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https://www.theguardian.com/business/grogonomics/article/2024/jun/27/coalition-nuclear-policy-labor-gas-projects-net-zero>
"The sham of Australia’s climate change policy has been made clear in the past
two weeks. No, not nuclear power. Last Friday, while everyone was racing down
nuclear-powered rabbit holes, the environment department (led by the
environment minister, Tanya Plibersek) approved a coal seam gas pipeline in
Queensland. This approval “has effect until 30 June 2069”. And on Tuesday the
department approved the Atlas stage 3 gas project in Queensland out to June
2080.
Those dates are rather beyond 2050 when we’re supposed to be at net zero
emissions. They are also when temperatures will be well over 2C above the
preindustrial average.
The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report suggests business
as usual would lead to a 3.2C increase in temperature by 2100. This is roughly
in line with the trend increase since the turn of the century.
Joëlle Gergis in her Quarterly Essay
Highway to Hell notes that under this
scenario temperatures in Australia rise by as much [as] 4.4C. But that’s if
things don’t get worse. Under a “high-emissions scenario”, temperatures by the
end of this century are likely to rise between 3.2C and 5.6C.
And a high-emissions scenario is one in which governments keep approving new
gas and coalmines.
This is the ghastly horror of the nuclear power debate. It’s a faux argument
about what might happen in (let’s be generous) 25 years, rather than about what
is happening today (or last Friday).
The Aemo’s new integrated system plan also brings this to the fore. Australia
needs more renewables to reduce our emissions now and replace coal-fire powered
stations."
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
