Carbon rationing
David Spratt (Write On, GLW #707) assumes there will be no "overnight revolutionary end to the market" and argues, "Carbon rationing works by an authority independent of government setting an annual carbon emissions budget for the country, which each year is decreased in accordance with the emissions scenarios necessary to avoid catastrophic climate change."
The irony here, and one that will be difficult for many to accept, is that Spratt's environmental prescription is more utopian than socialist revolution. Yes, a revolution looks a long way off in Australia right now. But this is something that is feasible for the future, whereas an "independent authority" regulating a significantly declined rate of profit across the Australian economy (the natural result of tight fossil fuel rationing) will never occur in an uncorrupted and as required manner.
Spratt's belief that the market economy would be functional under an authentic carbon rationing regime reveals his flawed understanding of capitalist economics.
Socialists should not rule out in advance supporting a mass movement call for carbon rationing, along the lines that Spratt describes, should such a mass campaign eventuate. But right now, and in the absence of such a campaign, we should focus on pushing for planned-economy measures. This is the leg-work for a response that is vastly superior in terms of efficacy and equity.
Rohan Gaiswinkler
Hobart, Tas
Venezuela
Just a quick note to say keep up the good work in promoting the progressive policies of Hugo Chavez. I would like to remind your readers to keep an eye out for the attempts by the "democratic opposition" and the US government in promoting the independence of the state of Zulia. A precedent for Zulia's attempted breakaway occurred in the early part of the last century and support for it has again been stepped up by the US government under the pretence of democracy promotion. It is probably of use for your readers to ask the US embassy and Australian governments their views on this.
It must be remembered that the Australian government does not support the secession of West Papua or previously that of East Timor before the Australian people forced a change in policy. It would be interesting to note the government's view on such matters. Good luck with your campaigns,
Bart Ahluwalia
Penrith, NSW
Elite Choices
The federal government often claims we should trust the judgement of ordinary Australians rather than elite groups. Yet it has done the exact opposite on industrial relations. Work Choices was strongly supported by senior members of the Liberal Party and major business owners. You don't get much more elite than that. But the average Australian never wanted it. A year later, twice as many people are still saying they have been harmed as are saying they have benefited. Among lower-income households, this adverse ratio is three to one. And, overall, four times as many say they have been made a lot worse of as say they have been made a lot better off. The Coalition's claim to be a great friend of battling and ordinary workers rings very hollow when you look at industrial relations.
Brent Howard
Rydalmere, NSW
Water crisis
As Melbourne faces yet another month of record low rainfall — its fourth in 10 months — governments remain obsessed with the notion we can save enough water to cope with any future climate change.
The sad reality is, we cannot. Melbourne's rainfall is already 30% below established norms from 1885 to 1996. Such a decline cuts runoff into Melbourne's dams by about 60%, and declines of a further 30% are predicted by the conservative Bureau of Meteorology. Such a decline would leave Melbourne's dams with no runoff whatsoever, conditions under which the severest water restrictions obviously have no effect. Yet, governments still believe water restrictions can alleviate a situation where there is no water available for anyone.
Instead of more and more rigid water restrictions, it should be recognised that global warming is the problem and therefore an uncompromising plan should be implemented to cut atmospheric greenhouse gases to levels before the changes occurred.
For the third step, there exists a simple solution. For a cost of only $1 billion, every Melbourne suburb and adjacent rural areas could be provided with public transport every two to three minutes instead of every sixty to 120 minutes as at present. If you think this is "unaffordable", consider that it is less than half the price tag of the wasteful City Link freeway.
It is time the majority of Melburnians who will suffer — probably this year — from dry dams to demonstrate against the corporate polluters and demand that the politicians and car companies that cultivate freeways at the expense of sustainable transport are forced to redistribute their wealth to reduce Australia's greenhouse gas emissions within a decade to 20% of 1990 levels (about 15% of today's levels).
Julien Peter Benney
Carlton, Vic {Abridged]
Arab-Israeli conflict
Beware of listening only to one side in a conflict — it will catch you with your journalistic pantaloons down around your ankles. Cover the conflict between the Arabs and Israel fairly, and you will see that this is truly a complex conflict between two semi-rights and not merely a simplistic fight of right against wrong.
Andrea Moriah
Jerusalem, Israel
Afghanistan
Just why is Australia sending more troops to Afghanistan again? It isn't 9/11 or weapons of mass destruction is it? Our young men and women in Iraq's Green Zone do not seem to be doing much nation building either. Well, Australians can rest easy. We don't have invading forces watching us cower in "gated communities" destroying each other — not until the seas rise anyway.
Yvonne Francis
Queanbeyan, NSW
Carpooling
There are companies out there that are working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions right now! But are not being heard. For an example, take a look at an Australian company Carpool-it.com. It has programmed an internet based carpooling site for individuals and organisations that actually calculates avoided emissions, reduced kilometres travelled, and a whole host of reports for organisations wishing to capture data for their environmental policies. This site is superior to any other carpooling program available I have looked at.
I am keenly interested in the benefits of carpooling as it reduces traffic congestion, GHG emissions and saves commuters lots of money in fuel, and car maintenance and parking fees. You just can't argue with that. It's proactive and everyone can take part in it (school children, sporting clubs, workplaces, the list goes on) if only the right campaign was promoted. Check it out.
Bea Green
Via email
Moon rush
The discovery on the Moon of helium-3, the highly potent nuclear fusion fuel, will spell a space-based "gold rush" which the US is intent on dominating (Russia suspects Washington has plans to monopolise fuel from the Moon, according to the May 2 Sydney Morning Herald).
Longstanding US plans to colonise and militarise the Moon and space reach back to former Nazi space scientists Von Braun and Dornberger who pioneered NASA. Their vision is realised by General Joseph Ashy, former c-in-c of the US Space Command: "It's politically sensitive, but it's going to happen. Some people don't want to hear this, and it sure isn't in vogue, but absolutely we're going to fight in space."
Article 11 of the 1967 UN Outer Space Treaty (never signed by the US) states: "The Moon and its natural resources are the common heritage of mankind." It also prohibits national appropriation, adding the words "by means of use or occupation, or by any other means", i.e. no military bases and no claims of ownership are allowed.
Gareth Smith
Byron Bay, NSW {Abridged]