Baby tax needed to save planet, claims expert

[Logan13]

I like this idea.
Baby tax needed to save planet, claims expert
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22896334-2,00.html

A WEST Australian medical expert wants families to pay a $5000-plus "baby levy" at birth and an annual carbon tax of up to $800 a child.

Writing in today's Medical Journal of Australia, Associate Professor Barry Walters said every couple with more than two children should be taxed to pay for enough trees to offset the carbon emissions generated over each child's lifetime.

Professor Walters, clinical associate professor of obstetric medicine at the University of Western Australia and the King Edward Memorial Hospital in Perth, called for condoms and "greenhouse-friendly" services such as sterilisation procedures to earn carbon credits.

And he implied the Federal Government should ditch the $4133 baby bonus and consider population controls like those in China and India.

Professor Walters said the average annual carbon dioxide emission by an Australian individual was about 17 metric tons, including energy use.

"Every newborn baby in Australia represents a potent source of greenhouse gas emissions for an average of 80 years, not simply by breathing but by the profligate consumption of resources typical of our society," he wrote.

"Far from showering financial booty on new mothers and rewarding greenhouse-unfriendly behaviour, a 'baby levy' in the form of a carbon tax should apply, in line with the 'polluter pays' principle."

Australian Family Association spokeswoman Angela Conway said it was ridiculous to blame babies for global warming.

"I think self-important professors with silly ideas should have to pay carbon tax for all the hot air they create," she said. "There's masses of evidence to say that child-rich families have much lower resource consumption per head than other styles of households.

But the plan won praise from high-profile doctor Garry Egger. "One must wonder why population control is spoken of today only in whispers," he wrote in an MJA response article.

[helium3]

just stop fat and/or ugly people from having kids and polluting the gene pool...no really.

[RA]

Among the dumber things Ive heard in a while...on the same level as pretty much anything al gore says.

[Kärnfysikern]

If we want to limit population growth we should make sure asian becomes as rich as possible as soon as possible.

[gixxerboy1]

If we want to limit population growth we should make sure asian becomes as rich as possible as soon as possible.

why do you think that?

I do agree we need to do something about population growth.

This tax idea is stupid

[Logan13]

why do you think that?

I do agree we need to do something about population growth.

This tax idea is stupid

it obviously targets poorer people.

[Kärnfysikern]

why do you think that?

I do agree we need to do something about population growth.

This tax idea is stupid

The populations of just about all rich nations except the US is declining. Its only in poor countries that people are still breeding as crazy.

[Kratos]

yup, rich people don't hump
weathy white europeans have a death wish as a race
the only people the tax would apply to is those who could not afford to pay

[gixxerboy1]

The populations of just about all rich nations except the US is declining. Its only in poor countries that people are still breeding as crazy.

Makes sense. Maybe we should start paying people to get sterilized

[Kratos]

Makes sense. Maybe we should start paying people to get sterilized

liberal America wouldn't like that
then you are denying poor people the right to a child
only the super poor would take the bait to get their overies burned out

[gixxerboy1]

liberal America wouldn't like that
then you are denying poor people the right to a child
only the super poor would take the bait to get their overies burned out

I agree most would be against it. But it would help the problem and its there choice its not denying anyone anything

[Kratos]

I agree most would be against it. But it would help the problem and its there choice its not denying anyone anything

I agree, but it's also against the law to sell you kidney and in theory that is your choice to do so. In reality it ends up turning the poor into organ banks for the rich. I had to take a few bio-ethics classes so I'm familiar with the thought process.

[eliteforce]

The developed countries don't have enough children, especially european countries and poor people would always neglect to pay the 'tax' anyways so it won't work.

[gixxerboy1]

I agree, but it's also against the law to sell you kidney and in theory that is your choice to do so. In reality it ends up turning the poor into organ banks for the rich. I had to take a few bio-ethics classes so I'm familiar with the thought process.

I can understand about organ donations. Who would ever donate it if they could sell it. And only rich people would probably be able to afford to purchase a slightly used organ.

This i think would be different. Yes poor people would be more willing to do it for the money. But i know people would call it some kind of discrimination