Minister Peter Garrett in his usual position - explaining policy gently to a greatful tax payer.
Pity Garrett isn't complaining about the Iranian Rocket Launches
Hat Tip: Nexus.6 and Tim Blair
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Australian Environment Minister Explaining Government Policy
Minister Peter Garrett in his usual position - explaining policy gently to a greatful tax payer.
Pity Garrett isn't complaining about the Iranian Rocket Launches
Hat Tip: Nexus.6 and Tim Blair
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Reactions to Australian Green Paper on ETS
The Australian's Paul Kelly discusses Chairman Rudd's Carbon Crunch and the inappropriate application of Pascal's Wager as hypothesised by Rudd's advisor Garnaut.
Pascal's wager: “If there were no God and one believed,” pondered Pascal, “what is the loss? But if there were a God and he rewards belief or denial in heaven and hell, the absence of belief is catastrophic. It is rational to act as if there were a God.”
Garnaut and his disciple Rudd (we can get all Papal on matters Australian at the moment) extend Pascal's wager to Climate Change; but with a major flaw - Pascal’s argument was that smart non-believers should live their lives as though there were a God because they had little to lose and much to gain.
Garnaut’s argument is: it is smart to act on the assumption that climate change is real because betting on its denial involves a high risk of catastrophic consequences.
In contrast to Pascal - where there is no cost in going along with a belief, there are real costs in the Rudd Wong climate change policies. Climate Change with politicians involved is not a game of no consequence. If Garnaut is wrong - and the evidence of anthropogenic warming is not good - the direct and indirect costs inappropriately applied will be in the billions.
Viv Forbes at the Carbon Sense Coalition had this to say.
Sensible stuff.
Perhaps you prefer Galileo
Sense at Nexus
Pascal's wager: “If there were no God and one believed,” pondered Pascal, “what is the loss? But if there were a God and he rewards belief or denial in heaven and hell, the absence of belief is catastrophic. It is rational to act as if there were a God.”
Garnaut and his disciple Rudd (we can get all Papal on matters Australian at the moment) extend Pascal's wager to Climate Change; but with a major flaw - Pascal’s argument was that smart non-believers should live their lives as though there were a God because they had little to lose and much to gain.
Garnaut’s argument is: it is smart to act on the assumption that climate change is real because betting on its denial involves a high risk of catastrophic consequences.
In contrast to Pascal - where there is no cost in going along with a belief, there are real costs in the Rudd Wong climate change policies. Climate Change with politicians involved is not a game of no consequence. If Garnaut is wrong - and the evidence of anthropogenic warming is not good - the direct and indirect costs inappropriately applied will be in the billions.
Viv Forbes at the Carbon Sense Coalition had this to say.
The Government Green Paper completely ignores the main question – should Canberra try to control the weather, or is it better to foster a strong Australia able to cope with whatever climate change brings us?
Minister Wong obviously believes that if we give her enough powers to tax and regulate, she can change the world’s weather.
This Deep Green Paper should be recycled and replaced by an enlightened White Paper outlining how to make Australia strong and prosperous. This will provide the best insurance for our children against any climate change.
Sensible stuff.
Perhaps you prefer Galileo
Climate changes constantly but in reality it changes not at all.
Sense at Nexus
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Australian ETS Green Paper more sensible and measured than New Zealand's
Australian Government Minister for Climate Change and Water Senator Wong has just delivered her Government's green paper on ETS.
It appears at first glance to be a far more thoughtful scheme and proposal than the NZ Labour Government's hashed and dashed proposal.
Key elements
Of course missing from the scheme is the green house gas that comprises 95% of the green house effect - water vapour. The scheme puts all the blame on the gases that make up 5% of the green house effect.
Hat Tip: Too Right
It appears at first glance to be a far more thoughtful scheme and proposal than the NZ Labour Government's hashed and dashed proposal.
Key elements
- Petrol tax will be adjusted to compensate
- Direct assistance to the low paid and beneficiaries - indexed as well
- Recognises the potential for 'carbon leakage' if energy intensive industry is forced to close and re-open in a carbon happy location. Those industries that qualify will get free emission permits.
- Agriculture is excluded.
- Only the 1,000 biggest emitters are included - those that produce in excess of 25,000 tonnes of CO2 per annum.
Of course missing from the scheme is the green house gas that comprises 95% of the green house effect - water vapour. The scheme puts all the blame on the gases that make up 5% of the green house effect.
Hat Tip: Too Right
Monday, July 14, 2008
Nuclear Power Moving Closer to Normalcy
News that Great Britain is planning at least eight new nuclear power stations over the next fifteen years is good news for the environment and good sense all round. The renaissance of this much maligned technology is long overdue.
In a real poke in the eye to the misanthropic environmentalists PM Brown said: “We live in a new era, today our globalised, energy-hungry and warming world requires a shift from oil dependence to sustainable energy,” Mr Brown told the summit.
Sustainable Energy - brilliant. Stealing the words of your enemy is perfect.
News that Great Britain is planning at least eight new nuclear power stations over the next fifteen years is good news for the environment and good sense all round. The renaissance of this much maligned technology is long overdue.
In a real poke in the eye to the misanthropic environmentalists PM Brown said: “We live in a new era, today our globalised, energy-hungry and warming world requires a shift from oil dependence to sustainable energy,” Mr Brown told the summit.
Sustainable Energy - brilliant. Stealing the words of your enemy is perfect.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
