BigOl64 wrote on Jan 6
th, 2014 at 9:08am:
Really if we don't reduce our 2% how exactly are we going to be worse off; we may be worse off if the rest of the world's 98% doesn't get reduced, but you're deluding yourself if you think our 2% is doing anything at all?
If the government takes money off the main polluters and consumers and then gives back most of it, how is that going to make them spend billions and billions to manage their output; a child will tell you that small impositions don't produce large changes in behaviour.
It was just another labor wankfest and nothing more; something the hysterics failed to realise.
It's the big polluting countries that need to make changes not us.
Your last comment is the comment of the lazy man.
If you think America, China and Europe are going to cut emissions and let Australia keep increasing emissions, you are a fool.
Lets make two things clear.
1) The anticipated 4 degrees warming by 2100 is not the end. If the burning of fossil fuels continues it will also increase. 8 degrees by 2200, 12 degrees by 2300 ?
2) Mankind is not going to send itself into oblivion. which is what you'll get at 8 and 12 degrees.
So based on that, at some point, probably at the last minute, the world will dramatically stop burning fossil fuels. Australia needs to prepare for that outcome by transitioning off fossil fuels now, so we dont cope an economy destroying mandate from the rest of the world in the future.
Capitalist economies do not respond well to abrupt changes of fortune, but do repsond well to transitional changes.
Sadly the temperature increases per century are NOT linear.
In addition there are numerous KNOWN and UN-KNOWN tipping points along the way which will trigger great catastrophies on a global scale. SOme of which will be irreversible.
Humanity can cease ALL carbon emission tomorrow and the planet will not begin to equilibrate thermally for at least a century.
We don't have much time to act.