Letters to the Editor

Mother Nature’s mighty batteries

25th April 2021

The World Climate Conference is spreading a Green Virus – they must be gagged for our safety.

The Biden-Boris green virus which infects most of the west has become a danger to Australia. PM Morrison has promised to sink a billion dollars in “hydrogen, CCUS (carbon capture use or storage), batteries and critical minerals” — to achieve “net zero”.

NONE of these green dreams will produce one light-bulb of new energy — they  will actually require massive inputs of energy and cash.

Innovation is going backwards in this green era. Just as the sun enters a cooling phase, we are heading for an energy dark age. Green zealots have re-discovered windmills from the Middle Ages and the solar energy they worship has powered plant and animal life since the sun started shining. The first electric car appeared about 1890 but was rendered obsolete by Henry Ford’s petrol-powered Model T. Soon the maritime de-carbonisers will re-discover sails and our woke army will propose horse power to move soldiers and artillery. Will Australia run our diesel submarines on re-cycled cooking fat? Maybe Clydesdales will return to the farms?

Hydrogen usage is not new — hydrogen in coal gas was used in cities like London for a century from 1870. Maybe hydrogen-powered airships will again grace our skies?

CCUS (carbon capture use and storage) is just an old failed idea (CCS) jazzed up with the word “use”. The best use of carbon dioxide is to feed plants, thus feeding animals. Burning coal provides massive environmental benefits in replacing the carbon dioxide plant food that was removed from the atmosphere by the great forests of the Carboniferous Period and laid down in coal seams. Earth’s huge oceans contain immense amounts of carbon dioxide and, according to Henry’s Law, will offset our puny attempts to manipulate the atmosphere. If we add CO₂ to the atmosphere, about half will automatically dissolve in the oceans. If John Kerry manages to remove some atmospheric CO₂ (at great cost), about half will automatically outgas from the oceans—Henry’s Law (simple chemistry).

We now consume energy to dig up and process copper, nickel, lithium, cobalt, lead and rare earth minerals for batteries while ignoring and denigrating the mightiest natural batteries on Earth—our massive coal deposits that store millions of years’ worth of solar energy. Disposing of millions of used metallic batteries is a looming environmental disaster that Greens ignore.

Nuclear power gives us solidly reliable zero-emissions energy with no battery backup. Australia is a world leader in the production of uranium but doesn’t use it for energy. It rated zero mention in our PM’s Net-Zero Dreams.

Biden-Boris-Kerry will applaud Australia’s Green Dreams but the realists from the BRICS nations will laugh and continue to build coal, oil, and nuclear power to combat the approaching cold era. China and India alone have over 1,000 GW of new coal-fired power planned.

Crazy schemes to cool the Earth’s climate or extract CO2 from the atmosphere are green dreams and realist nightmares. We have managed to control both heat and cold in enclosed places like cars, houses and department stores (if the power is on). But the climate control lever of Planet Earth is outside the reach of mere mortals.

We cannot cool the climate, but history shows that nature may suddenly force cooling on us. Cooling is deadlier than warming [see PS below]. We need affordable and reliable energy to survive whatever weather we get.

Viv Forbes
Washpool Qld 4306 Australia
Phone 0409 2777 94
forbes@saltbushclub.com

Viv Forbes has science and financial qualifications and experience. He has solar panels on his carport and a diesel generator in the shed.

Further Reading

1,199 new coal-fired plants with a total installed capacity of 1,401,268 megawatts (MW) are being proposed globally:
https://www.wri.org/data/proposed-coal-fired-plants-installed-capacity-mw

Getting to net zero is not enough – we will still have to get carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere” – John Kerry:
https://twitter.com/i/status/1385266689856704514

The astronomical dimensions of the problem of producing 200 million lithium-ion car batteries – and disposing of them – are becoming undeniable:
https://principia-scientific.com/the-dawn-of-the-e-vehicle-battery-eco-disaster/?

Grand Solar Minimum approaching:
https://21stcenturywire.com/2020/09/05/global-cooling-noaa-confirms-full-blown-grand-solar-minimum/

Biden’s climate policy is sure to flop:
https://mailchi.mp/49e93025f31a/whybidens-climate-policy-is-almost-certain-to-flop-181358?e=561397ebd4

The perils of electric cars:
https://principia-scientific.com/why-i-regret-buying-an-electric-car/

Net Zero means massive cuts in meat, heat, cars, dairy products:
https://principia-scientific.com/net-zero-means-massive-cuts-in-meat-heat-cars-dairy-products/

China’s strange endorsement of ‘net zero’:
https://saltbushclub.com/2021/04/24/chinas-and-net-zero/

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