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July 8, 2011
Will we see the Greenhouse mafia starting to lose their grip on Canberra now that the Gillard Government starts to sell/market the carbon tax deal to the public? This reform is about changing our everyday practices and the structure of the country's fiscal and industrial systems. Do we want to change our lives? Or should we say no, which is what the Abbott led Coalition says we ought to do in the name of common sense?
From what we know from the leaks, the deal looks to be more of a political fix, rather than a substantive contribution designed to reduce Australia's contribution to climate change.
As is well known the solar and wind industries were given the run around by successive governments in Canberra as Ministers there and in the state capitals 'freezed out' renewables companies and caved into the coal industry, giving it everything it wanted.
This political corruption, whereby the fossil fuel industry had improper influence over the energy policy of both major parties and the public service, was exposed and termed the Greenhouse Mafia by Guy Pearce who highlights how Australia's coal export emissions keep on growing.
Australia is attempting to step towards a clean energy future with a modest scheme, imposing modest costs on households and businesses to achieve modest reductions in emissions. Will this carbon price policy turn around her government's low polling and restore public faith in her leadership?
Are things changing?
If Labor is saying that ticking the carbon price box constitutes an effective climate change response, then it only re-embraced climate change policy as part of the price of forming minority government. However, unlike the earlier attempt at an emissions trading scheme, the deal to get it through the Parliament has already been done.
On the other hand, Martin Ferguson, the Minister for Resources, remains captured by the coal industry. He runs down solar, spruiks for coal, and talks up nuclear. Australia for Ferguson is coal --both in terms of exports and in expanding production on other continents
Steadfast backing for coal exports, faith in ‘clean coal’ and increasingly bipartisan and bipolar flirtations with nuclear power block the way to a real renewable energy boom, instead of the pretend one we have now. While a carbon price is necessary for an effective climate change response, it doesn’t guarantee one.
Labor is still determined to protect the biggest-emitting industries from the effects of its carbon tax. It looks as if this another tentative, token and ineffective proposal tax; its a green wash designed to tarnish The Greens whilst renovating Labor's hollowed out environmental credentials.
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Are the yanks finally starting to talk about a carbon tax?
http://www.truth-out.org/market-lying-why-we-must-tax-carbon-not-subsidize-it/1309962187