The original content of Democracy Now! Headlines appears under the Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 License (United States). For more, including their other shows and media, visit www.democracynow.org. November 8, 2011 Australian Law Forces Worst Polluting Companies to Pay Carbon Emissions Tax ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Australian Senate has approved a landmark law to force the country's 500 worst-polluting companies to pay a tax on their carbon emissions. Australia is the highest emitter per capita in the industrial world due to a heavy reliance on coal to generate electricity. Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard supported the measure. Julia Gillard, Australian Prime Minister: "Today, Australia has a price on carbon as the law of our land. This comes after a quarter-of-a-century of scientific warnings, 37 parliamentary inquiries, and years of bitter debate and division. Today, our nation has got this done. It has taken the most effective step it can to cut carbon pollution.” .