A carbon tax would destroy Illawarra's steel industry for no environmental gain, a member of a newly formed protest group said yesterday.The convener of Illawarra Against Carbon Tax, Paul Matters, says he believes the Labor Party's proposed tax would do nothing but send the steel industry offshore, where there would be few environmental restrictions.The group is planning a series of talks on both sides of the scientific argument for the Labor Government's proposed carbon tax. The first will be held tonight when prominent marine geophysical scientist Dr Bob Carter gives a public lecture at the Port Kembla RSL Club.Dr Carter, a researcher at James Cook University in North Queensland and the University of Adelaide, is working on climate change, sea-level change and stratigraphy based on studies in the south-west Pacific region."Dr Carter agrees global warming is occurring and that carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas but not a pollutant," Mr Matters said.He also believes the warming that occurred in the late 20th century is not outside the natural range of variability and is not significantly caused by carbon dioxide."Dr Carter strongly disputes the climate modelling in terms of catastrophic projections which is the basis for the whole edifice of the argument for a carbon tax," Mr Matters says.Mr Matters, a former South Coast Labour Council secretary, said he did not want a repeat of 1984 when the steel industry shed thousands of jobs under restructuring."The promises of jobs for those put out of work never materialised," he said. "We accepted technological advances had to take place in the industry but we don't accept there is any basis for this tax."If, in the worst case scenario, the steel industry did collapse from lack of competitiveness and investment, we'd be importing steel from India and China, where no restrictions apply, making this tax a tragedy," Mr Matters said.Dr Carter's lecture will start at 7.30pm in the auditorium of the Port Kembla RSL Club in Military Rd.