Is Carbon Pricing the Way of the Fututre?

Diogenes was a Greek philosopher who was famous for wandering around Corinth with nothing except a lamp.

When asked about the lamp he would say, "I am looking for an honest man". His pupils founded the philosophical school of Stoicism which existed for many centuries.

I am still looking for an honest person. Their gender is irrelevant.

I haven't found many of these rare animals amongst the media, the economists and the politicians. I have stuck to the work that feeds and clothes me and haven't had to resort to living in a barrel like Diogenes did.

Recently, I was roundly criticised on ABC's The Drum for attacking the Government's tax approach to climate change. My invariable comment on the issue has been to say that I haven't got a clue about the science.

After 40 years of practice and major legal cases that sometimes went as far as the High Court, I do have some knowledge of our taxation system. My admission of cluelessness seems to have offended or even enraged a lot of people. They seem to think that they either understand the science or accept the "science consensus" and that every other decent person should know about it or take the consensus view.

I spoke to Senator Kim Carr some months ago and said that I was clueless. He sent me along to the CSIRO. They told me a lot of stuff and referred me to their publications. The first problem was that I didn't understand the studies. The second problem was that I didn't have a PhD in science specialising in an appropriate science discipline.

The third problem is that I do understand and am deeply sceptical of econometric models that purport to predict the future of 2020 or 2050 or 2100. Assumptions are, in economics and all other fields of academic endeavour, (I did not say knowledge) a very risky business.

My fourth problem is that a climate change industry exists which is benefiting to the tune of many billions of dollars from government policy. The industry hasn't produced much at all up...