Cutting Carbon Down Under

July 27, 2011 | By Articles are the property of their respective Authors In environment | Comments Off

Cutting Carbon Down Under
By Finn Turner

On July 11, 2011 Australia announced an ambitious plan to start taxing carbon emissions. When the program is implemented in July of 2012, they will be the first and only country with a national program that targets large carbon dioxide emissions, one of the leading greenhouse gasses.

According to Australia’s Department of Climate Change website, the program calls for a $23 Australian ($24.60 US) tax per ton of carbon dioxide. The top 500 biggest emitters of the greenhouse gas are the targets of the tax. The carbon-pricing scheme will have the biggest impact on manufacturing, utility, and transportation sectors of the economy. The price per ton of carbon dioxide will rise by 2.5 percent per year until 2015, when a carbon-trading program will be introduced.

The goal, the government says, is to reduce Australia’s overall carbon emissions five percent below 2000 levels by 2020. By 2050, between carbon taxes and carbon trading, the goal is further reduce carbon emissions by 80 percent of 2000′s levels. The estimated carbon cuts are the equivalent of taking 45 million cars a year off the road.

Taxes don’t come cheap, and generally need the support of voters. In order to minimize its economic impacts the “Securing a Clean Energy Future” program will give some of the money collected through the carbon taxes back to residents. The concept is similar to money taxpayers receive in Alaska through the Permanent Fund – or a return on investment of surplus tax money from the oil and gas industry.

Australia’s carbon tax money will be distributed at the household level based on a formula. The goal, it seems, is to not only build a wide-base of support, but also to offset the cost of the government program that is likely to be passed on to the consumer when fuel, utility, and even things like food prices increase to absorb the new tax.

The average individual household can expect to pay an additional $9.90 (AU) weekly in fuel and energy costs once the program takes effect in 2012, according to the Clean Energy Future website that the Australian government built to explain the carbon pricing plan. According to the site, the average weekly government subsidy payout to the average household will be $10.10 (AU). Nine out of ten households can expect to receive some form of government assistance, either through personal income tax credits or an increase in pension allowances.

Besides a frequently asked question section and other well-produced content explaining the basics of the plan, there is also an interactive tool for families and households to estimate what impacts and compensation they can expect once the carbon-pricing program begins. The estimator is similar to a carbon footprint calculator.

The money earned by the government through taxing carbon dioxide will not only be funneled back to households, but it will also be spent on infrastructure projects to increase national energy efficiency and developing renewable energy sources.

The carbon-pricing model is not without its critics and the usual counter arguments – mainly that the government’s program will harm the business environment and discourage investment. Regardless, the plan is ambitious for a nation that produces 1.3 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions.

For more information about carbon emissions, greenhouse gasses, and climate change please visit http://www.definitionofglobalwarming.com

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30 Ways You Yourself Can Help Go Green And Save Your Self Cash

June 15, 2011 | By In living green | Comments(0)

30 Ways You Yourself Can Help Go Green And Save Your Self Cash. Anything-Green.com

Light Bulbs- Change to fluorescent light bulbs. If every house in the United States changed every light bulb in their home, it would be like taking one million cars off the streets
Don’t Rinse – Don’t rinse dishes off before using the dishwasher. In average you will save 15 gallons of water per load. Plus, you will save time. Use washable cloth and clean after.
Hang Outside To Dry- Get a cloths line or rack to dry your cloths. Your cloths will survive longer and you will save a substancule amount of money on your electric bill.
Turn Off Computers At Night – Don’t just put them to sleep. You will save an average of 4 cents a day which ads up to $14.60 a year.
Use Both Sides Of Paper – Print double sided even if you have to flip the paper over and reprint. You will save half of the amount of paper you would have normally. Uses the recycle bin when finished with, don’t throw away.
Don’t Take Baths – Take showers. You will save on average about half the amount of water that you would if you were to take a bath.
Drink And Fill Bottles From The Tap- Discard bottled water and get filter to make your home tap taste more like bottled water. Bottle your own. With recycled bottles. It is definitely more cost efficient, and saves on plastic.
Turn The Water Off When You Brush – Brush your teeth with the water off. Fill a cup to rinse with. You will save 4 gallons of water doing this alone.
Shorten Your Shower – Every minute you shower is roughly 5 gallons of water down the drain. The less time your shower takes the more you save.
Recycle Glass – If you do not recycle you may be throwing out money. As well glass takes a million years to decompose.
Don’t Pre-Heat the Oven – Only preheat oven when needed. Put dish in when you turn it on. And open as little as possible to prevent the oven from having to reheat.
Use Warm Or Cold Setting on Washer – Kick the hot cycle out of your life and use warm or cold settings. This will save you a lot on your electric bill.
Turn Down Your Thermostat – Every degree lower in the winter or higher in the summer you put it is a 10% decrease on your energy bill.
Turn Off Your Lights – Turn off your lights when you don’t need them or leave the room. Not just lights but anything you don’t use. The benefits are noticeable.
Get Rid Of Junk Mail – Services out there will help you do this. This saves the trees.
Use Matches Instead Of Lighters – Lighters are usually considered disposable so they will most likely end up in land fills. You can use the match books which are eco-friendly being made of recycled material.
Don’t Get Phone Books – Don’t use OR get phonebooks all the same numbers are located on online directories.
Give Things Away – Take things that you do not wear or use and give it to a thrift shop, charity family, friends or someone you don’t know who will use it.
Go To A Car Wash –Going to a car wash is a lot more efficient then washing your car at home.
Stop Paper Bank Statements – Why waste paper getting your bank statement mailed to you when you can just get your invoice online.
Buy Rechargeable Batteries – Cost money to start but saves you money in the long end of things.
Pay Your Bills Online – If everyone in the U.S. we would save 18 million trees from being cut down each year.
Get a Reusable bag – Get yourself a reusable bag for the grocery store, shopping whatever. Save lots of plastic from being wasted.
Do Errands In Bulk– Do more errands with fewer trips. Saves gas money and pollution.
Inflate Your Tires- If your tires are inflated all the time your car runs you will get more miles on less gas.
Wrap Presents Creatively – Without wrapping paper you can use your thinking skills for a little and get some newspaper, an old map, or anything else you can use. It would look creative and be cheap at the same time.
Plant a Tree – Good for you. Adds to value of your home. Can provide shade in the summer to keep you cool.
Buy Local – It cost a fortune and a whole lot of energy to ship food and other stuff to the U.S. Shop local if you can.
Walk or Ride Your Bike When You Can – Walk or bike to close destinations, Car pool if you can on longer trips. Car pool to work, school, wherever you can when you can.
Recycle Everything – Anything can be used for something. For example A old toilet can be a flower planter. Use your imagination and help save the planet