What is it about Liberal–National parliamentarians and
coal? Firstly, the federal treasurer gleefully fondles a lump of coal in the
house, telling us it's harmless, despite the fact that inhaling smog from coal
burning during the industrial revolution caused the premature deaths of
millions of people across the globe. The Treasurer's 'stunt' was in support of
the government's bullying of AGL to extend the life of the aging, and highly
polluting, Liddell Power Station.
While the rest of the civilised world does away with
coal-fired power in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, our conservatives
are embracing the idea of expanding coal mining and coal-fired electricity. This
is despite overwhelming evidence that this is changing global climate,
threatening our very existence.
More recently the NSW Planning Minister lugged a large
lump of coal into question time, using it as a 'prop' to support the State
Governments Bill aimed at ensuring coal supplies to the Mount Piper power plant
near Lithgow. “This amazing piece of black rock keeps
you cool in summer, warm in winter”, he
explained.
In this instance the furore was about a successful Court of Appeal challenge, preventing the expansion of the Springvale coal mine which supplies fuel to the Mount Piper plant. The reason for that decision was that the mine expansion could threaten Sydney's drinking water. However, State Government is so wedded to coal, that it is prepared to put the drinking water for some five million people in jeopardy to ensure the mine expansion goes ahead.
All this stupidity is backed up by dubious
arguments that reliance on wind and solar generators will result in power cuts
this coming summer, as if that is somehow the end of the world. Power cuts may
happen as a result of lightning strikes, falling trees, bushfires, and
infrastructure breakdowns. A careless excavator operator, or even a traffic
accident bringing down a power pole can see your power cut for hours.
Power cuts are annoying inconvenient and
potentially costly, but we deal with it. Governments need to quit investing in
coal, and start investing in our future.
- John Edwards
This article was originally published in the VOICES FOR THE EARTH column in The Daily Examiner on November 27, 2017.
