The Murray-Darling Basin is sure to see some action as the fight continues over
water rights
AT THE BEGINNING of each year I wonder whether the pace of
environmental challenge will slow. Surely there'll be some major changes and
green decisions will become the norm? But no, 2011 was a big year for
controversy and portends even more for 2012. There's some significant decisions
to be made.
Of course last year saw the carbon price take up a lot of the political heat.
It filled much of the radar screen as it came in for a bumpy landing in the
federal parliament. It's now law. Yet 2012 will see another test -
implementation and maybe a settling of the electorate's disdain for a new
macro-economic approach to environmental protection.
The sky won't fall in - it's not that big a tax. And with all the concessions
and cost of living buffering it won't upset budgets, but it does add another
hand on the lever of economic policy making. It's no longer the sole preserve of
big business, unions and treasury - a green hand has entered the room.
This is what I suspect has caused a lot of the outrage. It's not just
scepticism about human induced climate change (with its confected arguments) but
a powerful resistance to letting the greenies into the sacred centre of
government policy. Big industry has never liked being challenged on particular
projects, but to see regulation of a systemic instrument that could affect every
decision was beyond the pale.
Expect more outrage from 'old' business and political opportunism triggered
by every price rise. The carbon price will need to be defended by
environmentalists and the growing green business sector.
ABC Environmental
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