I don't get it, http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-10-...kpot-as-china-slashes-coal-production/7926690 despite global warming, signing of various papers to stick to 2 degree Celsius and to play our part in a reduction of green house gases our government allows a dramatic increase in coal production. Is there a bigger whore than our Federal Government? Thanks Malcolm for stuffing up our planet!!! Good for your shares, bad for our future. But that is what Liberals/Nationals stand for, money money money, no questions asked. And who cares about our signature in far away Paris? Surely all the cd, at and am will do.... Even the Chinese reduce their coal production, good on them... Cheers
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-11-...to-dry-by-energy-market-operator-aemo/7992768 Reading this article I start wondering whether the blackouts were a wanted scenario, in order to promote dirty coal. It took Mr nice guy Turnbull not even 48h to react in questioning alternative power supplies. I more and more believe the Liberals are deeply corrupt..... Regards
I only really see upside to the first article. Demand for steel is only going to keep increasing. There's no real alternative to coking coal, so we might as well make some money from it while we can. Any mining that moves from China to Australia is good for the environment overall, their mining practices are disgraceful (though they're improving). Supplying Japan with coking coal is also good for our relationship with them and keeps their economy going. Can't hurt with increased Chinese aggression in the South China Sea and the Philippines descending into insanity. Meanwhile thermal coal is being phased out and demand is falling. Hopefully coal companies will use this windfall to diversify, because it's only a matter of time before there's a coking coal alternative too. As for the SA thing, I kinda agree with the PM that building shiny new wind turbines has gotten ahead of proper grid infrastructure upgrades, strategic planning and energy security. China's wind industry has all sorts of stupid grid and governance issues that we could do without repeating here, albeit on a smaller scale obviously. Although really he was just using it as an excuse to attack ALP policy.
And since when do we start blaming once in a century bad weather on infrastructure? Nothing would have survived the downing of the transmission towers - - - Updated - - - Most scientists agree that we will not do away with coal. What we want to do is minimise the use
I am a bit surprised by this reply. Take money for coal as long we can? Come on Ziggy, there are other options. If our government would be more committed towards renewables we wouldn't trail the rest of the western world. I strongly believe its our only future. While there might be some implications in regards to local politics there must be the greater goal..... Cheers mate
The steel industry will transition away from coal eventually, but the solutions are no where near as well developed as renewable electricity, or even for instance electric vehicles vs oil. God luck creating renewable industries without steel. But yeah, let's refuse to export any coking coal because it's better off being mined in some African country where miners are practically slaves and there's little or no effective environmental regulation.
Steel can be melted using electricity. Plants have already been build, and are in use. They even make stainless steel with electricity. Now where the electricity comes from may very well be coal. We in Alabama are getting no electricity from hydro because our rivers are drying up. We do have nuclear power however.
Yeah they recycle existing steel, which is good but doesn't replace coal in iron refining. Brings up a good point though, steel created with coal isn't the same as coal electricity because the steel isn't lost and it can be recycled effectively infinitely (with electricity). Case in point, steel is already the most recycled material in the world. USA, Japan and Australia have much "greener" steel and iron industries than China, that's for sure. Never mind global warming, their steel industry kills people much more directly through air and water pollution. I think there is at least one process in development that might replace coal but it's a ways off proven commercial viability. Most of the ghg reduction efforts are in co-gen, recycling, more efficient use of steel and that sort of thing. Australia refusing to sell coal to Japan's steel industry would just be so stupid on so many levels. Coal price going up is a good thing, especially for thermal coal, makes renewables more attractive. Likewise for the steel industry it will encourage them to use less coal in the long run. China not artificially deflating the price of coal so much anyway through subsidised oversupply is also a good thing. The article says that the demand for coal hasn't gone up, but supply has gone down, so what's the big deal? There's no more coal being used than there would have been otherwise, probably less because it's more expensive. It would be great to get a windfall of cash from a coal price spike that we could invest in modernising our energy sector. Not that we'll necessarily do that of course, but would be nice.
Hmmm, why not develop highly sophisticated devices (at affordable prices) to create even better functioning renewable energies and sell this hightec instead? Many less fortunate countries have signed the Paris agreement and Kyoto protocol as well..... I mean if we are really that world class we might also be able to offer alternatives instead of coal. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renewable_energy_in_the_European_Union Others can do it, why not us? Regards
Manufacturing and mining aren't mutually exclusive. Super high tech but very cheap products, I'm sure no one has thought of that before. Almost sounds like the $1 bil "National Innovation and Science Agenda".
I know Ziggy already mentioned the steel production, but I think the OP was talking more about steel production then energy production. Some folk might not know coal is also used in the production of steel. So coal exports don't automatically equate to burning it in a power station. I guess they could always use bamboo instead.....
Technically, it is probably a good strategy. Let other people perfect renewable energy and then for the prices to come down. It is a matter of cost-shifting.
Ziggy, they wouldn't be cheap on day one, but later on for sure. Just have a look at solar panels..... The longer we postpone a real shift into renewable energy, the worse it gets. Have you watched Q&A? http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-11-08/q&a:-australia-'raising-middle-finger-to-the-world'/8003132 Cheers
Solar panels are cheap because of economy of scale, and ironically deflated energy prices from cheap coal. Politicians mostly talk rubbish about anything to do with renewable energy. As does anyone else on Q and A, including the IPA. Reducing ghg is not really very difficult, there's just a lack of political will. But attacking the steel industry is way, way down on the list of anyone's priorities.
