Coal Dependence and the Mining Lobby
Coal mining has been an important industry for Australia but times are changing. What was once our strength is becoming a liability.
Coal mining has been an important industry for Australia but times are changing. What was once our strength is becoming a liability. While other countries are forging ahead with investments in renewable technology, Australia’s plan is to keep on digging and burning coal.
So here we are. Left behind and ignoring the damage our coal dependence inflicts on the environment and the economy.
The mining lobby has a huge influence on Australian leaders
When Kevin Rudd was elected in 2007, he described climate change as the great moral challenge of our generation. A year down the track, Rudd’s market-based Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) was rejected by both the Greens and the Coalition.
So what happened in between?
Former Liberal party speechwriter, Guy Pearse, argues that carbon intense industry (he refers to them as the ‘greenhouse mafia’) has compromised the government’s lightweight policy on climate change with their heavyweight lobby power.
Find out more in this Greenpeace interview with Guy Pearse on the publication of his essay, 'Quarry Vision' (Quarterly Essay, March 2009) (2:53 min)
The myth of carbon capture and storage
The government pins its policy hopes on carbon capture and storage (CCS), an undeveloped technology that isn’t ready to take on climate change. Meanwhile, every year in Australia, at least $9 billion of our taxes are given to fossil fuel companies as subsidies. This is 28 times more than the government invests in renewable energy and energy efficiency. Then there are the economic and health costs if Australia doesn’t evolve from coal.Shouldn’t we just encourage sustainable industries that can provide safe, secure and well-paid jobs for the future? 90% of Australians think so1. It just makes sense.
Coal is keeping us in the dark age. It’s time for an Energy [R]evolution.
Dirty coal is responsible for climate change impacts, say leading Australian scientists. © Greenpeace/Rezac
(1) A 2008 Greenpeace-commissioned Newspoll survey shows that 90% of Australians want to see renewable energy given at least the same government subsidies that fossil fuels get.