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reliance on fossil fuels for electricity generation has led to a point
where the industry provides 93% of our electricity (83% coal, 10% gas)
and renewables just 7%.
6
As a prominent nation of the world, it is
behoving that Australia takes responsibility for our earth’s future
and stops playing follower to other countries. It is time to become
a leader to a zero carbon emissions economy based on 100%
renewable energy.
Renewable energy is energy derived from natural sources that are
naturally regenerative or are practically inexhaustible. It is the use of
solar, wind, geothermal, bioenergy, hydroelectricity and ocean power
to provide energy to us in sustainable ways. Around the world, other
countries have already made impressive progress, but Australia has
yet to get started – Germany is the number one solar energy
producer in the world; China is the world’s largest producer of solar
technology and in 2010, invested $51 billion on renewable energy;
Finland introduced the world’s first carbon price in 1990; New
Zealand has two-thirds of its electricity produced from renewable
sources; Scotland has a target of 100% renewable energy by 2020.
7
Why cannot we strive for the same?
Australia is still such a young country with so much potential. Our
renewable energy industry must stop being stalled and neglected
and our government policies must start making judgement about
new policies and financing sustainable solutions. Rigorous research
has concluded that renewable energy can provide six times more
power than the world’s current energy needs entirely from natural
sources.
8
Foremost in focus in Australia is solar energy. As one of the
sunniest countries in the world, Australia has a wonderful
opportunity to harness this gift and use it to produce a source of
power and energy that is safe, clean and plentiful. The conditions in
Australia are excellent for profiting from solar radiation; in 100
square kilometres, 200
PJ
of solar energy is received. Compare this
to the 11
PJ
(120
GW
) used by Australia per day.
9
Solar plants have the
ability to store and dispatch energy as needed, day or night. We have
large, low-populated areas to build plants for an industry that can
handle the technological development in the solar generation
section. With our natural competitive advantage of abundant solar
energy, Australia can and should be positioning itself as a global
renewable superpower for future prosperity, thus we must begin
The Australian
Government
Must Stop
Fuelling The
Coal Industry
And Start
Investing In
100% Renewable
Energy.
Discuss.
6
Data from the ‘Clean
Energy Solution’s to
Climate Change’ report
by Choose Nuclear Free,
December 2010
7
Sarah Lyall, ‘Heat, Flood
or Icy Cold, Extreme
Weather Rages
Worldwide’,
New York
Times,
January 10 2013
8
Data From 100%
Renewable Energy
Organisation, March 2013
9
Keith Burrows,
‘Renewable Energy’
Presentation at the VCE
Science Conferences,
February 2013
12