The average consumerist suburban lifestyle is unsustainable. But what if affluent suburbanites and battlers alike ditch the rat race and embrace economic ‘degrowth’? Here’s how it might unfold.
Far from being wiped off the map as was once predicted, Whyalla is coming back in an unlikely way, as potentially Australia’s biggest steel producer powered almost entirely by renewable energy.
This and Turnbull’s observations on energy policy provided abundant material for a question time attack by Labor bloated from dining on the unending manna that’s been flowing from political heaven.
Indian mining firm Adani has announced scaled-down plans for its planned Queensland coal mine, which it will now fund itself. But there are still many questions hanging over the project.
Making the transition to a sustainable energy future also means ensuring that affected communities - such as Australia’s coal workers - aren’t left by the wayside.
The UK’s “illegal” backup power subsidy scheme effectively subsidised fossil fuel power generation. Lets use the hiatus to build a more flexible, low carbon energy system.
Frank Jotzo, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University
The Labor Party’s newly announced energy policy could finally set Australia’s electricity sector on the path to a renewables-driven future. But policies are still needed to cut emissions elsewhere.
Federal Labor has promised to give rebates of up to $2,000 to 100,000 households to install batteries to store power from solar panels. Is this good energy policy, or just middle-class welfare?
Labor’s promise to subsidise batteries for households quickly became, in government parlance, “pink batts to pink batteries” – seeking to trigger memories of Rudd’s policy that cost several lives.
In order to address a warming planet over the medium and long-term, climate policy must be designed to be adaptable and indeed attractive to those across the political spectrum.
Despite politically powerful coal communities helping elect a president who vowed guarantee their continued prosperity, their future remains more uncertain than ever.