...The nonsense sprouted in this article, has the effect of hastening the demise of the poor, and relegating them to a future in the dark: And from a past manager of lifeline…inexcusable.

"Yeah, where humans are concerned, greed conquers reason every time!"

Yeah, how greedy are people for wanting to be warm and to have the lights on.

If there was any justice in the world, and Gillard government and trade union leaders prove there is not, people who support AGW and renewables and oppose reliable power sources would be made to live only on renewable energy.

Climate commission... 50-50 chance there will be no humans left on the planet in 87 years time. Yep, gotta take those clowns seriously.

With “coenhite” I concur:

...It is very obvious who pays the “Real Price” in the “idle” games of the rich: Not those with a roof on which to install a Government subsidised Power-Bill reducer, (solar), that’s for sure

I'd take this seriously if the author was advocating nuclear power. It's the only renewable, non-polluting option to coal that makes sense.

But no, like most of her greenie mates, she'd prefer we sat in the dark when the wind didn't blow and the sun didn't shine. Not that we could afford to do anything else anyway.

The hydrocarbons contained in coal were once part of a much warmer atmosphere.
A time where sea levels were at least 70 metres higher than today.
A time where Great Britain was little more than a salt laden wind swept desert, regularly whipped by furious hurricane force winds and mountainous, 30 metre plus waves!
We can recreate these very conditions, simply by burning fossil fuels and adding their carbon content back into the atmosphere.
We can accelerate that return by continuing to clear fell native forests.
That is not to say, we can't use some fossil fuel.
Methane can be used in ceramic fuel cells.
The methane, (NG, Biogas) is not burned, but consumed in a chemical process which produces mostly water vapour.
A ceramic fuel cell around the size of a microwave, could conceivably provide enough power to run an electric car. The 72% energy coefficient, would make it the world's most economical.
The solid state nature of the cell, means virtually no moving parts; no gearbox, no transmission to wear out or be maintained.
The addition of regenerative braking, a solar cell paint job and capacitors, would allow this vehicle to limp home, even when the CNG tank was completely empty.
A carbon fibre body, would make its astronomical economy even more so; and indeed, improve an already impressive power to weight ratio that would leave a great big thundering V8, quaking in your wake.
A larger ceramic cell, something around the size of a stove, would produce enough power for most households, and free hot water.
If we are to continue to rely of fossil fuels, then it should be NG. Always providing we export ceramic fuel cells with it.
Clean coal? Well yes, that's also possible, with the companion production of oil rich algae.
Algae absorb 2.5 times their bodyweight in Co2 emission; some are up to 60% oil, and under optimised closed cycle conditions, virtually double that absorption capacity and oil production, every 24 hours! Alga don't need arable land and can even grow out in sea water!
Rhrosty.