Transition to renewables will be incremental, difficult

Those who are still wedded to the use of fossil fuels fail to grasp the significance of the move toward renewables. The steps that need to be taken cannot be achieved in one huge leap and can only be made effectively with incremental changes in the right direction, firstly with a change of mindset. The argument that mining coal and gas has been great for economies and livelihoods and thus shouldn’t be challenged is backward thinking and reminiscent of the same arguments used against banning whaling and sealing, both of which were great for economies and livelihoods in their day but catastrophic to the environment and diversity of species on Earth.

The continued reliance on fossil fuels, despite being a strength as many argue, has shown also to be the weakness due to climate change, the war in Ukraine and our dependence on others (countries and companies) to do the right thing. If I’m a leftie because I care about the planet I live on, and not my hip pocket, then so be it.

John Panneman, Conjola Park, NSW

Jennie George (Letters, 19/12) is most accurate in her final paragraph when she says, “A successful transition must be planned and orderly and not based on wishful thinking”. The Albanese government is doing its best to undo the past decade of nonexistent leadership in energy policy by the Coalition government. George is also correct when she points out, as many before her have done, that Australia only produces 1.3 per cent of global emissions, but that is far above Australia’s proportional input. Australia is just one player in the global response; everyone must do their part. As a former union leader George would know that every small player must contribute for an outcome in the greater good that benefits everyone.

Dr Ross Hudson, Mount Martha, Vic

If the Greens can’t bring themselves to read the letter by Jennie George and the factual account by Nick Cater of the dire energy future we face because of their beliefs, then maybe they will read “their” ABC News website and learn that world coal consumption reached a record high of more than eight billions tonnes this year and is forecast to stay at similar levels for some years as countries turn to reliable 24/7 coal power over virtue-signalling with renewables.

They might then reflect on the fact that despite the extra CO2 emissions this created, average world temperatures have stayed pretty steady for a decade now, more in tune with solar behaviour than CO2 levels.

We will have to go back to science and engineering one day to fix this mess. Is it too much to hope that day will be come in 2023?

Doug Hurst, Chapman, ACT

Nick Cater’s article is almost excellent. It would have been excellent if only he had not fallen for referring to California’s “battery storage capacity of 64GW”.

No doubt he obtained this deceptive description of battery capacity from another source. Using instantaneous power, rather than the amount of recoverable energy, to describe battery capacity is commonly adopted by politicians and green zealots to hide the fact that the batteries cannot provide large-scale backup energy for more than a few minutes.

The current energy lunacy is too important to allow even the slightest opportunity to those who either do not understand our energy requirements or who only care about taking political advantage of the gullibility of others.

David Dowd, Valley View, SA

Jennie George wishes to reconcile “double standards in the energy debate”. But where is the double standard? George seems to suggest the Greens are mistaken and simply whingeing: “First it was coal, now it’s gas that is ‘dirty’.”

But the whole world knows that the burning of coal and gas are, in fact, the main contributors to CO2 emissions. That is why subsidies for coal and gas conglomerates need to be transferred to renewable industries. Australia has a huge catch-up task in this area, but we also have the advantage of enormous talent and natural resources.

It’s true that in this difficult transition phase we are dependent on gas. The Greens and others sensibly want to ensure no new coal or gas exploration is undertaken.

It is wishful thinking that sees the transition to renewable energy as anything but urgent.

Fiona Colin, Malvern East, Vic