China said it would stop coal power construction, but CoalSwarm activists have caught it restarting construction at many plants it said it would close. It’s a tsunami of coal plants according to EndCoal. We’re talking about new capacity of 259GW, equivalent to the entire US coal fleet or more than ten times the total Australian coal fleet (23GW).
China said it was done with these coal plants. Satellite imagery shows otherwise.
The Huadian Plant was suspended in Jan 2017, but look at those cooling towers…. (Slide the centre line left and right).
Satellite imagery from Planet, February 2017 to March 2018, shows construction clearly ongoing at the plant.
Matt McGrath, BBC News
Building work has restarted at hundreds of Chinese coal-fired power stations, according to an analysis of satellite imagery.
The research, carried out by green campaigners CoalSwarm, suggests that 259 gigawatts of new capacity are under development in China. The authors say this is the same capacity to produce electricity as the entire US coal fleet. The study says government attempts to cancel many plants have failed. … there was a surge in new coal projects approved at provincial level in China between 2014 and 2016. This happened because of a decentralisation programme that shifted authority over coal plant construction approvals to local authorities. The report says that at present China has 993 gigawatts of coal power capacity, but the approved new plants would increase this by 25%.
The surge in new projects will exceed China’s current Five-year-plan coal cap of 1100 GW.
Apparently this will create more white-elephants. The genius of communist planning:
“Given that China’s coal fleet operates less than half the time, 259 GW additional coal power capacity is unneeded and represents US$210 billion in capital expenditures that could instead fund nearly 300 GW of solar PV or 175 GW of onshore wind power.”
— Endcoal
Who knows what the truth is? Coal prices are rising.
Coal is the only dying asset where people want more and are paying more
The Inconvenient Truth Of Rising Coal Prices
Tim Treadgold, Forbes
Coal prices are not supposed to be rising as governments tighten environmental controls, but that’s precisely what is happening at the premium end of the coal market where prices have soared.
Over the past six months, the price of top quality thermal coal exported from the Australian port of Newcastle has risen by 25% to $115 a ton, a move reflected in the share prices of Australian coal exporters, such as Whitehaven Coal, which is up 27% over the same time, and Stanmore Coal, which is up 16%.
h/t El Gordo, GWPF
REFERENCE
Australian coal fired capacity, Chapter 2. Australian Parliament. Specifically, the Australian Energy Council Submission 44. Table 1. Nov 2016 (minus Hazelwood).
So maybe it’s Germany ?
30
I do hope the Chinese “One Road” comes to Victoria with a HV power line.
20
China is playing a clever game here, knowing that western countries (other than the US at the moment) are pandering to the environmentalists and they are secretly ramping things up in preparation to major moves. Of course the Green Blob believes everything that’s said when it comes to what they want to believe and further their cause.
Just listening briefly to Australia’s Green Blob, on the news tonight, about how they will bring peace and prosperity to Australia with ‘community power generation’ just made my blood boil. Much the same with the ABC outrage that preceded that article. And the Plibeserker is the most disingenuous politician in Australia.
450
China is still using coal fired steam engines to transport coal and then uses junk coal to run them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8grHpQAB1jA
70
Fantastic.
Great shot of “incomplete” combustion or primitive pollution control.
KK
50
The sooner China takes over Oz the better .
127
Hope a sarc\. tag was missing there, the Chinese playing capitalists will walk over their own let alone give a stuff about Australians.
I’d be more than happy to see the end of their arrogant behavior and s#it driving in my country.
221
They keep a tight grip on their own people, its an Orwellian nightmare, but we can show them the benefits of democracy and the joy of being free on this very large island.
Their new form of capitalism is superior to the Western model which lauds free enterprise, with the cost of inequality. Beijing says we should aim to achieve ‘abundance for all’ by developing a greater middle class and eradicating poverty.
The Belt and Road strategy always seeks to improve the energy resources of countries along the way, to bring about a revolution.
61
Tibetans probably wouldn’t agree about the benign description of Chinese expansionism.
Then there’s the Spratleys and Hong Kong and that other place, Taiwan?
110
The Tibetans are better off with a good education, health services and a more varied diet. Religion of any kind is a throwback and only of interest to tourists.
The Spratleys, HK and Taiwan were theirs in the old days and they are taking them back, do you have a problem with that?
35
The Spratlys are Very close to Borneo and the Philippines; I’m thinking that they might be feeling a bit uncomfortable in those places.
The people of the Paracels islands, however, are very appreciative of the gigantic new airfield donated by China recently.
As to Tibet, I suppose all primitive people will be shown the right way eventually.
I don’t think that China is much different from Australia and the European world where in the last 100 years there have been two enormous world wars which incorporated a major Asian component alongside the two later major Asian wars.
Those wars were fought by the plebs who died in their hundreds of thousands, for the benefit of surviving politicians.
None of this is pleasant but the point I’d like to make is that expansionism isn’t the answer, at least not for the poor people.
Proper government should be too busy working on the improvement of life in lands they govern to be concerned with expanding their empires.
The only people who benefit from expanding areas under government are the New Governors, their families and hangers on.
Oh for a better world, but we seem to be going around in the same old circles.
KK
80
True el gordo. Unfortuantely western journo no stuff all about Chinese history . Including alot of academics. Lets face it they cant read it (gu wen). China has literally no expansionism compared to the USA how many (US) military bases are there around the planet? The BRI will help everybody in the end. The USA is loosing control, fast, and panicking ..fast, listen to the rhetoric.
16
The US is into exporting arms, its a military industrial complex, and Donald wants us to become the deputy sheriff in the South Pacific and double our weapon spending.
This is pure folly.
15
Yes and no El Gordo…Australia has just sent troops up into PNG to provide a presence against Chinese activity recently. My thought is that you don’t do such thing unless the Chinese are attempting influence in that area, which will, as you’d eventually expect, to establish bases near to Oz. Lets face it.money talks, if some small island somewhere needs dosh and the chinese have it and comes with few strings attached, why wouldn’t they go at it?
The chinese also have a 300 year plan, so nothing happens haphazardly….
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-21/defence-prepares-for-troop-rotations-to-png-amid-fears-of-china/10288042
“Australian soldiers could soon begin regular military rotations to Papua New Guinea as anxiety over China’s growing influence in the Pacific region continues to rise.
The ABC has learned planning for short-term troop deployments to the former Australian territory is well advanced, similar to the current army training rotations at Malaysia’s Butterworth Air Force base.
About 30 Australian army officers are already embedded with the PNG Defence Force (PNGDF), but that number is down significantly on past decades.
A senior Defence department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Australia had “taken its eye off” PNG during the long Afghanistan war but was now “refocusing on its close neighbour” “
60
China was involved in the Kakadu naval operation, there is good will on both sides.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-02/chinese-backed-airport-in-solomon-islands-nothing-to-fear/9718260
10
Communist expansion and capitalist expansion are not the same.
All religions pose a threat to totalitarian rulers. The only true God is President Xi and doubters can be incarcerated without charge until their lucky numbers come up as an organ match.
The push against Christianity has begun
100
have you found god?
16
Then of course there is the Uighur of Xinjiang province, a large re-education camp. Lets see if they can be converted to heathens.
20
@ Gee Aye: Not that lucky.
I found respect though.
110
You are correct Jo.
I know of Chinese Christians who have to have church in secret and have to whisper any hymns they are singing, lest their neighbours call the police and they are incarcerated…..
Communism is atheistic, and Christinaity is growing rapidly in China, and the chinese communists hate anything they cant control….
70
el gordo:
What is wrong with inequality? The US Declaration of Independence has it that all are “created equal”. Obviously untrue, but in what sense should it be true? A heat engine is driven by differences in temperature; an electric motor by differences in electrical potential. No volts, no go. Is it not the same for us? The only way to be truly equal is to be dead.
A deeper question is how you would even evaluate that you’d achieved equality. There is no scoreboard that we could possibly agree on. Some people rate success in terms of $$$$ in the bank. Others by the love of their families. Others by working at things that matter to them, be it a cure for cancer or a passion for art. I don’t much care how I’m doing on your scoreboard.
Lots of people piously complain about inequality, but it’s meaningless unless they say exactly what it is that they want to equalise.
110
Hi el gordo and Robert,
I think that el gordo was using the inequality word loosely to mean “a better life”, something we all would want.
The trouble with the current world of politics is that it verbalises every aspect of human existence to the point that people give up listening to the constant flow of junk.
You only have to look at Europe, the Americas, Asia, the Pacific to see that politicians have not done very much to improve the lot of citizens in the last 100 years.
The only remedy is to make all politicians fully accountable for the management of their areas of responsibility.
Unfortunately those governed can’t control their political elites.
And the cycle continues.
KK
40
Beijing comes in peace, prepared to create new markets and gain strategic advantage along the way.
https://www.internationalrivers.org/campaigns/chinese-dams-in-africa
The Millennium Dam gives Ethiopia a chance to export energy to its nearest neighbours.
22
I’m sure there are regions in China where the people are wondering why their government prioritizes providing fresh water for drinking and industry to Africa above themselves.
My one big hope for our poor country is that we might be seen as their Switzerland, where they can escape with their sequestered cash and live happily ever after.
KK
KK
50
Ostentatious wealth is vulgar, so in a politically correct world it will be toned down. In this way we have the semblance of equality.
30
equality in the socialist context is equality of poverty, every one is equally poor, except of course for the ruling elite who aren’t. Socialism is a two tier wealth system, where no-one can attain their potential, capitalism is a continuum where everyone can attain their potential.
80
Socialism with Chinese characteristics brought millions out of poverty and gave the people hope for a better future. Obviously there have been problems along the way, but I won’t be raking over the entrails on this occasion.
Australia has a two tier wealth system, the comfortably well off and the battlers. No different to China, we both have a public and private health system working amicably.
China also cultivates their entrepreneurs and lauds their achievements to the general public, its aspirational stuff.
You should read between the lines at China Daily, figure out what they are not saying.
31
China lent Zambia a lot of money.
Zambia defaulted:
see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1B9xxXOTUy8 China take over it’s “ new African colony” …
30
A choice between communist China running OZ or a Labor / Green communist alliance running OZ ! thats a tough one .
240
We must not give way to despair, a strong centre-right government would stop unhealthy encroachment.
70
I drive past a coal train at Hexham heading for the Port of Newcastle and wonder at the power needed to pull the huge load.
Then I try to deal with the thinking and contradictions involved when governments willingly send it overseas to be burned but won’t plan to burn any more here because it will damage the Planet.
Then, when I get home and have a drink or two but still can’t understand what’s going on.
KK
371
KK
It’s a plot to drive people to drink.
That way the Government (I use the term loosely) will collect more tax, reducing the deficit and claim their policies are working.
The captain of the Titanic went down with the ship, would it be too much to ask for a number of useless crew members to go down too?
130
This problem of enhanced activism has been caused by excessively high unemployment benefits and governments hiding unemployment problems by sending the potential unemployed to University where they luxuriate on “living allowances” that astound those few left who survived the two world wars and major depression on almost NOTHING.
That’s a mouthful but it needs to be said and understood that a nation that allows politicians to buy votes with our Taxes is Not working in our best interests.
KK
120
KK it’s very simple. Most people here are too busy to stop and listen to the real news and let their computer brain crunch through using logic and reason to come up with the right conclusion. Instead they take brief moments to listen to the MSM and fall for the BS about how bad coal is and how renewables will save the planet (not). I have often stated therefore it’s the people’s fault for letting things get so bad and not the government because we the people vote for the government we richly deserve. Of course it’s not that simple so the blame has to be shared all around. However, the fact still remains, people need to take a moment ot do their own research and not just listen to the MSM and take everything they say for granted. Until that changes we will never have the government we do really deserve instead of the likes of the Turnbull lead LNP we had to put up with for the last few years and possibly a Shorten lead ALP government for the next few years. Sensible people who do bother to do their own research know Morrison is our last hope.
Unfortunately, Morrison has precious little time to get the party back in order to maximise his chances of winning the next election. So far he is doing reasonably well. Of course it’s too early to tell if he can pull it off and win the next election. He has an uphill battle but he can do it if he expresses his views convincingly, simply and clearly instead of the usual blather by the likes of Shorten and Turnbull. Such doublespeak only turns people off, and since we’ve had a gut full of it from Turnbull for so long the last thing voters will put up with is a repeat. So Morrison has to act not just talk. If he does act properly with conviction the conservative voters who have already given up and are now supporting one of the more conservative minor parties, such as ON and ACP will come back and support the LNP and hence have a good chance of winning the next election. If he really excels in his messages supported by good policies by his ministers by demolishing the opposition’s policies explaining how they will crash and burn our nation they will sway so many swinging voters away from the ALP to his side sealing a landslide victory. All this assumes one thing; the voters by and large are not brain dead. If they are brain dead then they will not understand nor believe whatever Morrison says or does and hence Shorten becomes our next PM due to the memories of LNP’s self-destructive nature ever since Abbott was stabbed in the back by Turnbull who caused the mess. Hence assuming that Morrison is the right person for the job in the long run the next federal election is a significant litmus test of the voters’ awareness of how important it is we block Shorten from becoming PM in spite of that self-destructive nature to avoid things getting much worse in terms of the cost of living, nation’s sovereignty and social cohesion. Now if the white-anting continues by the left in the LNP, such as Turnbull then there is very little Morrison can do prior to the election so it’s up to the voters to see through all that and still support the LNP rather than the nation destroying ALP+Greens. How Morrison performs from here on will be a critical factor in how the voters weigh up the two issues; the white-anting by the left in the LNP leading to an unstable party and the real risk that a Shorten government risks a crash and burn scenario for our economy and society. One way to resolve such a dilemma is to accept the fact the LNP is a mess but to give Morrison one full term to try and sort it out rather than to punish the party as a whole and give the government to Shorten. It is possible if the LNP wins the next election that Morrison will do something to stop the white-anting by any means possible, including the threat of expulsion from the party. Regardless of whether the LNP wins or not he should focus after the election on flushing out all dissidents who keep white-anting the party. Otherwise the party will slowly implode and cease to be a viable alternative to the ALP+Greens and we can eventually bury the LNP and move on to a new party that replaces it.
‘nuf said.
111
It’s hard for voters to understand the issues but we have to live in hope that one day enough of them will see the light and vote to win for themselves and their kids.
It is good to see these new parties getting set up and offering choice as it’s the only way that the self centered LibLabs can be forced to actually think about governing properly and moving Australia forward.
Observing politics in Australia has been very depressing in terms of our future, there just doesn’t seem to be any vision for where we need to go.
KK
40
Yes it is hard but not too hard. After all a lot of people do spend a lot of time, money and effort doing many other much less useful things, such as watching sports and attending to their pets, most of which can be worthwhile past times. The point is one of the most important exercises any citizen can do is to spend a bit of time doing their own research to search for the truth instead of taking on blind faith what the MSM are telling us, which most of them admit they can’t be trusted in the first place. It’s a sort of psychotic disorder to listen to the MSM yet at the same time distrust them. It smacks a lot of what George Orwell portrayed in his famous novel 1984 but at least the citizens there had the excuse fear of force was so overwhelming they had very little choice. In the real world of today at least we still have the free will to choose without such fear, yet most people can’t be bothered to think, don’t give a damn or refuse outright to accept the truth no matter how much evidence is shown to them. One could call it laziness but I believe it goes much deeper than that.
40
Hi Peter,
I know you dream of the day when our entire population will be fully aware and informed but human nature being what it is they take the short cut and look for a likely leader.
Our manor institutions have been so heavily undermined that there is almost no capacity in the community to understand what truth and reality are, let alone find and identify Truth, Reality and Integrity.
How to turn that around?
Perhaps we need to implement a new Law of Treason to deal with politicians who step outside the boundaries of common good to feather their own nests.
KK
30
Major not manor.
10
That would be nice but I’m a realist and know that will not happen. Things will turn around as in the past because mankind goes through very clear cycles of behaviour. We will crash and burn but out of the ashes will spring the next cycle as per usual. One thing we as a human species do very well is we quickly forget our past mistakes and so we have to repeat them again to teach us the same lessons.
30
Is simpler than that Keith, to change everything, implement secret voting in parliament. How we can call our society democratic when decisions in parliament are driven by peer group pressure is beyond me.
20
An extremely excellent important point.
Just imagine how the Malcolm and Julie’s and Kevvies and Bullies would handle that.
“It wasn’t me” would be heard all through angry party meetings.
KK
20
Its a time similar to the 1980s where everyone felt they’d been dropped into a running washing machine….
If you think of the great overhauls of society recently – people now have the pungent & odious influence of SSM, but it wont stop at that , shes a fast runaway train heading for a cliff, but everyone is too terminally stupid to see it….it will only stop when we are invaded and smashed into the ground…..the same way the Roman Empire went when it was overrun by barbarians, although I think the barbarians are the Communists and there are plenty of them in Oz already.
Oz has been earmarked as a globalist test bench to see how much a very capable ( but ignorant and dim population ) will tolerate before they complain. So far, they have put up with a lot and also embraced the very societal cancer that will eat them and their children whole while removing their liberties and freedoms…..
70
There’s your problem KK — for a fuller understanding and a truly meditative experience you should try waiting for a coal train to pass a level crossing.
When I used to work at Ravensworth, coal trains would park with their lead engine across the level crossing to change drivers. After they waved goodbye and blew kisses to each other, do you know how long it takes to get 3 or 4 locos, 10,000 tonnes of coal and 100 wagons moving again from a standing start?
We would sit there while what seemed like 10km of wagons inched past as they picked up speed marginally. I know these trains are pups compared to the iron ore trains, but over 1km of train is still long enough when it’s moving at 2kph and you’re waiting to see the end.
What’s good for China should be just as good for Oz — burn more coal!
100
In Newcastle I never approach a level crossing, always drive around.
There was one train that used to go through Adamstown to go across to Kooragang where they could change the engines to the other end.
Then they went back out to the mine at the other end of Lake Macquarie where the next stage of the operation could be performed.
All that to avoid the outlay for a shunting layout at the mine itself. Hard to believe.
KK
40
I didn’t know any Lake Mac coal was exported. Thought it all went straight to Eraring and Vales Point PS to wind up as MWs. Some of the local mines must be worked out because Vales Point is talking about bringing in coal from Gunnedah I think when they do their planned upgrade to the power station. It would have to be a high cost operation compared to the other Hunter power stations.
I also don’t know where the new Wallarah 2 coal from Wyong ends up either come to think of it. Now that Munmorah PS is demolished, that coal must come up through Newcastle too.
40
Not sure where that coal came from but it was a bit of a talking point for a while, going in and out.
The main point is I always drive around Adamstown gates. Once caught,,,,,
KK
40
A rule of thumb to remember.
We used to live by that line. There we saw the local carrier raising dust with 430hp carting 43 tonnes, and the coal trains with 12,000 hp hauling 11,000 tonnes.
In terms of efficiency, roughly ten to one.
60
It’s so amusing to see how the green alarmists never challenge Chinese emissions. Of course that’s because CC is a purley political cause, designed to create the false need for a centralised global government for the purpose of wealth distribution. What really gives the game away is the fact that China, SE Asia and India emit half of all global emissions and not only are they exempt from the Paris targets, they are allowed to increase their emissions by as much as they please.
The real sinners in this political game are the wealthy white western countries, such as Australia. In our case we emit barely more than 1% of emissions and yet this tiny amount sends our green alarmists into a frenzy, with crazy demands to remove our 1% in order to save the reef and prevent rising seas washing over people living on neighbouring small islands, ironically most of which have high volcanic mountains with an average elevation greater than Australia. Even more amusingly, not one protestor will ever be seen outside the Chinese embassy, the country that emits one third of all CO2 emissions, more than twice the amount of any other country.
340
Serge Wright:
If you comment on the articles in The Australian you will be familiar with Peter (the fabricator) who keeps quoting figures (from where?) about the dediction of the Chinesse to switching to renewables. This will be devastating news for him, or would be if he ever ventured into checking his “facts”.
To whom we might add his friend Woddles, and Stan (the experienced? engineer?) and the usual SillyFilly, Patricia (the GBR is dying) and one or two others. They post frequently trying to drown out the majority. Personally, once you can challenge those made up figures with facts, they add to the conviction by the many that AGW is the preserve of a minority.
100
Graeme there are stooges and stooges. The GetUp stooges were very visible at first, and an interesting aspect was their choice of classically popular names, which suggested to me that they were targeting older people. Patricia was visible there from day one, along with an Andrew, John and such.
I did a count on Woddles a couple of days ago. Of 400 posts, Woddles had 56 and growing. Looks like a full time job.
100
Maybe the trick is to hold the ( metaphorical ) feet of the CAGW crowd to the fire, and get them to criticize china about CAGW…..they wont.
The question to ask them is why? Get them to go into print as to why…really force the point….they will realise we are onto them…
20
1% relative to what, since the increased sinking of our forests since 1990 equals -4% or nett emissions relative to 1990 is -3% of human emissions.
30
Stop worrying about details like building coal plants, buying coal and CO2 emissions. Truth doesn’t matter. All that matters is the narrative. China supports the narrative while its CO2 emission rise so they are good, the USA dismissed the narrative while its CO2 emissions fall so its bad.
140
I thought the narrative is to crash and burn Australia.
70
No one wants Australia to crash and burn, they simply want a you (and other developed countries) to pay a fee to continue to enjoy your life style. It’s the way the Roman Catholic Church raised revenue prior to the Reformation.
67
A lot of Green and Labor Party faithful seem to genuinely want Australia to crash and burn – unless it’s just very good acting?
Mind you, the Liberals and Nationals are not without their share of similarly destructive people…
100
Environmentalists are keen to link global warming skepticism and the tobacco industry and if you look how tobacco regulations played out in the US you can see where climate regulation might be headed. Tobacco was never banned but it’s been taxed to the hilt, such that the money collected by governments in taxes and legal settlements far exceeds the profits made by tobacco companies. No matter how regressive the tobacco taxes are, its not a concern because they are taxing a vice. The health care industry is one of tobacco tax’s largest beneficiaries.
Imagine if you can convince enough people that energy use is a vice, the amount of revenue that could be raised would be orders of magnitude larger; so much so that there would be enough for local, national and international dipping into the kitty.
103
And that’s what you want to do, destroy the economy?
01
Sean, PeterS and James M are right. The narrative is indeed to crash and burn Australia, and has been for the whole of the last 49 years since Hawke took over the leadership of the ACTU.
The ACTU spent the whole of the 1970s preventing Australian firms from innovating, and busting small and mid sized manufacturing businesses.
Then we saw the Hawke government’s promotion of the abuse of the bank deregulation by Bond and others, including three of our “big four” banks, which was half of Australia’s deliberate contribution to the crash of 1987. Having given capitalism enough rope to hang itself they urged it to get out and hang itself ASAP. Every prudent businessman/woman knew that what they were doing had to lead to a bust. They got their bust, but were outsmarted and failed to gain control.
Then they switched to running up public debt. Public debt must be funded by private capital. Public debt is future private capital already spent, taken out of private management.
Till recently the biggest factor running up debt was the NBN, but that may be cast in the shadows by the Victorian government’s recently announced policies.
Just as a developer buys a property and demolishes it to build another, the Marxists in the Greens and the ALP are out to destroy capitalism and replace it with another system. Abolish private management of industry and bring in central planning, no matter the cost!
110
There can be many explanations as to why the left (including some who are currently in the LNP) want to crash and burn Australia. I tend to believe for most the root cause or driving force is the nature of an evil attitude within a person. It blinds them to do illogical and unsound things, such as go out of their way to crash and burn a nation without realising it. The Greens are a prime example but there are some members in the LNP who have a similar attitude. The rest, which are in the minority and can be of any political persuasion do want to crash and burn our nation, and they do realise what they are doing as distinct from the others. One example would be the far right white activists as well as the far left anarchists.
50
The Greens don’t want us to ‘crash and burn’, they will continue virtue signalling as a first line of attack against a wilful society.
The extreme left and right in Australia are happy to see democracy continue for the time being.
32
The extreme left and right have completely opposing agendas (by definition) so in a democracy they will crash and burn a nation just to get their way. Who wins depends on who has the more belligerent and initially charismatic leader. Hitler’s Germany is one example. Let’s hope we don’t have a similar experience in the West but I can see some early warning signs that we are on a similar path. Time will tell if we can skirt around that, be it extreme left or extreme right.
30
Extreme left or right wants to see society hog tied and locked down.
We are useful beasts of burden for them, and that’s all….
40
Julia Gillard came from the far left and became PM, we live in a democracy.
The Australian has picked up the story on Beijing’s change of heart, so its only a matter of time before Morrison calls for tenders.
‘China is building hundreds of new coal-fired plants despite official assurances construction has stopped, a new report claims.’
10
El Gordo, I think you mistake Communisms patience to subvert and control with actual friendship. You cannot be have communism and democracy co-existing, its impossible.
PeterS is quite correct – there are many who are evil in this country, and many of those seem to have found a natural home in the far Left.
I recall hearinga podcast about a Christian Missionary ( who was ex-South African army ) whose greatest fear was falling into the hands of communist thugs. He could handle most other religious/political terrorists, but in his opinion, the Communist thugs had a special sort of evil & cruelty that people greatly feared.
30
Mind altering substances are a key factor. Number one being grog.
50
We need a revolution: both Libs and Labs have their claws deeply embedded in our political system.
KK
40
Would you accept an evolution? Its Morrison’s call.
‘The Global Climate Fund wants a commitment now on another $400 million from Australia to keep global climate finance afloat.’ Oz
10
The right answer politically is “it’s coming, soon”.
The right answer is “sorry, we don’t believe in fairy tales”.
How much does China Pay?
KK
30
Enough, they are currying favour, but I pose the question was Turnbull being too cleaver by half?
‘Under questioning in Senate Estimates, departmental officials revealed $444 million had been given to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation without it having to go through a tender process.’ ABC
00
El Gordo,
I’m puzzled about where that fits in.
00
The figure they can’t fudge is the enormous dollar year for Australian coal exports in 2017 (biggest for money, one of the biggest for tonnage).
Our Green Betters wait for any downward fluctuation, however brief, in price or exports to announce the death of coal and China’s embrace of Big Green. (It’s been tried by a commenter on this site. Maybe the Chinese send him a Social Credit or two for his trouble?)
Ignore the expensive decor of solar panels and whirlygigs laid on by China for HuffPo readers and the like. Asian coal production, import and consumption are through the roof, and that’s all there is to it. Reducing Australia’s exports as well as domestic consumption to nothing would make only the tiniest difference to global totals, despite our leadership in exports. And the only way Asia will reduce its production, imports and consumption of coal is to have a world-wide economic slump. (That’s right, they didn’t find Gaia in late 2008.)
Australia needs to learn from Asia (and Germany, for that matter) and fudge. We sold all those two-bob watches to the Yanks in the war, didn’t we? Where’s our convict heritage now when we need it most?
My dear friend, clear your mind of cant. You may talk as other people do: you may say to a man, “Sir, I am your most humble servant.” You are not his most humble servant… You may talk in this manner; it is a mode of talking in Society; but don’t think foolishly. – Sam Johnson
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G’day mosmoso,
I’ve found it fascinating, and disturbing that Alan Kohler doesn’t routinely include the price of coal in his segment of the ABC’s 7 o’clock news. But not surprising. I think I’ve heard it mentioned once by him. I sort of thought it should get regular mention owing to its importance to our export income. Perhaps he doesn’t know that?
Cheers,
Dave B
40
Dave, you can get a “business” journo accidentally to report on our massive coal exports when announcing a coal slump after a disastrous cyclone like Debbie. Sounds good: dying coal and deadly climate extremes in the one headline.
But the odd reader will have to notice that 6+ billion monthly figure before the slump. The odd reader might even look at the 3+ billion post-cyclone figure and think it’s not too shabby.
It’s a hazard of journalism in these green times: you have to assure the punters there’s no elephant in the room but from time to time you yourself will trip on that enormous proboscis.
00
no-one pushes the China as climate leader more than Bloomberg, yet this huuuuge story – which I posted on a previous thread a couple of days ago – is exactly one paragraph long (or short), and written by 3 staff!
24 Sept: Bloomberg: China Is Adding More Coal Capacity
The projected expansion contrasts with government announcements of cutting unwanted and inefficient mines
by Jing Yang; With assistance by Aibing Guo, and Ben Sharples
For all its talk about cutting coal mining capacity, China actually plans to add more. The world’s biggest producer and user of the fuel may see net annual capacity additions of as much as 400 million tons by 2020, according to estimates from analysts including Wood Mackenzie Ltd. That’s about 10 percent of its current capacity and almost as much as Indonesia, the world’s biggest exporter, sells each year.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-09-24/china-is-adding-more-coal-capacity
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The world’s plants will be happier and healthier.
Rejoice!
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Our convict heritage is pretty much lost. It used to be a badge of honour to be associated with convict heritage. I doubt we’ll ever get it back. We’ll probably have to wait for another terrible stage in our nation’s “development” to re-learn the lessons of honour, honesty, truth and fairness. It’s how human nature works I’m afraid, partly due to apathy and partly due to fear of being ridiculed for stating the obvious truth. Instead of all of us working together to make Australia a great nation using practical means that are well known and proven we instead want to divide it into tribes fighting each other.
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26 Sept: Reuters: UPDATE 1-Indonesia 2018 coal output target now around 507 mln T -Energy Ministry
by Bernadette Christina Munthe, Wilda Asmarini
Indonesia has increased its 2018 coal production target to around 507 million tonnes from a previous target of 485 million tonnes, the Energy Ministry said on Wednesday, a move that may add to downward pressure on prices for the fuel…
The government has issued additional output quotas of 21.9 million tonnes, split among 32 coal miners, Energy and Mineral Resources Spokesman Agung Pribadi said in a text message.
Pribadi declined to provide details on the companies that received the additional quotas.
All of the additional output could be exported, he said, adding that no further applications for increases to 2018 coal output quotas are being reviewed by the ministry…
***As well, weaker demand from key buyer China could dampen Indonesia’s hopes of exporting the additional supply, said consulting firm Wood Mackenzie…
https://www.reuters.com/article/indonesia-coal/update-1-indonesia-2018-coal-output-target-now-around-507-mln-t-energy-ministry-idUSL4N1WC2ZS
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17 Sept: Xinhua: Australia-China joint military exercise kicks off in Canberra
CANBERRA – The opening ceremony of Exercise Pandaroo 2018 was held here on Monday, marking the start of a joint exercise by soldiers from the Australian Army and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army.
This is the fourth joint exercise since 2015, which will last till September 28…
“In recent years, bilateral defense tie between Australia and China has been developing steadily, which played a positive role in deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership between our two nations,” said Senior Colonel Wang Jingguo, Defence Attache of the Chinese embassy in Australia.
“Through the joint exercise, our soldiers could learn from each other and improve together,” he said. “The exercise helps promote the mutual understanding and trust between the two armed forces.”
Brigadier Cameron Purdey of the Australian Army said that the exercise is a “fantastic opportunity for us to continue developing our relationship among junior soldiers and junior officers.”…
In the following 10 days, soldiers from both sides will have exercises in the Blue Mountains and Sydney regions in New South Wales.
Exercise Pandaroo 2018 followed Exercise Kowari earlier this month featuring Chinese, Australian and U.S. armed forces, and Exercise Kakadu, Australia’s largest maritime military exercise to which China sent a warship for the first time.
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/asiapacific/2018-09/17/c_137474062.htm
Kowari has been described as a survival training exercise. however, there is no reporting on any of the above or the following in the US, or anywhere other than in Australia & China:
6 Sept: Global Times: Chinese marines debut in trilateral training mission, earning appraisal from counterparts
The 5th annual installment of Exercise Kowari featuring Chinese, Australian and U.S. armed forces, has wrapped up in Cairns on Wednesday.
The eight-day trilateral training mission on Australia’s far north coast included 30 elite soldiers from the Chinese marines, the Australian army and the U.S. army and marines…
Initiated in 2014, the annual Exercise Kowari has become an important platform for the armed forces of the three countries to deepen mutual understanding and strengthen trust.
This year witnessed the debut of the Chinese marines to the annual Exercise Kowari, whose hard efforts earned high appraisal from Australian and U.S. military officers…
Marine Rotational Force Darwin Commander, U.S. Colonel Jay Schnelle said: “When you get put into these kind of uncomfortable situations, you learn about yourself and you learn to depend upon the team that are with.”…
Chinese Marine Senior Colonel Chen Weidong echoed the sentiments of his American counterpart, saying that the difficult training was a major benefit to everyone involved.
“This exercise will help promote the development of the Chinese marines,” he said.
“Our soldiers learned many survival skills and strengthened their ability to cope in field operations.”…
But as well as learning from each other during the missions, amphibian scout of Chinese Marines Chen Qi said at the end of the day Chinese soldiers would also get a chance to teach the Americans and Australians Kung Fu fighting techniques in return for tips on their swimming strokes…
Meanwhile, the soldiers involved in Exercise Kowari are not the only Chinese military personnel down under at the moment.
China has also sent a warship to participate in Australia’s largest maritime military exercise taking place off Darwin in northern Australia.
Involving 27 countries, Exercise Kakadu began over the weekend and will see 23 ships, 21 aircraft, one submarine and over 3,000 personnel taking part in a range of activities over the next few weeks.
It is the first time in history China has been involved in the bi-annual exercise.
http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1118524.shtml
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“mutual understanding.”
What an amusing phrase that is. Funny how it always works in but one direction. Somehow it filled several columns of a copy of the Oz which I bought in April (the the first in ten years). It all smacked—and the smack remains—of other totalitarian regimes now residing in the rubbish bin of history.
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New York Times, July 1, 2017:
Over all, 1,600 coal plants are planned or under construction in 62 countries, according to Urgewald’s tally, which uses data from the Global Coal Plant Tracker portal. The new plants would expand the world’s coal-fired power capacity by 43 percent.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/01/climate/china-energy-companies-coal-plants-climate-change.html
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China U-turns on coal ban amid growing outcry over numbers left freezing in winter cold
Northern officials told that keeping people warm is ‘number one’ priority as dash for gas fails to ensure adequate power supplies
PUBLISHED : Thursday, 07 December, 2017, 12:46pm
UPDATED : Thursday, 07 December, 2017, 11:32pm
China has relaxed a coal ban in northern cities designed to reduce air pollution amid a growing outcry from people left without a reliable energy supply as winter sets in.
The government’s initial restriction on burning coal led to millions of families being forced to convert to cleaner fuels, such as natural gas, for heating and cooking. However, delays in setting up pipelines and severe supply shortages have left many out in the cold.
In a “double urgent” letter dated Monday, the Ministry of Environmental Protection told authorities in 28 cities to relax the coal ban at places where the conversion process had not been completed, People’s Daily reported on Thursday.
Move to clean energy leaves Chinese pupils out in the cold winter
The letter also called on local officials to ensure energy prices and supplies remained stable for those people who had already switched to using gas or electricity.
“Keeping people warm in winter should be the number one principle,” the letter said, adding that the ministry would pay special attention to the issue during future inspections.
It was unclear whether the easing of the ban would apply to other cities, but the ministry could not be immediately reached for comment.
Natural gas crunch in northern China leaves hospitals, schools out in the cold
Beijing has stepped up its efforts to phase out coal use ahead of this year’s deadline for air quality targets, vowing to switch 3 million households in the 28 northern cities to gas or electricity.
But while coal has been banned in villages and communities, many residents have yet to be provided with an alternative.
According to recent media reports, pupils at schools in some rural areas whose coal-fired heaters had been dismantled were forced to study outside – as it was warmer than inside – or run around to generate body heat.
The education ministry said it had ordered local governments to resolve the heating problem immediately after the reports prompted an outburst of criticism on social media.
“The children’s [suffering] has indeed hurt our hearts badly,” ministry spokeswoman Xu Mei said at a news briefing on Wednesday, according to Xinhua.
Chinese companies fined US$154 million for environmental offences
Meanwhile, the coal ban has led to gas shortages and surging prices since the onset of winter, forcing some cities to halt supplies to factories.
China National Petroleum Corp also warned on Thursday that China could see natural gas shortages if the country was hit by “extreme” weather this winter.
The environmental campaign has helped push demand for gas to new highs, but a lack of storage and transport infrastructure means supply is failing to keep pace, the company said in a research report.
Smog blankets Beijing, northern China, causes road closures around the country
As a result, the government would help energy companies to increase imports of natural gas via cross-border pipelines and liquefied natural gas terminals, commerce ministry spokesman Gao Feng said on Thursday.
Gas imports in the first 10 months of the year rose 24.9 per cent from the same period of 2016, he said.
According to a Bloomberg report published on Thursday, China is on course to overtake South Korea to become the world’s second-largest importer of liquefied natural gas, behind Japan. It is already the world’s top energy user.
Tankers with a combined capacity of 33.6 million tonnes have visited China this year, just 1.7 million below South Korea’s total, the report said.
This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: U-turn on coal ban after residents left out in cold
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26 Sept: Sputnik News: Paris Deal Commitments Harm 11 Global Industries With $2.2 Trl in Debt – Moody’s
Governments around the globe are tightening environmental regulations under the Paris Agreement on climate change, ***measures which are significantly affecting 11 industries with a total rated debt of about $2.2 trillion, a fresh report by the Moody’s Investors Service said.
“As governments seek to fulfill their Paris Agreement commitments, the tightening of regulatory regimes governing CO2 emissions is having a tangible – and, in some cases, disruptive – impact on the most exposed industrial sectors globally… Our heat map identifies 11 sectors, totaling roughly $2.2 trillion in rated debt, with elevated credit exposure to environmental risks,” the report said.
The most affected sectors include oil and gas refining, transportation and logistics, the steel industry, mining, and chemicals production, the report indicated.
“Again, this represents a 10% increase in rated debt from 2015. These sectors have clear exposure to environmental risks that are either already material to credit quality or could be over the next three to five years,” the report added…
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201809261068352949-climate-paris-agreement/
25 Sept: EnergyLiveNews: Eleven major industries ‘highly exposed to climate risks’
Financial services firm Moody’s says these sectors have a combined $2.2tn of debt
By Jonny Bairstow
Financial services firm Moody’s says the two industries facing the most immediate risk are unregulated power and utilities companies and coal businesses – together, these markets account for a $517 billion (£392.8bn) of rated debt.
A new report from Moody’s suggests they are at high risk because they are ***directly exposed to policy pressures to cut emissions, disrupting their business models and limiting their margins.
It shows the impact on generators is lower in Asia than in Europe, as power demand is still seeing significant growth, with less stringent emission reduction policies.
An additional nine sectors, including car makers, fossil fuel firms and chemical producers, could face their credit being affected by high levels of environmental exposure within three to five years.
Rahul Ghosh, Senior Vice President at Moody’s, said: “In particular, carbon transition risk is a significant credit consideration for 10 of these elevated risk sectors exposed to carbon regulation.
“As governments seek to fulfill their Paris Agreement commitments, the tightening of regulatory regimes governing carbon dioxide emissions is having a tangible and in some cases, disruptive impact on the most exposed industrial sectors globally.”
https://www.energylivenews.com/2018/09/25/eleven-major-industries-highly-exposed-to-climate-risks/
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26 Sept: Breitbart: France Vs America: Macron Puts Globalist Case Against Trump at UN, Hints at Anti-U.S. Trade Deal Boycott
by Jack Montgomery
At home, the embattled French President is facing tumbling approval ratings,and fierce resistance from rising national populist parties in Italy and Central Europe he has denounced as his adversaries, which are challenging his efforts to cast himself as the main player in European Union power politics…
In global forums like the United Nations, however, Macron remains the poster boy for ‘centrism’, and received a standing ovation from the assembled politicians and bureaucrats for his speech — which read almost like a point by point series of rebuttals to almost every issue raised in the U.S. leader’s address…
President Macron, who worked as a Rothschild & Cie financier and then served as economy minister in France’s previous Socialist government before launching his own party, told the UN General Assembly he feared they were witnessing “a crisis of the very foundations of today’s world”…
The Frenchman assured them, however, that even “at a time where our collective system is falling apart, it is most in demand”, stressing his commitment to “multilateralism” and claiming that “nationalism always leads to defeat” — a sharp contrast with his American counterpart’s earlier declaration that “We reject the ideology of globalism, and we embrace the doctrine of patriotism.”…
The French President was arguably at his most combative on the subject of trade, issuing what appeared to be a coded call for a declaration of economic war on the United States by calling on world leaders to “stop signing trade agreements with those who don’t comply with the Paris agreement” — which would preclude a British-American trade pact after Brexit, or a broader EU-U.S. one, as President Trump pulled out of the climate change treaty in 2017…
How the Trump administration will respond to Macron’s call for what would amount to an international trade deal boycott of the United States remains to be seen.
https://www.breitbart.com/london/2018/09/26/france-vs-america-macron-puts-globalist-case-against-trump-un-speech/
Macron rejects trade deals with countries outside Paris climate accord
The Independent-20 hours ago
The US is now reportedly the only nation in the world which remains opposed to the Paris Agreement
Macron Says No Trade Deals Without Climate Treaty Compliance
Bloomberg – 26 Sept 2018
At a news conference after his speech, Macron said he wouldn’t rule out industry accords with countries like the U.S. that aren’t in the Paris treaty, but that he might oppose sweeping free trade deals.
“There could be accords for individual sectors, such as automobiles and pharmaceuticals, as long as they are neutral on climate,” he said. “But major accords across all sectors that go against climate conventions, that’s not OK.”…
Macron said his one-on-one meeting late Monday with Trump showed “many disagreements, but areas of convergence as well.”…
Emmanuel Macron is auditioning to be leader of the free world
Opinion-CNN-46 minutes ago
Macron’s popularity at record lows
AFP – 23 Sept 2018
The popularity of French President Emmanuel Macron has hit its lowest level since the start of his term, according to a major tracker poll published on Sunday, with just 29 percent of respondents satisfied with his leadership…
The results of the widely watched Ifop poll are broadly in line with other surveys…
Has France’s Macron lost his charm?
BBC – 26 Sept 2018
According to OpinionWay, only 28% of voters are satisfied with his performance…
23 Sept: New Jersey Journal: Media ignores Trump’s economy
by Michael Reagan with Michael Shannon
(Michael Reagan is the son of President Ronald Reagan, a political consultant, and the author of “Lessons My Father Taught Me: The Strength, Integrity, and Faith of Ronald Reagan.”)
It’s surprising that a White House incapable of organizing a two-car funeral – if you believe the mainstream liberal media – is presiding over the most robust economy the U.S. has had in years. One could almost say it makes America great again.
Strange, isn’t it? The Obama administration boy and girl geniuses were managing up a storm when it came to the economy, yet growth was sluggish, wages stagnant and economic optimism was nowhere to be found.
Then the Trump clown car crashed into the Resolute desk in the Oval Office and all hell broke loose. And that’s in a good way. A man the OpMedia assures us is one drool away from assisted-living or one tantrum away from a rubber room may achieve 3 percent growth in the economy, something that hasn’t happened since 2005.
It’s almost enough to make you question the credibility of the liberal media!
And still President Trump gets zero credit from the usual media suspects. The only time they take a break from trying to find a pixie dust trail leading to “Russia collusion” is when they try to find equally elusive evidence that Obama is the cause of our present economic growth.
Let’s run down a few of the statistics courtesy of a roundup from The Hill…READ ON
https://www.nj.com/opinion/index.ssf/2018/09/media_ignores_trumps_economy_reagan.html
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behind paywall:
26 Sept: UK Times: LABOUR CONFERENCE: Wind and solar to drive Corbyn’s green revolution
by Francis Elliott, Ben Webster, Esther Webber
Jeremy Corbyn will serve notice today that a Labour government will hit landlords with new green taxes, double the number of countryside wind farms and aim to put solar panels on “every viable” roof in Britain…
He says that a Labour government would commit itself to reducing net carbon emissions to zero by 2050. On taking power it would scrap planning limits on wind farms and significantly increase subsidies for renewable energy sources paid for in part from the party’s plan to borrow £250 billion…
Companies will have to hand one-third of the seats on their boards to their workers if Labour wins the next election, under radical plans…
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/wind-and-solar-to-drive-corbyn-s-green-revolution-b7kh88jm7
26 Sept: BBC: Labour is ‘ready’ to govern, Jeremy Corbyn tells party conference
Labour is “ready” to start work on a “radical plan to rebuild and transform our country”, Jeremy Corbyn has told his party conference.
The Labour leader vowed to end the “greed-is-good” culture that has dominated politics and “kickstart a green jobs revolution”.
“We represent the new common sense of our time,” Mr Corbyn told the Labour faithful in Liverpool.
Labour is hoping to force a general election within months.
Mr Corbyn spoke for more than an hour, setting out his vision for a “fairer society under Labour” to enthusiastic support in the hall…
“Ten years ago this month, the whole edifice of greed-is-good, deregulated financial capitalism, lauded for a generation as the only way to run a modern economy, came crashing to earth, with devastating consequences.
“But instead of making essential changes to a broken economic system, the political and corporate establishment strained every sinew to bail out and prop up the system that led to the crash in the first place.
“People in this country know – they showed that in June last year – that the old way of running things isn’t working any more.”…
Labour members voted on Tuesday to keep all options on the table – including a fresh referendum – if there is no Brexit deal with Brussels…
Mr Corbyn said in his speech he would support Theresa May on Brexit – if she got a “sensible” deal that included a customs union that prevented the return of a hard border in Northern Ireland and protected workers’ rights.
He said Labour would vote against the PM’s Chequers plan “or whatever is left of it” and oppose leaving the EU without a deal, which he said would be a “national disaster”…
“But if you can’t negotiate that deal then you need to make way for a party that can and will.”
This call, delivered with venom by Mr Corbyn, went down well in the hall. Delegates gave their leader a standing ovation and there was an outbreak of “Oh, Jeremy Corbyn”…
The Labour leader also used his speech to announce plans to create 400,000 skilled jobs with new investment in fresh wind farms and insulation for homes.
He pointed to Labour’s commitment to reduce the UK’s net carbon emissions by 60% by 2030 – and to zero by 2050.
Labour’s energy plans would “make Britain the only developed country outside Scandinavia to be on track to meet our climate change obligations”, said Mr Corbyn.
He also set out plans to “democratise” the economy by renationalising the water industry, which he said would hand power to workers, consumers and local councils.
Further nationalisations – of the rail, mail and energy industries – would follow under a Labour government…
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-45646690
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signing off with a late-nite laugh:
26 Sept: Guardian: While economic growth continues we’ll never kick our fossil fuels habit
There may be more bicycles but there will also be more planes. We’re still in denial about the scale of the threat to the planet
by George Monbiot
We’re getting there, aren’t we? We’re making the transition towards an all-electric future. We can now leave fossil fuels in the ground and thwart climate breakdown. Or so you might imagine, if you follow the technology news.
So how come oil production, for the first time in history, is about to hit 100m barrels a day? How come the oil industry expects demand to climb until the 2030s? How is it that in Germany, whose energy transition (Energiewende) was supposed to be a model for the world, protesters are being beaten up by police as they try to defend the 12,000-year-old Hambacher forest from an opencast mine extracting lignite – the dirtiest form of coal? Why have investments in Canadian tar sands – the dirtiest source of oil – doubled in a year?
The answer is, growth…
The Labour party’s new environment policy, published this week, rightly argues that “our current economic model is threatening the foundations on which human wellbeing depends”. It recognises that ecological collapse cannot be prevented through consumer choice or corporate social responsibility: the response to our greatest predicament must be determined by scientific research, and planned, coordinated and led by government…
I recognise that challenging our least contested ideologies – growth and consumerism – is a tough call. But in New Zealand, it is beginning to happen. Jacinda Ardern, the Labour prime minister, says: “It will no longer be good enough to say a policy is successful because it increases GDP if it also degrades the physical environment.”…
No politician can act without support. If we want political parties to address these issues, we too must start addressing them. We cannot rely on the media to do it for us. A report by the research group Media Matters found that total coverage of climate change across five US news networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and PBS) amounted to 260 minutes in 2017 – a little over four hours. Almost all of it was a facet of the Trump psychodrama (Will he pull out of the Paris accord? What’s he gone and done this time?) rather than the treatment of climate chaos in its own right. There was scarcely a mention of the link between climate breakdown and the multiple unnatural disasters the US suffered that year; of new findings in climate science; or of the impacts of new pipelines or coalmines. I cannot find a comparable recent study in the UK. I suspect it is a little better, but not a lot.
The worst denial is not the claim that this existential crisis isn’t happening. It is the failure to talk about it at all…
So what do we do? We talk…
Let us talk a better world into being.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/sep/26/economic-growth-fossil-fuels-habit-oil-industry
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Interesting. A new phrase “Climate Breakdown“. So all weather events are now evidence of “Climate Breakdown”, a scary scenario where natural events do not exist. Everything outside the calculated average is caused wholly and solely by man made CO2.
How this happens without man made CO2 driven Global Warming is not explained. The weather is obviously someone’s fault, a consequence of evil capitalism in Western democracies. China is being a bit naughty. That’s all.
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oops…a second laugh before signing off:
25 Sept: Guardian: Nations halt funding to UN environment programme as outcry over chief grows
Two countries have frozen funding after a draft internal UN audit raised concerns over Erik Solheim’s frequent flying and expenses
by Damian Carrington
The audit also said Erik Solheim, a former Norwegian environment minister, had “no regard for abiding by the set regulations and rules” and had claimed unjustified expenses. Now, Denmark and Sweden have frozen their funding until the audit is finalised.
Concern over Solheim’s activities is also growing in Nairobi, where the UN Environment programme (Unep) is based, with the UN staff union there calling some of the findings in the draft audit “mind blowing”. A prominent climate scientist has also criticised Solheim’s globetrotting as “obscene CO2 hypocrisy”. Solheim spent $488,518 (£371,100) in 22 months and was travelling 80% of the time, according to the audit…
Denmark’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said it was withholding its 2018 contribution of about $1.6m to Unep…
Sweden’s International Development Agency (Sida) said they would not approve any new funding until all the issues raised had been resolved…
Ole Jacob Sending, from the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs thinktank said he thought the freezing of funds was probably unprecedented. “There are many who don’t think Unep is functioning as it should, and that there are other means of promoting environmental issues that can be more effective,” Sending told Aftenposten. ***Some observers have praised Solheim for raising the profile of Unep…
Prof Kevin Anderson, a climate scientist at the University of Manchester, UK, said deep and immediate cuts in global carbon emissions are needed to tackle climate change: “Despite this, there’s a cohort of climate glitterati for whom climate change is less a scientific and moral imperative, and more a vehicle for their own prosperity and prestige.”…
Solheim said on Friday that he could not comment in detail on the audit until it was completed and published: “If any other mistakes are found, we will immediately correct them.” He said there was “excessive bureaucracy in the UN system” and that travelling was essential to his job: “Making good on our global agenda demands engagement with the world.”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/sep/25/nations-halt-funding-to-un-environment-programme-as-outcry-over-chief-erik-solheim-grows
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“Prof Kevin Anderson BSc MSc PhD
Kevin Anderson is Professor of Energy and Climate Change in the School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering at the University of Manchester. He is Deputy Director of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research”
So how does a mechanical engineer in aerospace and civil engineering get to be a leading Climate Scientist? Pity the poor meteorologist. Another Hansen.
Another Bill Nye.
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Since when has China been honest? They’re a bigger threat to the world than Russia. AND, they’re building state of the art attack submarines with technology stolen from us or as I suspect but can’t prove, stupidly allowed to fall into their hands by few people who ought to be in prison but are not.
I would believe only one thing about China, they want their place in the world, which is an honest desire — nothing wrong with that. But they’re willing to lie, cheat and steal their way into it. And there’s no doubt that they want control over what has been international water in the South China Sea and are preparing to take it by force if they think they can get away with it. And I’ve Little doubt that they want to replace the United States as the dominant power everywhere. And they want Taiwan. Trump POd China big time by offering to sell the Taiwanese military hardware with which to defend themselves.
We have made more than our share of mistakes at wielding power but China will be far worse.
Of course they have no qualms about a little black lie concerning a coal plant. Does anyone really believe they believe this climate change nonsense?
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I’ve seen that before, too.
And what effects did sympathisers have on the situation? Nothing good, of that there can be no doubt.
40
Opportunists, if that’s what you mean, are everywhere, both in and out of government and in and out of China.
After the American Civil War they were called carpetbaggers. The current crop is called Globalists or Progressive and other less polite terms. None of them had or will have anyone’s interest at heart but his own.
Government sucks but it’s still better than wholesale killing each other that we would otherwise have. And if we cannot allow China its place in this world on some equal status basis, we will end up fighting with them on the battlefield instead of over the negotiating table. The problem Trump is working on is to assure that it’s equal status, not superior by virtue of a 1,000,000 man army as of the last figure I remember.
00
OT another BS article along with many others in this RAG.
http://www.atimes.com/article/suicide-rates-to-soar-with-global-temperatures-study/
40
China is doing what most are doing, but in a much bigger way.
Making all the correct noises, and then carrying on with business as usual.
Australia would appear to be one of the few believing the hype and doing their utmost to comply, to their own detriment, and with no measurable effect on the planet.
If there is an effect of Australia’s policies, it can only have a negative effect, as we force manufacturing and refining offshore to China which is inherently less efficient due to geography, resources, and infrastructure, and will continue to be so.
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China?
It’s here, now, and it’s worse than we first thought.
The noose is tightening around Australian businesses.
This is not just the CO2 scam this is ever growing government compulsion forced upon businesses under the guise of an unproved theory …
ASIC urges companies to disclose their climate impacts, and threatens potential legal action on those who disclose misleading and deceptive figures.
Director risks increase as ASIC tells greenhouse gas emitters to shape up
https://www.afr.com/news/director-risks-increase-as-asic-tells-greenhouse-gas-emitters-to-shape-up-20180920-h15mn9
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If people read about George Soros and Maurice Strong new world order advanced planning and related manipulation of UN including UN IPCC man-made global warming by carbon dioxide hoax the debate over the use of coal, so called renewable energy and a whole lot more smokescreens and mirrors would end.
The target of anger would be the politicians who facilitate the destruction of the sovereignty of nations by very wealthy socialists, Fabians, and their fellow travellers.
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Dennis –
it has taken since April – when it was revealed Dianne Feinstein’s staffer, Daniel Jones/PQG, received $50 million from wealthy donors in New York and California – for the FakeNewsMSM to confirm the identity of just one of the donors.
when FakeNewsMSM wants to push a story – no matter how fake – you will find millions of google news results (try Feinstein + Kavanaugh, then compare with Feinstein + Chinese spy which gets a mere 17,000+).
in this case, search Feinstein + Daniel Jones and, even with the coverage of the last 24 hours, you get less than 200 news results.
26 Sept: Daily Caller: George Soros Funded Fusion GPS, His Spokesman Confirms
by Chuck Ross
George Soros has indirectly funded Fusion GPS, the opposition research firm behind the infamous Steele dossier, a spokesman for the billionaire financier has acknowledged.
Michael Vachon, the Soros aide, told Washington Post columnist David Ignatius that Soros provided a grant to a nonprofit group called the Democracy Integrity Project.
That organization, which was formed in 2017 by Daniel Jones, a former Senate Intelligence Committee staffer for Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, paid Fusion GPS as a contractor to continue an investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
The Post column confirms what a Washington, D.C., lawyer named Adam Waldman told The Daily Caller News Foundation about a conversation he had with Jones in March 2017…
Waldman told TheDCNF that Jones approached him on March 15, 2017 through text message asking to meet.
“Dan Jones here from the Democracy Integrity Project. Chris wanted us to connect,” he wrote, seemingly referring to Steele. At a meeting two days later, Waldman said that Jones told him that he was working with Steele and Fusion GPS and that their project was being funded by Soros and a group of Silicon Valley billionaires (LINK).
Jones told the FBI in interviews in March 2017 that his organization was paid around $50 million by a group of billionaires to conduct the investigation.
Jones’ statements to the FBI were first revealed in a report released by Republican members of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence on April 27.
“In late March 2017, Jones met with FBI regarding PQG, which he described as ‘exposing foreign influence in Western election,’” reads the committee’s report, referring to Jones’ consulting firm, Penn Quarter Group.
“[Redacted] told FBI that PQG was being funded by 7 to 10 wealthy donors located primarily in New York and California, who provided approximately $50 million,” the report continues. “[Redacted] further stated that PQG had secured the services of Steele, his associate [redacted], and Fusion GPS to continue exposing Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. Presidential election.”…
Vachon, the Soros spokesman, did not respond to TheDCNF’s request for comment.
https://dailycaller.com/2018/09/26/george-soros-funded-fusion-gps/
the above confirmation is not yet included in the following:
June 2018: Marketswork: A Partial Surveillance Timeline
by Jeff Carlson
•Early 2017 – Steele (& Fusion) may have gone to work for Daniel Jones and Penn Quarter Group post election.
https://themarketswork.com/2018/06/01/a-partial-surveillance-timeline/
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Thank you Pat.
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Hope they build more of them..good.
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If they need more they will build more. They and many other nations are being realistic and thumbing their noses at Paris. Time will tell if we end up joining the rest of the world and start doing the same thing, including building our own coal fired power stations. Where necessary we must bolster our existing ones – that’s pretty much a given. Morrison has to come down hard if any company intends to shut down one more, and I suspect he will. He better because if he doesn’t it would prove he is no better than his predecessor and then I would hope the LNP collapses at the next election to rid us of an failed party to make room for a new one. We shall see.
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26 Sept: Spiked Online: Ben Pile: The myth of a climate crisis
Roger Pielke Jr on the dangers of eco-alarmism.
https://www.spiked-online.com/2018/09/26/the-myth-of-a-climate-crisis/
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http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-25/un-mock-security-pass-first-baby-of-new-zealand-neve-te-aroha/10302586
Your abc is talking about us – no wait, them – the Holy Trinity from UnZud, complete with ‘mock’ UN security pass and nappies nappies nappies, yet who will think of the carbon footprint(s) flying a small tribe halfway round the screaming drowning totally-cooked planet! To Gotham City! And back again! Oh, the humanity… I’m sure Clark (dad) would rather be fishing. Or surfing. Or fishing and surfing.
I wonder if the irony is lost on both NZ and Oz politricksters they are all in COAL-itions… toot-toot!
BREAKING NEWS: the Maldives are still alive and well – and above sea level – thirty years after their death sentence… a miracle!
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Bloomberg should have Disclosure Statements at the top of every CAGW article they publish.
in fact, they should have been doing so since Jan 2014:
5 March 2018: United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced today the appointment of Michael R. Bloomberg of the United States as his Special Envoy for Climate Action…
He was appointed United Nations Special Envoy on Cities and Climate Change on 31 January 2014 by the then-Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. In December 2015, Mr. Bloomberg was appointed Chair of the Financial Stability Board Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures.
26 Sept 2018: ClimateChangeNews: UN recruits Mike Bloomberg to lead green finance push
Antonio Guterres appointed the billionaire businessman to spur private sector investment into clean energy and resilience to climate change
By Megan Darby
The UN named Mike Bloomberg to lead a year-long green investment drive in New York on Wednesday.
The billionaire businessman and former New York mayor is charged with steering private finance towards clean energy and climate resilience projects around the world.
UN chief Antonio Guterres said in a statement this would contribute to the global target of raising $100 billion a year in climate finance to developing countries by 2020. It is set to be a key theme of a climate summit at UN HQ next September…
It came as another Bloomberg-led initiative, to get multinationals to come clean about their exposure to climate-related risks, published its first status report. There were some signs of companies sharing more information, the report found, but it was far from embedded in financial decision-making…
Critics said greening mainstream finance was no substitute for the cash that rich countries promised to help the poor cope with the impacts of climate change, however…
Bloomberg, who was mayor of New York as a Republican, is reportedly considering running for US president in 2020 as a Democrat. This would likely pit him against Donald Trump, who has said he will withdraw the country from the Paris climate deal and has stopped US climate finance payments…
http://www.climatechangenews.com/2018/09/26/un-recruits-mike-bloomberg-lead-green-finance-push/
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26 Sept: BBC: Turning down the volume: Tackling the problem of ‘noisy’ electricity
By Kenneth Macdonald, BBC Scotland Science Correspondent
The drive to reduce our carbon emissions has produced an unintended consequence: poorer quality electricity.
An Edinburgh company has created a new approach which it says will transform the way electric power is delivered…
Whether it’s a hot shower or cold milk, we tend not to think too much about the power behind it.
But the rise of renewable energy is creating new problems for the electricity grid.
In the 20th Century our electricity supply was straightforward: a relative handful of big power stations drove big generators. The power came from the top down from them to us.
That has changed. Many big power stations still exist, the flywheels of their huge generators creating electricity at a relatively steady frequency of fifty cycles a second (50 Hz).
But increasingly there are smaller power producers at the other end of the chain. Solar panels on our roofs and wind turbines power individual homes or communities…
The issue of what’s called intermittency is well understood: you can’t generate solar power if it’s dark, wind power in calm weather.
But these new sources carry with them another problem: the electricity they produce can be far from the smooth 50 Hz which is the system’s ideal.
Instead there are harmonics and distortions. The electricity is “noisy”.
Prof Campbell Booth heads the department of electronic and electrical engineering at Strathclyde University. He says poor quality electricity has serious implications for the suppliers.
“Our power is provided via what they call a three phase system – so there are actually three wires carrying an equal amount of power,” he says.
“Some of our renewable energy sources connect to just one of these phases. That can result in ‘unbalance’ and that can cause heating in the power transformers that transform high voltage to low voltage.
“It can also cause heating in the neutral cables which are part of the supply system.”
One response is coming from the Edinburgh company Faraday Grid.
The firm’s founder and chief technology officer Matthew Williams says their aim is nothing less than to change the architecture of the electricity system.
“It’s based on an entirely new device called a Faraday Exchanger,” he says.
It is a large grey cabinet run from a computer display.
“The Faraday Exchanger is able to control voltage, frequency, power factor and balance across phases.
“Which is all very technical, but what it ends up meaning is that the electricity system is much more robust and flexible.”…
Its ambition seems daunting: to replace existing transformers and substations with Faraday Exchangers in every locality.
The first is expected to be installed in the UK’s electricity transmission system early in 2019. Installations on continental Europe and the US are also planned…
Its chief economist Richard Dowling says consumers stand to benefit from a decentralised grid: “The sun’s free and the wind’s free but that’s not translating to lower power bills for households because the cost of transporting that type of power is really expensive…
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-45645587
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27 Sept: France24: AFP: Michael Bloomberg, against climate change and anti-Trump
Former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg is using his vast fortune, estimated at $51 billion, to spur action to address climate change — and to tilt the US Congress toward Democratic control.
The 76-year-old businessman, activist, philanthropist and potential presidential aspirant spoke with AFP on the sidelines of the One Planet Summit featuring several world leaders Wednesday in New York City…
QUESTION: Why do you present yourself as an eternal optimist on climate, given how many leaders warn that the Earth is careening toward disaster?
BLOOMBERG: “We are making progress, China is making some progress, throughout Europe they’re making some progress. In the end, it’s not governments that drive behavior, it’s capitalism, it’s the economic interest of companies who want to be environmentally friendly because their employees want it, their investors want it, their customers want it. And individuals who want to breathe clean air today and drink clean water today.
“Basically, the federal government has been missing in action for a long time, not just this administration. But it really doesn’t matter because coal fired power plants, no matter what the government says, are going to go out of business because of low-priced natural gas.
“So the federal government can make things worse with some environmental rules and rolling back some of our things, but the good news is in America, the courts are stopping our government from rolling most of them back.”
QUESTION: Isn’t China still building coal-fired plants?
BLOOMBERG: “It’s still opening coal plants, but it’s also closing a bunch… India is even worse.
“And eventually I think China will come around to understand that because of their geography, they’re going to run out of water unless we do something here. Because of their geography, and the number of poor people who can’t have filters in their air and live in closed houses, they are going to really suffer.”…
https://www.france24.com/en/20180927-michael-bloomberg-against-climate-change-anti-trump
China secretly building hundreds of new coal plants, new report claims
The Australian-2 hours ago
China is building hundreds of new coal-fired power plants with a capacity equal to five times Australia’s entire electricity market despite assurances from central…
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behind paywall:
26 Sept: WSJ: How China Systematically Pries Technology From U.S. Companies
Beijing leans on an array of levers to extract intellectual property—sometimes coercively
By Lingling Wei in Beijing and Bob Davis in Washington
DuPont Co. suspected its onetime partner in China was getting hold of its prized chemical technology, and spent more than a year fighting in arbitration trying to make it stop.
Then, 20 investigators from China’s antitrust authority showed up.
For four days this past December, they fanned out through DuPont’s Shanghai offices, demanding passwords to the company’s world-wide research network, say people briefed on the raid. Investigators printed documents, seized computers and intimidated employees, accompanying some to the bathroom…
China’s tactics, these interviews and documents show, include pressuring U.S. partners in joint ventures to relinquish technology, using local courts to invalidate American firms’ patents and licensing arrangements, dispatching antitrust and other investigators, and filling regulatory panels with experts who may pass trade secrets to Chinese competitors…
https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-china-systematically-pries-technology-from-u-s-companies-1537972066#comments_sector
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27 Sept: HellenicShippingNews: Asia coal demand drives panamax rates up 7.5%
Source: Montel
Panamax dry vessel rates have risen 7.5% over the past week, as tight domestic Chinese coal supply spurs import demand and Indian buyers also look to replenish stocks, participants said on Wednesday…
Vessel rates were also buoyed by “devastating Indian coal market tightness”, said Hans Gunnar Nåvik, senior analyst with Oslo-based StormGeo Nena Analysis.
Stocks at 117 Indian coal-fired plants, monitored by the Central Electricity Authority, were seen last at 11.1m tonnes – which is sufficient for just seven days’ generation and the lowest level since December last year.
“It is likely that import demand is very strong, but due to the weak currency, India is turning to as much ‘bad coal’ as possible, meaning Indonesian low-calorific coal,” he said…
https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/asia-coal-demand-drives-panamax-rates-up-7-5/
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No-one has mentioned the stupidity of suggesting that you can replace 259GW of coal power with 300GW of solar when the solar at best gets 15% CF. 300GW of solar is equivalent to around 40GW coal and then only if you have enough storage.
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But there’s always standby coal fired ready to go.
10
I can only admire the prescience of many of our leaders of the political class.
Who else saw the massive developing over supply of only partially used and maybe even brand new chnese engineered coal fired generators developing and worked out how to take advantage of the Chinese excesses with their power generation overbuild.
Who else had the foresight to close down, even to blow up our old coal fired generators in preparation for the purchase of a number of the barely used or even never used chinese coal fired HELE generators, being sold for giveaway prices as numerous chinese power generation companies desperately sought cash or went bankrupt.
Who else realised that Australian power companies with some path smoothing from the politicians would be able to purchase the entire latest chinese coal powered fully engineered HELE generators for a song with only the concrete foundations and infra structure needing to be built and the chinese engineered boilers and turbine generators and with the switch gear and everything tthat goes to make a power generator installed to have one of the cheapest power generation systems in the world.
Who else———————-zzzzzzzzzz ?
And then I woke up!
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ROM,
The big question is will we wake up.
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We shall see at the next federal election. It will be a big litmus test. That’s assuming Morrison et al come up with the right policies. If not then it won’t matter if the people are asleep or not. ALP+Greens form government and down we go into the abyss at a much faster speed.
30
“All countries need power generation, transmission and distribution assets which are reliable and meet demand; without this, wider development is a distant dream,” said Jon Whiteaker, editor of IJGlobal. “It is little surprise then that the power sector has grown to be by far the biggest recipient of Chinese policy lending in Africa. The US government may have recently jump-started its Power Africa programme, but it has increasingly been Chinese lenders which African and Middle Eastern countries have turned to get power projects financed.”
Baker McKenzie
40
your China promotion is sounding a bit creepy. What is your motive?
54
China has leaders that, at least on energy policy, support their nation.
Australia on the contrary, when under Team Turnbull, had policies that increase
power prices, threaten manufacturing industry, blow-up power stations, and gave
money to parasites for enviro-crap.
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Ahgee I think el gordo is making a factual statement not an ideological one but I understand your concern because people like you tend to disappear in China .
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‘What is your motive?’
The Australian majors have merged into a single party state and I’m concerned the people are unaware. I’m talking about the propaganda emanating from the ABC, which keeps people in the dark.
The Denlialati is now officially banned from the BBC, do you think this is appropriate?
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Add another $400m to the cost of Paris: Australia under pressure for more GCF dollars
The Australian · 5 hours ago
Australia has been called to immediately commit a further 400 million to replenish a Green Climate Fund to help developing countries cope with the impacts of climate change. …
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What’s going to happen?
How much do Indonesia and China contribute?
We need to face reality, our GDP is small compared to some of the non contributors.
KK
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Well KK we could always go down this route with a Chinese power station.
I’m sure that just like when the Chinese were in Tanzania in the early 1970s building the TanZam railway as a” foreign aid project” and projecting Chinese power in Africa, using the incompatable with Tanzania’s rail gauge, the Chinese rail gauge for the full length of 1860 kms of the TanZam rail route, the Chinese will endear themselves to the locals who got no work, no training , nothing from the Chinese except exploitation of land and people and a huge debt.
Everything was done by Chinese nationals who were brought in from China and went home as soon as the project was completed.
And every living animal that could be cooked and eaten shot out and killed and eaten in a band some 50kms wide each side of the rail route.
The Chinese have been here before and it seems they are repeating the same old xenophobic Han race strictures against other nationalities and races as they have done for tens of centuries past if you know the Han race history.
They do seem to be slow learners when it comes to dealing with other races and peoples and nations.
[ Just like the EU and the UN who seem to be going down the same path in their attiudes towards those inferior beings like Trump and other non european based nations and nationalities.]
Quoted from Business Insider;
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The Chinese started a war in about 1976 and were given a thumping over territory.
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A very Big Battery…maybe turn it into a tourist attract….free phone charging…..
90 mill is a lot of beer…or a new public facility…
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-27/tesla-battery-cost-revealed-two-years-after-blackout/10310680
“Two years since South Australia was plunged into darkness during a statewide blackout, new light has been shed on the cost of the Tesla battery — just one of the projects designed to prevent power failure in the state.
A 505-page report released by Neoen this month ahead of an initial public offering suggested the battery cost around $90 million.
The giant 100-megawatt lithium ion battery near Jamestown in the state’s mid-north commenced operation late last year.
However, the cost of the battery was not made public for reasons of “commercial-in-confidence” and was estimated to be in the tens of millions of dollars, some of that to be funded by South Australian taxpayers.
…………….
“The information that was released by Neoen a couple of days ago… makes it very clear the previous government’s implementation and delivery of the battery was incredibly messy and overly expensive,” Energy Minister Dan van Holst Pellekaan told ABC Radio Adelaide.
“It actually costs taxpayers’ money. There’s a cost of $4-5 million a year to have the battery in place.
“There are more costs than that involved.”
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90 mil and will last exactly how long , had the money been spent on the coal fired plant at Port Augusta it would have lasted a lot longer and provided base load power which is much needed in that state .
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