[LINK] Carbon Tax

[stephen at melbpc.org.au]

Ivan writes,

> > As yet no-one has explained to me HOW this money would help ..

> It could well help fund the creation and implementation of the Carbon
> Farming Initiative .. www.aar.com.au/pubs/cc/foccnov10.htm


Thanks Ivan. I won't press this issue, it's probably off-topic for link.

But i'm wondering HOW tax money would be spent. No-one has explained it
in basic terms for your normal non-geopolitical/economics-degree-holder.

You partly did Ivan, "The kinds of abatement activities that are being 
considered for eligibility to generate carbon credits under the Carbon 
Farming Initiative are land-based activities such as reforestation and 
revegetation, reductions in methane emissions from livestock, reductions 
in fertiliser emissions, manure management, reductions in emissions from 
agricultural soils, soil carbon sequestration, savanna fire management, 
avoided deforestation, and reductions in emissions from landfill waste 
that is deposited before 1 July 2011."

Reforestation? Of farmland? Our farmers dodge new trees when harvesting?
(Fund) Reductions in methane emissions from livestock? Yes? Ahh ok, How?
(Fund) Manure management? Farmers here say manure does wonders for soils.

And, as a normal Aussie, (without a north facing roof, for solar panels/ 
solar hot water) is further increasing electricity bills the Gov answer? 

Ivan your link further links to more information regarding normal houses:

(Quote)

"It is likely to be quite costly to generate DOMESTIC offsets that comply 
with the Standard:  

* the generation of domestic offsets is required to be underpinned by a 
robust measurement methodology, and the amount of abatement generated 
must be quantified under ongoing monitoring arrangements and 
independently verified at least once every 12 months; 

* the offsets must be registered, and transactions in them recorded, in a 
system that precludes those offsets from being double counted; and 

* an annual report must be lodged with the Department of Climate Change, 
specifying the domestic abatement generated by the project, the quantity 
of abatement sold, and the name of any purchaser of that abatement, 
during the reporting year.

These costs may prove a considerable disincentive to small-scale offset 
projects." (end quote)

So, besides more costs, the Carbon Tax scheme is only for big emitters.
And our domestic-answer to Climate Change is to charge more for energy?

Is this really the best idea that our current Canberra can come up with?

(Though what would/should i know or care about geo-political economics.)

Cheers,
Stephen