Quote of the Day
I was reprimanded by a commenter yesterday for being ‘inconsistent’ and apparently ‘more interested in insulting those on the other side of politics’, as a result of not having sufficiently criticised the Coalition’s direct action policy.
Well, there are a number of reasons why posting has been light over the past few months, including a variety of other commitments which have meant the blog has been lower down the list of priorities, but I am very happy to go on the record to state that the Coalition’s direct action policy on climate is almost as pointless as Labor’s ETS or carbon tax.
I say ‘almost’ because whilst an ETS or carbon tax required massive legislative changes to be entrenched in our statute books, the nebulous direct action policy is something that could be very easily dropped at some point in the future, with very little effort. Also, the financial damage it would inflict on our economy is but a fraction of that potentially wrought by an ETS or carbon tax.
In reality, the direct action policy is simply a fear-driven response to the bullying of environmentalists – a token gesture to keep the Coalition within the bounds of political correctness. If it were me, since the policy will make zero difference to the climate, I would tell political correctness where to go, and use the money to help pay off our massive deficit. Only with a strong economy can any country afford the costs of adaptation to climate change – whether that be warming or cooling.
Coming soon on ACM: Some interesting things going on in the background, on which I hope to report soon. Some new developments on Lewandowsky, and the possibility of embarrassing revelations about two of Australia’s foremost warmists. Stay tooned!
Australian Climate Madness 
Quite agree on stupid political gesturing; it’s one of the problems with elections – we always elect politicians
I await future news.
As I understand it, Direct Action will have the effect of making Australia a nicer place to be. what with all those newly-planted trees and things. It’ll provide employment for those who would otherwise be watching daytime TV on the Public Purse at any rate.
I am soon starting a major tree planting project in the North. The planting of income producing trees will be direct into bush, enhanced planting, some degraded landscapes and using bore and treated sewage water. Should we grab whatever carbon credit money is on offer (maybe there are businesses out there with a guilty carbon complex)?
Not believing in carbon trading bs, we will continue planting anyway!
Just think of all the extra oxygen you will be providing us with.
We are indebted to you, sir 🙂
Thanks, we have been building up to this for many years, nearly there.
Good start!
People are stupid. Tony Abbott knows that.
Little steps is the way to go and those ‘warmist’ idiots can’t huff and puff and blow, well, blow steam. After all, he’s protecting nature isn’t he.
This way they are placated and the stupid Labor tax on carbon dioxide is gone.
The Left is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. Tony Abbott, who, I’m sure, has read Shakespeare, knows exactly how to nullify their protests…with, may I add, the added bonus of paying off Labor’s debt from the last 6 years without our children inheriting Labor’s stupidity.
To think that Joe Hockey has to penalize certain members of our society because Labor squandered a 35+ BILLION dollar surplus in just SIX, yes, six (6) years!
And left us with an 80+ BILLION dollar DEFICIT!….in just SIX (6) YEARS.
How’s that for consistency.
The British Labour Government can beat the Australian Labor Government. In Australia you had the effects of a worldwide recession as a partial cause of the swing. The UK economy has a similar swing in finances without any recession at all. In 2001 when the spending spree started there was a small surplus. By 2008 before the credit crunch hit there was a structural deficit of GBP 70 billion. Labour went on spending wastefully, enhancing the deficit to GBP 150 billion by the time they left office. As a result, the credit crunch hit the UK much harder, and the necessary tax increases and expenditure cuts to rectify the situation far greater.
Four years ago I estimated the cost of this recklessness will have added at least GBP600 billion to the National Debt by 2015. I was being over-optimistic.
http://manicbeancounter.com/2010/03/21/the-impact-of-labour-on-the-current-crisis/
The “Direct Action” plan is just the coalition trying to stay within “The Overton Window”
It is not easy to wean a public made compliant by successive Labor governments off the public teat.
Using the theory of the Overton Window in ascribing this shift could work.
I have never been a fan of the Climate Change religious fervour, but I have recognised a number of things that I can do to minimise my impact on the atmosphere and the environment, without putting my hand out for taxpayer support. In 1994 I developed a technique for blending two hydrocarbon gases together to make a replacement of car air conditioner and domestic refrigerator gas. Twenty years later, that product is the only refrigerant gas made in Australia, and it is exported as well. Around 2 million cars in Australia have HyChill gas in their air conditioners. Reason for acting? CFC refrigerant was to be phased out by February 1994, and none of the HFC alternatives worked in CFC systems. Then we found that our HC refrigerant was just as effective in late model systems as in the older ones. Backward and forward compatible. From a pollution point of view: 1 kg of CFC R12 was equal to 8,200 kgs of carbon dioxide, and if burnt formed toxic and corrosive gases which were lethal to humans. The later fluorocarbons were nearly as bad. So, in the last twenty years, as a side effect, my product has been responsible for a reduction of about 5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent gases. We never asked for or received government support.
On my existing property, I process and use vast amounts of rain water, and I have a 56 panel solar system on the roof of my winery building. My car runs on LPG, and we grow just about all of our vegetables.
Climate change and Global warming enthusiasts are a worry, just like any fundamentalist religious people usually are. The only thing that might make them think in a balanced way, is if we enter into a mini ice age.
You are of course working on the assumption that CFCs were not safe.
Their banning was a mere prelude to the Global Warming Hysteria.
However, such is the ingenuity of mankind, as you are ample proof ( and I bow to you, sir) that for every problem there is a solution which doesn’t require billions upon billions of dollars being spent on them, or egregious penalties placed upon all and sundry.
Carbon dioxide is a requirement of all living plants on this earth. We wouldn’t have any without it.
The misnomer of “gas” is meant to ascribe a poisonous moniker to an essential element.
What are the arguments that the Federal Government’s Direct Action Policy wii/will not work?