October
18, 2006 - Australia — Now that's some kind of
karma. The coal mine which feeds Victoria's Hazelwood
power station was ablaze on 13 October. Australia's
most polluting power station fell victim to a
bushfire season that hit hard and early across
four states.
Hazelwood symbolises Australia's
governments failure to wake up to climate change.
In 2005, the Bracks Government extended the life
of this polluting dinosaur for another 25 years.
Meanwhile, with New South Wales in drought, Premier
Morris Iemma calls climate change the greatest
threat to our way of life while overseeing the
largest expansion of Hunter coal in history.
In Canberra, John Howard acknowledges
that climate change is real but insists it is
overstated and refuses to take any action that
might reduce our coal use and coal exports.
The message from them all is
loud and clear: Welcome to climate change and
have a nice day.
Our politicians recognise that
they can no longer ignore voter concern on climate
change. However, they underestimate how well-informed
Australian voters are. Polls indicates that voters
see through government grandstanding on climate
action. They understand that climate change needs
bigger solutions.
And coal can never be a solution
to the problem it has caused.
Dangers of coal and nuclear in a hotter world
As the globe heats up, a supply
network based on highly flammable coal will become
increasingly vulnerable, particularly on hot days
when energy demand is highest. With a quarter
of its mine on fire, Hazelwood's coal supply was
reduced, threatening electricity output from the
power station. It's reminiscent of the deadly
2005 European heatwave, when French authorities
had to shut down nuclear power stations because
they were overheating.
So the two energy sources being
prioritised by our governments, coal and nuclear,
make even less sense in a hotter, drier world.
Of course these are the exact
conditions best suited to energy efficient building
and solar power. For example, solar power's generation
curve closely matches Australia's demand curve,
peaking in the afternoons of hot days.
Voters unite against climate
change
Even though solutions to reduce
carbon emissions are so obvious and available,
the federal government dismisses them. It has
even cut solar electricity rebates and plans to
phase them out altogether by mid-2007.
Channel Seven's Sunrise program
has started a petition to stop the government
phasing out the solar rebate. Signed by more than
74,000 people, the Cool The Globe petition is
gaining momentum among voters.
While our leaders continue to
talk about climate change and do nothing, we will
reap what they sow. And that will be a bitter
harvest indeed. Let's force them to take climate
change action.
