Comments on: Milne: Garnaut stuffs up his own prisoner’s dilemma http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/09/05/milne-garnaut-stuffs-up-his-own-prisoners-dilemma/ now with extra source Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:49:27 +1100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Mark Duffett http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/09/05/milne-garnaut-stuffs-up-his-own-prisoners-dilemma/#comment-19878 Mark Duffett Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-19878 "the Europeans, Japanese and others, who have made big steps in energy efficiency and renewable energy"...and building nuclear reactors. “the Europeans, Japanese and others, who have made big steps in energy efficiency and renewable energy”…and building nuclear reactors.

]]> By: Vivienne http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/09/05/milne-garnaut-stuffs-up-his-own-prisoners-dilemma/#comment-19879 Vivienne Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-19879 Based on Australia’s high population growth projections,Kevin Rudd has argued that Australia should move slowly to reduce our per capita emissions. Our population growth is not a fact, but can easily be avoided. Our population growth is at a historical high, a predicted 48% increase from 1990 levels to 2020, driven by our skilled immigration program. The official reasons for opening our doors to foreigners are flimsy. We can never keep our population young by continually replacing older people. This will further blowout our numbers. People are being imported for economic reasons, to increase the number of consumers in Australia. This is to satisfy the demands of business leaders. Policies should benefit the majority of Australians, not a few! More people means more demands for natural resources and more carbon emittions. We need to only allow humanitarian and refugee immigration. We need a national debate on immigration and a population plan for Australia. <br /> Based on Australia’s high population growth projections,Kevin Rudd has argued that Australia should move slowly to reduce our per capita emissions. Our population growth is not a fact, but can easily be avoided. Our population growth is at a historical high, a predicted 48% increase from 1990 levels to 2020, driven by our skilled immigration program. The official reasons for opening our doors to foreigners are flimsy. We can never keep our population young by continually replacing older people. This will further blowout our numbers. People are being imported for economic reasons, to increase the number of consumers in Australia. This is to satisfy the demands of business leaders. Policies should benefit the majority of Australians, not a few! More people means more demands for natural resources and more carbon emittions. We need to only allow humanitarian and refugee immigration. We need a national debate on immigration and a population plan for Australia.

]]> By: Kevin Cox http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/09/05/milne-garnaut-stuffs-up-his-own-prisoners-dilemma/#comment-19880 Kevin Cox Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-19880 Emissions Trading says let us increase the price of polluting energy and that will encourage investment in renewables. It is clear that is a difficult policy to implement and was unlikely to work. There is however a much simpler way.<br /><br />Take some of the taxes already being collected on coal, oil and energy and invest in renewables. That is, instead of trying to get investment by pricing get investment by earmarking some money to be used on renewables. We do it all the time. Why not do it for this problem and spend the money through a market in renewable infrastructure.<br /><br />Fact - Once built a renewable power plant running cost is a fraction of a fossil fuel power plant because there are only running costs not fuel cost. The fraction is 1/2 today and probably 1/3 in five years.<br /><br />Fact - Every time we double the capacity of engineering infrastructure construction we drop the price to build the same amount of capacity by 15 to 20%<br /><br />Fact - the energy return on renewables (that is the proportion of energy in to produce energy out) is BETTER than new oil and as good as coal.<br /><br />Fact - The renewable infrastructure capacity can be easily doubled every 12 to 18 months. In five doublings the cost of construction of solar thermal or geothermal will be less than the cost of construction of fossil fuel burning power plants.<br /><br />Fact - If we used a proportion of existing taxes on energy and fossil fuel and some of the money from the "future fund" we would be able to have all electricity generated in Australia generated with renewable power plants within ten years. <br /><br />What better use for the future fund than an energy secure future for coming generations.<br /><br /> Emissions Trading says let us increase the price of polluting energy and that will encourage investment in renewables. It is clear that is a difficult policy to implement and was unlikely to work. There is however a much simpler way.

Take some of the taxes already being collected on coal, oil and energy and invest in renewables. That is, instead of trying to get investment by pricing get investment by earmarking some money to be used on renewables. We do it all the time. Why not do it for this problem and spend the money through a market in renewable infrastructure.

Fact - Once built a renewable power plant running cost is a fraction of a fossil fuel power plant because there are only running costs not fuel cost. The fraction is 1/2 today and probably 1/3 in five years.

Fact - Every time we double the capacity of engineering infrastructure construction we drop the price to build the same amount of capacity by 15 to 20%

Fact - the energy return on renewables (that is the proportion of energy in to produce energy out) is BETTER than new oil and as good as coal.

Fact - The renewable infrastructure capacity can be easily doubled every 12 to 18 months. In five doublings the cost of construction of solar thermal or geothermal will be less than the cost of construction of fossil fuel burning power plants.

Fact - If we used a proportion of existing taxes on energy and fossil fuel and some of the money from the “future fund” we would be able to have all electricity generated in Australia generated with renewable power plants within ten years.

What better use for the future fund than an energy secure future for coming generations.

]]> By: rjg http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/09/05/milne-garnaut-stuffs-up-his-own-prisoners-dilemma/#comment-19881 rjg Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-19881 I'll put my money on the easy way. I’ll put my money on the easy way.

]]> By: David http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/09/05/milne-garnaut-stuffs-up-his-own-prisoners-dilemma/#comment-19882 David Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-19882 If the Almighty gave Sen Milne a free ticket to heaven, she would still find something to harp on about. Someone should buy her a zip, and encourage her to apply it to a certain fixture on her face, if its a perfect world she is looking for, try another planet. This one is in too deep, for the demands she continually goes on and on about. If the Almighty gave Sen Milne a free ticket to heaven, she would still find something to harp on about. Someone should buy her a zip, and encourage her to apply it to a certain fixture on her face, if its a perfect world she is looking for, try another planet. This one is in too deep, for the demands she continually goes on and on about.

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