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reflected in the soaring commodity prices and impending shortages
in the financial markets. We must realise that fossil-fuelled energy is
unpromising for our future economy and world. The global
environment with its finite resources should be a common concern
of all peoples. Our country is one of the countries most at risk from
climate change according to the Stern Review and the Garnaut
Climate Change reports. Practical, efficient, sustainable solutions
are in need and renewable energy technologies will provide these
opportunities for mitigating greenhouse gases.
Investing in clean, safe and reliable technology is the most
practical and obvious solution. Billions of dollars must be redirected
from subsidiaries in the coal industry to be invested in renewable
energy. Indeed, switching to 100% renewable energy is costly.
Research undergone in the Zero Carbon Emission Stationary
Energy Plan has demonstrated that a pathway to 100% renewable
energy would require a total investment of $370 billion over the
period of 2010-2020, however, it also found the up-front capital
costs would be paid back over time through energy sales, thus the
expense would come with a very rapid economic payback. It is a
strategic investment that would secure Australia’s zero-emission
future and would result in significant savings in future years. With
our carbon pricing, this would ultimately raise total savings to $1,550
billion.
14
Not to mention the 2798 gigatons of
CO2
– five times the
safe amount – that would be saved.
15
We may have the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme and the
Carbon Tax but, shamefully, Australia has only pledged a goal of 20%
renewable energy by 2020 while reports from the Zero Carbon
Australia Stationary Energy Plan have illustrated a target of 100%
renewable energy is affordable and achievable by the same date.
16
This is not good enough. Why is the government not taking action if
research has proven that it is cost-effective and beneficial to our
economy and world?
In fact, a poll by The Australian Research Group in 2007 found
that 91% of the public support the installation of solar panels, 82%
support wind farms, 78% support energy efficiency.
17
In 2009, Clean
Energy Council’s poll of 1200 Australians found that 80% believed
the government should give priority to renewables. Similarly, the
Australian Bureau of Statistics reported almost 90% of people took
some kind of action in 2012 to reduce their power bills.
18
These
14
Data from Beyond Zero
Emissions: Zero Carbon
Australia Stationary
Energy Report, 2011
15
Data from Bill
McKibben’s Do The
Math at 350.org, 2013
16
Data from Beyond Zero
Emissions: Zero Carbon
Australia Stationary
Energy Report, 2011
17
Data from the
Australian Research
Group: Climate Change,
November 2007
18
Data from Clean Energy
Council Australia, 2009
The Australian
Government
Must Stop
Fuelling The
Coal Industry
And Start
Investing In
100% Renewable
Energy.
Discuss.
12