Putting aside the fact that there are many who agree with global warming and many who don't, can we really afford to stop producing our power from coal?

Sure, there are options such as solar, wind or, just consuming less, but how do we then replace the jobs that will be lost through the closure, or 'winding down' of the coal mining industry, an industry which is the driving force of our own economy.

In reality, can we afford this and continue to live somewhat of a reasonable lifestyle?

I know I have not worked hard all my working life to end up poor, or to live a retirement full of compliance laws and restrictions.

What do you think?

Can we afford it?

It can be done.
The problem is, getting past the BS and political spin.

Well *I* can afford living with Solar power quite easily- in fact, I might actually be able to afford a LOT MORE stuff from the money I'd be saving not being filleted by the electricity company's monthly bills despite the low amount of power I actually use, as far as rates are going these days.

Sorry, but it's the point when I'm getting ripped off by my service provider or seller that my compassion for their well-being falls apart.

And I should point out that we still require the use of coal to melt metal and convert iron into steel- so it's hardly going to collapse if Australian consumers turned to alternative sources of energy.

King Hazza
This is not about 'your power bill’, nor is it about 'Australians using fossil fuels’; it is about one of the major driving forces behind our economy, coal. It is about 'protecting jobs' and providing a future for generations to come.

Banning the use of fossil fuels won't address these issues.

It is fair to assume that if Australia omits 1% of the world’s emissions, then we also use 1% of the coal we mine, therefore, if we stop exporting the 99%, we are screwed. This is what I am talking about, we as a planet, not just a country.

Now as for 'making steel', well this requires 'coking coal', very different to the coal used to generate power.

The answer lies in finding ways to deal with CO2, as reducing it, while continuing to grow is simply not feasible in my view.

What bull.

We have had proven by the shenanigans of the CRU, & all the others, that CO2 has no effect on climate.

Get over it.

I suspect that even the greens are coming to the realisation that we
simply cannot shut down coal fired power stations in anywhere near
the time scale they would like.

There is no magic bullet that will replace the present electrical system.
A recent report from the UK indicates that many windfarms are only
achieving 17% of their nameplate output ratings.
The best are up over 25%. Some are at less than 10%.

Nothing is of value to you if you cannot afford it.
It might be best to refuse export of all our energy resources as we
may need them for the next few hundred years.
There is no guarantee that an alternative energy source will appear
and save our souls.