The Huge Mistake: Why cap and trade would be bad for the environment and the economy

Here are two global warming believers explaining the flaws in the American version of  ETS. They propose an alternative, Fee and Rebate.  Note the Tony Abbott is also considering replacing the ETS with a simpler carbon tax.

Abbott is right

Tony Abbott is a big government conservative, I'm one of those small government types who thought his book "Battle lines" was just a recipe for greater state power and higher taxes but he is spot on the ETS legislation.:

Climate change certainly takes place. The issue is how much of it is due to man's activity and what is the best response to it. We only have one planet and we have to look after it. Of course, we should take prudent precautions against foreseeable risk.


Still, it's far from certain that the best response to rising sea levels, for instance, is lifting the price of electricity, rather than the kind of measures that have been used in The Netherlands for centuries. If there's to be a carbon price to wean us off coal-fired electricity and oil-driven cars, an ETS may be the most market-oriented way to do so. The Howard government thought so, but many respected economists think a carbon tax would be more certain, less complex and far less open to manipulation than traded carbon permits.


At this point, though, the argument is not so much about the merits of an ETS as about whether it makes sense for Australia to have one before the US, Canada, China and India; and whether it's good governance to have one designed in political horse-trading rushed through the parliament before its implications can really be digested.

Its completely wrong to think all the people against the ETS are global warming sceptics, What Tony and I are sceptical of is the ETS.

leave gays alone

The Rudd government apparently doesn't like the laws recognizing same-sex civil ceremonies in the ACT and wants to veto the legislation:

THE Federal Government is still toying with the possibility of overturning laws recognising same-sex civil ceremonies in the ACT.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said the Government had not ruled out vetoing the laws, which were passed by the ACT Legislative Assembly earlier in November.

Two previous attempts to introduce such laws were stymied by the Federal Government which has the power to disallow territory laws.

The possibility of blocking them for the third time was still being considered, Mr Rudd said.

Why? Whatever it may be its not gay marriage as that is defined by the Marriage ACT which is a federal responsibility not State. If the people of the ACT really want to give recognition for some type of civil ceremony so be it, I don't see why the feds need to interfere.

The global warming conspiracy: its silencing of the sceptics

If true, the e-mails are a damming indictment of the scientists involved. However I would advise caution , the e-mail could be part of an elaborate hoax.

The global warming conspiracy: its silencing of the sceptics

We love Costco

Woolies and Coles have been given a hard time lately, being blamed for rising food prices. Senator Joyce wants laws  to prevent predatory price discounts. This seems dubious to me at best. The net result of such actions would be less competition and higher prices. The answer is more competition not less which is why the entry of Costco to the Australian market is so welcome.

Since the US retail giant opened its first Australian store in August in Docklands, shoppers have been "going berserk" and buying goods in large quantities.

Marketing experts have even come up with a name for the phenomenon, labelling it "Costco-sis".

The discount warehouse sells everything from tyres and spectacles to diamond rings, computers, televisions, toys and furniture.

It also has a big range of fresh and frozen foods, as well as local and imported liquors.

 I can tell you the people of Sydney can't wait for Costco to open here.

Barry's table problem

Barry O'Farrell is still having problems over his decision to ban newspapers from publishing school league tables:

The Herald published the literacy and numeracy results of three schools yesterday - Sydney Girls High, Hornsby Girls' High and Macarthur Girls High.

Ms Firth said Mr O'Farrell had two options: take the Herald to court or repeal the legislation.

''If he really thinks newspapers should be prosecuted, he needs to back up public statements and take The Sydney Morning Herald to court,'' she said. Any citizen can now take the Herald to court under the legislation, and if they win they are entitled to half the proceeds.

Apparently other NSW liberals also think Barry goofed big on this one:

After yesterday's story Opposition MPs privately expressed dismay that Mr O'Farrell had agreed to the legislation drawn up by Mr Kaye and backed by the Opposition's education spokesman, Adrian Piccoli, in June.

One MP complained it was a ''horrible mess'' but Mr O'Farrell had no choice politically but to hold his ground.

He said it was clear when Ms Gillard produced her website report card in January that anyone would be able to create a league table.

''We're locked in now. It's kind of ridiculous,'' the MP said. ''When you have got the website, you can create your own league table any time you want to.''

Another MP said: ''We're reaping what we sowed. Once you have taken a clear view you have to stick with it.''

I'm still aghast that a Liberal would support legislation that would ban newspapers from publishing such information. Mr O'Farrell claims Liberals core beliefs are "Freedom, Choice, Competition and Responsibility". He could have avoided this mess by sticking to them.

Peter Garrett increases carbon emissions

Peter Garrett has decided to ban Queensland from building a dam to provide Queenslanders with much needed water. The only alternative seems to be  energy intensive desalination plants. Just how much extra CO2 will be released Mr Garrett?

PRIME Minister Kevin Rudd has backed his environment minister's interim decision to reject a controversial dam in Queensland. Peter Garrett said he made the interim decision to reject the controversial $1.8 billion plan to dam the Mary River because evidence showed it could kill off endangered species.

The Queensland Government has criticised the decision, saying it will now have to look at building an expensive desalination plant.

A world money tax

This is worrying, now there are moves to an international financial transaction tax.:

Mr Brown told G20 finance ministers meeting in Scotland that "a global financial transactions levy" would be one way "to reflect the global responsibilities of financial institutions to society."

Although the British Prime Minister warned of the need to avoid "prohibitive costs" on the banking sector, he said: "I do not think these difficulties should prevent us from considering with urgency the legitimate issues."

Mr Brown stressed Britain would not act alone on the so-called Tobin Tax, saying it would also have to be implemented by all the world's major financial centers, including the US, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Switzerland.

Fortunately  it would require the co-operation of the world's major money centers, something I would think is unlikely. Any country not participating in the tax grab would see a capital pour in.

Update: How we are moving towards a World Government. 

Utes are eco cars

Looks like those big 6 cylinder cars are more economical then some would like:

LARGE cars with powerful six-cylinder and V8 engines have embarrassed the organisers of a fuel economy challenge by taking out the top three spots.

The Eco Challenge, which finished in Adelaide yesterday, was won by a Holden performance ute with a 6.2-litre V8 engine, which finished ahead of 10 smaller cars with tiny four-cylinder engines.


A turbocharged, 4-litre, six-cylinder Falcon managed second place while a Holden wagon, with one of the company's new 3-litre V6 engines, came in third.


Event director Chris Selwood admitted the organisers had been caught out by the large-car entries.


"We were surprised that some of these big boys decided that an eco event was for them," he said. "We will be looking at the parameters for a future competition."


The organisers had designed the event to show off the environmental impact of small cars and raise the profile of the solar car race, which was run in parallel.

So the bigger cars did well but they want to " be looking at the parameters for a future competition." Which means " we need to keep the big cars out because thats not the result we wanted."