The Greens today called on the Rudd Government to fund each major renewable energy technology by at least as much as it is funding coal, in response to the announcement of yet another $100 million allocation to the most polluting energy source.
"Where is the $100 million fund to make Australia's world leading solar researchers a global knowledge hub?" asked Australian Greens Senator Christine Milne.
"Where are the half a billion dollar funds to roll out solar thermal power stations, ocean power stations and geothermal demonstration plants? All of these are ready and able to provide vast quantities of base-load power well before a single coal power plant using geosequestration can be built.
"This is a Government so obsessed with the past that it cannot see the future.
"Just because we use coal now does not mean we have to use it forever.
When better, cleaner, safer and faster alternatives exist, a forward-thinking government would grab hold of them with both hands.
"In a world that is heading towards political tipping points in climate action, there is no future in coal - no future here at home and no future in exports.
"It is cruel to pretend to the thousands of workers in the coal sector that their current jobs can keep going forever. The better path would be to start preparing communities for the future now, investing in retraining workers and seeding the new, clean industries that will make the Hunter and Latrobe flourishing green-collar centres in the coming years.
"The Government's claims to be a world leader in the legislative frameworks for geosequestration are laughable. The Bill before the Parliament fails to answer the biggest legal question of all - who will hold liability in case the carbon dioxide leaks?
"Geosequestration is not living up to the hype. Projects around the world have been falling over due to massive budget overshoots and delays. There is no evidence that it will work at all, and certainly not in the time-frames that we need it in.
"The Government is deepening Australia's economic vulnerability by investing massively in a technology that is already being leapfrogged by zero-emissions renewable energy technologies. Instead of putting all our eggs into the coal basket, the Government should be getting on with the job of rolling out the renewable energy and energy efficiency solutions now."
Contact: Tim Hollo on 0437 587 562
Tim Hollo
Media Adviser
Senator Christine Milne
ph: (02) 6277 3588
mob: 0437 587 562
Come join the conversation at GreensBlog <http://greensmps.org.au/blog>
--
Another message from the Greens Media mailing list.
Too many messages? Don't unsubscribe - try switching to a daily digest.
You can unsubscribe or change your subscription settings here:
<http://lists.greens.org.au/cgi-bin/mailman/options/media>
Or send an email to <media-unsubscribe@lists.greens.org.au>