A sustainable industry needs no government subsidies, mandates or exemptions.
Warmists and subsidy entrepreneurs have created five unsustainable industries in gullible and guilt stricken western economies – carbon sequestration, ethanol, solar/wind power, carbon forestry and the climate change industry
Carbon geo-sequestration is the idea that we can alter global temperature by burying the carbon dioxide produced by industry. It is totally without merit yet consumes billions of dollars from taxpayers and shareholders.
The production of ethanol motor fuel from food producing land may be sustainable in some special circumstances, but has been bloated into obesity by subsidies and mandates. It should be cut loose to stand or fall in the open market.
The next unsustainable industry created with bipartisan support is solar/wind power. These energy sources are useful in certain circumstances but generation of network electricity is not one of them. They should be weaned off the subsidy teat.
Carbon credits and re-growth clearing bans are creating another parasitic industry – the growth of carbon forests. These are destroying food production, will de-populate country towns but provide zero long term effect on carbon dioxide levels.
Finally, climate change regulation, research and summiteering has become a mega-dollar, multi-national industry fed almost entirely on tax payer funds.
Instead of government nannies lecturing us on which cars, light bulbs and appliances to buy, they should relieve tax payers and consumers of the dead weight of all five subsidy-sucking industries.
The sun is setting on the unsustainable subsidy society.
Viv Forbes, Chairman, The Carbon Sense Coalition, has spent his life working in exploration, mining, farming, infrastructure, financial analysis and political commentary. He has worked for government departments, private companies and now works as a private contractor and farmer.
Viv has also been a guest writer for the Asian Wall Street Journal, Business Queensland and mining newspapers. He was awarded the “Australian Adam Smith Award for Services to the Free Society” in 1988, and has written widely on political, technical and economic subjects.
