Endless hot air on renewables won’t cut it

Bob Carr joins his friends at the ABC in criticising Australia for failing to commit to net zero emissions by 2050 (“We risk being ostracised by our allies on climate”, 12-13/12. China-loving Carr omits any criticism of Beijing for its performance on climate change, including its intention to increase its reliance on coal-fired power. Or of New Zealand’s failure to reduce emissions at anything like the rate Australia has. Or Wellington’s laughable decision to commit to net zero emissions by 2050, except for agriculture, New Zealand’s highest CO2-emitting industry. And then there’s Japan, which has committed to net zero by 2050 while intending to build 20 new coal-fired power stations.

Carr talks up the benefit of, wait for it, renewable energy. But like all those on his side of the argument, he fails to explain what source of energy will fill the gap when the sun doesn’t shine and the wind doesn’t blow. And he is silent about nuclear power, the one technology that does not emit CO2 but reliably keeps the lights on in so many countries. Except Australia.

W. McColl, Roseville, NSW

Bob Carr’s attempt to paint Australia as a pariah on the world climate stage is fanciful and predictable. We are responsible for 1.6 per cent of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions. Scott Morrison has rightly told the world we have met our Paris targets. Carr’s opinion would be editorially balanced if he called out China, the world’s biggest polluter, emitting a massive 30 per cent of the world’s CO2 emissions, and excused by the WTO from the economy-destroying restrictions we are mandated to follow.

Lynda Morrison, Bicton, WA

The ABC does champion Labor and Green policies and politicians, in defiance of its charter and duty to taxpayers. Far from helping, the ABC’s activism hobbles the so-called progressives.

Criticism, of the direct variety, exposes weaknesses and defects in practices, policies, philosophies and personalities. Defects can then be rectified before becoming public policy. It’s not bullying — it’s getting the product or service fit for purpose.

Alas, in the comfy safe spaces of Labor and Greens party rooms and ABC studios, motherhood statements and brandishing of apparent personal virtue is hopeless preparation for contact with actual voters. To wit, the 2019 federal election.

Andrew Clarkson, Orange, NSW

Terry McCrann’s argument in his article “CSIRO goes gaga with its GIGO analysis of renewable energy” (12-13/12) is strongly supported by the BP2019 World Energy report, which shows despite investment of $2 trillion, renewables provided less than 4 per cent of world energy last year, compared with fossil fuels (85 per cent) and hydro and nuclear (11).

There has to be a reason for this small renewables contribution and it is obvious: they can’t compete with other energy sources without subsidies and legislative preferences and, despite extraordinary CSIRO claims to the contrary, the renewables experiment has failed.

If we are serious about economically viable power with reduced CO2 emissions there is no alternative but HELE coal power and modern nuclear. Pipe dreams and biased analysis won’t cut it.

Doug Hurst, Chapman, ACT