Lexi

If the results of polluting (by your definition) is a higher standard of living, more money for health, education, jobs and a longer life span then I think it is a much better option than us all retiring to Byron bay and smoking dope with no electricity. Or maybe just maybe we might be smart enough to use nuclear power. You could not possibly believe this tax is going to do anything but send the 'pollution'elsewhere. Surely your love of Gillard has not blinded you to that extent.

runner,

Surely your religious beliefs instruct man in the wisdom of "moderation".

It's always amusing that pro-growthers always promote the alternative to rampant consumerism as us being reduced to "living in caves" or in your example - living in Byron and smoking dope.

(I'm not convinced about the marvellous projected impact of the Carbon Tax either, but I do realise that the West has to pull in its belt to some extent).

So Lexi, why then are we taxing those who polute to feed our needs, who, by the very nature of running a business, will charge us more than if te gvernment would otherwise have to charge us.

Can anyone out there tell me the logic in this.

Now, as for a carbon tax, im with runner on this one.

Are you suggesting we go without and bring our future generations into this world that will have a growing population but diminishing workforce.

Remember, we cant possibly reduce carbon and grow witout something breaking.

Meanwhile, the other 98% of polutrrs globally will continue to grow while we get left behind just so the likes of you can feel all warm and fuzzy.

Furthermore, if ther are a majority of you that want to reduce carbon so badly, then simply turn off your lights, walk everywhere and let us continue living the the wold of reality.

Surely if the majority reduce their outputs, and the rest of us stay the same, you will have achieved your objective without hurting the nation.

Poirot

'I'm not convinced about the marvellous projected impact of the Carbon Tax either, but I do realise that the West has to pull in its belt to some extent)'

So the tax isn't about 'big polluters'as Ms Gillard claims but about taxing and raising the costs for everyday consumers. Then why is she compensating the consumers to buy more? Why can't this woman be honest for once. I for one would be happy to pay that bit more tax if it was going to help the environement one iota. The dishonesty is the thing that repulses most Australians. This is about Green ideology not helping the environment.

Dear rehctub,

Why is the government charging the polluters?
It's a dis-incentive. You pollute - you get charged.
And as it is - only 500 of the biggest polluters will
be affected at this stage. This is only the first step
of a program that will be introduced in stages. One
step at a time.

Have you forgotten about the GST
and the problems it has caused. The huge unemployment,
the rise of food prices, bankruptcies, or was it
all just in our imagination? We pay 10% more on everything
today - thanks to the GST. And is the public complaining?

All this is intended as an incentive to develop
new practices of production. The rest of the world is already
moving along those lines - and if we don't, we'll be left
behind on the technological dust heap.

Australia has always had the unfortunate reputation -
"if it ain't broke - don't fix it." Which is simply
an excuse for inaction.
And, as a result,
since the 1950s and 60s Australia has been losing
its creative talent
to other nations.

In simple terms - if you keep breaking the law, and being
fined for it - you will continue to pay for your
persistent ignorance unless you change your ways.

New technology creates new jobs. We have been whining about
job losses for the past century and yet Australia has one of
the strongest economies. However this will change if we're
not competitive and persist in antiquated methods of
production that even countries like China are trying to change.

It's always been difficult in Australian production to introduce
more efficient and economical methods resulting with
manufacturing going overseas. If this continues that's going
to be the killer - and we'll have no one to blame but ourselves.

Do we want the same situation as Eastern European countries
having to buy their power supply from Russia. We can of course
run cables to China and buy our power supply from China -
because if we continue to maintain our ignorance - that's the
direction in which we're heading.

Dear Lexi,
Re:Storm in a teacup.You are so right my friend, I too am sick of this puerile heckling and so forth. There are far more important things to get passionate about ergo: perhaps focusing on those in the poorer countries almost dying for the want of food and drink, I cannot believe the base and crass comments that some of these posters insist on putting up. I was re:reading a rhyme written by Spike Milligan, which basically said "Oh What a lovely Doll, my daughter said,
whilst in Africa a little girl exclaimed
Oh! what a lovely piece of bread"
Sort of puts things in context doesn't it?
Cheers Lexi,
NSB