Touring politicians have a habit of making wild promises in international forums, leaving the difficult engineering consequences to overloaded power engineers and the unpalatable cost consequences to the suffering consumers.

Peter Lang is a professional with more than 40 years experience in the energy industry. His experience includes coal, oil, gas, hydro, geothermal, nuclear power plants, nuclear waste disposal and energy end use management.

Peter has previously written on:

• Wind Power Realities at: http://carbon-sense.com/2009/02/17/wind-power-costs/
• Solar Power Realities at: http://carbon-sense.com/2009/07/04/solar-realities/
• And more Solar Power at: http://carbon-sense.com/2009/09/04/solar-realities-addendum/

Now he looks at some inconvenient realities concerning the consequences for electricity generation if the government tries to achieve their unrealistic and pointless cuts in carbon dioxide emissions.

The paper compares five “energy mix” options with a “business as usual” case for electricity generation in Australia from 2010 to 2050. The options involve mixes of coal, gas, nuclear, wind and solar thermal technologies. The analysis indicates that continuing with the current mix of electricity sources (mainly coal) will provide the cheapest electricity. Gas, the other carbon fuel, has the next higher cost. All of the non-coal options (nuclear, solar and wind) will substantially increase electricity costs with solar being the most expensive.

Nuclear power is the only feasible option that could achieve the promised cuts in emissions. Wind and solar are very high cost options with little hope of achieving the emissions cuts promised, either alone or in combination.

Viv Forbes

The full paper, Emission Cuts Realities – Electricity Generation, can be seen at: http://carbon-sense.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/emissions-generation-lang.pdf [PDF, 206 KB]

The government is currently ‘thieving’ from farmers to demonstrate its green credentials.

Pretending they can control natural, cyclical, global warming.

To protect farmers from the government’s insanity, misrepresentations and fraud, a man is dying.

Property rights are fundamental to freedom.

The key is not CO2. The key is the vital use of fuels containing carbon. That is a massive lucrative tax base. And controlling energy controls modern society.

The government’s fraudulent desire for tax and control is exposed.

The ETS will hurt everyone. Stifling regulations will hurt everyone. Who’s next? You are, we are.

For what benefit? None. Regulating CO2 via theft of property without compensation is not protecting the environment, it is hurting the environment. It is undermining and discrediting science. It is an attack on the economy and an attack on freedom.

Attacks on freedom, a tax on freedom, a tax on life.

For a lie to take root and hurt us all, it only needs us as honest men and women to turn a blind eye.

Rudd-Wong misrepresentation of carbon: No science, no integrity, no benefit, no need – no way.

Send prayers for Peter and all farmers. Turn up the heat on politicians.

The real issue for farmers is an issue for all of us – property rights are a cornerstone of freedom.

Protect freedom.

Malcolm Roberts
Pullenvale QLD Australia

Here is an animated video produced by FirstEnergy available from Mining Connection (http://www.miningconnection.com/). It shows how we make electricity from coal. It also shows that the cooling towers so loved by TV to illustrate power plant pollution in fact emit only warm air and moisture – not even the demonised but harmless carbon dioxide. The invisible carbon dioxide exits via the less photogenic chimneys. So what TV usually shows to illustrate “carbon pollution” is no more polluting than what comes out of the spout of your kettle. So much for truth on TV.

Environmental Effects of Increased Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide
ARTHUR B. ROBINSON, NOAH E. ROBINSON, AND WILLIE SOON

Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine, 2251 Dick George Road, Cave Junction, Oregon 97523 [artr@oism.org]

ABSTRACT A review of the research literature concerning the environmental consequences of increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide leads to the conclusion that increases during the 20th and early 21st centuries have produced no deleterious effects upon Earth’s weather and climate. Increased carbon dioxide has, however, markedly increased plant growth. Predictions of harmful climatic effects due to future increases in hydrocarbon use and minor greenhouse gases like CO2 do not conform to current experimental knowledge. The environmental effects of rapid expansion of the nuclear and hydrocarbon energy industries are discussed.

Full article: http://www.oism.org/pproject/s33p36.htm

Lord Monckton, one of the most well informed commentators on Thermomania and Climategate, is coming to Australia at the invitation of several concerned Australians. He will be giving a series of talks in all mainland capitals and Noosa. We will post details as soon as they are confirmed.

Lord Monckton has also written to PM Rudd on comments the PM made in his talk to the Lowry Institute about the “small number of dangerous, well funded climate-change deniers”. Lord Monckton’s open letter to PM Rudd can be seen here:

1) Web page: http://wattsupwiththat.com/2010/01/03/climate-change-proposed-personal-briefing/
2) PDF version: http://carbon-sense.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/monckton-rudd.pdf [PDF, 155 KB]

Update on Lord Monckton’s visit to Australia: http://carbon-sense.com/2010/01/13/monckton-australia-2010/

Terry Cardwell has run coal fired power stations. He knows about the costs, efficiency and emissions from modern power stations. And he is frustrated at the lies, distortions and myths being spread about power generation. Being retired, he has no axe to grind, no master to serve and no agenda to push except concern for our future.

“We are all greenies in one form or another and care very much about our planet. The difference is most of us are realistic. Not in some idyllic utopia where everything can be made perfect by standing around holding a banner, chanting a slogan and being a general pain in the backside.”

For some plain truths from Terry on power and pollution see:http://carbon-sense.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/coal-power-realities.pdf [PDF. 29 KB]

Update: here is an interview by Michael Smith from Brisbane radio station 4BC with Terry Cardwell, 11 Jan 2010: http://carbon-sense.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/terry-cardwell-4bc-20100111.mp3 [MP3, 993 KB; 8:28 min]

“The whole purpose of farming is to convert carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into useful products.”

Vincent Gray
New Zealand

Peter Spencer and his family have been farming in Australia for 180 years but their land and livelihood have been sacrificed on the Kyoto altar. Peter has been prevented from clearing vegetation or controlling woody weeds on his land, and his farm is no longer viable. Unable to get compensation in the courts, Peter is now into day 40 of a hunger strike. And unable to pay his mortgage, he is also about to lose his property. He needs the help of all fair minded Australians.

To read more on the Peter Spencer story by John Ibbotson see this PDF:
http://carbon-sense.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/peter-spencer-story.pdf [PDF, 14 KB]

Please publicise his plight.

Viv Forbes

Additional information:

Article by Justin Jefferson on Quadrant Online:
http://www.quadrant.org.au/blogs/doomed-planet/2009/12/peter-spencer

Background information from ABC’s Counterpoint (you will need to click the “Show Transcript” icon):

Great White Land Grab 24 January 2005
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/counterpoint/stories/2005/1284009.htm

The City-country Divide 16 February 2009
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/counterpoint/stories/2009/2492429.htm

Peter Spencer Protests 7 December 2009
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/counterpoint/stories/2009/2764313.htm

“The individual sea level records obtained from the SEAFRAME study on 12 Pacific Islands have all been assessed by the anonymous authors of the official reports as indicating positive trends in sea level over all 12 Pacific Islands involved since the study began in 1993. This assessment studies individual records and finds that all of them show no change of sea level in almost all of the records following the 1998 cyclones. It is considered that cyclones and tsunamis not only induce false readings which should be ignored when calculating a trend, but they also disrupt the leveling of the equipment so that previous years’ figures should also not form part of a trend.”

See the full article South Pacific Sea Level: A Reassessment by Vincent R Gray:
http://carbon-sense.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/sea-levels-gray.pdf [PDF, 1.1 MB]

In addition, Cliff Ollier reports:

“Graphs of sea level for twelve locations in the southwest Pacific show stable sea level for about ten years over the region. The data are compared with results from elsewhere, all of which suggest that any rise of global sea level is negligible. The Darwin theory of coral formation, and subsidence ideas for guyots would suggest that we should see more land subsidence, and apparent sea level rise, than is actually occurring. Sea level studies have not been carried out for very long, but they can indicate major tectonic components such as isostatic rebound in Scandinavia. Attempts to manipulate the data by modelling to show alarming rates of sea level rise (associated with alleged global warming) are not supported by primary regional or global data. Even those places frequently said to be in grave danger of drowning, such as the Maldives, Tuvalu and Holland, appear to be safe.”

See the full article Sea Level in the Southwest Pacific is Stable by Cliff Ollier:
http://carbon-sense.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/sea-levels-ollier.pdf [PDF, 881 KB]

Here is a the very latest sea Level data from “The South Pacific Sea Level and Climate Monitoring Project” produced by the Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology with technical support from the National Tidal centre and funded by the Australian Agency for International Development. There is no evidence of any dramatic increases in sea levels.

(From http://www.bom.gov.au/oceanography/projects/spslcmp/reports.shtml Nov, 2009)

Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, Earth and its inhabitants have benefited from the rise in airborne CO2 by an average growth increase of about 12% for plants and 18% for trees. This has improved Earth’s habitats and ecosystems, including increasing food production for an undernourished population. These benefits have helped offset the many negative impacts upon nature caused by other human activities.

These are some of the many benefits of increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere:

1. Additional CO2 causes an astonishing increase in plant growth.
2. More CO2 causes plants to need less water to produce the same amount of growth.
3. Certain health-promoting substances such as vitamin C and antioxidants, are increased with additional airborne CO2.
4. With much more food production per acre, Earth should be able to feed an expanding population and save habitats and ecosystems.
5. Existing habitats and ecosystems will have higher plant and wildlife capacity.
6. The greening of Earth will continue and extend into the deserts as plants become drought tolerant.
7. Plants can better resist various stresses when grown in a CO2 enriched atmosphere.
8. Dramatic increases in the growth of Earth’s forests will help them recover from recurring natural disasters and aid a renewable resource industry.
9. CO2 is Earth’s greatest airborne fertilizer.
10. CO2 is the staff of life for Earth’s plant kingdom which is the beginning of the food chain; without it there would be no life on Earth.

Source: http://www.plantsneedco2.org/default.aspx?menuitemid=401

For more information on the beneficial effects caused by carbon dioxide in the atmosphere see:
http://www.plantsneedco2.org/default.aspx/MenuItemID/103/MenuGroup/AboutUs/CO2IsGreenAndGood.htm

PDF version: http://carbon-sense.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/co2-good-green.pdf [PDF, 35 KB]