You can have your solar panels
and your turbines on the hills;
You can use the warmth of sunshine
to reduce your heating bills.
You can dream you’re self-sufficient
as you weed your vegie bed;
As long as you make sure to keep
A diesel in the shed.
by Viv Forbes, Science Writer
When I was a kid on a dairy farm in Queensland, we relied on green energy – horses and human muscles provided motive power; fire-wood and beeswax candles supplied heat and light; windmills pumped water and the sun provided solar energy for growing crops, vegies and pastures. The only “non-green” energy used was a bit of kerosene for the kitchen lamp, and petrol for a small Ford utility.
Our life changed dramatically when we put a diesel in the dairy shed. This single-cylinder engine drove the milking machines, the cream separator and an electricity generator, which charged 16 lead-acid 2 volt batteries sitting on the veranda. This 32 volt DC system powered a modern marvel – bright light, at any time, in every room, at the touch of a switch.
There were no electric self-starters for diesels in those days – just a heavy crank handle. But all that effort, noise and fumes were superseded when every house and dairy got connected to clean silent “coal power by wire”. Suddenly the trusty “Southern Cross” diesel engines disappeared from Australian sheds and dairies.
In just one life-time, candles and kerosene were replaced by diesel, which was then replaced by clean silent ever-ready electricity.
Today, after Aussies have enjoyed decades of abundant reliable cheap electricity from coal, green energy gambling has taken Australia back to the era which kept a diesel in the shed.
Tasmania is the greenest state in Australia. It once had a vibrant economy that created mines, saw-mills, farms, orchards, oil and metal refineries, dams, hydro-power and railways. It is now a green no-go land. Greens have stopped new hydro developments, opposed mining, crippled the timber industry, prevented new wood-chip developments and will probably celebrate when their last refinery closes.
Tasmanians get their electricity mainly from hydro assets created long ago by their more productive ancestors. But recently a long drought caused a shortage of Tasmanian hydro-energy – they became reliant for up to 40% of their electricity needs on the Bass-link undersea cable bringing electricity from reliable coal-fired stations in Victoria and NSW. However the overloaded Bass Link cable failed, and an old gas-powered station was brought back into service (importing gas from Victoria) to keep the lights on. Subsequently their politicians hurriedly put 150 diesel generators in their shed (costing A$11 million per month).
South Australia is the next greenest state in Australia, hosting about 35% of Australia’s wind turbines. These were force-fed into existence by mandatory green energy targets and tax benefits. In a burst of green destruction they also closed their gas-fired power stations and demolished their coal-fired station. However wind power failed recently and a storm tore down their life-line bringing reliable coal power from Victoria. Now Premier Weatherill is planning to install up to 200 megawatts of diesel generators in his shed. Many residents are following his lead.
As some wag said: Question: “What did South Australians have before candles?” Answer: “Electricity”.
The UK has been badly infected by the green energy virus. Engineers warned that this intermittent and unpredictable supply had increased the risk of blackouts, so the UK government offered subsidies for emergency backup power. This subsidy, plus consumer concerns, put so many diesels in British sheds that they now provide a major backup capacity for UK electricity.
Many Spaniards found a diesel in the shed was very profitable. Their government had been drinking green-ale and offered attractive subsidies for solar power produced. The subsidy was very successful – so successful that someone eventually noticed that some suppliers were even producing “solar” power at night. It was coming from diesels in their sheds.
Finally, our green media likes to feature some green energy enthusiast who is “off the grid”. But it usually emerges later in the show that there is a diesel in their shed too.
Those who remember the days of relying on a noisy smelly diesel in the shed have no wish to be dragged back there by green zealots.
Hmmm Brownie went to a Boys school. Most appropriate I would think! Now I went to a public school, but it was not until I got out of the clutches of the ‘state’ that I taught myself how to learn. Shame you missed out mate. Ed
Just for interest sake I thought I’d have a look where Bob Brown went to school and it was all public, no priests molesting Brown, Bob Brown attended Trunkey Public School, Coffs Harbour High School (1957–60) and Blacktown Boys High School. In his senior year, he was elected school captain.
After graduating, Brown enrolled in medicine at University of Sydney, where he obtained a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery degree.
Oh dear, like 20,000 other workers in Queensland and NSW I once worked in a coal mine. Now it looks like we are all going to the gallows. We really don’t care if our valued science writer owns BMA Coal, his message remains correct. Obviously your education level is less than basic, and for this we make allowances, just like we would for your idol, the immortal Gaia and her gay boyfriend, Bob Brown. Now did Bob go to an independent Christian school? Methinks he could have. Obviously you didn’t. No doubt a reader will put us right on this. Catch ya later Robert, have a nice day holding Alice’s hand in Wonderland and keep clear of the Rabbit. Ed
Viv when you do these climate change’s is crap coal is good for humanity stories why don’t you preface them with the fact you’re a director of a Coal Company?
No not Tasmania or South Australia I live in the real world unlike you who lives in denial and ignorance! and as for your independent religious schools I guess that explains your ignorance I mean I feel sorry for you trying to bring your education level up to a decent progressive standard at the same time you’re been molested by paedophile religious teachers.
Hi Rob you must live in Tasmania or South Australia, you know the states where they had electricity before candles and Bob Brown. The wind towers stopped when the wind died and the solar panels dropped out when the sun went down. We understand the majority of the population in the southern states had little opportunity to stop the socialists from fiddling with the education curriculum so we make allowances for people like the SA Premier, a victim of the dysfunctional S.A. education system. However in Qld we have Christian independent schools by the hundreds and ACE correspondence schooling for thousands, so we are able to bypass the ‘state’ and our pupils have learnt how to learn. And we have coal, for which we thank God. Editor
Viv Forbes, Science Fiction Writer: At it again Viv? You’re still in the same era as the kid on the farm, below is just one of your porkies!
http://blog.hotwhopper.com/2014/06/viv-forbes-is-caught-red-handed-again.html
Daniel 12:4 In the end days many shall run to a fro…(which they are) and, knowledge shall be increased…which it has…..just too bad common sense wasn’t included!