I'm sick of all the "gasbagging" about climate, models, how 'bad' Australia is - the whole deal. It is clear that the lunatics are running the asylum (the pathetic Western world). We are in for a very bad time. All that's left to learn is: how much is it going to cost the average household, every year, to enrich the lunatics. That's the only thing the bastards don't want to gas about.

In terms of showing the complexity and difficulty faced by different nations have in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, this article if another classic case of academic gasbagging.

I do indeed support the push towards lower greenhouse gas emissions as one of the most urgent tasks faced by humanity.

However, the conservatives have a point with regard to China and developing countries doing what they like with their own energy mixes while the developed world are expected to take the lead.

Come on Binoy, surely you can recognise this serious sticking point.

There is no simple answer to the problem as even innovation has to counter the prospect of higher per capita energy by growing populations in developing nations now producing most of our consumer goods which we enjoy as low cost products.

Perhaps all we can really do in the future is to adapt to severely changing weather patterns as the coastlines of many nations are eroded, at least for those nations who can afford to adapt

COP IS AS DEAD it is a dead part!! Thank goodness for that, waste of time money and 500 private biz jets plus Joe's fleet along with airfare one,two and those galaxy carriers and thir 45 armoued limos

That is a good point. In this internet age, why the need for expensive meetings.

Lead by example, and hold conferences live on the Internet

CL.

*…and hold conferences live on the Internet…*

They’d be swamped by the tidal wave of reality that way. Imagine the conference held on FB and the honest reflection of contributors by real live people in the world of desperation for survival most encounter.

If this climate change idiocy continues, at least the roads will be virtually devoid of traffic that currently infringes on the uninhibited travel of the wealthy, who make up this rubbish: It’s them that will be the drivers of personal vehicles rendered too expensive for most.
Remember the stupid of Gillards cash for clunkers. At least somebody with a brain, (her excluded), had the decency and sense to realise the extent to which a vast number of ordinary people, (a group seldom recognised by politicians), had the need of, to carry out the daily functions of the domestic imperatives, inclusive of getting to work.

Dan

yes, we are somehow expected to pay for electric cars, made mostly in China while the latter gets richer, more assertive and continues to burn 50% of the world's coal.

It is about time some Western politicians cut the bs and explain what it would really would take to address emissions, and stop promoting bs win-win scenarios.

Boris Johsnon gives us a clue about necessary truth. The other day he stated the obvious: stop relying on gas from Russia, or do something about Belarus and Russia.

The truth about any desire to cut emissions is that we need to note there will be an expense, perhaps a lower standard of living in terms of buying less cheap consumer products or making some that actually last.

Look, it's not about coal primarily.

It's about money and outcomes for a few dozen very powerful individuals who have vast personal wealth generated via coal or fossil fuels. The Glasgow summit has given these individuals some extra time to invest their personal private wealth into superior income-generating outcomes, e.g., MSR thorium.

The ethenic in the woodpile is prevaricating politicians, allegedly supporting mining jobs in electorates, almost as if there was nothing else we could mine.

I mean we could if there was the political will, we could massively increase manufacturing jobs, if the energy policy (1 cent PKWH) and tax policy (a 15% flat tax for all) supported it!

And this has been so for at least 2 decades as prevaricating pollies sold our economic sovereignty and our heritage down the river. In return for pennies and some personal advantageous outcomes?

I don't see solar panels solving our energy needs, just as long as the silica needed is mined and processed by Wiga slave labour!

Solar thermal is the way to harness solar power and if used to make hydrogen via electrolysis. Then it can support 24/7 power And even could do so without any significant transmission of distribution losses, if the gas was piped directly to the home to power up fuel cells that create electricity for the home or domicile!

Wind farms are also problematic given they need to turn for thirty years to offset the carbon created in their manufacture and then there is the bird kill!

Finally, there is the fact that cheaper than coal MSR thorium is both 24/7, is reliable, dispatchable, and cheaper than coal. And is also a carbon-free alternative.
Alan B.

Yes AlanB

What we need is the return of Donald Trump, or at least the installation of a Trump look alike.

A politician capable of free thought; one capable and intentional of demolishing fences rather than sitting on them, or falling over them in haste to be acceptable to the “wrong” people.

As I admired Trump for his dogged determination, I also think we have our own version of the dogged politician in Clive Palmer and to a lesser extent, Pauline Hanson.

That caliber of politician is the most likely source of hope towards implementing sensible and practical policy direction, which will be economically acceptable and end well.

Certainly the direction currently steered by the prevaricating liberals and Labor brothers and sisters in crime, is obviously idiotic from any practice view against a backdrop of social progress: Not regress as is currently on show with the US on Democratic Biden steroids.

Dan

Yes, Dan. One only needs to apply common sense and logics rites! Both of which would seem to be AWOL among the loony tunes on the hill.

I mean if we have a carbon-free 24/7 power option that also needs to include some mining and refining of MSR thorium, that is very significantly cheaper than coal even ROM coal!

And given the few remaining bugs have been ironed out of, CHEAPER THAN COAL MSR thorium. And given we could build several mass-produced reactors in a factory setting in around 12 months! Why are we arguing for the retention of coal?

Surely there are other energy products we could export? Hydrogen, e.g., that we can make here using free abundant sunlight or MSR thorium's waste heat?

Moreover, we need to get back to being a nation that makes things and stuff rather than import from China. And MSR thorium, minus the profit demanding, paper shuffling middlemen does just that!

All that prevents that are conflicted pollies and their personal investment policies/strategies?
Alan B

AMAZING, even though this article is written by a comfy green, leftie, young academic, ALL comments so far from us old farts are unanimous in our opinions!

Well done for common-sense, I say! Thank you author, your bland reporting has unified the common-sense practitioners who read OLO foe " non-consensus opinions" on all topics.

Morones calling morones, idiots !