Parliament returned to Canberra last week to be greeted by the Reckless Renewables Rally on the front lawn; a protest against net zero policies, wind turbines, the United Nations, COVID vaccinations, China and chemtrails, amongst other things.
All the usual political suspects were in attendance, led by the Member for New England and erstwhile deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce. He was joined on the podium by fellow fossil fans Pauline Hanson, Matt Canavan, David Gillespie, Keith Pitt, Craig Kelly, Malcolm Roberts and current Nationals leader David Littleproud.
The audience included a strongly conspiracy-tinged contingent from Queensland and the Illawarra, many holding professionally printed signs saying things like ‘Not clean. Not green. Not zero’ and ‘Stop being reckless with our future. Moratorium now.’
Alice Springs Nationals Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price described farmers at the rally as the ‘custodians of our land’, before saying wind turbines ‘only produce energy slightly… when the wind blows. But the wind’s not blowing now and the sun’s not out now, is it?’ In fact, wind and solar generated 10 percent of global electricity in 2021, and this number is steadily growing.
Dodgy numbers
Barnaby Joyce, the man who presided over the worst fish kills in Australia’s history through corrupt mismanagement of the Murray-Darling, claimed at the rally to be concerned about the risks to wildlife from new wind and solar farms, before suggesting that renewable energy was ‘a massive multinational swindle underpinned by your taxpayer dollars.’
It’s since been pointed out that former bush accountant and bouncer Joyce has misrepresented data from both the Australian Energy Regulator and the Australian Energy Market Operator, with his claim of a $121 billion threat from renewables to the Australian economy. Energy experts explained that this figure actually represents economic activity associated with the growth of renewables, including many rural jobs, money that would be spent otherwise on propping up a failing fossil-fuel based energy system.
While renewable energy does require new transmission lines and batteries, the CSIRO’s latest GenCost report found that even when those costs are included, solar and wind remain the cheapest form of electricity, being much more economical than the status quo or nuclear options, especially if offshore wind is part of the mix.
Of course renewable energy is not without its problems, from supply chain to distribution to disposal, but the made-up facts flew thick and fast at the rally, including the repetition of mining magnate Gina Rinehart’s claim that a third of agricultural land in Australia was under threat from renewables.
Actually, if all the country’s coal fired plants were replaced by solar farms (not something which is being proposed), research from the Clean Energy Council shows that this would require 0.027% of agricultural land.
Likewise, claims that decommissioned windfarms will end up overwhelming landfill have been debunked by major windfarm operators such as Acciona, who say that around 90 per cent of a wind turbine’s mass is recyclable at end of life.
Gross hypocrisy
There was more hypocrisy on show in the person of MP Keith Pitt, who hates offshore wind turbines, saying they will hurt whales and birds. This is the same bloke who wanted a major offshore gas drilling operation between Sydney and Newcastle when he was the Minister for Resources. This was only stopped as a result of the one positive decision Scott Morrison made when he appointed himself Minister for Everything. The legality of that decision is now under review.
The tight connections between many of the speakers at the anti-renewables rally and the fossil fuel barons pulling their strings were not articulated to the crowd, and the location of the rally in the middle of the ACT was also ironic. Thanks to the Greens and Labor in local government, the Capital Territory is a global leader in reducing emissions, having reached its target for 100 per cent renewable electricity back in 2020, and now pushing to transition away from gas too.
Adding to the incongruity, the Rally Against Renewables happened days before three of Australia’s biggest steel and iron ore producers (BlueScope, Rio Tinto and BHP) joined forces to announce practical steps to decarbonise the Australian steel industry as soon as possible. This step alone would have a major effect on national emissions.
Having failed to reverse the carbon policy direction of the Australian government, Barnaby Joyce’s big week ended with him being filmed lying drunk on a Canberra footpath, legs in the air, swearing incoherently on the phone at someone who later turned out to be his current wife.
For most people this would have meant demotion at the very least, and more likely the end of a political career, but in this case it was largely dismissed as just Barnaby being Barnaby. On Sky News, Peter Dutton chastised onlookers for not coming to Joyce’s aid.
And so the Trumpification of Australian politics continues.
Originally from Canberra, David Lowe is an award-winning film-maker, writer and photographer with particular interests in the environment and politics. He’s known for his campaigning work with Cloudcatcher Media.
Long ago, he did work experience in Parliament House with Mungo MacCallum.
Perhaps Barnaby should check out what’s happening in his own electorate:
“The 720MW New England Solar project, developed by ACEN Australia has hit its 400MW peak generating capacity and is now the grazing ground for more than 2,000 merino sheep.
“ The project site covers 2,000ha of cleared grazing land leased from local landholders and will provide enough clean renewable power for around 300,000 homes …
“ The practice of sheep and solar farms coexisting is known as solar grazing, with a number of trials both in Australia and overseas showing that solar panels improve the local conditions through shade and moisture and hence leads to better pasture
New England Solar Workplace Health and Safety Adviser, Robyn Doyle, said that she has been tasked with overseeing the release of sheep across the solar farm site …
“‘The sheep are on site for about six weeks at a time and they have made themselves perfectly at home,’ Ms Doyle said.
“‘ The panels rotate as they track the sun and this balance between light and shade is great for new grass growth. It’s just heaven for hungry sheep.
“ ‘ The panels offer shade from the hot sun and rain for the sheep and protection from aerial predators for their young lambs.
“‘ It just seems like a really good match – the sheep stay protected and well fed, and they help reduce vegetation and fire risks on site.’ ”
There are many other ways in which the mutualism of farming and renewables projects can be observed. For example the guaranteed income from renewables developers allows farmers to destock faster in adverse conditions resulting in wins for the environment, animal welfare and minimising farm losses.
energy magazine.com.au
However, as Hanrahan and the Nationals declared, “We’ll all be rooned!”
With many eminent Conservationists standing against this mad ‘gold-rush to renewables’ and agreeing that it has terrible consequences to our wildlife and environment depicting this Rally as Trumpian-populist is surely naive, nasty and politically coloured?
Overseas interests are making huge profits from these developments, akin to US carpet-baggers.
They have no future responsibility for remediation of their access roads nor preventing siltation and erosion.
Just wait until an industrial-size renewable “farm” clears the hillside’s native bush near some of your readers’ homes.
Then watch the protests.
Oh another lefty green one eyed piece David, what more would one expect. Dream on mate, your so called renewables are sure to fail, they have everywhere else in the world old sock, so how is the minister for blackouts parrotheadbowen going to lie his way out of this one?. Your lefty ideology is remarkably wrong, listen to what the normal majority say.
How do you get off with just posting blatant lies? Having lived in southern Spain for over 5 years, I can inform you that renewable energy in the form of wind turbines is alive and well. More turbines going in all the time, and no they don’t make much noise at all, and any noise is drowned out as soon as it gets a little windy.
Echo, why do you allow yourself to be a platform for ill-informed people to say whatever they want without any truth to it?
This is unbelievable.
Following the closure of its last remaining coal plant in 2022, the Aloha State will now be utilizing a Tesla Megapack battery system.
Rolling blackouts expected to be implemented across Oahu – HECO (Hawaiian Electric) said due to a shortage of reserve generation capacity. – January 8, 2024
Rolling outages instituted on Hawaii Island amid power generation issues – Jan 30, 2024 – HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow)
Germany extends nuclear power amid energy crisis – BBC – Sept 2022
As winter looms, Germans increasingly turn to wood for heating – Sept 2022
Europe Is Sacrificing Its Ancient Forests for Energy – The New York Times – Sept 2022
Germany’s New Hunger for Coal Dooms a Tiny Village – The New York Times – Oct 2022
Germany’s Energy Crisis Is a Cue to Chop Wood and Stock Up – The New York Times – Dec 2022
They solved the problem with literal boat loads of natural gas from the US
Sri Lanka’s Plunge Into Organic Farming Brings Disaster – The New York Times – Dec 2021
Green dreams: How going organic helped spark Sri Lanka’s crisis – SBS – May 2022
Sri Lankan prime minister: Island’s economy ‘has collapsed’ – AP News – June 2022
Sri Lanka’s Green New Deal Was a Human Disaster – WSJ – July 2022
Sri Lanka’s collapse is down to energy, not organic crops – The Times UK
They solved this by the UN creating Green Bonds (free line of credit) to bail them out – and so today…
Sri Lanka raises hopes of resolution to $13bn debt stand-off – Jan 2024
I can keep going, but you get the point, right?
The costgen report was pulled apart in Senate Estimates. It didn’t include the extra transmission needed, nor the cost blowouts that have already occurred. Don’t gloss over “and batteries”, as EV owners can tell you. There aren’t enough raw materials on the planet to make “and batteries” happen. Then there’s “solar generated 10 percent of global electricity”, not 10% of the electricity used. The excess power it generates at the wrong time of the day gets dumped off the grid as heat, and is unavailable in the evening when it is needed. The cheapest power per KW remains hydro, followed by nuclear. There are plenty more errors here that can be debunked with simple google searches.
Ha ha ha. Cue the Muppet theme. Did you know that the wind still blows at night? Or that the tides keep moving even when it’s dark?
The wind blows every evening, does it? Lot of tidal power generation in Australia, is there?
Tidal power generation is not economically viable, so if you want to give us the political gift of proposing it, we will take it.
Best article on the Echo for years.
A rollicking read from David Lowe.
It’s so concerning, that the Trumpification of the democratised world has firmly reached our Australian political right, via its electorate, which appears bound to further boldly conduct their selfish carelessness against our vitally essential Earth System of life-support.
These people really need a good think about where and what gave them life itself, in order to begin to appreciate the importance and value in conserving what little is left, and help to stop further heat-energising our climate.
Agree totally, however you make the mistake of assuming that these people know how to think, let alone think critically.
Trumpification Tim .. ? Is that just more Trump
Derangement syndrome ! Or sourced from
a dictionary 🤣
As my old Dad would say – ‘bloody idiots’. What a pack of negative, ill informed, backward looking Nellies.
Thank you Lizardbreath and Flabbergasted, couldn’t put it better.
Incidentally the world is still powered 84%
From hydrocarbon’s..Trillions has be invested
In renewable energies the world over in the last
25 years ..and has lowered the reliance on
Hydrocarbon’s by two percent.. the prime
Agricultural lands that have been destroyed
To make way for wind & solar farms has not
Even been raised..especially from the world
No1 seed hypocrites the Greens ..wind farms
are noisy contrary to the above comments
They certainly don’t last ..burnout regularly
and the majority are made in China ..
Of course made from steel..hydrocarbon heaven..
But you wont hear a peep from the Greens
No no no ..suits the narrative…”do as I say not as I do ” Christian & Greg …we are getting wacked weekly ..expect anything different from the far left !
So Barrow, please tell us more about all this Agland that has been ‘destroyed’ by renewable energy.
Best not look too closely at your hydrocarbon mates who are ruining the climate and have destroyed land and sea.
Everyone knows the anti-renewable mob are bankrolled by mining billionaires and everyone knows they are misinforming using disinformation and outright lying, especially themselves. They are fooling no-one apart from those gullible or already corrupted enough to believe their blatant lies. The question for everyone should be.
“Why aren’t they being investigated and prosecuted for what they’re doing?” This should be in our courts, if they were selling any product the way they are selling anti-renewable lies, the trade practices act would drown them in charges!
There are laws against this and they should be brought to bare against these fraudsters. Just take a look at Barnaby Joyce laying in the gutter after leading this Coal mining disinformation, lie-fest earlier that day. Why should we have any respect for any of these opportunist people bankrolled by Coal?
Here’s an article covering whats been happening. https://www.thenewdaily.com.au/news/politics/2024/02/07/joyce-renewable-rally?ahe=75d22da51c45fb040c92c2db760c5ffe1c68cc8dd6178731d58acc5a27b814a6&acid=4374169&utm_campaign=Sunday%20Best%20-%2020240211&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Adestra&lr_hash=211d8a855212245abb8a997cdba2d9b0
Here an interview Senator Roberts had with a greenie activist that should explain why they say what they say. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErssIRnFMQY
Seriously Tweed ..how many billions of taxpayers money have been handed out as subsidies
To Renewables ?
Mining is subsidised at $20,000 per hour, Rhinehart and Palmer and others have offshore to Singapore tax haven, they’re no longer technically Australian living in Singapore or as they claim for tax reasons, on their mega Yachts. You Barrow gormlessly and gullibly support nothing more than parasitic coal corporations exploiting Australia. Every lie you have been fooled into believing was paid for in Coal mining dollars by the usual suspects they hire to spread their lies and disinformation.
We could just kill all subsidies to all industries and let the market decide. I don’t think you would like the result when the will of the people is guiding capital.
The Joyce is one of those rare beasts that has somehow managed to gather a following and keep fooling them, no matter how many lies he tells or bizzaro acts he performs. There’s a dude over in the US of the A who acts similarly and even got all the way the White House.
Joachy, guru of everything green and knower of all, give us a break sunshine, my side can think for themselves, make up their own minds about climate bullshit. Your woke lefty green side can only see self loathing and collective misguided narrative and ideology. Don’t try to push your garbage onto the normal majority, it just makes you look silly. Take a break please, please.
Greggy, when you were at school, did you skip all the science lessons to explain your no learning or are you being paid by the same mob that paid your man Willie to scribble malarkey.
Greg, I hate to admit this but there just might be something in your ideological hatred of renewables after all, I see renewables are being blamed for the recent power outages in Victoria where violent weather brought many power pylons. These damn renewables causing all of this unprecedented violent weather, and these awful offshore wind farms killing migrating whales, and we now have a Federal Govt that’s intent on building more and more, what is the world coming to?
Don’t worry Barrow, the lefty green lunacy is slowly falling apart, European farmers are revolting against socialism, the world is rejecting stupid renewables gradually. We do have something to look forward to, NUCLEAR……..
K.D., your wonderful renewables will never stand alone, they will require nuclear backup, you know that however you will never question the best energy minister ever’s policy’s. Take a look at the rest of the world, are they wrong?. Can you please explain why the International Energy Agency recently declared its support for countries choosing nuclear power?, even parrothead bowen attended the meeting, how red faced would he have been?. A total waste of space in this parliament and a blight upon our economy.
Greg, don’t you ever get tired of making a fool of yourself, I don’t know who’s the worst ideolog, you or old mate Joachim, middle Australia elects Govts, the lefty Greens will never get elected, nor would the right wing of the Coalition by themselves, good luck with your quest but your nonsense is not even entertaining anymore.
Keith, a correction needed – I am NOT an old mate of the Greggy.
So, me being committed to Greens is being an ideolog but somehow you being committed to ALP is not being an ideolog. Lol.
I think the main difference between the two camps is that Labor supporters are not totally blind to the desirability of going further with policy but they understand that politics is the art of the possible and focus on outcomes rather than ideological purity.
Greens and their supporters seem quite happy to have the Coalition back so long as they can crow and grandstand about how they’d go much further, fix everything all at once – while never having to produce!
Joachy, guru of everything green and knower of all, I decline to make counter comments as long as you maintain your arrogant comments which will be treated with the contempt they deserve. You wonder why you lost the referendum and you can’t believe how the rest of the world is right now rejecting the whole lunatic lefty green woke fools. Why do you continually forget you belong to a very, very small minority?. Live long and prosper.
K.D., I can always count on you for some light hearted funny comments, keep it up and one day you may find a sense of humour. Did anyone mention anything about elections?, please, clutching at straws now, nothing is turning out for you, how sad…..