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Your views: on a post-carbon economy, population growth and city shopping

Today, readers comment on Australia’s economic potential in a zero emissions world, the link between population and climate change, and boosting CBD retail.

Nov 07, 2019, updated Nov 07, 2019
Photo: supplied

Photo: supplied

Commenting on the opinion piece: Reaping benefits of a post-carbon economy

As someone a little hesitate to get on the carbon reduction wagon because of the perceived cost and no gain, it was great to read an article that had a very positive way forward.

Allowing business to take the lead is way better than governments taxing us to stop carbon emissions.

I really hope something like what is detailed in the article can happen. – Phil Herrmann

The manufacture of steel and aluminium requires huge amounts of energy, as does the mining and smelting of most metals.

Perhaps in trying to achieve almost zero emission it might be time to start getting serious about nuclear power; not for normal domestic use, but for energy intensive industries.

Small self-contained nuclear plants could quickly be established actually at the mine sites or smelters.

By producing the finished product, not only are we adding huge value to it, but we are cutting down on costs of transport.

We are also then seriously taking the responsibility of reducing emissions, instead of exporting the problem to China or elsewhere.Richard J. Hill

I’m wholeheartedly in support of the sentiments expressed in this item. It just makes sense that Australia value adds to its raw materials for export.

That ‘cheap’ renewable energy is an impetus to this is laudable. And all the more so if it reduces the amount of CO2 released to the atmosphere.

The difficulty I see is that Australia has always had cheap energy – one of the largest sources of uranium for potential use in generating power, similarly large supplies of coal and even gas for generation of cheap power.

And my understanding is that until recent years Australia did have some of the cheapest power on the globe.

And yet we mostly exported raw materials to be processed overseas.

 In the last few years (during the transition to power generated from wind and solar power) our power prices have increased significantly, and significantly in relation to the cost of power produced in other countries.

 I have recently read that both Bluescope Steel and Visy Industries have chosen to locate increased production facilities overseas rather than in Australia, in part at least because of the cost of power here.

 I read also that aluminium smelters in Portland and elsewhere in Australia are on the verge of shutting down because of the cost of power.

It does puzzle me that we continue to imagine that energy produced from wind and solar is somehow cheaper than power produced by fossil fuels or nuclear when the current evidence suggests the contrary.

Whilst I wish it wasn’t so, it appears that the increased use of wind and solar in generating power is producing the opposite result that Professor Garnaut suggests.

One can only hope that this changes. – John Wyk

Why did Indaily skip over the fact that the 11,000 scientists who have declared a global climate emergency have also recognised the connection between catastrophic climate change and population growth?

Their report says economic and population growth are among the most important drivers of increases in emissions.

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It goes on to say ‘… therefore we need bold and drastic transformations regarding economic and population policies’ and clearly states population ‘must be stabilised – and ideally, gradually reduced’.

This is significant information about a crucial issue.

While noting the story has been sourced from AAP, Indaily has disappointed and failed its readers.

When will Indaily publish articles which recognise the real costs of population growth? – Sandra Kanck, National President, Sustainable Population Australia Inc.

Commenting on the story: City trader groups under cloud as united body mooted

Easy car access, free or cheap parking, is what applies to all the shopping centres mentioned other than the city.

Like it or not, people have been forced into cars by lack of public transport development and now they are the transport of choice for most.

Especially those looking for a high end shopping experience. Access is what it is all about.

Retailers are moving out of the city to get access to their customers rather than the customers coming to the retailers. Peter Annear

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