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Questions galore on Garnaut
(Letter, AFR, 8 July 2008)

Academic Ross Garnaut's draft report raises innumerable questions about any trading scheme to reduce CO2 emissions, let alone one starting in 2010.

• Does our former ambassador to China seriously believe that an Australian emission trading scheme would help persuade China to adopt an emission reductions policy?
• Does he have any idea when his "enormously important" carbon capture might become a realistic proposition?
• While acknowledging "some uncertainty" about the science, has he taken into account the recent large increase in scientists questioning the basic thesis, including the 31,000 who signed a petition of denial in the US?
• Do his apocalyptic projections of the effects on Australian icons of global warming take any account of their survival from past wide variations in temperatures or the fact that average temperatures have not increased since 1998?
• Is he aware that there is no correlation between variations in global temperature and Australian rainfall?
• As an economist does he seriously believe that a projected reduction of GDP of 4.8% by 2100 (the equivalent of only about one year's GDP) unless emissions are reduced can be of serious concern now, let alone to the wealthy living then?

These and many other important questions surely need to be answered before any responsible government adopted a scheme of reducing emissions.

Des Moore, Director, Institute for Private Enterprise, South Yarra, Vic

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