In a word 'Renewable Energy Targets' (alright 3 words); 'RETs' legislation directs that 20% of energy used in Australia must come from 'Renewable Resources'.
Unfortunately, the legislation does not indicate exactly how that is to be achieved, ie, where is that power to come from, and this is critical in those states where they do not have the means to generate this energy for themselves; that is the Eastern states.
Solar electricity generation, hydro-electric, etc, are relatively small contributors in the Eastern states and there is a lack of 'wind resource', particularly away from the coastline which itself is too populated to allow land-hungry Turbine developments.
This forces them to import 'RE' from the nearest possible resource; and that is South Australia, specifically southern, coastal SA; where the wind blows...yay.
When former SA Premier Mike Rann bragged about exceeding 'RETs' (30%+) being produced in SA
he neglected to mention that much of that goes over the border for other states 'RETs'.
Transmitting electricity produced in SA to the Eastern states means massive losses from the vast network of lines (that consumers pay for via their huge bills) that must be in place to move it; and then when there is no wind, to import Victroian brown coal generated electricity back into SA; this is what the $110m Electranet Inter-connector at Heyward is for.
This legislation effectively caters to the 'green' aspirations of suburban Australia and is not driven by science or economics; it is populist politics motivated by a need to pander to an electorate that wants to feel they are doing something to address pollution and climate change; noble aspirations completely removed from the realities of how that might be achieved.
Despite advice from some in the Energy sector that energy consumption was dropping and therefore the 20% was too high, the federal Labor party recently reviewed but did not change the 'RETs', they remain at 20%.
The commitment to Wind Turbines, alone or as part of the 'Renewables Solution', drives the debate, regardless of the economic, democratic, environmental, and health issues and realities; eg, the SA Country Fire Service dismissal of water bombers and other aircraft as 'not important'.
It means money is not being invested in research into geo-thermal, cold fusion, solar thermal and other generation projects, it is literally all getting spent on the highly profitable 'Renewable Energy Subsidies' companies receive per turbine.
This leads onto issues of who are the people running those companies and allegations of Labor party cronyism and nepotism.
The Environmental Protection Agency (South Australia) is a fundamental joke designed and run to give the false impression that environmental issues are at all genuinely relevant in planning and development issues; the environment hasn't got a chance.
The EPA has just done 2 weeks of partial but not complete testing (ignoring lower frequencies where the problems are generated) at only 2 sites both 1.5km from Turbines; SA legislation allows multiple Turbines at only 1km from homes.
The testing is fundamentally flawed and does not withstand appropriate scientific rigour; it does not establish a relevent base or mean for infrasound, covers only a tiny area over a very limited timeframe, range of weather conditions/seasons, etc; it is in short not a scientific study at all. I could do better.
The EPA now claims that this testing proves Infrasound is not a problem, and both the EPA and the grossly deceitful Clean Energy Council immediately started promoting this 'proof ' via another wave of deliberately deceitful media interviews; Mr Russell Marsh of the CEC has no problem going repeatedly onto the ABC Radio and grossly misrepresenting every aspect of Wind Turbines; it's what he's paid to do.
One day this week the EPA and CEC were contradicting each other about the EPA report on ABC Local Radio Mt Gambier, carefully avoided later programs, and the next day were back fully agreeing with each other; a clear act of collusion.
Note: The EPA Report and their subsequent self -referencing acknowledges and identifies that No Appropriate Scientific Testing of Wind Turbine Infrasound Has Ever Been Done Anywhere on the Planet; if it had the EPA, CEC, etc, would be citing that study immediately, at every opportunity.
However, studies do exist on the issue of Infrasound in the Aviation industry, etc, but these studies don't say what the Labor state government, the EPA, the CEC, Pacific Hydro, Acciona, Vesta, the Grant District Council, etc, etc, want them to say.
So instead they do their own study that ignores the real issues, and this 'study' will now be relentlessly referenced by the CEC, EPE, etc, as the be all and end all to the Infrasound issue; the issue that only months ago was supposedly a "myth" created by unstable and irresponsible people; people just like me.
Furthermore, why is the EPA making decisions on what they themselves now acknowledge is a genuine health issue?
I believe that human intervention/activity does alter the environment, eco-systems, and on up through the natural systems to the climate itself; natural progressions and systems can be, have been, and will continue to be affected by the dominant species, us.
Tomorrow: Agoraphobia - Don't Leave Home Without It.
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