Consultant Dan
16 August 2011
Hobart Mercury gets it right on renewable energy
The Hobart Mercury’s editorial today might just be the best opinion written by any Australian newspaper on our energy future.
I hope the paper does not mind if I quote extensively:
TASMANIA must grasp the opportunity to lead the nation in wind power with both hands. …
In a time of gloom and doom, the renewable energy sector, which is on the cusp of a potential bonanza, holds great promise for Tasmania. …
It is time to roll up our sleeves, get positive and dare to see the opportunities ahead of us. This is a time for bold, visionary entrepreneurs and governments with an eye to the future. …
In these days of great change and economic upheaval – as the world faces the reality of climate change, the United States diminishing as a world power, and the rise of China and Asia as global economic powerhouses – every nation is being challenged. Many of the old ways are not working, they are dying. The world is in a state of flux, not just Tasmania. …
We can spend our time dwelling on the things we stand to lose or we can recognise the enormous potential in the things we stand to gain. The winners will be those who position themselves for the future.
What I particularly like is how the editorial pitches renewables as the antidote to the politics of negativity and stasis.
As I have said often before, it is only a matter of time before mainstream conservatives embrace renewables.
What nobody predicted, is that the mainstream media leadership would be coming from the humble Mercury. (Crikey has taken a clear, informed position on climate change for several years, but its not quite the mainstream, is it?)
We should hope to see this leadership followed by other News Ltd papers – which are hostile to solar and wind – and the Fairfax papers – which generally fail to take an informed position either way.
The ABC needs do more straight reporting and stop with the ideological echoing of conservatoriat talking points about renewable energy and climate change.
Renewable energy will eventually be universally supported by groups across the political spectrum because it is good for the planet, health, community economies, the macro-economy and our security. You read it first, in the Hobart Mercury.
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