国产热热热精品,亚洲视频久久】日韩,三级婷婷在线久久,99人妻精品视频,精品九热人人肉肉在线,AV东京热一区二区,91po在线视频观看,久久激情宗合,青青草黄色手机视频

Global General

Australian Senate rejects carbon-trade bill

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-12-02 11:27

Australian Senate rejects carbon-trade bill
A commuter walks past a solar powered traffic sign in central Sydney December 1, 2009.?[Agencies]

SYDNEY: Australia's Parliament defeated legislation to set up a greenhouse gas emissions trading system on Wednesday, throwing a central plank of the government's plans to combat global warming into disarray.

The Senate, where Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's government does not hold a majority, rejected his administration's proposal for Australia to become one of the first countries to install a so-called cap-and-trade system to slash the amount of heat-trapping pollution that industries pump into the air.

Related readings:
Australian Senate rejects carbon-trade bill Australia carbon cut hit by senate delay
Australian Senate rejects carbon-trade bill US experts welcome China's pledge on carbon emission cuts
Australian Senate rejects carbon-trade bill China targets massive 45% carbon cut
Australian Senate rejects carbon-trade bill Rudd deal on carbon trades goes to parliament

Australian Senate rejects carbon-trade bill Australian PM moves closer to carbon trade deal

The 41-33 vote followed a tumultuous debate in which the conservative main opposition party at first agreed to support a version of the government's bill, then dramatically dumped its leader and switched sides after bitter divisions erupted within the party.

Rudd had wanted the legislation passed before he attends next week's UN summit on climate change in Copenhagen so he could portray Australia as a world leader on the issue.

The government's next step is unclear. Rudd could use the failure of the bill to call early elections, but is unlikely to do so before next year, when elections are due anyway.

Australia is a small greenhouse gas polluter in global terms, but one of the worst per capita because it relies heavily for its electricity on its abundant reserves of coal, which also make it the world's largest exporter of the polluting fuel. As the driest continent after Antarctica, it is also considered one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change.

The European Union has a carbon trading system, as do some US states. Canada and New Zealand are among countries considering or in the process of implementing them.

Under the government's plan, an annual limit would be placed on the amount of greenhouse gases allowed to be pumped into the atmosphere and permits would be issued to regulate that ceiling. The permits could be bought and sold, setting up a market system that would make reducing emissions potentially profitable for polluting companies.

Opponents of the legislation say it amounts to a huge new tax on polluting industries such as power generators, which would put a crimp on the economy and lead to higher prices for consumers. Such costs would have no effect on the level of global greenhouse gas emissions, they say.

Climate Change Minister Sen. Penny Wong accused the opposition members who voted the bill down of being climate change deniers out of step with the world.

"This is about doing our bit as part of a global agreement, this is about responding to what is a global challenge. This nation, too, has to act," Wong told the Senate. "You have to make polluters pay. If you do not make polluters pay you will not tackle climate change."

修文县| 牡丹江市| 前郭尔| 苏州市| 文安县| 怀安县| 泾川县| 龙山县| 溧水县| 廊坊市| 水富县| 应城市| 乌拉特中旗| 余干县| 涞水县| 岳池县| 霍山县| 临夏县| 祁阳县| 柏乡县| 双牌县| 彩票| 崇阳县| 秦皇岛市| 元谋县| 吉林市| 贺州市| 历史| 禹城市| 台中市| 宁德市| 建水县| 鄂托克前旗| 聂拉木县| 建德市| 阿坝县| 左云县| 济源市| 甘泉县| 南宫市| 长岛县|