Australian Carbon Price will Reduce Carbon Pollution

With a new Australian carbon price voted in, irrespective of political positions Australia can no longer be accused of ‘dragging its feet’ or being a ‘climate change bludger‘.

Finally with this Australian carbon price decision, after four years of frustrating manoeuvring by lobby groups and destructive attempts by climate sceptics there is tangible action on the table. The volatility surrounding this legislation has made a mockery of democracy. In 2007 the Australian people clearly wanted something to happen and the establishment of a new economy that addressed climate change that would deliver leadership for our region in the world.

The Realities of an Australian Carbon Price

The price on carbon, as Malcolm Turnbull former Liberal Party leader correctly points out, will come at a cost. It is not a wasted cost and will be an investment with large returns in the future. Our lives and those of our children and our grandchildren will be more secure with an Australian Carbon Price strategy adapting effectively to and curtailing, extreme climate change.

As we know at solar-e.com, it is not all about climate change; we need new sources of energy for the latter half of the 21^st century as fossil fuel resources diminish. The challenges of global population food and water are all issues that will be downstream beneficiaries of a proper environmental damage cost being placed on carbon pollution.

What the Australian carbon tax does show is that Australians are finally moving ahead and reinstating our position as a leader in world affairs and appropriate technology development, rather than the ‘laggard’ we were fast becoming over the last 15years or so.

The Spin Off for an Australian Carbon Price

The spin off from this groundbreaking legislation for anAustralian carbon price will be a more positive attitude to our country from our major trading partners. There will undoubtedly be an increase in overseas investment in new energy technologies as a result of the legislation being passed. The clean and renewable energy industries will be boosted and I will predict it will be beyond the expectations of the old and conservative minds making corporate decisions in Australia.

With many of our business as usual industries in decline, a spark of innovation is just what the country needs.

The Way Forward After Australian Carbon Price Legislation

Of course an Australian carbon price on its own will do little. Compensating people for their bad behaviour is obviously a political sweetener to keep people off the government’s back. For the Left side of politics it’s an opportunity to do a little bit of wealth distribution for the disadvantaged in our society.

However, it is a great start for shifting the equilibrium in energy supplies and use, and help to create a more level playing field for the all industries wanting to head towards a clean energy future. The solar industry is a classic case in point. The changes in legislation covering feed in tarriff have caused a great deal of disruption in the industry.

The government Opposition party defining ‘direct action’ as the only way forward can never address the endemic problems of over-use of fossil fuel and wastage of resources in our economy.

However an Australian carbon price on its own will not do it solely either. We need the right blend of both strategies. We need collaboration and tri-partisanship on this issue. In my opinion the actions of the extreme Right in the Liberal party has been appalling and it is time that the more moderate sensible tactics of Malcolm Turnbull be given the credence and respect it deserves from inside the Liberal Party and from without.

I believe it is time to have some national unity on this important issue that is beyond politics. At long last we can be proud of the courage shown by so many people who stood up to be counted, often in the face of intellectual abuse. In many cases the sceptics of Climate Change being mankind-induced have relied on ignorance and dishonesty.

For these people who have fought hard to help win the day, congratulations! Having an Australian carbon price at last makes me feel proud to be Australian. I suspect there are a huge number of people feeling this glow of pride. The new legislation could be the beginning of new optimism and a new vision for our young people. The Australian carbon price initiative could be a major workable job creation vision for the next 80 years.

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