Saltpetre, I offered factual reports from independent sources. You lost me when you got to "polar bears".

I spent 45 years in the computer industry, designing P-N-P subdrtrates for micro chips. I don't ever remember the space race driving technology. You're an ill informed dreamer Saltpetre.

saltpetrw "Aren't you missing the point a bit? "

the subtitle of the article is what people are referring to .. please read ..

"The longer Australia clings to fossil fuels the faster the window of opportunity to become a leading provider of renewable technologies shrinks."

No one is saying no R&D is done anywhere in the world, what is being said is the story we're being sold, that if we, Australians, don't give up fossil fuels and pay carbon taxes, then we'll miss out on being a world leader in renewable development.

The message is we need to embrace the renewable technology race. As if this alone will save us from "peak oil", the current scare being touted

this completely ignores the fact we're abysmal at R&D underwriting in Australia and any kind of follow on development - when we do invent things that don't get off the ground until they go overseas.

renewables will be no different..

there is no reason to believe any of the ALP spin that anything has changed.

So just by chanting the government line that all the green jobs from all the wonderful technologies we will develop are just around the corner, just pay more tax, doesn't make it so.

We need to change much more than just our attitude, we need to change the way R&D is done.

amicus has it right, the government and previous governments all think they can develop R&D by picking what appear attractive, well presented winners - and they keep failing.

Leave the money with the people who know how to invest and we'll get results, but we need the government to develop a climate for safe and successful investment in R&D.

not just the university, and government funded type of R&D, all that comes of that is more red tape and better grant writing, no actual results.

tell me where I'm wrong?

"UltraBattery technology could overcome the issue of intermittent power generation associated with wind and solar, which remains a fundamental road block for the widespread uptake of renewable energy resources such as these."

And now for the sad part

"In 2007 CSIRO signed an UltraBattery commercialisation and distribution agreement with Japan's Furukawa Battery Company and United States manufacturer, East Penn.

The exclusive sub-license agreement will see the UltraBattery distributed by East Penn to the automotive and motive power sector throughout North America, Mexico and Canada while Furukawa Battery Company will release the technology in Japan and Thailand."

http://www.csiro.au/science/Ultra-Battery.html

So some apparently good Australian research sold off to foregin interests with few gains for Australia.

How much more taxpayer funded R&D research will become similar.

It seems one of Julia's bosses, Paul Howes, stance on carbon pricing has more in common with Alice's 'backward Tony Abbott's Coalition'.

How long is it going to be before you are spruiking another labor leader's solutions to cure all?

It'd be safe to hold your breathe!

All this chattering about carbon prices will then be discarded in favour of what most of us want ... no carbon tax.

I totally agree. In my opinion it's too late though people and due to the lack of interest you buggers can all suffer.

I have obvioulsy failed to prevent the religion of global warming taking over the Government in such an insideous way. All my protestations have met with deaf ears from all factions of the Australian Political parties. They have forgotten their number 1 tenet and duty of care.. To ensure the well being of Australian Citizens.

Instead of giving the IPCC 3 Billion dollars why don't we spend it on an Energy resource which provides cheap efficient power or give it to the CSIRO to research alternative power choices instead of spending it on futile highly amibiguous Global warming research.

Whats the point if it's going to happen we might as well prepare ourselves for it rather than fight it.

I believe the current administration has a lot to answer for, they aren't doing a very good job. I have a wild idea though, let's not vote for any of them.

Take care everyone :)

rpg,

Sorry it's taken me a while to get back.

I think you've got it mostly right. I never said I was in favour of a carbon tax though, quite the contrary.

A few questions - where would the necessary R&D be best placed? Do you think some form of carbon cap/target ought be applied, as an incentive for major energy producers to invest in "cleaner" technologies? Do you see the R&D grant funds coming from current internal revenue, some new tax, or possibly from a portion of relevant mining royalties - even if these may need to be increased?

I don't really need the answers of course, but there is always hope that someone in a position to make a difference may actually be tuned in. For what it's worth I favour direct investment, within reason - since whatever Oz may do is likely to be of little impact on the global scene, though you never know where the next major breakthrough may come from.