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About us. Rising Tide Australia is a grassroots Newcastle group taking action against the causes of anthropogenic climate change and for equitable, just, effective, and sustainable solutions to the crisis. We are committed to the principals of Non-violent Direct Action. We are part of the global Rising Tide climate justice movement. We live in the biggest coal port in the cosmos.
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World Energy Usage Statistics
I am getting increasingly sick of discussing world energy problems with people who refuse to educate themselves and carry on like absolute lunatics as soon as you discuss any other solution but renewables. For your edification I present this link from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:World_energy_usage_width_chart.svg Rather then take the absurd and fruitless action of attempting to disrupt the coal trade in Australia why don't you take a good realistic look at the worlds options in the next 20 years and ask yourself how we can possibly hope to be deriving even 20% of energy from renewables by then. If you want to campaign on anything push the government and the industry to speed up and increase funding of various initiatives to reduce the CO2 output of coal factories. And while you are at it you may want to take another look at that ghost in the closet - Nuclear Power. I respect your right to protest and broadcast your views but at least show us your planned alternatives to providing 25% of the worlds energy with something else... soon. Unfortunately you will be too late to stop China finishing it's 500th plant by 2012. I'd love to know what you would consider a "WIN WIN" for humanity right now. If it is to see an end to all coal mining and coal-fueled energy production today then I'll say my goodbyes now since we certainly won't be using the Internet anytime soon. Best regards, Hyperwolf Submitted by Hyperwolf on 29 November 2007 - 12:47pm.
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win win?
Hi Hyperwolf,
It's interesting that so many people use the comments and forums sections of this site to say "you should do this or that instead..." You are very welcome to express such views, that's why we have an open comments option, but what would be more helpful would be for everybody who has an opinion about how to make change to get out and do it. There are lots of reasons why nuclear energy won't help humanity, and I encourage you to read not just the opinions in favour, but the important information debunking the nuclear dream. Hopefully, the information about clean coal on this website will help explain why Rising Tide doesn't agitate for carbon capture coal fired power stations. (www.risingtide.org.au/cleancoal)
In the meantime, I think the main point is the weighing of priorities: given the disastrous effects of climate change, should we consider energy supply to be a major priority right now? I think probably not. During World War Two, lots of comparatively wealthy westerners went without electricity, and many consumer goods, because the immediate threat dwarfed the inconvenience of going to bed early, or not being able to shave, or eat meat every day.
It's hard to see how there can be "a 'WIN WIN' for humanity right now" -- especially considering that large numbers of the global population are already losing in a big way because of our energy fixation. Do you mean a win-win for wealthy western countries?
If you are a person who is simply trying to be clever, and doesn't actually consider climate change, then okay, I probably can't say anything that will bring you out of your self. But if yours is an honest question, then my answer is, let's do without whatever we have to do without to prevent widescale collapse of the biosphere. Please consider the risks each way, and ask yourself which is most important?