Australia: Stuck in the coal age, when the solar century has already begun

Renewable energy has the potential to power our whole country with zero emissions within the near future, something coal cannot dream of. However, in terms of fast, cheap emissions reductions, nothing can beat energy efficiency. The Greens’ proposal for a systemic infrastructure upgrade across Australia, to increase efficiency by 30 per cent or more across the economy, stands in stark contrast to the Government’s piecemeal, tokenistic approach. A few tens of millions in rebates, grants and loans will cover a tiny percentage of homes, businesses and industry, while the cash-only offer fails to address the other well-known barriers to energy efficiency, such as lack of information and priority. Tackling energy efficiency provides a tremendous economic and social opportunity, let alone the climate benefits. Yet it was largely ignored by the Rudd Government.
Where is the urgency? Where is the priority? What can you say about a Budget which allocates $2.3 billion over five years to climate change and 50 times that much – $125 billion over five years – to Defence? If climate change were prioritised the way Defence is prioritised, the vision of an energy efficient Australia powered completely by renewable energy by 2020 would be entirely within our grasp.

Martin Ferguson’s dreams of liquefied coal fuelling our cars, and of exporting Victoria’s dirty, wet coal, are a climate nightmare that can only appeal to those whose eyes are filled with coal dust. They are trying to hold back the tide of history, maintaining the coal age when the solar century has already begun.

ABC Australia