Black and Brown Coal should be top priority for electricity generation in Australia

Australia's energy policy is so distorted by nonsense info emanating from the Labor/Green warmist brigade that it's not funny. Even a bright school child could formulate a more sensible energy policy that would ensure our future prosperity for the next couple of hundred years.

The source of the problem is the Renewable Energy Target Bill (RET) that specifies 20% of energy should be renewable by year 2020, which is an impossible objective, and very costly. Both Labor and the Coalition Parties promoted this bill, but now in retrospect we (at least some of the Coalition, and most of the community that pay electricity bills) now realize that the RET, which promotes solar and wind farms,is based on bunkum economics and should be rejected ASAP.

However, in principle, renewable energy is good stuff, at the right price. In Australia we have the Snowy River hydro scheme which provides electricity for NSW State and Tasmania has several hydroelectric schemes operational all providing valuable base-load electricity and/or available to be brought more into operation at short notice for peak demand.

In Australia about 75% of our electricity is generated from coal and lignite fired power stations at low cost compared to that from gas, solar and wind farms. There are no nuclear power stations yet, which is anomalous, considering we are a major producer of uranium ores which are exported.

So what is the sensible road ahead? Don't look to the Rio + 20 Earth Summit for the solution. The warmists are in disarray and now everybody realizes that their yearly Conference is just one glorified expensive junket of no worldly significance, except to organize next year's extravaganza, at tax payer's expense, in another exotic locale.

In my opinion, what should be done is for the Coalition to amend the RET bill by changing the objective date to the year 2200, (instead of 2020). This gives everybody another 200 years to develop renewable energy technology without the need of Government subsidies. There should be no subsidies for solar energy or wind farms.

What's the big hurry? Australia has enough known coal reserves to last a couple of hundred years without looking for more. What about "global warming" and the need to move to a "low carbon economy"? This is all bunkum and false propaganda promoted by the Greens, Labor and businesses that have invested heavily in the so-called Green economy, like US General Electric and many EU companies. I say Pox on them. In Australia we know better and will pursue our own path to prosperity, once we vote out this incompetent Labor/Green Federal Government, which will be ASAP. Allano

Renewable Energy has a high concentration of Bunkum

In Australia, at last the Federal Coalition is looking at the underlying cause of the continual hike in electricity prices, which is due to the mandated uptake of Green/Labor energy supply (solar and wind) regardless of cost, to meet the 20% renewable energy target by 2020.

So what's the big rush? Why doesnt the Coalition push to amend the legislation by simply changing the target date to year 2200? This gives another 200 years to develop any technologies, and in the meantime we use cheap power from our huge coal and lignite deposits, which are sufficient to last hundreds of years without looking for more.

Rumblings in the Coalition are increasing on this matter. So far, cautious Tony Abbott, Coalition leader, says that most people saw generating renewable energy as an important issue requiring Government support and subsidy. Therefore the Coalition goes along with this idea. Very true! HOWEVER, when such an important issue as energy generation is based on lies and eco-religious bunkum and is causing enormous and undesirable distortion of the Australian economy, the time has come to be brave and rectify matters. The idea of amending the RET legislation by changing the target date to year 2200 is a gentle way of returning to energy sanity.

Let's abolish the Federal Climate Change Department and good riddance to them

I think Australia would operate much better and more economically, by a few billion dollars, if the Federal Department of Climate Change was ABOLISHED and the Minister Combet fired so he could return to blend in with his hopeless Trade Union buddies.

We do need to monitor climate change since it does so change VERY slowly and has been doing so since the Earth began, some 4 1/2 billion years ago. I am happy to see this monitoring done by State Departments of CC with a maximum staff level of SIX each, and with Australia limiting overseas Conference CC staff attendance to about two persons per annum, NOT the glorified JUNKET that exists today which is costly hypocritical rip off of the taxpayer.

The Australian TaxPayers'Alliance under the Freedom of Information laws has obtained info on some of the Federal Dept of Climate Change expenditures (it cost $750 to do so!) The bureaucrats in the Dept. of Climate Change flew 6,528,616 kms last financial year, costing $3,274,286! This included flights to Thailand at $13,093 for two people and Chile $12,805. Some accommodation costs are $265,000 in Thailand, and $265,000 for the delegation in Durban. Next week we have a huge junket to Rio de Janeiro which is to celebrate 20 years on for the UN environmental movement.

My opinion is that the people involved in this taxpayer rip off would be better employed doing something useful for mankind, like picking up rubbish off our beaches, and providing clean drinking water to those poor souls around the world who don't have any. Allano

Australian Electricity Prices Increase due to Green Policies

The impending hike in electricity at the end of this month (10 to 18%) is in South Australia, largely due to the State's embrace and promotion of "Green Energy" such as solar panels and wind farms, all greatly subsidized. Apparently this is necessary to save the Earth from global warming by reducing emissions of Greenhouse gases. Also there is the new CARBON TAX component to worry about due to come in on the 1st July.

It is high time the underlying false premise that CO2 emissions equate with "pollution" be exposed as bunkum, and all restrictive legislation based on it be declared null and void. This would include the RET Bill (renewable energy target being 20% by 2020), however this could easily be amended by changing the 2020 date to year 2200 which would give nearly 200 years for renewable energy technology to be developed. The Federal Governments demonizing of the 500 so-called "big polluters" in industry must stop.

Whats the big hurry anyway? Australia has coal and gas reserves to last hundreds of years. First lets vote out this incompetent and dangerous Labor/Green Federal Government ASAP. Allano

Wind Farm Madness in South Australia Continues

SOUTH AUSTRALIA continues in its Green political madness by approving a 150 turbine wind farm at Millicent, near Mt Gambier in the State's SE. This expensive Green legacy of former Premier Mike Rann continues unabated with the new Premier Jay Weatherall. It seems that only by voting out this wasteful State Labor Government can sanity be restored with regard to Energy Policy (and Water Policy). The sooner the better.

The uneconomic nature of wind farms has been well documented. They require 100% backup from conventional electricity generators such as coal or gas fired power stations. They exist due to Government subsidies that have come about due to the mistaken believe that they lower greenhouse gas emissions (which they don't) and greenhouse gas emissions are not a worry anyway, since CO2 is NOT a pollutant.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA must stop allowing wind farms to be built. Subsidies for doing so must be removed. Existing wind farms must be phased out and our countryside restored to its former glory. Such work can be classified as "Green jobs" and earmarked for those unemployed Green supporters. This Green icon is not wanted in South Australia. Let's make South Australia a WINDMILL FREE State and become more prosperous by doing so. Some useful links are:

"Myths about Renewable Energy" by T Caldwell HERE
"Disadvantages of Using Wind Energy" by Allano HERE

Labor's Toxic Carbon Tax is Crazy; based on Lies and is Just Blatant Thievery

On the 1st of July this incompetent Labor Government of PM Julia brings in a Carbon Tax on some 500 businesses (the so called big polluters) of $23 per ton of CO2 emitted!!!How ridiculous can you get???

I am still hopeful that this awful lying Labor Government will be tossed out on its ear before the end of this June month, probably never to return for ages.

How dare this Labor Government deliberately demonize the element CARBON which is the most wonderful element in the Periodic Table. Carbon is the basis of all life on Earth and forms more compounds than all the other elements put together. The Biosphere is made of CARBON and carbon dioxide is used by plants, crops and trees to build their structures. If atmospheric CO2 levels drop below 200 ppm our plants will die out. Currently atmospheric CO2 is at about 388 ppm and exhibits a few ppm increase annually. We need MORE CO2 in the atmosphere, not less. Plant hot houses, submarines and space craft regularly have atmospheres with 1000 ppm CO2 or more, to their advantage.

The idea promoted by some Western World Governments that we must move rapidly to a low carbon economy and so reduce our emissions of CO2 is just bunkum. There is no need for this move as our coal and gas resources are plentiful. Also the idea that CO2 emissions by man are causing climate change of worrying proportions is also a nonsense.

The way out of the present economic/financial malaise of Europe and the US (also Oz) is to remove ALL legislation that is based on the lie that the element CARBON is the bad guy and atmospheric CO2 must be reduced. Some wise countries are already starting to do this. In Australia we have made a start in Queensland after the last state election when we tossed out the Labor Government. We need a Churchillian effort to stifle the influence of these people whose aim it is to destroy our future prosperity, viz Labor, Greens and some Independents. Go to it. Allano