Antinuclear

Problem with Abbott’s ‘Direct Action’ on carbon emissions – it doesn’t work

Decades of evidence against ‘direct action’ The Age, October 29, 2013 Editorial For all the sound and fury of Australia’s debate on climate change, there is a bipartisan target for cutting greenhouse gas emissions. Tony Abbott and his colleagues say they accept the climate science, but plan to scrap their Labor predecessors’ policy of carbon pricing. The Abbott government will use a $2.88 billion fund of public money over four years to pay for ”direct action” by business, industry and landholders. The problem with this policy is that it ignores real-world experience of achieving the most cost-effective emission cuts. Economists are well aware of the evidence of successful cap-and-trade schemes and, as The Age has reported, they overwhelmingly favour the carbon pricing policy model.

Of the 35 leading economists surveyed, 30 endorsed carbon pricing and only two favoured direct action. (One regarded a ”no action” policy as right for Australia and the other doubted humans were causing climate change.) Mr Abbott has defied economists’ opinion before and in 2011 ignored a Productivity Commission report that strongly endorsed carbon pricing and trading. He has also conceded the direct action fund may not be enough to cut emissions to 5 per cent below 2000 levels by 2020, but insists the budget is fixed……….: http://www.theage.com.au/comment/the-age-editorial/decades-of-evidence-against-direct-action-20131028-2wbxt.html#ixzz2j8vd8k5z

October 29, 2013 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, climate change - global warming, politics