Woe in Wollongong as mining city prepares for Australia's new carbon tax | World news | The Guardian

Country's coal capital exemplifies hostility to a looming pollution levy, which has made prime minister Julia Gillard very unpopular
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Regardless of the climate extremes, the droughts, wildfires, cyclones and floods that are ravaging Australia, locals do not want to give it up.

"It's all right for greenies to say this carbon tax has to happen, but we can't all hug trees for a living," said Brett Withers, who has worked as an industrial cleaning contractor in the steelworks for 20 years.