I cannot fathom this subject as a means to fixing anything.

“Fuel prices have to rise to save our planet”

How come Europe has fuel cost double ours and they still keep buying the stuff? How come our own fuel costs having nearly doubled still see us filling up our cars (coz we have to)? Seriously can many of you out there really reduce your dependance on the car to do school runs, getting to work or the rail station, getting to golf (hehe). I reckon most drivers are cut back as far as they can be.

Anyone remember when fuel was 20c a litre and their was outrage when it got to 30? Hell that was rude (but we all survived).

The cost shock has hit already yet without major transport restructuring from planes to trains to cars how is a tourist arrivals country (as well as the obvious coal exports) going to compete with offshore countries that currently subsidize their nations energy requirements to industry?

Maybe I am just being cynical but this smacks of a tax grab.

How about a strong education program over a couple of generations. How about solar power being supported industrially (yes lets make them here) and put a few on each house to reduce domestic needs. How about reducing the size of domestic car engines, or at least have a minimum litres/100ks out there?

Just putting a government price on carbon while the rest of the world does nothing is not going to save our world.

I would plant another tree but then I would have to run my pump to water it. I would have to spend 30ks to put solar panels on the roof to save $200 of electricity a year. Boy that makes real savings sense doesn’t it.

Polies get your hands out of our pockets as it looks like you are dancing to provide us with a recession that “we did not have to have”.

PS I bought land in the hills that my grandchildren will have a beach house on:)

I heard today that the “experts” recon we will be paying $8 a litre by 2010.

They should put a solar hot water system on every house that would save a hell of a lot straight up.

Doom and gloom pricing merchants in the ‘80s for oil were just as bad. “If the oil price as $1 a litre then everyone would be driving solar cars.” So anyone got one yet?

We have all this natural gas yet we cannot build gas cars in the “national interest”. No we have to buy a fleet of hybrid cars from Japan. We export oil but have none of it useful for making petrol.

I may have wires crossed here but did the new green government just kill off subsidies for gas car conversions and rebates on solar panels for houses. Durr.

A few panels on each house would save a few new power stations being built.

You have to laugh at the spin docs out there pulling the greeny strings. Do not get me wrong, I did greeny stuff at uni. Its just been this way for half a century.

Maybe the pollies should have to buy and run their own cars and claim them of tax like other people have to, I’m sure they might change the pricing then.

I’m a Kiwi so obviously i got no idea what you aussies are doing..
But i know that the Government here is implenting in 2010 that at least 1 solar panel will have to be used in a house along w/the hot water cylinder.
Appearantely also farms for fuel for cars are being set up to get the cleaner greener supposidly fuel will be used.
I don’t get why don’t they use good ole h2o. I know people say it’s incredibly hard, but ffs, the technology we have these days, it should be all relative.
And the nazis that keep putting the petrol up can also go dive off a cliff with a 50kg weight attached..

Kgn, the technology was there in the 70’s but the fuel companies bought the rights and that is why we have never heard any more of it.

Well.
I stick with my last statement. Maybe take a dive off a 100 m cliff with 50kg weights to sharp rocks while being shot by everyone who hates him in mid air?

the guru is right, its nothing more than a tax grab really under the public friendly ‘save the enviroment’ banner. The Rudd government is a joke, they stand for nothing, all their policy is motivated towards keeping office. Its a disgrace and the other political parties are really any better.

I put it down to another P.R. stunt in a long running campaign of lets make us look good stunts that have no real bearing on the future of this country, only on the future of the present government.

that’s right pom…’say this and it’ll go away soon’....but all pollies from every level are the same once they have been in the game for long enough.

Can,t see me visiting W.A. anytime in the future if fuel reaches $8 a litre. Can only hope the prophets of doom are wrong.,

When I win my fortune I’ll fly you over for a game pom ; )

Paid $3.92 US a gallon today to fill my car.

Paid $3.92 US a gallon today to fill my car.

“A star that shines twice as bright burns twice as fast.” – In memory of Greg Moore

Racinfarmer will be signing autographs at the mall from 3 to 5.

Racin
1 litres = 0.264172052 US gallons
3.785 litres = 1 US gallon

Brisbane fuel is highest it’s been at the moment.

$1.64.9 wednesday to Sunday and around $1.53 Monday and Tuesday. I think Sydney and Melbourne maybe dearer!

Sad state of affairs mate – must work out how to get my clubs onto the Harley soon!

I cannot fathom this subject as a means to fixing anything.

“Fuel prices have to rise to save our planet”

How come Europe has fuel cost double ours and they still keep buying the stuff?

However, I reckon the whole idea of carbon trading is very complicated, and I wonder if just a restructuring of the tax system would be simpler.

Just put a carbon tax on carbon-emitting industries, and offset it by tax cuts in “green” areas so the overall government revenue is close to neutral. Remove the GST on things like solar water heaters, solar cells, double-glazed windows, gas heaters, 10-star rated houses, bicycles, public transport, electric cars etc. Remove the GST on healthy activities like participating in sports and double it on things like motor racing and Grand Prix admission. They could also remove the GST on any car that gets less than, say, 6 or 7 litres/100km and double it on gas guzzlers (but they wouldn’t do that because it would mean making every Australian car dearer compared to imports).

The whole idea is just to make carbon intensive industries dearer and green industries cheaper, but the actual machinations of carbon trading could be a nightmare.

Having moved over from the UK the old “lets tax it to encourage people to stop” ploy is quite familiar with me.

“Lets Tax cigs so that people stop smoking”
“Lets tax alcopops so that teens stop drinking”
“Lets tax Fuel so people stop driving” etc.

It has nothing to do with encouraging people to stop and everything to do with increasing tax revenue.

What would happen if we will “got the message” and stopped driving, stopped buying fuel/beer/cigs (I dont smoke but meh!) etc. The government would be up the shit creek without a crap on a stick as a paddle.

In addition to that the government here as well as the UK design the Green taxes only thinking of CBD areas. They assume that everyone has access to public transport or other forms of convenient transport to get to work / do the shopping etc.

Here in Gladstone for example the public transport system is non-existent. Its starts at 8.30am after the sholl runs and finishes at 3pm to restart the school runs, anyone wanting to use buses to get to work have absolutely no way of getting home.

Before increasing the pressure to be more green, maybe they should look at providing viable, convenient alternatives so that we can jump out of our car and still get where we want to.

As for solar panels, in a country renowned for its sun, I thought they would be more widespread and cheaper. Heck you can get a grant for solar panels in the UK where the sun only shows its face for 3 hours out of the year. ;)

I cannot fathom this subject as a means to fixing anything.

“Fuel prices have to rise to save our planet”

How come Europe has fuel cost double ours and they still keep buying the stuff?

I think you’ll find that the high price of fuel in Europe has led, over the past decade or so, to usage of more fuel efficient and smaller cars than we drive. Turbo-diesels are much more common, for instance. The price of fuel has now made me downsize to a smaller, more fuel efficient car. Nothing like making something much more expensive to reduce the usage of it.

However, I reckon the whole idea of carbon trading is very complicated, and I wonder if just a restructuring of the tax system would be simpler.

Just put a carbon tax on carbon-emitting industries, and offset it by tax cuts in “green” areas so the overall government revenue is close to neutral. Remove the GST on things like solar water heaters, solar cells, double-glazed windows, gas heaters, 10-star rated houses, bicycles, public transport, electric cars etc. Remove the GST on healthy activities like participating in sports and double it on things like motor racing and Grand Prix admission. They could also remove the GST on any car that gets less than, say, 6 or 7 litres/100km and double it on gas guzzlers (but they wouldn’t do that because it would mean making every Australian car dearer compared to imports).

The whole idea is just to make carbon intensive industries dearer and green industries cheaper, but the actual machinations of carbon trading could be a nightmare.

Trentham Golf Club
http://www.trenthamgolf.com

Us taxes to promote or disapporve of activities? Socialism at its finest.

Us taxes to promote or disapporve of activities? Socialism at its finest.

Rubbish. We already tax drinking and speeding drivers to stop them killing people. We already tax litterers to stop them dropping paper. We already tax cigarettes massively to stop people dying and putting an excessive load on the health system. There are already countless taxes and charges that are designed to stop people doing unsociable things. (Besides, it’s not “activities” that’d be taxed, it’s carbon emissions.)

Pull your head out of the sand and recognise that we can’t go on living the way we have been, and that your so-called “freedoms” are nothing but an excuse to be socially, environmentally and globally irresponsible.

Hey Publish – the Governments don’t give a flying fig about people dying unless it becomes a public forum and will win votes – they don’t tax to save life, they tax to make money!! Telling someone to pull there head out of the sand and go along with your ideals is not right – knowing that you are in a minority group that has been manipulated by media and government is right!! Give me a break!!

Our Governments care – Rubbish!!
Point in fact – Australian Soldiers to be used as guinea pigs in the Australian tropics allowing USA to drop poisonous gases on our troops to see what would happen – derrr! Agent Orange! May have been!

Us taxes to promote or disapporve of activities? Socialism at its finest.

Rubbish. We already tax drinking and speeding drivers to stop them killing people. We already tax litterers to stop them dropping paper. We already tax cigarettes massively to stop people dying and putting an excessive load on the health system. There are already countless taxes and charges that are designed to stop people doing unsociable things. (Besides, it’s not “activities” that’d be taxed, it’s carbon emissions.)

Pull your head out of the sand and recognise that we can’t go on living the way we have been, and that your so-called “freedoms” are nothing but an excuse to be socially, environmentally and globally irresponsible.

Trentham Golf Club
http://www.trenthamgolf.com

Wrong, the only reason any goverment puts up new taxes is to make money. Do you think your government taxes gas just to make it cost more and promote walking/biking, or do you think they do it for money?

Face it, any government is ALWAYS looking for a way to take in more tax money. Why do you think they tax cigs, booze, and gas? Because they KNOW people will always buy the stuff, no matter how expensive it is.

Hey Publish – the Governments don’t give a flying fig about people dying unless it becomes a public forum and will win votes – they don’t tax to save life, they tax to make money!!

Last time I read up on Economics 101, the best way to reduce consumption of anything (in this case goods and services with high carbon emissions) is to increase the price. Nothing else works.

Just make it illegal.

Now, lets get down to this – how “holy” of a carbon-free life do you lead?

Couldn’t agree more Ditty and Racin’.

Governments care for one thing, lining their pockets. Once public outcry gets loud enough thats when they actually do something, but that isn’t because they care but because they don’t want to lose their position.

Governments are good for just a few things – Raising taxes, focus groups, white papers and heckling each other in parliament like a group of primary school kids.

Funny thing – saw an interesting Boston Legal the other day. Was showing how un-green Green initatives are. I know its a comedy drama but I wouldn’t say it was too unbelievable.

Publish, if you increase the price of a necessary product without providing an adequate alternative, all we poor saps can do is pay more.

For as long as Green initiatives are governed around how cities work and dont take into consideration rural and semi-rural life people out of the city will continue to pay high prices for fuel guaranteeing money for the Government.

As I’ve said, where I stay there are no alternatives to the car and I’m sure Gladstone isnt the only place in that predicament.

Address the issue!!!!

The issue is that not everyone believes in the greenie philosphy or belongs to save the gay whale groups!

You want to worry about emmissions! Open your eyes and look around the world – you won’t need to go further than China….

Scared to attack China – they sure are – why? Because the world currently is relying on China for economy – shut down China now and the world closes, yes even USA! Ask yourself, why did they get the games. Look outside the box mate, it’s a bigger picture than is being orchestrated by the Fabian Society!