THE CARBON TAX

No one wants another tax.  Tax is a dirty word and our instinct is to fight it. So there had better be a very good reason to support this one.  Unfortunately, there is.

It’s hard to believe it but we have poured so much pollution into the air that it’s causing the world’s climate to destabilize and to heat up.  We’ve all seen those belching chimney stacks.  Now we’re beginning to see the damage they are causing; catastrophic droughts, fires so fierce we haven’t the skills to control them and floods of unanticipated proportions.  Worse still, island neighbours are going under as sea levels rise.  We could view the carbon tax as a way of repaying an environmental debt.

Until now, polluting has been free and we’ve polluted as though it doesn’t matter.  Having to pay to pollute is a sure fire way to get us to reduce our pollution. 

So the 500 biggest polluting companies will be taxed, and because they are profit driven they will be persuaded to reduce their pollution.  Yes, they will pass some of the cost on to us, but Treasury predicts the cost of living will rise by just over half a percent.  Isn’t it worth it if it means we’re leaving the next generation of loved ones a pathway towards a cleaner world?  And besides, 90% of us will be reimbursed for any out of pocket expenses. 

We’ll be the 42^nd country to get a carbon tax.  Sweden introduced a $100 a tonne tax in 1990 and is now one of the most efficient economies. 

We’ve got to clean up our act and the carbon tax is a start.  A large number of big companies agree.  Fosters brewing company says “It’s right that we do it.  Let’s get on with it”.