Australia Abolishes Its Carbon Tax Even Though It Was Working

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http://www.businessinsider.com/australia-carbon-tax-2014-7

Australia has abolished its carbon tax, marking a victory for prime minister Tony Abbott, a well-known climate change denier.

The tax, which charges the heaviest polluters for every ton of greenhouse gas emitted, was voted off the books even though it appeared to be reducing carbon emissions, according to The Guardian:

The government argues the carbon pricing scheme has been ineffective, but national emissions have actually fallen by 0.8% in the first calendar year of its operation, the largest fall in 24 years of records. Since the tax began, emissions from the east coast electricity market have fallen 11%, but emissions from other sources – especially coal and gas mining have increased.

The move is particularly disheartening since Australia produces the highest amount of greenhouse gas per person among developed countries, according to the World Wildlife Fund. An increase in global greenhouse gas emissions, like carbon, is linked to many changes in climate around the world, including rising temperatures and less rainfall. In Australia, bush fires are becoming a larger threat as temperatures have progressively warmed each decade since the 1950s.



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