<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/study-finds-major-publi-knowledge-gaps-on-renewables-and-theyre-being-filled-with-misinformation/>
"Australians are more likely to have solar panels on their rooftop than a pool
in their back yard, but many still don’t realise just how common renewable
energy is, or how much of the power mix wind and solar already supply, thanks
to persistent misinformation campaigns.
A Climate Council study has found that a rise in anti-renewables media
reporting and political campaigning – a relatively recent phenomenon in the
context of just how long renewable energy has been operating in Australia – is
causing people to think the country is much further behind than it is.
The study shows that Australians underestimate the level of popular support for
renewables in their country, as well as how far the transition away from fossil
fuels has come.
The findings are not a complete revelation –
Renew Economy has reported on at
least four such polls or reports in the last 12 months: here, here, here and
here. But the message the Climate Council hopes to convey is that the ongoing
spread of renewable misinformation is taking a toll.
“Those that support the continuation of fossil fuel industries are pushing the
idea that renewables have negative consequences,” Climate Council councillor
Nikki Hutley tells
Renew Economy.
“But the way this has been reported in the media plays up the negatives rather
than saying everyone’s really happy that we have renewables.
“People don’t necessarily know how far along we’ve come and how long we’ve been
doing it for, and getting more information about what we actually have done
rather than focusing on the difficulties on the journey might help to garner
more support.”
Hutley says most of the opposition in regional areas in particular is
“artificially manufactured” in the competition for votes, both in those regions
and among people who don’t realise that the journey away from coal power
dependence isn’t as difficult as it’s being made out to be.
“We have had solar and wind in the regions for decades, but we haven’t had this
level of coverage and contentiousness until quite recently,” she says.
The lack of knowledge is a political vulnerability for those Australians who do
want more renewable energy, Hutley believes.
By not knowing how far Australia has come in its clean energy transition, and
being persuaded that renewables are too difficult and costly, those same people
are being led towards a fictional nuclear future as a kind of panacea – without
understanding the huge costs, timelines, and energy insecurity this would
entail."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
