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https://reneweconomy.com.au/nationals-choose-coal-nuclear-and-climate-denial-as-politics-of-delay-threatens-to-kill-another-industry/>
"So, the Nationals have decided to stop pretending they care about climate
change, and have thrown in their lot with the fossil fuel industries. It should
come as no surprise – climate denial, coal and nuclear often go hand in hand.
It is the greed, stupidity and cowardice that stuns the most. This is a party
that chooses not to support its regional constituency – those likely to suffer
most from the impacts of climate change – but to side with billionaires
determined not to let science and the fate of future generations get in the way
of making money.
Climate science demands that strong action is needed as quickly as possible to
avoid the worst impacts of climate change. This is true for Australia as it is
for the rest of the world. Reaching net zero by 2050 is the very least that
should be done – we should really be aiming for net zero in the mid 2030s or
early 2040s.
The Nationals, though, having rejected near and medium term climate targets,
can’t even be bothered kicking the can down the road, which is how many
describe the task of net zero by 2050. And like most climate deniers, they
voice support for the world’s most expensive, difficult and delayed technology
– nuclear energy.
The most obvious technologies, and by far the best in the Australian context,
are solar, wind, and battery storage. It is not all we need, but it is the
lowest cost and the most readily deployable. The Nationals prefer to look the
other way.
It looks, sounds and feels Trumpian. We’ve seen how idiots and ideologues have
been promoted to the key roles in the new US administration, and the damage
that has been done, the lives that have been lost and will be lost, and the
attacks on science, the environment, and the foundations of western democracy.
But we really don’t have to look beyond our own shores to see how this plays
out – new right wing governments in Queensland (LNP) and the Northern Territory
(CLP) have ripped up renewables targets and ignored climate science to pursue
what appears to be a single goal: To further enrich the fossil fuel interests
that support them."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
