Hillary Clinton’s and Julia Gillard’s unconvincing spin about Solar Energy
But are Clinton and Gillard serious? I doubt it. The giveaway, as always, is the funding. Australia is investing $50 million in the project……. enough to transform the world’s energy supply and prevent climate change? I doubt it….Such a project needs billions, not millions.
More solar spin – Daily Telegraph Mark Mann , November 07, 2010 According to US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, speaking in Melbourne yesterday: “We [the US and Australia] have a common goal of making solar energy competitive with conventional sources by the middle of this decade, 2015,” she said.
Clinton was flanked by Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard as they announced a joint US-Australian solar power research program.Wow. If solar power reaches parity with the cost of coal and oil, it will transform the world. There would be a rush out of fossil fuel and into solar. After all, why invest in climate pollution when you can get a climate solution for the same price.
And that would put Australia’s coal export industry and coal-fired power stations out of business in the process.
Maybe someone should tell prospective buyers of the Queensland Government’s QR Rail coal transporting business.
Maybe someone should also tell the NSW and Victorian governments, intent on building new coal-fired power stations at Bayswater in the Hunter, and in the Latrobe Valley
But are Clinton and Gillard serious? I doubt it. The giveaway, as always, is the funding. Australia is investing $50 million in the project. Enough to buy roughly 30 homes on Sydney’s Lower North Shore, say. But enough to transform the world’s energy supply and prevent climate change? I doubt it.
Such a project needs billions, not millions. If you ask me, the Government should adopt the Coalition’s low-cost alternative to its national broadband network, then spend the $40-odd billion that saves on building thermal solar power stations instead. That would be serious.
(Or introduce a carbon tax and use the revenue from that.)
Until then, I’d say yesterday’s announcement is just the latest example of politicians failing to put their money where their mouth is on climate change.
No comments yet.
1.This month.
The Road to War brings a sharp focus to why it is not in Australia’s best interest to be dragged into a war with China which will almost inevitably go nuclear very quickly. The filmmaker has interviewed some of Australia’s senior foreign policy analysts who have vast experience behind them in analysing what really is going on here as the United States rattles its sabres with China. And sets us up to be its proxy, like the poor Ukranians have been fed into the Meatgrinder. So America can remain the Top Dog. The Road to War reveals how the United States through its spy base at Pine Gap and by stationing six nuclear capable B52 bombers in the Top End (without permission from the traditional owners) is making Australia a prime nuclear target if the current war of words suddenly melts down into full scale war.
The Road to War shows the implicit connection between Carbon emissions (the US military uses a whopping 70% of America’s annual petroleum to move its armies and vast War Machine around the globe to its 800+ military bases..but under a loophole wangled at Kyoto, the US military does not have to report its C02 annual emissions). The Road to War starts screening at selected cities and regional centres in March. See the trailer end for details.
Antinuclear 
Leave a Reply