‘Look up’: Elon Musk responds to Aussie’s foul-mouthed power rant

An Australian miner’s expletive-laden rant about the future of coal-burning has caught the attention of the world’s richest man.

An Australian miner’s expletive-laden rant about the future of coal-burning has caught the attention of Elon Musk, who had a one-line response to the man’s declaration our country will be “f***ed” without it.

Travis Ricciardo, the co-host of mining podcast Money of Mine, shared footage of an Epiroc interview with Gerry Noonan, who founded engineering and constructing contracting business Geotech in 1972 and is currently technical manager at Mining Equipment Safety (ME Safety).

“What does the future look like regarding electrification and battery(-operated) electric vehicles in your mining operations?” Mr Noonan was asked.

“Well, we have coal, because we have the biggest coal deposits in the world, but we’re not allowed to burn the f***ing stuff, so the world’s rooted, really,” he responded – before really letting loose.

“It’s alright to be idealistic, but you have to be realistic. And until the lights go out, the idiots that want to be green on everything and not do mining and not do coal, not do anything, they’re going to have to go back and use candles and live in tents.”

Gerry Noonan let loose on the future of power in Australia, declaring that ‘the world’s rooted’. Picture: X

Addressing his interviewer, Mr Noonan continued, “You might f***ing laugh, but it’s true.”

“You understand what I’m talking about – I’m not talking bullsh*t. I’m talking reality. If we don’t get realistic, we’re f***ed. It’s as simple as that,” he said.

“We’re not allowed to use uranium, we’ve got the biggest uranium deposits in the world in Australia and we're not allowed to mine the f***ing stuff. So, it’s all f***ed. When half these c***s die, the world will be a better place, and those of us that survive will get going again.

“My next-door neighbour, I was talking to him, he’s a lawyer, so he’s not an idiot – well, he is a f***wit but that’s, but that’s another problem – he said, ‘Oh that’s alright, you just put (electric-vehicle charging) plugs along the highways’.

“And I said, ‘But if you haven’t got a f***ing source from a power station, plugs on the highways aren’t going to do f***, jacksh*t’, right?

“The people don’t understand, they think the electricity comes out of f***ing space. But if you haven’t got a charging system, which is a steam, coal-burning power station, how the f*** can you change your batteries? … A lot of the c***s don’t (understand), and that’s the problem with the world.”

News.com.au has contacted Epiroc and ME Safety for comment.

Musk's response to the video. Picture: X

The video was shared by lawyer and failed Liberal candidate Katherine Deves, who wrote: “What he said. 10 f**ks. 2 c**nts. 1 f**kwit. 1 BS. 1 r00ted. ‘People don’t understand, they think the electricity comes from out of f**king space.’”

Mr Musk – whose company Tesla is inarguably the most prolific electric vehicle manufacturer in the world, and who has long declared that solar power “is so obviously the future for anyone can do elementary math” – then replied to Ms Deves’ post.

“If he looks up, he will see something called ‘The Sun’,” he remarked.

To which Money of Mine’s Mr Ricciardo responded: “Coal is ancient solar power, compressed over millions of years. A natural wonder that affords reliable energy when the sun goes down.”

He then described Mr Musk as “not an idiot, but he is a f***wit”.

ME Safety technical manager Gerry Noonan. Picture: ME Safety/Supplied

Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Picture: Allison Robbert/Pool/AFP

Clean Energy Regulator (CER) data provided to The Guardian this week revealed there had been an “off the charts” surge in home battery installations since the Albanese government’s $2.3 billion Cheaper Home Batteries program opened for connections on July 1.

At least 1000 batteries were being installed each day around the nation, CER said, totalling more than 11,500 in the past 24 days.

“It underlines just how hungry households are for solutions that can help them manage their energy costs,” Energy Efficiency Council chief executive Luke Menzel said.

Mr Menzel also pointed to Australia being a world leader in the adoption of rooftop solar panels (of which there is now upwards of four million installed on homes nationwide).

“The early interest in home batteries echoes the early ramp up in solar,” he said.

“This is a sign that with the right support the suburbs will step up again to invest in the efficient, electric technologies that will help them drive down their bills.”

Originally published as ‘Look up’: Elon Musk responds to Aussie’s foul-mouthed power rant