The pointless renewable energy target

While Tony Abbott may be preparing to annihilate the impending carbon tax, the Coalition is still in most respects a captive of the green faith. We all know about the colossal waste of money that they are proposing, known as the direct action plan, but there is a less-publicised policy. Like Labor, the Coalition is committed to a renewable energy target of 20% by 2020.

The numbers say it all:

• Coal fired power station $79 per kw/h (kilowatt/hour)
• Gas fired power station $97 per kw/h – or 1.2 times the cost of coal power
• Wind power $1,502 per kw/h – or 19 (nineteen) times the cost of coal power
• Solar power $4,004 per kw/h – or 50 (fifty) times the cost of coal power

What do you think will happen to your power bill if this goes ahead?

Green schemes are collapsing around the world and have been a disaster in Germany, Spain, UK and the USA. The British Government has just announced it is scrapping all Green energy subsidies. Australia MUST follow suit.

No wonder there is a backbench revolt going on in the Coalition.

All this is designed to lead to a green economy, which as Tim Wilson explains, is detrimental to our future prosperity.

But the consequences don’t just fall on export-oriented developing countries. Supporting “green growth” also ignores the realities of classical economics.

Green growth rebuffs the idea that countries should exploit their natural resources, limit trade barriers so countries can take advantage of each other’s efficiencies, and not carry excessive regulatory costs.

He continues:

The significance of this shift cannot be overstated. Australian governments usually pay lip service to activists back home while driving a hard national interest agenda in global negotiations. By going to water on the high seas issue, this government has traded national economic interest for the public applause of the green movement.

Former prime minister Kevin Rudd acted similarly by pushing hard in global climate talks despite Australia being a fossil-fuel- dependent economy that would have disproportionately shouldered the cost. But even Rudd knew when to draw a line to protect national economic interest. Based on its posturing at Rio, the same cannot be said of the Gillard government.

In another example of green madness, today Greg Combet announced another government body to deal with climate change. This is on top of the six we already have at the federal level. This new Climate Change Authority includes the vitriolic and hateful Clive Hamilton. Tony Abbott has already pledged to scrap the department of climate change. Surely, this one also has to go.