Australian’s new Energy Minister Angus Taylor has unveiled a new energy policy focused exclusively on reducing electricity prices, in a strong signal the Morrison government will abandon all efforts to lower carbon emissions. The move comes a week after the issue of climate change precipitated the ousting of former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull. —The New Daily, 30 August 2018Renewable energy subsidies and emission-reduction targets will be replaced with a focus on lowering electricity prices under the Morrison government. New Energy Minister Angus Taylor said the federal energy policy has been “a mess” and says the fact prices have soared while blackouts persist means something has “gone terribly wrong”. The Daily Telegraph understands emission-reduction will also play no future role in energy policy. —The Daily Telegraph, 30 August 2018
The new Prime Minister — who took a lump of coal into parliament and accused Labor of “coulrophobia” — is under pressure from colleagues to support clean-coal technology. Whether it’s marginal seats in Queensland, western Sydney or Victoria, the message is clear: voters want action on energy prices, not emissions targets. –Geoff Chambers, The Australian, 28 August 2018
A report commissioned by France’s government proposed building five new nuclear reactors, Les Echos reported on Thursday, two days after Environment Minister Nicolas Hulot resigned and said that progress on goals such as a shift to renewable energy was too slow. —Reuters, 30 August 2018
Kyushu Electric Power Co may start restricting third-party supplies of solar energy after it restarts a fourth nuclear reactor, the company said on Wednesday, underscoring the risks to Japan’s government push to boost renewable energy. —Reuters, 29 August 2018
Sweden’s biggest ever cross-party energy deal was designed to provide stability for utilities for almost three decades, but the 2016 accord is now at risk of being ripped up after next month’s general election. The Sweden Democrats, which some polls show could emerge as the biggest party, would revoke nuclear-plant closures central to the agreement if they came to power. The Christian Democrats, one of the accord’s co-signers, on Tuesday echoed that view and pressed for key parts of the deal to be renegotiated. —Bloomberg, 16 August 2018
The decline of free speech is now the greatest threat facing Britain and the West. Without the freedom to think freely, to question, to disagree, we are nothing. When will we finally have the courage to rise up and put the new totalitarians back in their box? —Allister Heath, The Daily Telegraph, 30 August 2018
Capitalism as we know it is over. So suggests a new report commissioned by a group of scientists appointed by the UN Secretary-General. The main reason? We’re transitioning rapidly to a radically different global economy, due to our increasingly unsustainable exploitation of the planet’s environmental resources. “We live in an era of turmoil and profound change in the energetic and material underpinnings of economies. The era of cheap energy is coming to an end,” the paper says. —Motherboard, 27 August 2018
We have a way to burn coal so that it is as lowin emissions as solar or wind power but available when you need it and at a much lower cost than with solar or wind power.
Does Albert Gore get to keep his million$?
With all of the criticism that President Trump has received, he is not doing nearly as much as Australian’s prime minister. Trump’s administration still has the goals of reducing carbon dioxide emissions though it is far short of what the environmental radicals say is necessary. The fact is there is no need to put any effort and cost into reducing these emissions.
The statement “Capitalism as we know it is over,” is more of wish of the group of scientists appointed by the UN Secretary-General. It is human nature to make predictions based on what they want to happen rather than what is likely to happen.