Poor Armchair Critic was caught holding mutually contradictory beliefs and has nothing to rebut the technological trends he accidentally said he had faith in. So he's moved on to crapping on about pet-food. Waaaaaaaaa - got caught out and so is changing the topic.

But forum antagonism aside - dude - get your super out of fossil fuels. It's the only way you'll have anything to retire on.

Indyvidual,
A 200 bogie freight car train places enormous strain on the inside rail on curves but the thousands of sleepers (ties) to which the rails are fixed not only spread the load but resist the tendency for the train to pull the rail straight, each sleeper has a grip on the ground (via the ballast).
For a monorail to meet the same requirements it would need to be built much, much heavier than at present particularly the vertical supports and thus the cost would exceed conventional rail; besides which no monorail could support the weight.

An example of misplaced faith in monorails was rhe one that was in Sydney, but then as it was really an elevated narrow gauge railway perhaps it’s not really a good example.
Although it’s a good example of politics winning out over good sense.

I always take these claims with a shovel of salt.

Sure the electricity costs 33c/km, but this does not take in the cost of the batteries that do not have an infinite lifespan and the labour and facilities to change and charge the batteries.

" *Conventional oil* did peak in the USA that year!"

Ahhhh, yes the "conventional oil" trope. Of course, those who originally made the peak oil claim, DIDN'T make the claim about 'conventional' oil. It was only when their claims were later disproven that they suddenly decided that they were only talking about one type of oil. Interesting to notice that Max has fallen for the sleight of hand.

ttbn,

" 'it seemed right at the time', or they were just 'following the "expert" advice'"

Yes, the 'experts' who get it wrong have used all sorts of excuses to explain away to 'expert' error - eg conventional oil.

My favourite was back in the late 1990s. Jennifer Marohasy had been battling the 'experts' about claimed salinity around the Murray. These 'experts' were demanding the government pony up $60 billion to solve the problem while Marohasy said no such problem existed. When finally Marohasy was vindicated the 'experts', rather than admitted error claimed they weren't wrong, the data was wrong. The same data that Marohasy had been using all along. And of course the left wing media went along with the excuse.

Armchair - that's your best question yet. I'll try to answer with the respect it deserves.

I believe in democracy. A free market has the power of a locomotive, but democratic legislation should be the rails guiding that power otherwise it could derail and destroy the place!

I voted for action on climate change. But Albo is allowing exploration for more oil and gas when we know we shouldn’t burn the oil and gas we’ve already developed!

I voted. Fossil fuels fund people who do not like the idea of voting very much. In fact, they hate western democracy. Think of Russian gas. Think of Middle Eastern oil. If we believe in Democracy – why are we funding these regimes that don’t?

I voted for energy independence from global oil markets. EV’s + rail + wind + solar + off-river pumped hydro offer energy security and cheaper energy bills for all Australians.

I voted for clean energy. Why are we giving coal etc a blank cheque on our healthcare system and letting them ‘outsource’ $6 billion a year in health costs they inflict on us? Talk about ‘cost externalities’.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2018-06-27/climate-policies-ignoring-billions-in-health-savings-experts-say/9836894

Globally they kill more than 8 million people a year.

http://www.seas.harvard.edu/news/2021/02/deaths-fossil-fuel-emissions-higher-previously-thought

If you believe in a ‘free market’ for energy – why do we give $11.6 billion in government subsidies to fossil fuel companies?

http://australiainstitute.org.au/post/australian-fossil-fuel-subsidies-surge-to-11-6-billion-in-2021-22/

Instead, why didn’t Australia tax fossil fuels in their heyday and create a constitutionally protected sovereign wealth fund for all future generations?

While I now think we’re on an inevitable energy disruption, disruptions can hurt. There are tens or hundreds of billions in stranded assets and super investments out there.

The world is weaning off coal – so how are we going replace $54 billion in coal exports when no-one is buying? Time to build solar and that 4000km HVDC line to Singapore!

" If we believe in Democracy – why are we funding these regimes that don’t?"

Seriously, what a stupid argument.

If we believe in Democracy - why are we buying solar panels from China?