The pond was hoping to hear what the reptiles had to say about the latest self-declared theocracy on the planet as a way of ignoring Dame Groan for the sake of a Sunday meditation…
The pond woke up to news of protests in Israel, but the reptiles always go softly softly about that sort of story.
The pond finds this ambivalence strange.
After all, the reptiles are always moaning about the wickedness of Iran being a theocracy, and the pond will go along with that, though strangely the reptiles never seem to have the same fervour when Saudi Arabia's public beheading, persecuting of women, hating of Canada ways bob up, as they have done these past few weeks …
Well where the pond comes from, a theocracy is a theocracy, whether it's Islamic, Jewish, or even southern Baptist preaching funny things about evolution and making them part of the school curriculum.
Here's hoping that the reptiles at some point try to reconcile their fear of theocracies with their love of the Jewish state… it should be quite a feat …
The Insiders did offer a distraction … Comrade Bill making a fool of himself on the land, and the savvy Savva celebrating Malware's ability to stay in power, and never made the fuck-ups and the NBN, and jolly Josh turning up to deliver more humbug about the NEG and even bigger humbug about the reef and the foundation and all that stuff… but in the end the pond knew it would have to turn to Dame Groan … because … denialism.
The way this works is pure, distilled essence of reptile evasion.
Like any decent studious reptile, Dame Groan never mentions the climate science, but mocks any solution as expensive and a waste of time. This is a typical reptile gambit … never mind the science, do nothing to hinder the wrecking of the planet …
It reflects a certain Dame Groan cunning … science isn't her speciality but humbug economics is …together with a deep and abiding concern for the suffering of your average punter - about as sincere as Comrade Bill's ability to pretend he can get a vehicle moving …
As usual Dame Slap excels herself … all the talk is of costs and expense and the agony of it all, but the pond knows that as a dog whistler, Dame Groan knows her stuff.
Just look at this comment from a wag in the know …
Dame Groan isn't winning the debate about climate alarmism?
Dame Groan doesn't want to go there, to the science, or to talk of the doomsday cult, not when she can feed the chooks her own brand of economic corn …
Not a word about climate science, just talk of green politics, and sure enough …
Indeed, indeed, no need for Dame Groan to pretend to be Dame Slap and berate the UN for using climate science to set up world government by Christmas or damage the west, the chooks have already tasted that brand of corn …
Dame Groan just plugs away about the costs and how unfair it all is, and never mind the planet ...
Now there's a novelty … a mention of physics, which is, the pond suspects, as close to climate science as Dame Groan would like to get.
It's so much easier to wring the hands and talk of fear for coal-fired power stations, and talk down renewable energy, because implicit in it all is the notion that climate science is just a hoax or a religious doomsday cult …
The pond could go on quoting the Dame's comments section to show she's as astute a dog whistler as any climate denialist going the rounds, but it's time for a last gobbet ...
And there you have it, right in the very last sentence, popping out like a hoppity hop toad …"be satisfied that we are doing our bit to reduce global warming - or not."
It would of course have been too crass, far too lacking in subtlety for Dame Groan to have scribbled "be satisfied that we are doing our bit to reduce a doomsday cult's delusional fears" … but here's the thing.
Does Dame Groan take climate science seriously - or not? Does she think things should be done - or not? Does she believe there's an urgent need for world-wide action - or not? Does she think her readers are delusional - or not?
After reading Dame Groan, if anyone can't get the answers to those questions, they really need to read a little more expert climate science denialism - or not …
What an inspiration she must be for the onion muncher, even as poor Josh does his very best to placate the lad …
Groaning in Despair: "It is probably the case that renewable energy can be made to work in Australia - it is relatively sunny and windy in parts."
ReplyDeleteYes, especially the East Gippsland Coast which gets either a strong or gale wind warning almost every night of the year.
But what pray tell is this confession "renewable energy can be made to work in Australia" ? Oh, cancel all those dog whistles about renewables being "non-synchronous and intermittent", we shall overcome ! Pretty much as they have and are overcoming in the UK: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/dec/21/nuclear-power-renewables-low-carbon-provide-record-share-uk-electricity
Note especially the bit about:
"Britain went without coal power for a day in April for the first time in more than 130 years. The country has since gone hundreds of hours without the polluting fuel in 2017, and coal generated just 2.9% of electricity between July and September."
But no mention in that article about increased electricity costs. I wonder why.
And it's clear why Dame Groan avoids mention of science. Consider this:
"Peak solar production ... occurs at 1pm; peak demand is much later in the day."
And that is why, Groanie, that despite it being more expensive to build and coming later into the mix, solar thermal is beginning to pick up. So, the lovely midday sunshine is used to heat the liquid fluoride salts or other media that retain the heat for use when the sun goes down. This is not rocket science, Groanie, this is technology already in domestic and industrial use.
See: https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2017/08/south-australia-to-get-the-worlds-biggest-solar-thermal-plant-what-the-experts-have-to-say/
And: https://www.nrel.gov/csp/solarpaces/by_country_detail.cfm/country=AU
But how about this: "...we are not blessed with ample supplies of cheap gas as is the case in the US."
Well if so, it's only because we flog it all overseas at some ridiculous price:
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/oct/06/australia-gas-exports-surge-new-projects-on-tap
It seems the only ground Dame Groan feels safe to stand and fight on is price. The other reptiles articles of faith get little more than a snippy aside.
ReplyDeleteIf the energy-intensive industry she is talking about is aluminium, there is a whole other discussion to be had about price. The largely foreign-owned aluminium plants are not here for the abundant cheap coal power, they are there for the abundant subsidies – oi oi oi! The discount is probably 40% and seems to pass without comment from a bunch of people who are happy to talk the free-market talk when it comes to labour conditions or public services.
Putting aside the issue of subsidising industries and rent-seeking, the real risk to these industries is an inefficient electricity sector which is almost guaranteed by these spoiling tactics.
No, maybe those foreign-owned aluminium plants are largely here for the bauxite of which Australia is the world's largest producer. But as usual, I guess, we'll let the foreign capitalists buy our bauxite cheaply, send it overseas and then charge us a heap to buy the processed aluminium. Kinda like what we used to do with fine merino wool, actually, back in the days when Australia "rode on the sheep's back". But at least we used to weave some cloth back then - but not any more, of course.
DeleteAnd yes, while complaining bitterly about a subsidy or two for "renewables" the reptiles maintain a religiously faithful silence about the subsidies to coal, bauxite etc.
Refineries turning bauxite into alumina tend to be located near the deposit but the energy intensive smelting takes place where the power is cheap. For instance Bell Bay and Tomago are nowhere near the ore. Tomago is tied into a deal with Liddell and Bell Bay has hydro (and mothballed coal).
DeleteTransporting the alumina is the cheap part and there is not much difference between shipping it to Tasmania or another country (suppose Tasmania is like another country)
PS the electricity contract for Tomago was the big sweetener for AGL taking Liddell.