For decades Australian governments have waged a pointless war on industries producing carbon dioxide using taxes, emissions targets, direct action, harassment of coal and gas explorers and bankers, and promotion of expensive weather-dependent green energy. This has damaged all metals industries – iron and steel, copper, nickel, aluminium, lead and zinc.
It is not possible to produce these metals in Australia without using diesel for mining and transport, coking coal for blast furnaces, thermal coal or gas for reliable electricity for mineral processing, rail transport and refining, and fuel oil for bulk carriers. All of these operations produce carbon dioxide.
The choice is clear – abandon the futile war on carbon dioxide or sentence our metals industries to die. Our sacrifice will not reduce global emissions – our producers will just slink offshore.
The Green’s choice of future home lighting
Some greens dream of a zero-emissions world. Without rapid expansion of nuclear power and electric vehicles and machines, that would be a world without metals. And don’t think plastics can replace metals in the new green world – plastics depend even more on coal and gas for raw materials and energy.
Without metals, some lucky humans may manage to revert to family farms, horse-drawn coaches, wind-mills, draught horses, bullock teams, sulkies, shingle roofing, charcoal burners, wood stoves and kerosene lamps (oops not wood or kero – they release that demonised gas, carbon dioxide).
Any others who survive will live in metal-free poverty.
Whyalla Steelworks faces closure:
http://www.news.com.au/finance/business/mining/whyalla-is-on-knifeedge-of-collapse-as-steelworks-faces-closure/news-story/5da89944c0c87805cd97ead66005972f
We reckon Bob would support it. It was his state politician Shane Knuth who helped introduce the hemp bill in Queensland.Editor
Henry Ford, all those years ago, made a back door for his car from hemp. He belted it as hard as he could with a large sledge hammer…no dents. Im not saying we dont need steel (of course we do), but its no good having mining etc at the detriment of the planet we live on.
Instead of just bagging out the only attempt made in this country to improve the quality of our air and water systems etc via carbon control…offer something better?
So, I propose further R&D into hemp and similar. What do you propose Bob? Hemp absorbs carbon as do all plants. Wood, pulp etc is renewable. metals are not.