Pirate's Cove

The Sydney Morning Herald digs in to the numbers

SUCCESSIVE federal governments have spent more than $5.5 billion over the past decade on climate change programs that are delivering only small reductions in greenhouse gas emissions at unusually high costs for taxpayers and the economy.

An analysis by the Herald of government schemes designed to cut emissions by direct spending or regulatory intervention reveals they have cost an average of $168 for each tonne of carbon dioxide abated.

The worst offenders have included Labor’s rebates for rooftop solar panels, which cost $300 or more for every tonne of carbon abated, and the Howard government’s remote renewable power generation scheme, which paid up to $340 for each tonne.

But, wait, it gets better!

By contrast, the emissions trading scheme blocked by the Coalition and the Greens in the previous parliament was expected to put a price of $20 to $25 a tonne on carbon in its early years.

Wait, the lefties blocked the low cost alternatives? Why would they do that?

”Some of these schemes were dreamed up because we weren’t doing the substantive things, but some are amazingly expensive and when we feel the pain of power price rises it lessens the public willingness to accept a sensible and efficient carbon price,” Mr Rod Sims said. (He’s the chairman of NSW’s independent energy pricing tribunal and an expert adviser to Parliament’s multi-party committee on climate change)

Well, that and things like snow in July December (whoops!)in Australia, along with the insane talk from the climate morons.

The weighted average cost of the 17 programs was $168 a tonne. They will deliver about 25 million tonnes of carbon abatement in 2020 – less than 10 per cent of that needed to meet the government’s target of reducing emissions in 2020 by 5 per cent on 2000 levels.

So, they are spending a ton of money they don’t actually have on programs that do not deliver, all for a fake issue. And driving up the cost of living to boot. Good job!