Australia's self-inflicted energy disaster

With virtually daily bombshell news hijacking all media focus, climate zealotry has not had its share of attention. You may not have heard about the recent presentation highlighting Australia's poor energy policies. As part of his sold-out Australian tour for the Institute of Public Affairs, US author and filmmaker Robert Bryce spoke in Sydney about why Australia needs to pull "the plug on Net Zero. Adam Creighton and Chris Uhlmann, both journalists for The Australian, joined Robert Bryce in presenting the case with compelling arguments.

Together, they provided an incisive critique of Australia's current energy policies, highlighting the pitfalls of the country's commitment to net-zero emissions by 2050.

Australia's Energy Failure

Bryce highlights the paradox of Australia being an energy-rich nation that exports vast quantities of coal, natural gas, and uranium, yet faces domestic energy shortages. He points out that while Australia is the world's third-largest LNG exporter, it experiences gas shortages at home due to infrastructure constraints and policy decisions. Similarly, despite possessing significant uranium reserves, Australia has no nuclear power plants, limiting its options for low-emission, reliable energy.

Critique of Net-Zero Ambitions

The presentation challenges the feasibility of achieving net-zero emissions, arguing that such goals are more aspirational than practical. Bryce emphasises that Australia's contribution to global CO₂ emissions is approximately 1%, questioning the rationale behind policies that could have minimal global impact yet significant domestic economic consequences.

Key Insights from the Presentation

Bryce presented several slides that demonstrate the absurdity of Australia's policies. Here are a few of them.

• Australia's contribution to world emissions is insignificant

• China and India's increase in emissions is much greater than the reductions in emissions in the rest of the world.

• Coal is NOT being phased out. The growth in coal-fired capacity is five times greater than the growth in nuclear capacity.

• Australia's coal-fired generation is insignificant, so why close them prematurely?

• World experience shows that cheap alternative energy is a myth.

• Renewables (solar and wind) cause increases in electricity costs

• Net Zero is very expensive

In summary

Given Australia's relatively insignificant contribution to global emissions, energy policy should be driven by cost and efficiency. Australia's Net Zero target should be abandoned as it is unattainable, and attempts to implement it will cause damage to Australia's economy without yielding any benefits in terms of global emissions reduction. The drive towards Net Zero would be self-inflicted harm.

Watch the Full Presentation

https://youtu.be/RSJ15g4Un_g?si=2UHRWNbHLZ6sm0La