I suspect that Barry O'Farrell has a lot more urgent stuff to worry about, starting Monday, than "dreaming big" about climate change.

Trevor Sykes (Pierpont) has a neat essay in today's Fin Review, in which he describes the realities of power generation in NSW.

http://afr.com/p/national/politics/pierpont_returns_Hfc25DvSB0D2gySEidsEDO

(It's behind the paywall. But worth the inconvenience of signing up for the 14 days free trial)

He starts by outlining the problem.

"Back in February, Sydney had a few hot days and survived blackouts only by running all its power stations flat out and importing every spare watt from Victoria and Queensland at astronomical prices."

Astronomical? Spot prices on February 1 and 2 reached $12,000/MWh, Pierpont tells us.

It's like the dams. We haven't built a decent-sized power station since Mt Piper in 1993, and are then surprised when - hey, there's not enough to go around.

The next few years will be about rebuilding the infrastructure in NSW. And I can't see too much scope, frankly, for economically disastrous green projects.

Maybe when the Greens are in the majority, who knows.

By which time, I'll either be pushing up daisies, or on a beach in the Caribbean.

Raycom.
It is amusing but sad that you have got things 100% around the wrong way. If every respected scientific body around the world is consistently issuing a warning then those that ignore it are the ones "burying their head in the sand", not those that are actually listening and taking measures. Kindergarten stuff.
Your estimates of renewable costs are way off the mark, 5 times and 10 times more expensive - you make that claim where is your evidence? Put up or shut up. Wind and solar are cheaper now if you take into account the full cost of fossil fuel power (pollution, damage to environment etc), but even with old school economics will soon be cheaper thanks to technology improvements - a process that will be speeded up with the carbon tax.
Pericles.
So we are running out of power and we have climate change caused by fossil fuel burning. Your solution - I know lets build some more fossil fuel power stations! Hardly a solution benefitting a smart country ........ Have another think.

Ramya, telling the truth, as Abbott does, is not a fear campaign.

Telling lies, as Juliar does, and talking alarmist nonsense, as our pompous clown Ross Garnaut does, is running a fear campaign, which, if you look at the polls has ceased to fool the Australian public. Admittedly there are still 47% of them fooled by alarmist nonsense, but our poll driven politicians will inevitably fall into line when the majority of the citizens sustain going with the truth, and resisting alarmist lies, about the AGW fraud.

It makes no sense to aim for a low carbon economy. Carbon is the basis of all life on Earth. The “carbon pollution” lie is the most contemptible lie of the alarmists.

We have abundant coal and it is the cheapest energy. The benefits of carbon dioxide should be promoted. We have only 388 ppm of this beneficial gas in our atmosphere. We need a minimum of 500 ppm to boost the benefit to plant life and to the crops which supply so much of our sustenance.

Coal burning contributes a pitifully small amount of carbon dioxide to Nature’s great life sustaining carbon cycle, but every little helps.

Stop being fooled, Ramya, by the IPCC and Juliar, with alarmist lies.

Rich2, fortunately your vote will not be missed. You are one of the minority fooled by the lies upon which the AGW myth is supported. Did you not even read the Climategate emails?

Climatebullying, that schoolyard body slam, and scientists behaving badly:

Silently, by omission, allowing gross population growth by immigration and baby bonuses, while telling everyone but themselves to lower their energy usage. By the Second law of thermodynamics that means "lower YOUR order, intelligence and joie de vivre" Er, but not theirs'. They are a special class. They are scientists whose sexual libido too long has been binned with the nerd fraternity. Now is their main chance.

But that schizophrenia that mental illness related to ignoring the TRUTH about life on this planet doesn't worry climate scientists. The more they beg us to lower our standard of living, the more they threaten us to get a climate Carbon Tax insurance, the more power they have and the more money they get and the more energy THEY use to satisfy those shrunken Libidos.

Its a Syndrome and it will end in climate fights.

Once confined to the odd seminar and multi media grabs, eventually a critical population mass will lead to an audience of billions. Then they will still say we are producing too much CO2, living in our cardboard boxes shoulder to shoulder with vicious feminists and their ever growing broods of CO2 and garbage producing lawless kids. This will have severe ramifications for all climate submissives involved. It will engender great power, freedom to use any amount of energy and great profit for the climate bullies.

But with all Scizophrenics eventually the TRUTH wll confront the bullies' lies and destroy their souls in that 'Vat Haf I done' moment. The only winners will be.....?

Just Guess!

The only way to insure against 'possible' climate disasters is to solve overpopulation issues with world wide laws that have teeth. Taxing Carbon pollution is like bailing a rapidly sinking Titanic with a pail, as the 'SS Free Market Enterprise' sails past laughing its smoke stacks off..

.

Rich 2, regardless of whether the Australian Government and other politicians have their head in the sand or are mesmerised by Ross Garnaut's dire predictions , one hopes that they will wake up soon and at least observe what the renewable energy experience has been overseas.

The following articles ( at the web links shown) report on European experience and the United States' fantasies with renewable energy:

Germany's Renewable Energy 'Madness' and its Lessons for America
http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/publications/id.8478/pub_detail.asp

Wind and Solar Subsidies Drying Up In Europe

http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/34596

The entire case for AGW - shorthand for "The population of the world faces catastrophic man-made global warming which policy can improve" comes down to this:
"The government says so."