Environmental Policies in Australia: Gillard Government

American author and journalist, Michael Pollan, in the article titled, “Why Bother?”, published in The New York Times Magazine, addresses the topic of environmental issues and argues that the phrase, “why bother?”, is what is keeping society from changing the ways citizens use up resources. His main focus of reasoning is supported by his idea that specialization has a significant role in reducing the average consumer’s chance of changing their lifestyle and also highlights that planting your own garden would be a task which in turn would benefit the consumer in many ways, while also decreasing their carbon footprint size. He concludes that these actions taking place could have a chain reaction that would spread these practices across the nation and lead to positive impacts on the environment.

As The World Burns: 50 Simple Things You Can Do To Stay In Denial, by Derrick Jensen and Stephanie McMillan, is a graphic novel about the state of our environment. They use cartoons and abundant sarcasm to convey the message that the attempts people are making to save the environment are not enough to do any real good. Their message challenges both those of Edward O. Wilson and the University of Connecticut in that Jensen and McMillan’s ideas are much more radical and suggest that the ideas posed by Wilson and UConn, such as the importance of recycling and sustainability efforts, are ineffective at saving the environment. We must resolve the challenges posed by Jensen and McMillan so that all of the ideas put forth in the sources may work together rather than against each other. In order to do this we must accept that some of the ideas given by Jensen and McMillan may be too extreme to do any real good and that the ideas suggested by Wilson and UConn, though slightly ineffective, are nonetheless important steps in saving the environment. Taken alone, none of their ideas will save the environment; instead it is necessary to combine the ideas of Wilson, UConn, and Jensen and McMillan in order to create a more realistic plan to save the planet.

As a nation, we have to look at what the future would be for our children, their children and the generations ahead. We can start with participating in recycle programs, investing in clean energy and ways to reduce destruction of our forests." Without Americans constant need to consume, the environment would have plenty of time to replenish the resources it provide us." "NIEHS Environmental Coloring Book." National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, an official government website for Kids. 02 Apr. 2009 .

The environmental deficit is basically just a way of expressing that the world is having a 2 for 1 sale on our natural resources. In a culture where people everywhere seem to think that the economy is just about getting a good deal on everything, it makes sense that collectively we barely value the goods and resources the Earth seems to offer for free!

Air pollution is a big issue in the world today but that is no reason to put a carbon tax on businesses in Australia putting a carbon tax in place will force Businesses to raise their prices which will affect the Australian consumer in the long run that is why it should not be re introduced. Australia does not have a big impact on the world's air pollution but in Australia as the population

minister and head leader of the Australian government. She received a seat in the house of representative in 1998 and won a seat of labor in the federal election in Australia. After the election in 2001 Ms. Gillard became a member of Shadow Cabinet. While Gillard was still in office, Australia experienced the global economic crisis that peaked in 2007-2008 exceeding any other industrialized countries. During this time frame the Rudd Administration suffered a number of legislative setback leading to the poll numbers for prime ministers. After being elected Ms. Gillard negotiated a comprised agreement with the mining companies which reduce the proposed tax from forty percent to 30 percent. Ms. Gillard is impacting global society through promotion

"Save the Planet," "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle," "Go Green." Quotes like these have become a commonality in today's age. We all are familiar with the large efforts to help preserve the environment. In "Ideals of Human Excellence and Preserving Natural Environments," Thomas E. Hill Jr. sums up his essay by stating, "The point is not to insinuate that all anti-environmentalists are defective, but to see that those who value such traits as humility, gratitude, and sensitivity to others have reason to promote the love of nature" (688; par. 4) This excerpt provides the thesis behind Hill's argument. The author found that

By coming into the 2016 election race as both an environmentalist and activist Jill Stein tears apart the normal expectations, we hold in a candidate and gives voters a new side to consider as the representative of the Green party.Her fight for the environment began when her job as a Practicing Physician made her aware of “the links between toxic exposures and illness emerging in the 1990s”(Jill2016 Exploratory Committee). Since then Stein has been an unquestionable advocate for the protection of our environment. Her dedications to her beliefs and willingness to fight for them gives her supporters a feeling of hope in a greener future and makes those who are uninterested in environmental issues to wonder what the fuss is all about.

As an Australian I have had the privilege of indulging in the bountiful land that I am lucky to call my home. A land that is home to millions and supplies millions more. The central hub of these huge happenings is the Murray Darling Basin - the largest water storage and water system in Australia, spanning 1/7 of Australia's total land mass, containing over 40% of all Australian farms and the source of water for millions. Paramount to the enterprise, the general wellbeing and the beneficiary’s of the MDB is the life blood of the world, water. A step further in to the notion of the importance of water is the notion of clean water. A factor vital to the sustainability of the MDB and a factor that I believe the Australian Government isn't doing

Follow the Clause 17 and Clause 19, BHP Billiton follows the policy obligation not to discharge pollutants into water or onto certain land

In Australia, there is an emerging consensus that the government should take further actions to help mitigate and combat climate change. The current most accepted policy by government is the introduction of a carbon tax followed by an ETS in 2015. However we are focusing on the carbon tax in this essay and not the ETS. Here is a brief explanation of the dynamics of a carbon tax. A carbon tax is a tax on energy sources, which emit carbon dioxide (Co2). Therefore, carbon taxes address the problem of negative externality. Externalities are the subsequent effects when individual production or consumption of a particular good or service imposes costs or benefits on others. Therefore negative externalities are effects, which pose harm to others without their direct interaction (Basic Economics 2011). However, usual market practices and transactions do not reflect these cost and benefits in the prices involved in the transaction, or take into account in their transaction decision. Therefore this is a form of market failure. By imposing a cost on these negative externalities, the hidden cost can be addressed. Ultimately the purpose of a carbon tax is to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and therefore reduce

In February 2011, the Australian federal government declared a scheme to implement a Carbon Tax from July 1, 2012. Implementing this scheme has generated a controversial debate between Australians. The term “Carbon tax” refers to an environmental tax forcing polluters to pay per ton of carbon which they release into the atmosphere. This essay will provide the economical, social and political implication of carbon taxes, also with its introduction who will benefit and who would suffer.

On your weekly trip to the supermarket it’s easy to find a number of products, from coffee to dishwashing soap, that flaunt their green attributes” (American Psychological Association, 2010). With such rumors of greenwashing, consumers are more confused than ever. However, some consumers know the tricks and are coming to find that there are companies whose marketing practices are legit, not exaggerated or deceiving. APA also found that, “people are willing to spend more of their hard-earned green on green products, according to a 2008 survey of 9,000 adults performed by the global business firm Boston Consulting Group” (American Psychological Association, 2010). Consumers who are willing to pay more for a product or service are assuming that they are purchasing a healthier, safer, and better quality product or service for the environment.

There are issues of the environment that exist within politics therefore it is necessary to define the terms environmentalism, ecologist and green politics. These terms have been used in a variety of ways and of which can be fully understood, so there are in no case accepted definitions. Ecologism refers to a movement that looks to change the nature of humankind’s relationship to its physical environment. It is widely based on the science of ecology which would then suggest it is an ideology in its full sense. Ecologists propose forming a necessary base or core of central importance to the nature of society in order to bring about equally fundamental changes in human kinds relationship to its environment.

While there is no blanket policy the Indonesian government can pass to magically stop deforestation, there are a number of steps they can take to slow and hopefully eventually stop it. All of these steps should address primarily the root cause of the problem, but also the proximate causes. First and foremost, the government officials responsible for Indonesia’s environmental policies should take the time to become more educated on the impact of environmental problems in their region. They should visit the affected areas, speak with the indigenous people, and find a way to understand that deforestation is not just a means for generating a profit, but rather a means for depriving local people, as well as wildlife,