Australia’s 20 biggest greenhouse gas emitters will receive almost $12 billion in assistance in the first five years of the Government’s modified emissions trading scheme. Because if you’re going to effectively reduce carbon pollution, you have to make sure there’s plenty about to reduce.
Australia’s 20 biggest greenhouse gas emitters will receive almost $12 billion in assistance in the first five years of the Government’s modified emissions trading scheme. And if you’re a self-sufficient organic produce-grower generating your own energy with solar and wind power, you get nothing. I mean, fair’s fair.
Proof that under pressure, coal really does turn into diamonds.
The compensation ensures that Australia makes a smooth transition to a green economy by ensuring that burning fossil fuel is more profitable than ever. I’m not sure how it works exactly, but the sciencey-economicy-politicians must know what they’re doing.
So, as a committed environmentalist, how big a pile of coal do I need to burn to get free money?
Rio Tinto will receive $565 million in free carbon permits in 2012-13, which they can either use to offset emissions, sell to other polluters, or just throw in the furnace.
But I thought the whole point of a free-market economy was that out-dated and inferior companies die out? This isn’t capitalism – it’s pure red national socialist COMMUNISM!
It’s only fair. These companies pumping out obscene amounts of pollution need to be compensated for their obsolete, antiquated, dirty methods. It’s called the free market, people!
The delayed start to the scheme will cost $1.4 billion in foregone revenue. But that’s OK, the budget was in deficit anyway.
Seems fair enough. Sure, these big polluters may get enormous handouts, but at least green energy providers don’t have to feel like socialists.
The Australian Conservation Foundation called on the Government to reduce the handouts, and invest 10 percent of permit revenues in low-emission research, development and deployment. Which all sounds good in theory, but I don’t quite understand how that rewards fossil-fuel companies for belching noxious fumes.
It’s the same philosophy used by al Qaida. If they just keep blowing shit up, maybe one day someone will give them loads of money to get them to stop!
It’s sort of like the increase in the aged pension; you take money from the functional and give it to the obsolete.
The government plans to ease old technologies out via handouts, which is great news for manufacturers of typewriters, abacuses and papyrus. / horse-driven carriages. / Walkmans. / gramophones. / slide rules. / chain-mail.
The Government is also funding a new Quit campaign where they give you thousands of dollars worth of cigarettes, thereby smoothing the transition to a smoke-free lung.
