Zero Emissions Foolishness
By Viv Forbes,
Chairman, The Carbon Sense Coalition
The Australian Climate Commission says Australia needs
to reduce emissions “to nearly zero by 2050”.
Such a reduction can only
be achieved if the Climate Commission has a secret plan to use nuclear power or
for a massive expansion of hydro power.
If they do not have such a
plan, their “nearly zero” emissions target would force the shut down of most of
the energy, transport and industrial infrastructure developed since James Watt
invented the steam engine.
Imagine Australia with
“zero emissions” – which means zero production of carbon dioxide from human
activities and industries.
This would mean zero usage
of coal, oil, petrol, diesel or gas, zero production of cement or steel and the
shut-down of 92% of Australia’s electricity generators.
Sunbeams and sea breezes
cannot supply 24/7 electricity - the only feasible non-carbon options for
Australian grid power are nuclear or hydro. Has the Climate Commission joined
the nuclear power lobby? Or do they have a secret plan for big hydro
developments on the Snowy, the Franklin and the Tully-Millstream?
And how do we keep our
diesel-fuelled transport fleet operating? Using big, big batteries and even
more nuclear or hydro power to recharge them at every roadhouse in the outback?
(But once they eliminate our grazing animals and their emissions, we will not
need road trains.)
And how do we keep planes
operating? Are they suggesting that we divert most of our sugar production to
producing power alcohol?
For cement and steel we
could of course try to catch and bury every molecule of carbon dioxide
produced, but in reality the costs involved in such stupidity would force
closure of these industries, and cement and steel would be imported from more
sensible nations.
Some zealots would even
like to see the end of our vast herds of cattle, sheep and goats, replacing
them with kangaroos.
Unless the Climate
Commission can show us a realistic plan for “zero emissions”, with cost benefit
analyses, we know it is just more hot emissions from academic zealots.
They must put up, or shut
up.
For those who can’t believe
the Climate commission said something so stupid, see here:
ReplyDeleteG'day Mate
And the volcanoes? How will they deal the output from them?
I wouldn't let them take the dog for a walk.