<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/australians-want-renewables-to-replace-coal-but-dont-realise-how-soon-this-needs-to-happen/>
"A survey has found that the majority of Australians support replacing fossil
fuels with a mix of firmed renewable energy, but few are aware how soon the
nation’s remaining coal power generators are scheduled to shut down.
The Essential poll of of 1,200 voting age Australians also found that a
significant majority of respondents reject nuclear energy (81%) or fossil
fuel-based options (70%) to provide on-demand or back-up energy – opting
instead for pumped hydro, despite having limited knowledge of how it works.
The research, conducted as part three of Zen Energy’s This is Transition
project, found a high level of awareness that federal and state governments are
supporting and subsidising the transition to renewables, but also that most
people remain very sketchy on the details.
Asked how many of Australia’s 18 operational coal plants are due to shut down
over the coming 15 years, almost three-quarters or 73 per cent of respondents
underestimated the current number, which is 12.
As the chart below shows, a total of 19 per cent of those surveyed said they
thought that none of Australia’s remaining coal plants were slated close by
2040, while nearly 40 per cent of respondents said between one and six plants
would close in that period – up to half the actual number.
This apparent hole in the knowledge of Australian voters reflects a broader
lack of understanding in how urgent the transition to firmed renewable is – and
why putting off the closure of coal plants, as is likely under the federal
Coalition’s nuclear plan, would be a massive and likely very costly gamble."
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
