| Australia Should Introduce A Baby Tax To Save The Planet, Doctor Says |
|
|
| Monday, 10 December 2007 | |
|
Australia should slap a lifelong baby tax on parents with more than two children to offset the carbon dioxide emissions produced by their additional offspring, a medical expert said Monday. In a letter to the editor of the respected Medical Journal of Australia published Monday, Walters also recommended that citizens who use contraceptives or undergo sterilization should be entitled to reduce their annual income tax using carbon credits. "Greenhouse gases constitute the largest source of pollution, with by far the greatest contribution from humans in the developed world," Walters wrote. "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." In a supporting letter, Garry Egger, the director of the New South Wales state Center for Health Promotion and Research, said population control "remains crucial" to preserving the environment and called on doctors to counsel their patients on the ecological consequences of their family planning decisions. Critics, including the Australian Family Association, dismissed the recommendation, saying that multi-child households use less energy per person than smaller households. Far from penalizing large families, the government currently awards a A$4,000 (US$3,506; R23,523) "baby bonus" to the parents of each child born in Australia, part of a plan to reverse falling birthrates. |
This is the powerful story of the author's struggle with Multiple Sclerosis and how a healer's unusual prescription of mindful altruism - to 'give away 29 gifts in 29 days' - ignited her energy, her happiness, and invited more abundance into her life.
