The crime is already happening. I know of at least 3 tree planting firms that have taken the money from buyers of offsets and told them they are carbon neutral, but the trees either have not been planted or have died. The companies claim that the each tree will sequester tonnes of carbon but not all will survive, some will be grasses and some shrubs. The ACCC wants to know nothing about it and these companies are raking in millions. They claim to be not for profit - ha - I know of one that buys all the services off their own for profit company, and the claim to be getting thousands of tonnes a hectare when the government model shows much lower figures. These firms will disappear off the face of the earth when the CPRS starts and then who will be left with the liability, the farmer. One claims to have offset many motorists emissions when they have barely enough planted to offset their own emissions but the government keeps funding them and encouraging them with your money. Another one has taken the money and not planted anything! The tree planting industry is full of scams but the government does not care as they will still get the benefit under Kyoto.

On top of all of that, how long does it take for a tree to grow so that it is actually sequestering useful quantities of carbon?

Surprise, surprise.

Shock, horror, I find myself in total agreement with the lorax. It's just one giant shonky mess but no surprise when those wise men from the east get involved.

Carbon emissions cheating Australia's next criminal under belly? Since we have already been deemed guilty of "Externality", that terrible crime of contributing to co2 emissions by cooking, eating & digesting food, it does seem appropriate that we are now deemed the equal of UB crims. Still, remember how we were all called "Pinstripe Criminals" for opposing the onerous Australia Card Bill. That was followed by the claim that anyone opposed to GST was a crook, seeking to avoid tax by dealing in cash only. Why do some people keep electing those holier-than-us political mobsters who seem to live un-policed when it comes to telling lies & lodging expenses claims?

Mr Lorax, or should I say Mr Cat in the Hat, what's your point? I assume you have one or is it just that in saving the planet, the whole box and dice is a fraud?

Why do we keep looking at tree planting as the sole carbon solution? Please consider good grazing system in native grasses, with long-term successional planning and monitoring. We can put some audit able creditability into the carbon trading system.

It is the Labor Party after all. What do you expect? We have, by The Land poll, the worst Ag minister in history who refuses to listen to the majority of farmers he is supposed to represent, looking after foreign traders and one big Australian wheat grower and a Prime Minister who is also hellbent on helping the income of a certain small amount of black suits whilst pillaging from the rest of us poor Australians.

Talk about Robin Hood going to the Dark side. Stealing from the poor to feed the fat cats.

In the debate about carbon emissions, I would have thought nuclear power would be a logical solution to some of, or part of, the carbon problem. The government seems OK with selling uranium to other countries for their power needs, but does not think we are responsible enough to use it here.

Nuclear power would be clean and green. I feel sorry for the farmers of this country who will have added costs involved in growing produce, but as we know are incapable of passing on costs - unlike power authorities who can raise prices by 20pc without the blink of an eye.

Dr Bob, the point is that whilst the opportunity is there for ag to actually benefit from an ETS, the green push in Canberra is swindling the landholder (again). Not only that, but the lack of formal and consitent regulation has led to a proliferation of unfounded claims and spurious projects that can never deliver their objectives and acres of misinformation that lead to confusion.

The confusion leads to landholders being ripped off and the government just sits and watches - not just this government, the last one was just as bad.

There are tenders that only go to "certain" consultants, transactions and now the government wants to enter the broker market with thier carbon trust.

As I have been saying all along - get involved or get ripped off, as is happening now.

You wil not get paid for regrowth or for reforesting areas that were cleared after 1990, even though the government does. I speak for the trees, I leave the other areas to experts in those fields.

And I am glad the soil people are working so hard on it, so I can keep going on the trees.