Australia Senate backs carbon tax

[alp227]

Source: BBC

Australia's Senate has approved a controversial law on pollution, after years of bitter political wrangling.

The Clean Energy Act will force the country's 500 worst-polluting companies to pay a tax on their carbon emissions from 1 July next year.

The Senate vote is a victory for Prime Minister Julia Gillard, who had given strong backing to the plan.

Environmentalists have broadly backed the scheme, but there have been large public protests against it.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-15632160

[FailureToCommunicate]

1. Finally!

[Little Tich]

2. This is a big issue in Australia. Currently, the dependence on coal for electricity makes it the

worst carbon dioxide emitters per capita in the OECD, and among the top ten in the world.

[canetoad]

10. Is your user name

A reference to 'The Outcasts of Foolgarah?' :hi:

[Little Tich]

11. Unfortunately not, it refers to Harry Relph aka Little Tich.

Here is his "Little Tich et ses big Boots" on Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWSGwgORBeM

[pampango]

3. Australia passes carbon tax on big polluters

Source: CBC

Australia has passed legislation that would impose a tax on the nation's 500 largest polluters, a deeply unpopular measure that the government defended as necessary to control climate change.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard had promised not to push for a carbon tax during elections last year, but has since said it is Australia's best option. Australia is one of the world's worst greenhouse gas emitters per capita because of its heavy reliance on abundant reserves of coal to generate electricity.

Members of the public applauded when the Australian Senate approved the carbon-tax bills with support from Gillard's Labor Party minority government and the minor Greens party, but opinion polls show the tax is unpopular.

Beginning July 1, Australia's largest polluters will pay $24.20 Cdn for every tonne of carbon gases they produce. ... The Australian Financial Review newspaper reported Tuesday that in Europe, where a system of trading carbon credits is in place, businesses will pay between $9.15 and $13.25 a tonne because carbon prices have crashed to four-year lows.


Steam and other emissions rise from a coal-fired power station near Lithgow, Australia.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard had promised not to push for a carbon tax during elections last year,
but has since said it is Australia's best option.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2011/11/08/australia-tax-polluters-coal-senate.html

---

Sounds like the Australian Labor Party and Green Party are taking a political risk by acting on greenhouse gases.

[trof]

4. Just talked to a friend near Brisbane. She's agin' it.

Her electric bill already averages $300 a month, even after she's cut back usage as much as possible.
:shrug:

[bemildred]

5. Australia passes carbon tax laws

Source: FT

After years of frenzied debate and policy somersaults, Australia became one of the first large advanced economies outside Europe to charge companies for their greenhouse gas emissions on Tuesday, after its Senate finally approved legislation for a carbon tax.

Under a measure the nation’s coal lobby said contained “fatal flaws” that would handicap one of the economy’s largest export industries, around 500 of Australia’s biggest polluters will pay A$23 (US$23.7) per tonne of carbon they generate from next July.

That price will increase by some 2.5 per cent each year until 2015, when it will be set by the market under an emissions trading, or cap-and-trade scheme, similar to the one the European Union has had since 2005.

“After all of these years of debate and division, our nation has got the job done,” said Labor prime minister Julia Gillard, who had said she would never impose a carbon tax before last year’s election saw her form Australia’s first minority government in 70 years, with Green party and independents’ support.

Read more: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/94995942-09c2-11e1-a2bb-00144feabdc0.html

[tabatha]

6. Good for them.

But they are not a large country, and the impact will not be great on the overall problem.

[bemildred]

7. The problem is quite real in Australia.

Which is why they have a law now. This is a harbinger of things to come.

[tabatha]

8. The effects of global warming are more acute

on Australia than most places. And it is up to the rest of the world to follow their example, otherwise it will not help them very much.

[Matilda]

9. And good old Murdoch media cries "God help us all"

Headlines on today's Daily Toilet Paper - er, Telegraph - asking "how will we pay the electricity bills?"

With the increases in benefit payments to all low and middle-income earners, bozo! With a little clever housekeeping, some may even make a profit.