I remember a prescient press article by Terry McCrann which I kept – “The experts lie about renewable energy 28Nov2016” Link might be part paywalled.
Here is a quick quote – [THE first and most important thing to understand about global warming true believers and the pushers of so-called “renewable energy” is that they lie. They lie effortlessly, seamlessly, continuously and without the slightest sense of shame. They lie deliberately and carelessly and casually, and even when they don’t realise they are lying. They lie without the slightest sense of self-awareness and with all the pomposity of stupidity aforethought.]
Fast forward to where we are now with the monthly average AEMO wholesale prices shown in my 2 year chart. The timing of the Federal election on 21st May did not help but Govt has to govern and PM Morrison and his Energy Minister Taylor should have been advised in Jan/Feb that their mantra of “we reduced power prices” was now way out of date as Euro-Russian gas supplies issues + Russian-Ukraine border tensions building could be feeding increases in world gas & coal prices that were influencing AEMO wholesale electricity pricing.
Lets just quickly state a few factual matters that help us understand how we arrived where we are with coal and gas generators experiencing fuel supply issues that if they got worse could cause serious large scale blackouts.
A – Our media is ~80% GreenLeft so renewables issues are usually reported to suit the renewables industry with little critical media input. Just look at the youth of many journos at pressers and no wonder many must be auto-greenleft supporters.
B – Conversely rational news about coal and gas resources needed to fuel ~70% of our electricity generation is hard to find.
It has been obvious that the lights were going to go out for a couple of decades, if they did what they said they would, and have done. Insanity or deliberate malice or both.
Agree with PJ above.
The younger zealots genuinely believe that windmills and sunbeams will suffice, as they are fired by the “need” to save the planet and are unhampered by any scientific literacy or mathematical numeracy (which they see no need for, as the consensus science is settled).
The majority of the middle-class (and in the case of women, a large majority) are convinced of the need for “action” by the recent sequence of longish drought, bushfires burning the timber desiccated by the drought, and the following widespread flooding. Because this ENSO sequence has never happened before (!!), sacrifice to Gaia must be made. Our despicable MSM persists in reinforcing this illusion on a daily basis.
Those at the top of the power chain seize the votes to be gained by pandering to this. Some of these people, for example the slimy Greg Mullins, are leavened with spite as well.
We are on the edge of rationing power and heating over winter. This will kill people, literally. We see the ABC amongst others now blaming the coal-fired generator chain for doing exactly what their agitprop has been dunning about for decades.
So yes – completely without shame or care. In an earlier time, such zealots burnt people alive in the market square as an auto-de-fe. “We told you so” has absolutely no impact on them.
A catastrophe predicted over 30 years ago.
Yes and I would add
C – Education system that teaches young people beliefs and attitudes instead of knowledge and reasoning. This channels their idealism and rebelliousness into campaigns for renewables and other environmental causes. They demand policy changes based on what they see as unimpeachable moral reasons. They have no grasp of the specific technical issues involved, of the scientific method in general, or of the pervasive fact of complexity and tradeoffs in all public policies. If confronted by any of these, they lack the mental equipment to process them. They have moralising minds, not enquiring minds, so facts that challenge their beliefs are not just wrong but evil.
I think much of the blame goes to Green influence ALP governments in Victoria and SA plus the government mess in Tasmania and weak weak Libs in NSW following appalling ALP governments (eg Carr, Keneally). In SA fracking of gas structures was stopped and the government blew up the coal fired power stations near Port Auguata. In Victoria the ALP government banned all new gas extraction both on shore and off shore. In Tasmania the gas powered station at Bell Bay was closed stopping gas production in the Strait field off Burnie. In NSW the Narrabi gas field was stopped from development. There is plenty of gas in SA, Vic and NSW to supply Australia for decades if governments would allow it to flow. Some chemical industry (eg plastics) might return and we may not need to import LPG.
cementafriend:
Yes, politicians have been stupid and worse those advising them too.
My thoughts are that brown coal in Victoria would be a suitable source of chemicals and fuel and other benefits. Perhaps this could be sold as providing diesel fuel via the Fischer-Tropf process (avoiding import problems) as well as hydrogen (the NEW WONDER solution) both of which might influence opinion.
The resulting carbon monoxide separated out might be sent to CCGT’s with 64 -66% reduction in CO2 emissions (for what that is worth) and the hydrogen and CO2 could be used to make urea fertiliser.
Alternatively we could use all that natural gas to make methanol (as used in NZ in the 1980’s) and convert that into petrol (Monsanto zeolite catalysis). Would benefit our overseas trade balance (and avoid possible disruptions).
Too simple for our politicins who dream of exporting hydrogen.