Australia Brandishes Magic Technology Wand - "No Need" For CO2 Trading

[hatrack]

There is no need to put a price on carbon because businesses will lower emissions themselves when the technology becomes available, Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane says.

Last week, NSW, Victoria and South Australia released a discussion paper on a carbon trading scheme for Australia. Under the plan, greenhouse gas emissions from Australia's electricity industry would be capped at between 1997 and 2000 levels by 2035. Electricity generators would be required to hold permits to emit greenhouse gases but would be able to buy extra permits and offset emissions through forestry and capturing or storing carbon.

But Mr Macfarlane said emissions would be lowered only through better technology. "The reality is you cannot lower emissions until you have the technology to do it," he told the Nine Network. "Once you have the technology to do it, then there is a question about adoption and I'm confident, based on the track record of industry to date, that they will adopt the technology once it's available."

Mr Macfarlane, who does not believe there is a firm connection between climate change and greenhouse gas emissions, says a price on carbon is not necessary. "You don't necessarily need to give a price signal

EDIT

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Technology-to-lower-emissions-says-govt/2006/08/20/1156012399201.html

[Ready4Change]

1. As long as cleaner is more expensive, no way.

No large energy corporation is going to sacrifice money for cleanness, without someone (regulators) putting an gun to their head, in the form of meaningfull monetary penalties.

Why? Stock holders. Unless it provides a genuine profit to them, they wont allow it.

Say making a factory cleaner costs 5 million bucks. No way they'll approve that. Now, say doing so will avoid a 5 million dollar fine EVERY YEAR until that factory complies? It'll be done in a heartbeat.

Until regulators have to balls to enact such rules, they'll just be blow smoke up our you know whats.

[YankeyMCC]

2. Yes because industry has shown themselves to be

so responsible and sensitive to the needs of the people that work for them and the communities they affect. :sarcasm: