23 July, 2011
Computers are becoming more environment friendly – what about the rest of the world? It is a FACT – computers are consuming far less energy for the same computing power and are now offering very useful power saving modes, like sleep mode which is kind to the environment. Also LCD screens are becoming popular in the LED format which again uses less energy – kinder to the environment. So will it be a FACT that the proposed (Australian) carbon tax will lower global temperatures – hardly! IN FACT I think it will have the reverse effect.
Consider what is happening here. The carbon tax is a tax on production. Coal mines will be taxed, Stanwell Power Station will be taxed, Ergon will be taxed, Australian manufacturing and production will be taxed (and we will be taxed). All of this tax makes us less competitive on a world scale – and isn’t global warming (if it is happening at all) a world problem? So while Australian industries are taxed more and even closed down, other countries (such as China) continue to ramp up their production of coal, steel, cars, white goods etc – so they build the mines and factories. Now, who do you think will produce for instance a tonne of steel with the least amount of damage to the environment? Will it be our highly regulated and environmentally monitored industries or a metals plant in China?
How is taxing our already very green (on a global scale) industries going to cool our planet while the rest of the world keeps churning away regardless? But hang on – aren’t we going to put the money into renewable resources? We are yet to see any promises in that area; however we are already seeing the reduction in the solar panel subsidy scheme! Are our decision makers crazy or is it me? Fly into any major Australian city and all you see are red & brown tiled roofs! We could lead the world in Greenness if we put solar panels on each roof and then need many less power stations. Our climate suits it, our vast one or two storey houses suit it – so why did we just make this a harder goal?
As for our coal exports – unless Australian industry can be taxed less and we can become a major industrial nation (instead of mostly exporting raw materials) then we need our coal exports. Also wouldn’t everyone in our world right now wish that Fukushima had been a coal fired power station rather than a nuclear one? – coal is not dead, it is still needed. While the world economy is on the brink of another meltdown we need to leave our already overtaxed nation alone and instead look at Government spending and smarter ways to be Green. Kerr Solutions is at 128 Musgrave Street & is contactable on 49 222 400.
