The Occidental Tourist

CONGRATULATIONS to Phage environment reporter Adam Morton, who will be enlarging his carbon footprint very shortly by jetting off to Europe as the latest recipient of the EU-Qantas Journalist Award. Adam plans to gather all the facts on carbon trading, and to do so as only a fair, impartial and non-aligned journalist can – you know, the sort without a barrow to push

"The claim is frequently made that Australia is 'going it alone' in pricing carbon," Adam said upon being notified of his triumph.  "This suggests the EU emissions trading scheme remains poorly understood both at the political level and by the broader public."

When Adam returns we can expect lots more quality journalism detailing rapidly evolving scams, rorted taxes and organised carbon crime. The authors of this Europol report, for example, might make for an interesting interview, particularly the individual who penned this scenario:

The agreement reached at the 2009 Copenhagen summit on climate change (COP15) is viewed as a bargain based on shifting national priorities. As a result, there is little will at central government level to exceed the minimum expectations set. Measures to reduce emissions are driven by the prospect of profit rather than by climate change concerns: “cap and trade” gains strength because of an already established trade in carbon credits and a market for Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS); in the absence of requisite regulation, this is accompanied by an increase in Emissions Trade Fraud (ETF).

There are many pleasant spots in Europe, where the Professor has spent quite a bit of time. Indeed, it was only the other day that the sight of a mobile revenue camera near Sale prompted thoughts of taking off to Austria, attending the opera, eating a cream cake, renting a Mercedes and, just for the fun of it, flying like crap from a catapult along the largely unregulated AutoBahns.

When the time comes to make those bookings, the travel agent will be advised that Bunyip bottoms no longer sit comfortably on Qantas seats. Readers planning similar trips might consider doing likewise.