“People with respiratory complaints will most certainly benefit with what will be cleaner air for them.” . [...]]]> I was struck by a comment in this Australian story about the carbon tax passing today through the House of Representatives. Its not the first time I have seen comments that completely show no understanding of the carbon tax.

“People with respiratory complaints will most certainly benefit with what will be cleaner air for them.” . Does Charles of NSW have any idea what the carbon tax is about? Carbon Dioxide is not know for causing respiratory complaints. If the Australia Federal Government removed 100% of the carbon dioxide from the air, there would be exactly the same number of people with respiratory complaints, but unfortunately with no carbon dioxide in the atmosphere there would be no plant growth worldwide, so people who had respiratory complaints would, along with everyone else, starve to death.

Eventually the real effects of the Carbon Tax will dawn on the minority of Australians that support the tax, and they may well join the majority that opposes it.

However on this very day that the Carbon Tax was passed through the Australian Federal Parliament here were the top ten read stories on news.com.au,  as well as that pro climate change paper, The Age. Obviously Australians care little:

England has had its coldest summer since 1993, with an average temperature of 15C. The normal average is 17C. This is not [...]]]> The carbon dioxide levels go up every year. The IPCC (International Panel on Climate Change) forecasts show that the world should be warming more and more, yet observation does not match those computer models.

England has had its coldest summer since 1993, with an average temperature of 15C. The normal average is 17C. This is not just the odd cold day, this is a entire season.  Last December was the coldest December in 120 years in the UK.

Is it just possible that the climate scientists have their computer models wrong? The latest CLOUD (Cosmics Leaving Outdoor Droplets) experiments at CERN show what some climate change sceptics have been saying for years, that Cosmic Rays effect cloud formation. This means that the existing computer models for cloud formation are wrong, and that the sun can have a bigger input on the earth’s atmosphere than previously thought.

However our Prime Minister Julia Gillard says the science is settled.

Just maybe this object 140 million kilometres away, may have more influence of the climate than man made carbon dioxide

The Treasury modelling predicts that GDP (Gross Domestic Product) will be 2.8 per cent lower in 2050 than it would have been without a [...]]]> According to the Australian Federal Government Treasury modelling the introduction of a carbon tax will reduce Australia’s National Income. How much will it be decreased by over the 38 years to 2050?

The Treasury modelling predicts that GDP (Gross Domestic Product) will be 2.8 per cent lower in 2050 than it would have been without a carbon tax. Doesn’t seem much, only 2.8%? Well try adding the reduction in GDP over the 38 years and you get $1.35 trillion dollars.

That is what it will cost Australians over the next 38 years more than one trillion dollars in lost income.

Imagine how many hospitals, roads and schools could be built over the next 38 years with that $1.38 trillion dollars?

Percentage GDP loss from the Carbon Tax

Wayne Swan said only two days ago that “Australia was going to be exporting more coal”.  That way the [...]]]> Treasury modelling shows coal production drops by 30% by 2020

Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Treasurer Wayne Swan might keep saying that the coal industry has a bright future, but the Treasury economic modelling shows a different story.

Wayne Swan said only two days ago that “Australia was going to be exporting more coal”.  That way the Chinese can burn it in their power stations instead of ours.

Perhaps Treasurer Swan should read some of his departments economic modelling. To quote from the Treasury modelling  “In 2020, coal mining output is around 30 per cent lower than it would otherwise be” .

Looking at the attached graph it shows even greater variability, with a possible drop of up to 45% in coal production:

This advertisement features Geodynamics, a renewable energy company that has spend the last ten years trying to develop geothermal energy production near Innamincka in northern South Australia.

How many Megawatts has Geodynamics produced in electricity?

Zero.

Geodynamics has spent ten years [...]]]> The latest carbon ad, paid for again by the Australian taxpayer to further ‘educate’ us about renewable energy.

This advertisement features Geodynamics, a renewable energy company that has spend the last ten years trying to develop geothermal energy production near Innamincka in northern South Australia.

How many Megawatts has Geodynamics produced in electricity?

Zero.

Geodynamics has spent ten years spruiking its grand plans. This Greens/Labor Government ad states that 10 percent of Australia’s power could come from geothermal, yet in ten years with ten of millions of dollars of government subsidy Geodynamics has produced not one watt of power.

Geodynamics got its first $5 million government subsidy in 2005. In April 2007 Geodynamics chief executive Adrian Williams said that by 2010 they would be provide some power into the grid, so far zero.  In November 2009 Geodynamics was awarded $150 from the  Renewable Energy Demonstration Program (REDP), still no power.

In October 2008 Geodynamics announced it would provide a demonstration plant and provide power to the town of Innamincka, population 12, by early 2009.  Now this is the company that this Labor Government advertisement is pushing as potentially providing ten percent of Australia’s base-load power. Have they managed to power the 12 people people in Innamincka in the following almost three years?

No.

The two wind turbine shown are made by Vestas a Spanish company who manufacture their Wind turbines in Spain, China and the USA.

No [...]]]> One of the new carbon tax ads, paid for by the Australian taxpayer to “educate” us.  The start of the advertisement is about Hepburn Wind and there are two wind turbines in view.

The two wind turbine shown are made by Vestas a Spanish company who manufacture their Wind turbines in Spain, China and the USA.

No high-tech green jobs for Australians. We will lose high paid coal-miners and replace them with low paid workers who can dig holes for the foundations for the wind turbines.

And maybe they will need someone to polish the blades?

Are these the same economists that did not see the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) coming?

For example Peter Martin extolling the virtues of the [...]]]> Now we should be really worried

Carbon Tax supporter Fairfax journalist Peter Martin tweets enthusiastically that 59 per cent of economists at the Economic Society support the carbon tax. We should be so relieved.

Are these the same economists that did not see the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) coming?

For example Peter Martin extolling the virtues of the Labor Government and how well it was doing, and how rosy the future looked in February 2008.

Or the Reserve Bank in March 2008 stating that inflation was the real problem, and Australia was just due for a bit of below par growth.

Of course there were those hundreds of economists in Treasury in January 2008 predicting an 18 billion dollar surplus for the Federal Government.

We should so trust economists. They are so good are predicting the future. How could they get a carbon tax wrong?

the GFC so well predicted by economists. We should be fine if they say the carbon tax is OK?

Peabody Energy Corporation are to develop an open cut coal mine that will produce 50 million tonnes per year of coal. This coal burnt in power stations [...]]]> A new coal mine in China, in Xinjiang Uygur being developed by Peabody Energy will produce almost as much CO2 as the CO2 emissions saved by Australia’s Carbon Tax.

Peabody Energy Corporation are to develop an open cut coal mine that will produce 50 million tonnes per year of coal. This coal burnt in power stations (or anywhere else) could produce up to 142 million tonnes of CO2 annually. (the exact amount depends on the type of coal). Thats 142 million tonnes per year of extra CO2 from just one coal mine, versus the 160 million tonnes saved with an Australian Carbon Tax.

Of course the Greens want to close down Australian coal mines.

Just one coal mine in China wipes out the efforts in Australia costing billions of dollars and hurting millions of Australians.

142 million tonnes of CO2 per annum from just one coal mine in China

The treasury projections for 2050 are in real terms (discounted for inflation) from a minimum of $131 per tonne [...]]]> Treasury projection 2050 Carbon Price of $131 to $275 per tonne

Prime Minister Julia Gillard likes to tell the Australia people that the carbon tax will have only a small impact on them. However its only the beginning.

The treasury projections for 2050 are in real terms (discounted for inflation) from a minimum of $131 per tonne to a maximum of $275 per tonne. Of course the carbon tax will be hidden as an Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) by then, but it will still be a tax on Australian industry and people.

Imagine if a $23 per tonne carbon tax causes a 10% increase in power prices (although the NSW government says it will be 20%), what will a $275 carbon tax, ten times larger do to electricity prices?

Imagine what a carbon price on petrol and diesel, which the greens want to introduce, will do to fuel prices at a carbon tax of $275 per tonne?

the carbon price ever increasing