Crikey readers continued to be frustrated by the tension the Morrison government is creating around LGBTIQ students (with some readers also pointing out that the media should stop attempting to course-correct the government). Elsewhere, readers were divided on the issue of Australia’s chances of transitioning entirely away from coal by 2040, with the exact technicalities being scrutinised by both sides of the fence.

On Morrison’s self-defeating LGBTIQ obsession

DF writes: Morrison said “our society is about children, raising them, providing for the survival of the species”. If he is so concerned about the future of his children (and mine) and the survival of the species, why does he refuse to accept the scientific fact-based projected forecast about the effects of global warming? Failure to do so means he is lying about being concerned for his children’s welfare, but I guess when the rapture comes then they’ll all be saved and spend eternity sitting on clouds playing harps.

Xoanon writes: The key problem is that the far right can’t accept defeat. They were wrong on the equal marriage plebiscite and they need to accept that, just as all grown-up people accept they can’t always get their own way. Their relentless man-baby tantrums and dummy spits over such issues say a lot about their brainwashed sense of entitlement.

Slueth writes: Bernard, please stop helping the Liberal party from imploding on several fronts. We, the angry voters, don’t want them to get back in and resent journalists from several news outlets giving their spin doctors advice.

On Australia breaking up with coal 

Roger Clifton writes: If you believe that 100% renewables implies “100% fossil carbon free”, then you could be sold anything. If you check out the technology and timetable for 100% renewables, you will find that there is “gas” implied at every turn. Gas is permanently and fraudulently assigned “temporary” status as unaccounted back-up. If ever you could find somewhere to live and buy 100% renewable electricity, heating and transport, you would find that somewhere between 50-70% of that energy would have been provided by gas. And then not very efficiently.

Dog’s Breakfast: Yes, if we do very little and plod along like snails, we will need gas intermittency for a while, but with even a modicum of effort gas back-up could be zero by 2040, and is very likely to be anyway. This is moving much faster than I suspect you can keep up with. There has already been the necessary studies done to show something like 22,000 sites for developing pumped hydro in Australia alone. A figure in the region of 50 or 60 of the best of those 22,000 would suffice for all the back-up, instantly available, baseload storage we need both now and for the future.

The problem with that is all the excess power created when it is windy and sunny, but damn, those scientist have worked out that we can use excess power to produce hydrogen. Damned scientists. This could be a monumental export earner of nuclear free, emissions free power.

It requires nothing more than political will. No new technology, no unproven and unbuildable and hugely expensive third or fourth generation nukes. Just existing technology; wind, sun, and 20 years of not propping up power sources that belong in the dinosaur era. It’ll be a close run thing, but not because the tech isn’t up to it, just the people.

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