Australia: Carbon emissions trading scheme to sting Northern Territory for $16m

Research from Canberra-based think tank the Australia Institute released on Monday said state and territory governments across the nation would lose up to $1.4 billion a year to the Federal Government as a result of the carbon emission reduction scheme.

The research paper says the cost of energy, transport and wages paid by state and territory governments will increase as a result of the Federal Government's plan to tackle climate change.

Carbon Chronicles: Poland Seeks Help to Block EU Emissions Trading Scheme - International - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News

Poland is on the hunt for allies to block an EU plan to auction off the right to emit carbon dioxide. Ex-Communist countries worry for their economies if they have to bid against the likes of France and Germany.

Ethanol’s bad trip - FP Comment

Summer should offer a chance to forget the antics in our federal and provincial capitals, and some of the boondoggles that result. But some issues, such as government mandates to mix ethanol with gasoline, have a way of following you. For users of gasoline-powered engines, such as chainsaws, water pumps — and, most critically, boats — summer may bring ethanol-related problems closer than ever.

These problems are a classic instance of unintended consequences. Regulations made with one eye on polls and interest groups and the other on administrative convenience often pay no attention to how badly simple bureaucratic edicts fit a complex world.