dirty coal - clean & green future?, page-2

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Byjimminie thats a long read ... and I am guilty for skimming it at the moment.

I think the crux of it, in the face of the greenest of ideals and intensions for a globally sustainable energy future, it that fossil fuels in probably changing form will be with us for another 50-100 years.

Sheer energy demand is against moving away from coal anytime soon.

The Greens and the KCCG (and similar groups in most mature western economies) will squeal like stuck pigs when the brownouts and blackouts begin in a few short years because their Goverments have pandered to their concerns and acted like roos stuck in the glare of fast advancing headlights.

The global issue I see is that China and other emerging BRIC economies have not been burdened by:

1. Legacy powergen systems and powerful corporate interests that have essentially strangled at birth any emerging scalable greener energy options

2. Do not have a complacent (or naively activist) population ... the Chinese are yearning to improve their lot now and for future generations.

Against that backdrop, China is innovation on steroids when it comes to reseaching and trialling new, efficient, greener energy options ... they will emerge in 1 to 2 decades as the most efficient and clean energy producers and users on the planet.

Their energy mix will include multiple large scale sources, including imo UCG.

How can Australia and any mature western economy expect to compete on any manufacturing scale (a job is a job) against the planet's most efficient energy producer?

Complacency and hubris will make for a bleak future for advanced western economies UNLESS the real future is sustainability through reduced energy consumption ... who says that will happen before hell freezes over?.

Imo, it is not too late ... we need politicians with vision and commitment beyond 3 years ... we need an Energy Agency with a charter that spans governments and which provides goverments with the vision, independent technical evaluation and commitment they will always lack under our current system imo.

All one federal government has to do is establish and empower that Energy Agency in one three year term.

I am confident UCG would have a valuable role to play in Australia's energy mix if assessed on merits and with pragmatism.

Ummm, apologies in advance for the rant ... but I do feel better for it 8))

Dex