Australia and coal: If the supply is reduced, renewables look better
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The promotion of enduring coal production by Anthony Albanese is disappointing. It is not realistic to suggest that coal production should cease "immediately", but that it be phased out over possibly 15 to 20 years, starting with thermal coal. Certainly no new mines, including Adani, should be built. If the supply is reduced, the world price will rise, making renewable energy even more attractive everywhere.
New enterprises based on pollution-free energy sources, and building some of those sources in coal mining areas, will provide alternative jobs during a transition that simply must happen. Further delay in starting this process makes no sense.
Peter Barry, Melbourne
An unprincipled cop-out
Anthony Albanese's claim that "If we don't export the coal someone else will" is the classic unprincipled cop-out. If we took positive action we could phase out our coal industry and have a vast solar energy industry up and running by 2030. More jobs could be created doing that than would ever be lost from the coal mines. And we would take the world with us. Reg Murray, Glen Iris
We need to earn a living
If we do as these folks are demanding, it raises a few really huge questions. First, how will all those without a job when the coal mines close be able to continue to earn a living? Next, how can most of us afford the hugely increased cost of electricity if this happens?
There are many other important questions, too, but being able to get an acceptable answer to these here is essential to many of us.
Geoff Cass, Tewantin, Qld
Obvious political expediency
What is Anthony Albanese thinking? Here we are in a situation where the majority of people agree that climate change is the biggest issue that we are facing (in fact, that it is an emergency) and he still wants to export coal.
It is morally incorrect. The argument that countries will find coal from other sources, while our coal producers will lose their jobs doesn't sit comfortably. It is obvious political expediency to gain Queensland votes.
The obvious solution is to find other industries to provide work for those who lose their jobs. Perhaps in renewables. It wont be an easy job, but politicians need to start thinking laterally and in global terms, not in the mind frame of best ways to gain votes.
Robin Jensen, Castlemaine
A challenge that must be faced
What is the point of Labor (Albanese backs coal exports 9/12)? Phasing down coal exports will increase world coal prices and add to incentives to move to renewable energy. It would also show leadership by Australia, which would help move the global community to meet the imperative of zero emissions by mid century.
Where is the mention of industry policies to enable coal industry workers to transition to industries of the future? No doubt this is a major challenge, but it has to be faced. With huge areas of the country either ablaze or in drought, continuation of fossil-based energy is a recipe for worsening disasters in the future.
Michael Hassett, Blackburn
The nuclear option
Considering the enormous amount of fear and paranoia about what Australia should do about removing fossil-fuel-based energy, a little clear thinking may be appropriate.
We have existing coal-fired continuous-energy generators in each state that have life expectancies of 10 years or more into the future. We have producers of CO2-free continuous energy using nuclear energy who are willing to assist us with our setting up of production with technology and manufacturing support.
If we build nuclear reactors now we can phase out our ageing fossil energy in a seamless way with no loss of power to industry or domestic customers. It breaks down to, do the public want to shift away from CO2-polluting power or are they just protesting because it's the new religion of the supposedly culturally aware. The actual work of removing CO2 in the environment in energy is staring us in the face.
Roger Wolfe, Balwyn
THE FORUM
The Greens are failing us
David Crowe (Comment, 6/12) is too kind to the Greens when analysing their unconscionable decision to side with the Liberals and vote down Kevin Rudd's emissions trading scheme 10 years ago.
This was the first of two fateful acts of political opportunism and pure-minded stupidity by the Greens – the other was to side with the Liberals and Nationals in rejecting Julia Gillard's Malaysia solution on asylum seekers – that ultimately helped to cripple Labor at the 2013 election and give Tony Abbott an armchair ride into The Lodge. What a legacy!
As long as the Greens remain focused on the wrong enemy – devoting most of their resources to a mindless political turf war with Labor in the cities – while striving for unachievable policy purity, their main achievements will be counted in electoral victories for Liberal politicians of conservative bent.
The progressive side of politics in this country deserves smarter and more selfless behaviour from a party that should be one of its main pillars.
Tom Ormonde, Fitzroy North
Strange 'training'
About two years ago my husband bought me a voucher for a facial at the local beauty salon, at a cost of $95.
I asked the young woman doing my facial if they were paid properly, as there was a wage scandal happening at the time. Imagine my shock when she said she was paid $5. I asked "$5 a day?" and she said no, $5 per week. As a beauty student at the local TAFE, she was required to work at a salon as part of the course.
I went straight to my MP's office to check if this was legal, and was told it is. However, during my treatment at the salon, no senior employee came to check on her treatments, no one was at the desk asking for feedback when I paid, and no one phoned me afterwards. Strange kind of training – more like exploitation. I haven't been back there as this episode left a nasty taste in my mouth. And from my $95, this young woman earned less than 10¢.
Jan Hart, Narre Warren South
It's not working
From the front page to the back page of Saturday's Age it is clear that the variety of capitalism dominant in Australia is not working (7/12).
We have yet another example of wage theft on the front page; the triumph of Toyota in the wrap-around to remind us that we don't make them here any more; the ever-present whiff of corruption around property development; the climate change-induced raging bushfires; the boom and bust of gold and property prices and shares; the stagnation in wages and household income.
We really can and must do better.
Stewart Sweeney, North Adelaide
The new reality
There is a new reality: parliamentarians can say any transparent falsehood and utter easily fact-checked nonsense and there are no consequences.
Now it doesn't matter if there is no basis for any claim, just making the claim is enough as long as it is aimed at the tribal enemy. And responsibility is lost along with truth. Once, ministers were stood down on a whiff of falsehood. Then ministers became a protected species but some underling was sacked. Now, not even that happens – MPs are literally scot-free.
Trivial examples abound; we all know them. But what are the political consequences of denying serious dangers of climate change? Fifty years of warnings by real experts and we are still only getting puerile point-scoring in Parliament while scrolling continuously across our TV screens are bushfire evacuation warnings one after another.
As was said of another parliament in another country, "You have sat too long for any good you have been doing lately ... In the name of God, go!"
Donald Newgreen, Brunswick West
Please explain
It seems that the Drought Minister is calling for a secondary boycott of Coles. How does he reconcile this when the government is busy drafting legislation to prevent these types of actions, or will there be differing categories of "secondary boycotts" depending on who calls for them?
Adrian Cope, Gisborne
No Coles for me
Dairy products are a food staple in Australia and our dairy farmers produce a quality product. To do so they have to work extremely hard, milking cows morning and night, seven days a week, for much of the year. They deserve a decent return for their efforts.
When Coles introduced the option of its customers paying a voluntary small premium to "assist the struggling dairy farmers" I declined to participate, believing that it was just tokenism and that if Coles were truly serious about this issue it would be raising prices across the board and paying the farmers their just reward. The recent news that Coles failed to fully pass on a 10¢ drought levy to the farmers has confirmed my cynicism.
I have enjoyed shopping at the newly rebuilt Coles at Elsternwick. However, in protest at the company's conduct, I will be boycotting Coles for at least six months, just as I did with 7-Eleven when I heard about its underpayment of many of its most vulnerable employees.
What will it take for corporate Australia to demonstrate that it has a moral compass? Name and shame and hit them in the hip pocket!
Murray Mehmet, Elsternwick
A hollow defence
I live in Anthony Albanese's electorate, where for days now the air has been thick with bushfire smoke. Like many, I'm anxious about the dangerous summers to come. Australia is one of the world's top exporters of thermal coal, and burning coal is the No.1 driver of climate change.
Albanese can't lean on the hackneyed defence – if we don't sell it, someone else will ("Albanese backs coal exports", 9/12). Everyone must act if we stand a chance of a safe future.
Alison Orme, Marrickville
His art speaks truths
The anti-war artwork of the Sydney-based artist Abdul Abdullah, now censored by a Queensland gallery, ("Anti-war artworks removed in censorship row", 9/12), in response to complaints by the conservative Liberal politician George Christensen, belongs to a noble historic tradition stretching back a century.
The caustic satire of his works entitled For we are young and free and All let us rejoice has a parallel in a famous 1917 poem by Wilfred Owen, inspired by a gas attack on the Western Front, which he, as a serving British soldier, witnessed. His ironically entitled work, Dulce et Decorum est, meaning "It is sweet and fitting [to die for one's country]", was just one of a number of powerful protests by the group termed the British War Poets.
At a time when a high proportion of PTSD-affected returned Australian war personnel are taking their lives, Abdullah's art speaks truths that should be acknowledged rather than suppressed.
Jon McMillan, Mount Eliza
Keeping them quiet
If you want "quiet Australians" don't tell them anything alarming. Keep quiet about the real level of unemployment, don't mention climate change, please don't remind the public about the asylum seekers on Manus Island and Nauru and their torment without end, lack of medical care and desperation.
Concentrate on sports news, "reality" TV programs and other trivia. The ABC fulfils its charter obligations by informing the public about the deficiencies of government, the cruelty and incompetence of our rulers. No wonder the funding of the ABC is cut. No government wants to be exposed.
Gael Barrett, Balwyn North
Logic must prevail
At the start of the holiday season, it would be such a relief if we could actually look at the problem of road safety without it becoming the usual confrontational political slanging match.
Benjamin Preiss ("The change building on our roads", Comment, 9/12) does us all a favour by focusing on the efforts to reduce speed limits, based on research that demonstrates what a positive difference this can make. I've never seen any research that shows comparable safety benefits from increased speed limits, and yet there's always a massive outcry against proposals to reduce speed on some roads.
It's time for logic and common sense to prevail over short-sighted self-interest. All governments claim that public safety is one of their primary concerns: reducing and monitoring speed limits would be a tremendously cost-effective way of achieving this.
Jenifer Nicholls, Armadale
It's not shocking
Why does The Age continue to describe Victoria's road toll as "shocking" when the increase is entirely attributable to population growth, in fact on a per capita basis the rate continues to trend down?
Phil Bodel, Ocean Grove
Not efficient, but fishy
When I was at school we learnt that human civilisation was built on its past. The things that distinguished "civilised" peoples from the barbarians was their support for art, writing, music and architecture.
Hence the heritage of famous civilisations such as those of the Greeks, the Egyptians, the ancient Chinese. Then there was the Renaissance, bursting out of the Dark Ages with art and music that has provided the foundation for much of the Western world's art, music, literature and architecture.
Now I read that Scott Morrison is lumping Art in with Infrastructure for the sake of "efficiency". Is this the start of a new Australian Dark Age? It's not efficient, it's fishy.
Michael Cramphorn, Caulfield North
AND ANOTHER THING
Politics
Anthony Albanese has just joined the Coalition's push to export Australian coal, using the hangman's argument. Who do we vote for now if climate change is important to us?
Cath Dyson, Mount Eliza
The Opposition Leader says that Australia should continue to export coal because if we don't then someone else will. It's immoral to profit by someone else's suffering, and in this case it is the suffering of all future generations.
Bob Hale, Malvern
Apart from getting rid of the Australian car industry and running down the public service and ABC just what has the Coalition achieved since taking power in Australia more than six years ago?
Phil Alexander, Eltham
PISA results
To support our leaning tower that is PISA, we need to follow Germany and strengthen the foundations – preschools and teacher support – and limit screen time
Greg Curtin, Blackburn South
An excellent article from Matt Holden ("Beware culture warriors bearing PISA", Comment, 9/12). All you want after 13 years of schooling is for your child to achieve their best and be able to explore the opportunities and choose what they want to do in life.
Susan Munday, Bentleigh East
Medevac
Michael Burd writes that "Most sensible, fair-minded Australians agree medevac was being abused" (And Another Thing, 7/12). What is your evidence for this statement?
Kevin Collins, Hawthorn East.
The arts
The arts are supposed to transport our souls, aren't they? So what's the problem?
Peter McCarthy, Mentone
Finally
I hear that electricity prices are going to tumble – by 5 per cent over three years. Call that a drop? More like a drip to me.
John Cummings, Anglesea
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