordinated the priorities of the incoming administration’s agenda, oversaw the development of its policies, and spearheaded its appointments of major cabinet secretaries and political appointees.//

SOROS--> CENTRE FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS--> JOHN PODESTA --> WHITE HOUSE/POLICY-TRANSITION TEAM.

WHITE HOUSE --> BANS OFF SHORE DRILLING IN USA.

OBAMA/USA LEND 2BILL TO PETROBRAS FOR OIL EXPLORATION.

SOROS --> BIGGEST INVESTMENT= "PETROBRAS"

"WHO WINS" ? :)

A small group inhabits OLO that is waiting with baited breath for election night.
Waiting for the sheer enjoyment of telling me I got it wrong.
I have not got it wrong, Labor will be returned Abbott will never be elected to lead Australia.;
I may not live to see it[ not unwell but not well no intention to go yet] but we will have an ETS within 6 years America will too.
See Abbott is no savior, he overnight would vote for an ETS if it benefited him.
I think life exists within the Liberal party, that our country needs a solid alternative, that we one day will get just that.
Abbott remains unpopular, even within his party, five minutes mid election campaign of telling us what truly is on his mind can, maybe will put a big swing away from this fraud.