"Anything we do is going to mean absolutely nothing without them committing to a reduction. We impose carbon taxes or have an emissions trading scheme all that will happen is what little industry we've got left will move to countries that don't have them (after selling their emissions permits at a profit to those industries that can't relocate) and we'll have ended up merely exporting our emissions."
I agree.. however this is such an unimaginitive wimpy approach. All Australia has to do is say reduce your emmisions or we stop pulling coal out of the ground.
All we have to say is we are limiting coal mining to 2008 levels till 2010 and reducing them to 2006 levels by 2015. full stop. And why would it hurt us, it wouldnt as all the coalminers have plenty to do pulling iron ore and other stuff out the ground in QLD and WA.
Its a negotiation stance that is so powerful that Australia can drive the global emmisions agenda and timeframes, rather than attend like a whimp on the sidelines.
