Climate Change
I do beleive that human activity has and is affecting the climate. However I have to agree with the Federal Opposition from the point of view that it is better to wait until after the Copenhagen Conference before deciding on the best course of action. The Federal Government rush to have it passed by the end of the year was nothing more than political grandstanding so that Kevin Rudd/ Penny Wong could go to Copenhagen and tell the world how good they are (not) in getting the first scheme up.
As a young University student in the late 60's we were told of the natural cycles of cooling and warming of the planet and that we were and still are in a natural warming cycle. Evidence of that can be found in thge likes of Glacier Bay Alaska where the extent of the glaciers has been tracked since the mid 18th century and it has retreated a long way over 70 miles or so since that time in a steady progression.
That is not to say that human activity by way of the Industrial Revolution has not contributed to the an acceleration in the warming process. I would venture to say that human activity is a significant harmonic on the natural warming and cooling cycles the planet goes through.
In my lifetime I have noticed a significant change in the climate particularly since the acceleration in industrialisation in developing countries like India and China in the last 20 years. That is not to say that India and China are to blame, we are all to blame as we live more and more opulent lifestyles.
The highly developed countries laid the foundations for climate change in the last century with rampant industrial and economic growth based upon the use of fossil fuels for energy to support that growth.
We all have to take a step back in the industrialised world and take steps to mitigate our use of energy and processed resources.
However I am not sure that an Emissions Trading Scheme based upon taxation only is necessarily the best option.
"Can people imagine poor old Tony Abbott over there uming and arhing"
I'd rather Abbott umming and ahhing than a pm who spits a tantrum because he hasn't got a hair dryer in the middle of a war zone...or doesn't get the right sandwich, and reduces RAAF staff to tears.
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Tony Abbott spends his vacations up in the north of the country, teaching children...he is also a volunteer lifesaver, and volunteer firefighter.
Can't imagine the other one doing any of that.
Might upset his hair, and boy! if he didn't get the right sandwich!!!
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Toot, of course Mr Spencer doesn't get much publicity, with what is laughingly called 'reporting' the news here in Australia.
We can't have anything spoiling the media and pr managed image of the govt, can we?
I notice the pm managed to get to the Mary McKillop chapel immediately after the news that Blessed Mary may be canonised soon.
Photo opportunity deluxe.
But hey, no photos with Mr Spencer who is starving himself in protest at Rudd's policies. Not even an attempt to contact him and at least address the man's concerns.
Any figures can be bandied around???
The figure of $10billion is not just a figure being bandied around.
It is very real, and only the start if our sovereignty is signed away.