Carbon scheme may close some coal mines... isn't that the idea? #climate

We have a carbon pollution addiction and it will hurt to get off it. Whether we use a carbon tax or the planned cap-and-trade emissions reduction scheme doesn't really matter - the gross polluters will have to stump up extra cost in order to continue. That will encourage the shift of investment from coal and oil to more sustainable, less polluting forms of energy production. If we don't do that then we'll simply continue to pollute.

We know this adjustment will hurt. In the short to medium term jobs will be lost in one area, as new jobs are created in another sector (eg solar panel production). There will be a painful lag as we adjust, and some individuals will suffer more than others.

And we know people will defend their indefensible positions with leaks to the press:

A CONFIDENTIAL industry briefing to Federal MPs warned at least two NSW coal mines would close under planned climate change laws. Mining giant Xstrata Australia's chairman Peter Coates said the Emissions Trading Scheme would make some mines unprofitable and cut new investment.

At some point we have to decide what we want - a cleaner, more sustainable economy or something else again.