{"id":2897,"date":"2013-10-09T21:04:30","date_gmt":"2013-10-09T11:34:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/?p=2897"},"modified":"2013-10-09T21:20:08","modified_gmt":"2013-10-09T11:50:08","slug":"visionary-leaders-can-make-australia-world-90-renewable","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/visionary-leaders-can-make-australia-world-90-renewable\/","title":{"rendered":"Where are the visionary leaders that can make Australia (and the world) 90% renewable?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"JFK<\/a>

JFK talking about the space effort at Rice University in 1962 Pic: jfklibrary.org<\/p><\/div>\n

On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy announced the dramatic and ambitious goal of sending an American\u00a0to the moon and back before the end of the decade. No one had any idea if it was even possible. The technology needed had yet to be invented. Now that’s what I call visionary leadership.<\/p>\n

Next month will be the 50th<\/sup> anniversary of JFK’s assassination.\u00a0 What a stark contrast JFK is to the current crop of pollies in Australia (and most of the world for that matter).<\/p>\n

If we are to have any hope of avoiding catastrophic climate change in our children’s lifetimes we desperately need a politician or two with JFK’s vision to take charge.<\/p>\n

Can you imagine Tony Abbott making this speech:<\/p>\n

We choose to go 90% renewable by 2020. We choose to transition to clean, renewable energy in this decade, not because it will be easy, but because it will be hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win!<\/b><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

PM Tony Abbot, October 10, 2013, at CSIRO Renewable Energy Labs, Sydney, Australia (Yes, I’m Dreaming!)<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Tragically, the thought of an\u00a0Aussie pollie making such an amazing speech in 2013 is quite literally laughable. You and I both know it ain’t gonna happen. Our current PM is too busy scrapping the Carbon Tax (although it is working), scrapping the science portfolio and getting some unemployed youth to plant a few trees. What a visionary! Our kids will be reading about those great achievements in the history books for centuries to come!<\/p>\n

If Tony had the balls to really try and lead the world to averting a climate disaster, then he may be surprised to know that a few very credible and pragmatic engineers have knocked their heads together and worked out a plan, using existing technology<\/b>, that would make this lucky country of ours 90% renewable.<\/p>\n

Some of the brightest minds in the Australian engineering community believe it is perfectly feasible. And these aren\u2019t your greenie hippies who have concocted an airy-fairy plan after smoking too much weed, these are established and eminent scientists and engineers.<\/p>\n

My favourite example of a plan for an almost totally renewable Australia comes from the University of Melbourne\u2019s Melbourne Energy Institute. Dr Peter Seligman put it together in 2010, and it would provide 90% of Australia\u2019s energy needs with renewables, with current technology at a reasonable cost.<\/p>\n

Here are Peter\u2019s contenders for powering Australia with 90% renewable Energy:<\/p>\n