segunda-feira, maio 31, 2004
Impostos
People in Britain spend over 150 days of the year toiling, just to pay their taxes. This year, Tax Freedom Day falls on 30 May. That's 3 days later than last year and 6 days later than when Gordon Brown entered 11 Downing Street.
It's a tribute to Brown's skill with "stealth" taxes that so few people seem to have noticed the huge rise in taxes that has overtaken them. But Tax Freedom Day is a clear measure of the total burden which he can't escape.
And don't forget that Brown has been on a borrowing binge, which future taxpayers will have to pay for. Adding that burden in would push the date out to 11 June.
In the Euro zone, Tax Freedom Day doesn't come until 28 June, a whole month after Britain's. But in America, Bush's tax-cut policy makes the US Tax Freedom Day 11 April, the earliest in 37 years.
Look at those dates again. And remember that America is forecasting 4.5% growth this year, Britain 3%, and the Euro zone just 1.7%. Says something about the tax burden and a country's economic health, don't you think?
It's a tribute to Brown's skill with "stealth" taxes that so few people seem to have noticed the huge rise in taxes that has overtaken them. But Tax Freedom Day is a clear measure of the total burden which he can't escape.
And don't forget that Brown has been on a borrowing binge, which future taxpayers will have to pay for. Adding that burden in would push the date out to 11 June.
In the Euro zone, Tax Freedom Day doesn't come until 28 June, a whole month after Britain's. But in America, Bush's tax-cut policy makes the US Tax Freedom Day 11 April, the earliest in 37 years.
Look at those dates again. And remember that America is forecasting 4.5% growth this year, Britain 3%, and the Euro zone just 1.7%. Says something about the tax burden and a country's economic health, don't you think?
quarta-feira, maio 12, 2004
Quioto ?
SYDNEY, Australia (Reuters) -- Australian scientists have found the Earth may be more resilient to global warming than first thought, and they say a warmer world means a wetter planet, encouraging more plants to grow and soak up greenhouse gases.
"The global water cycle has changed in response to greenhouse emissions," almost 100 Australian greenhouse scientists said in an annual statement on their research received on Wednesday.
"As the world warms it is, on average, getting wetter," said the scientists, who met recently under the banner of Australia's Cooperative Research Center for Greenhouse Accounting.
A wetter and cloudier world would see more plants and more photosynthesis to counter greenhouse gases and also mean less evaporation as less solar radiation reaches the Earth.
"Contrary to widespread expectations, potential evaporation from the soil and land-based water bodies like lakes is decreasing in most places," the scientists said.
An increase in trees and shrubs in the world's grasslands in recent decades was a major counter to greenhouse gases, they said.
"Forests, farms and grasslands across the world absorb significant volumes of greenhouse gases. They have the potential to absorb more, ameliorating climate change.
"Properly managed, they could buy time for the world's people to make the major reductions in greenhouse emissions from power generation, industry and transport that will be required to reduce the damage from climate change."
"The global water cycle has changed in response to greenhouse emissions," almost 100 Australian greenhouse scientists said in an annual statement on their research received on Wednesday.
"As the world warms it is, on average, getting wetter," said the scientists, who met recently under the banner of Australia's Cooperative Research Center for Greenhouse Accounting.
A wetter and cloudier world would see more plants and more photosynthesis to counter greenhouse gases and also mean less evaporation as less solar radiation reaches the Earth.
"Contrary to widespread expectations, potential evaporation from the soil and land-based water bodies like lakes is decreasing in most places," the scientists said.
An increase in trees and shrubs in the world's grasslands in recent decades was a major counter to greenhouse gases, they said.
"Forests, farms and grasslands across the world absorb significant volumes of greenhouse gases. They have the potential to absorb more, ameliorating climate change.
"Properly managed, they could buy time for the world's people to make the major reductions in greenhouse emissions from power generation, industry and transport that will be required to reduce the damage from climate change."
