A four-year international study has found the soot produced by diesel engines and wood-burning stoves is the second-greatest human contributor to climate change. That assessment of its effect, by a multinational team of 31 experts, is nearly twice what the United Nations estimated five years ago. Known as black carbon, soot now ranks ahead of […]
Study: Black Carbon Second Only to CO2 in Warming Planet
Posted January 16th, 2013 at 11:25 am (UTC-5)
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Australia Passes Historic Carbon Price Laws
Posted November 8th, 2011 at 3:05 am (UTC-5)
The Australian Senate passed a controversial plan Tuesday that imposes a carbon emissions tax on the nation’s biggest polluters. Cheers erupted in the upper house of parliament as the package of 18 laws was approved by a vote of 36-32, nearly a month after the lower house passed the legislation. Effective July 1, Australia’s 500 […]
Gillard Hails Australia’s Future After Carbon Tax Passage
Posted October 12th, 2011 at 3:55 am (UTC-5)
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard is calling for her country to aggressively seize the future following the passage by parliament of a contentious bill to tax large polluters. The new carbon tax passed with a narrow two-vote majority on Wednesday despite fierce criticism from industry and the parliamentary opposition, which argued the tax will drive […]
Australia’s Lower House Passes Carbon Tax Bill
Posted October 11th, 2011 at 7:50 pm (UTC-5)
Australia’s lower house of parliament has passed a contentious new law on carbon emissions tax, ending years of heated debate. Lawmakers passed a packet of measures Wednesday that will impose a levy on the country’s biggest polluters starting July 1 of next year. Polluters will be paying a fixed price of about $23 per ton […]
Unpopular Carbon Tax Plan Goes to Australia’s Parliament
Posted September 13th, 2011 at 2:40 am (UTC-5)
Australia’s government has formally introduced legislation for a controversial carbon tax that has deeply damaged the ruling party’s popularity. Prime Minister Julia Gillard said Tuesday her government is committed to pushing through the law, which would force major polluters to pay a tax on carbon emissions. A similar plan was twice rejected by parliament in […]
Australia Treasurer: Carbon Tax Will Pass
Posted August 28th, 2011 at 8:00 pm (UTC-5)
Australia’s Treasurer predicts carbon-tax legislation will pass parliament, despite being mired by controversy. In an interview with Sky News Sunday, Wayne Swan said the bill will go to parliament where it will be debated and passed quickly even though there is a minority government. Last month, Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced plans to charge 500 […]
China to Launch Pilot Carbon Trading Program
Posted July 18th, 2011 at 3:35 am (UTC-5)
China’s official news agency said Monday that the country will start a pilot carbon emissions trading project, and gradually set up a carbon emissions trading market. The Xinhua news agency quoted Xie Zhenhua, a top climate official, as saying Sunday that the plan would employ preferential and punitive tax polices to provide incentives to develop […]
Australia’s Gillard Says Mine Sale Vindicates Carbon Tax Plan
Posted July 12th, 2011 at 4:00 am (UTC-5)
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard says a multi-billion dollar offer for a coal mining company proves her proposed carbon emissions tax will not harm the vital industry. Opposition lawmakers and coal industry leaders have denounced Ms. Gillard’s plan to impose a $24-a-ton tax on the nation’s top 500 polluters, arguing that it will force coal […]
Australia Unveils Plan for Carbon Tax
Posted July 10th, 2011 at 12:35 am (UTC-5)
Australia unveiled plans Sunday to force its 500 worst polluters to pay $25 for every metric ton of carbon dioxide they emit. The government said the highly unpopular carbon tax will take effect on July 1 of 2012 and will continue until the country shifts to an emissions trading mechanism, with prices set by the […]
