If the 'science is settled' then surely China and the US (the biggest polluters by far) would see the dangers and impose their own taxes? Hmmm.. nope, cant see it.
The biggest problem I have is with the so called 'scientific experts'. The sun appears to be the major driver of the Earth's climate and sunspot activity and has been very closely linked to the Earths temperature (the lower the number the colder the temperature...i.e the maunder minimum or little ice age
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maunder_Minimum).
Per the article below the 'experts' certainly dont understand the sun's 11 year cycle, let along multi decade or multi century cycles. Yet they are convinced that one of the cheapest and most volumous forms of energy we have (coal) is going to cause a run away greenhouse effect on Earth and kill us all. The politicians of course love this because it means they can now tax the very air we breathe (every time you exhale you'll be taxed?) and then redistribute OUR money as they see fit ($500,000 BBQ roofs all round thanks). I want less tax and Government interference in my life, not more! Having said that, in this politically correct world, if China and the US tax their air, then I might be persuaded to let Gillard tax my air, but not before.
The original article that started this thread didn't mention record snow packs in the US that may not melt over this summer (start of a new glaciation period?) and a lot of other stats that are showing record cold temperatures (Darwin just hard the coldest June on record?).
See
http://www.iceagenow.com/ for real life occurences that challenge the "science is settled" issue.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunspot
21st century
Measurements made in the latter part of the 2000s and based also on observation of infrared spectral lines, have suggested that sunspot activity may again be disappearing, possibly leading to a new minimum.
[18] From 2007-2009, sunspot levels were far below average. In 2008, the Sun was spot-free 73 per cent of the time, extreme even for a solar minimum. Only 1913 was more pronounced, with 85 per cent of that year clear. The Sun continued to languish through mid-December 2009, when the largest group of sunspots to emerge for several years appeared. Even then, sunspot levels remained well below normal.
[19]
In 2006, NASA made a prediction for the next sunspot maximum, being between 150 and 200 around the year 2011 (30-50% stronger than cycle 23), followed by a weak maximum at around 2022.
[20] [21] The prediction did not come true. Instead, the sunspot cycle in 2010 was still at its minimum, where it should have been near its maximum, which shows the Sun's current unusual low activity.
[22]
Due to a missing jet stream, fading spots, and slower activity near the poles independent scientists of the
National Solar Observatory (NSO) and the
Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) now (2011) predict that the next 11-year solar sunspot cycle, Cycle 25, will be greatly reduced or may not happen at all.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/06/14/ice_age/
http://news.sciencemag.org/scienceno...pot-cycle.html
