One thing that strikes me about the whole carbon pollution thing is that the main emphasis appears to be on industrial fossil fuel reduction and the main weapon here, the carbon tax. All that is good and well but what about other measures. Why doesn't Austalia for instance join Brazil and outlaw petroleum cars? Petroleum cars produce a number of greenhouse gases,e.g CO2, CO, N2O.
Use mixed fuels initially then phase out petrol, same as Brazil.
Austalia seems perfectly suited to produce ethanol. It can be produced by grains or sugar. Our sugar farmers are struggling aren't they? Here's a job for you! Save your farm as well as the planet!
Sugar farmers adversely affected by government free trade policy can be subsidised by the government to move into ethanol production. Surely a political winner! And this can probably happen quite quickly as well, and could have been implemented years ago, at any rate.
Switchgrass, one of the most efficient producers of ethanol grows well in a semi-arid environment. Wonder where we might find some semi-arid land? And no problems with the old excuse that ethanol replaces food crops as this land is barely used, if at all.
Australian produced ethanol without excise tax should be cheaper as well and therefore a big vote winner, especially with rising petrol prices. A boost to employment as well and instead of talk about a carbon tax stifling the economy we'll talk about our ethanol industry stimulating it! At the same time Australia becomes a world leader in the greenhouse gas-reducing stakes, instead of a bit player.
But, alas, there appears to be few measures in place. Currently Australian ethanol is excise free but, unbelievably, this is set to change in July as a tax is gradually implemented. Is this government serious about climate change, or serious about taxing us?
Same with LPG, a cleaner fuel than petrol. But LPG car conversions are no longer subsidised. Why repeal this policy? Derived from natural gas, plentiful in Australia, more LPG use should help the economy as well as the environment, yet the subsidy disappears? Is the government more interested in saving the planet or saving money?
And then there's the electric car as well. Government subsidised recharging areas at petrol stations? That's a possibility. Don't see it happening though.
Global warming has been on the agenda since the 80s and ignited as a political issue in the 90s. Plenty of time to put policies in place.
But I'm afraid government policy and inaction in some areas has done little to douse the fires of sceptics such as myself.