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Although you have great success with your result within Australian grounds, how do you plan to expand on a global scale? Or are you even considering of expanding your cause? Please respond.

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How do you expect Australia to recoup GDP from Coal, if renewable energy can't be exported

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average energry bull SA = $1975

explain this please, poor people deserve power too

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Queensland’s energy minister, Mark Bailey, called a new coal-fired power station for Queensland “nonsense”.

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Queensland’s energy minister, Mark Bailey, called a new coal-fired power station for Queensland “nonsense”.

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“We’ve got eight huge generators in Queensland,” he said. “We are the powerhouse of the nation. We put a gigawatt of power across our interconnector to prop up New South Wales during the heatwave.
What we need is clean energy. Locking in high-carbon emissions for a generation and a half is one of the most irresponsible policy propositions I’ve heard.”

Bailey said any sensible analysis of trends in the energy market would conclude that the price of renewable technologies was dropping, and battery technology was coming on at pace.

He said the chief scientist, Alan Finkel, had told a Senate estimates hearing that it would be much more expensive to build a coal-fired power station than invest in large-scale renewables

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GetUp is primarily concerned with

A) Australia’s status as an industrialised, wealthy country, which necessitates taking responsibility for massively contributing to and profiting from a global economy reliant on fossil fuels provided by our primary industry. Taking responsibility for the domestic and global emissions created thereafter which are getting exponentially worse. Taking responsibility for engaging our full capacity to mitigate the detriments to climate and health by leading the way in providing a universally accessible and sustainable alternative energy source in renewables.

B) Upholding our international legal responsibilities to proposals we signed in the Paris Climate Agreement, as well as enforcing the Australian Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, Native Title and land rights of indigenous Australians whose land is targeted for extractive industry.

C) Re-prioritising the voice of the majority population in an unbalanced and corrupt socio-political arena so as to place environmental justice and democratic integrity over the corporate interests and short-term profit making of a minority of actors.

We advocate for responsibilising the issue of climate to those in positions of power in the Australian political economy and promote progressive governance in accordance with this responsibility. Australia has an abundance of renewable energy resources (Australian Government Bureau of Resources and Energy Economics 2012) and technologies, the facility of which are not being fully realised due to a complex nexus of government, industry and media. Evidence shows these actors exchange capital in an alliance loop operating on a supra-social level, fundamentally undermining democracy and justice. To relinquish the self-evident politico-corporate stranglehold and left-right impasse, majority voice in the community which unequivocally supports clean energy and environmental sustainability must be re-prioritized. Evidence shows Australians overwhelmingly support the aims of our proposals and are, in fact, already spearheading the transition to renewables despite the lack of government or market incentive to do so.

Transitioning away from coal will only benefit society and the economy. As soon as 2020, targets proposed in our Homegrown Power Plan are forecasted to create 152,000 jobs, and free up $40.4 billion of investment money, which, combined with the redirection of government subsidies to fossil fuel conglomerates, will allow a further $6.4 billion to grow this industry. Transitioning to 100% renewable energy by 2030 will deliver fuel-cost savings that cancel out any costs incurred in the interim (Getup! 2018).

GetUp maintains that powerful Australian political and economic actors have committed serious infractions across all relevant international agreements and national laws. Corporate ambitions have infringed endlessly upon communities to severe financial and environmental detriment, causing high energy prices, increased carbon emissions, ravaged natural areas and disempowered constituencies.

Specifically, we highlight the situation in Queensland, wherein the continued licensing of mining companies poses a significant threat to the Carmichael and Belyando rivers, and the Great Artesian Basin; these are the sole water source for towns and farms across almost a quarter of Australia. Even post-mining, the prior promise of environmental rehabilitation is thrown out, as in the case of the Ebenezer mine, where the empty mine site was granted instead to become a garbage dump. Herein we identify an extremely concerning gap between governance and the needs and wishes of the community at large.

Moreover, precedent set by native title which stringently protects right of Indigenous peoples to own and manage their traditional lands and waters (The Aurora Project 2018) classifies the Wangan and Jagalingou of Queensland’s Galilee Basin as having ultimate authority to reject the proposed capitalisation of and degradation to their country. Yet this right is continually ignored.

Inarguably, the continuation of our rate of emissions and apathetic approach to climate governance sentences younger generations to either a huge, expensive, implausible cleanup, environmental destruction, or both (Hansen et al., 2017). So for the moral, legal, social, economic and political arguments posited, we advocate thorough, responsible, progressive and democratic governance as captured by our following proposals:

1. Administering, funding and managing a wholesale industrial transformation from fossil fuel to renewable energy as prescribed in our Homegrown Power Plan.

2. Complete government divestment in the fossil fuel industry, a repeal of the billions of dollars of subsidies to mining companies and instead granting this federal money to sustain the wages of ex-industry workers and providing full training in renewable energy while new jobs are created.

3. Reforming the Australian Electoral Commission’s role in releasing political donation data to mandate that information be made publicly accessible and understandable before any elections, so as to make any corruptive or undesirable alliances transparent to voters.

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Adani denies executive admitted exaggerating mine job creation figures

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Adani denies executive admitted exaggerating mine job creation figures

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Indigenous representative claims an Adani executive said the 10,000 jobs figure was inaccurate and the Carmichael mine would create only 900 permanent jobs

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The Monthly: essay by Bill McKibben "The Cost of Coal" 

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The Monthly: essay by Bill McKibben "The Cost of Coal" 

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This essay details the argument of responsibilising carbon emissions governance back on to Australia's powerful.

https://www.themonthly.com.au/issue/2013/june/1370181600/bill-mckibben/cost-coal

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Solar and wind could ease Australia's water shortage

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Solar and wind could ease Australia's water shortage

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"Australia is one of the world's top 20 water-stressed nations but a shift to more renewable energy could lessen the nation’s water pressure.

A report by the World Resources Industry identified Australia as one country vulnerable to water stress where the potential for cheap renewable energy, solar and wind as opposed to fossil fuels, could reduce water consumption country-wide as these technologies use minimal - or zero - water."
Time to move, take climate change seriously and follow the requisites of a people-powered future !!!

https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/solar-and-wind-could-ease-australia-s-water-shortage-20180513-p4zf1t.html

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Sarah Forsberg

Number I - Adani's sunken coal ship devastates tourism, beaches and marine life
In 2011, an unseaworthy Adani coal ship sank off the coast of Mumbai, causing a massive oil spill and spilling 60,054 metric tonnes of coal into the ocean. Adani did nothing to clean up the mess for five years, as the spill destroyed mangroves, polluted beaches, and caused serious damage to the local marine environment and Mumbai's tourism industry.
In 2016 Adani and others were found liable for the spill and for failing to clean it up, and were fined the equivalent of AU $975 000.
The consignment of 60054 MT of coal has caused marine pollution and continues to be a cause and concern for environmental pollution. The Respondents are defaulting entities which have not complied with law and have adopted a most careless and reckless attitude in relation to protecting the marine environment. -Key finding of the National Green Tribunal's judgement
http://www.adanifiles.com.au/#env-destruction
Sarah

Number II - Indigenous Australians fight coal and climate change
"The mine will pollute and drain billions of liters of groundwater, and obliterate important spring systems," said Adrian Burragubba in a 2015 statement."It will literally leave a huge black hole of monumental proportions in our homelands. These effects are irreversible. Our land will be 'disappeared'."
http://www.dw.com/en/indigenous-australians-fight-coal-and-climate-change/a-39325243

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To what extent, an independent movement like GetUp can impact government´s decisions (Australia)?

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A move to an economy run completely on renewable energy is both fiscally and mechanically possible within approximately 30 years (Institute for Sustainable Futures 2016)

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Can we remove a trillion tons of carbon from the atmosphere?

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Can we remove a trillion tons of carbon from the atmosphere?

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https://theecologist.org/2018/may/03/can-we-remove-trillion-tons-carbon-atmosphere

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Carbon sequestration leaks / rebuttal for Queensland government's plan to develop a carbon sink in Queensland

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Carbon sequestration leaks / rebuttal for Queensland government's plan to develop a carbon sink in Queensland

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https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/environment/a7205/are-carbon-sequestration-leaks-a-health-danger/

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Political - Media - Industrial Complex explained

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Political - Media - Industrial Complex explained

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http://theconversation.com/the-fossil-fuelled-political-economy-of-australian-elections-61394
This article explains in detail the corruptive cycle of capital flows through powerful corporations and institutions. It unravels this process as it was exemplified in the 2013 Australian election, revealing the cyclical nature of this politico-corporate stratagem for undermining democracy.

One stand-out point is the Australian Electoral Commission's contribution to the cycle, scheduling the release of data on election campaign donations only after the election has taken place. This informs a primary policy of our group: to mandate that this data be released before elections take place.

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We must be strident and consistent in our criticism of all governance bodies, to hold them accountable to not only the outward demonstrations of their views (like conferences, declarations and agreements), but internal operations as well (like funding, sponsorships and historical allegiances).

We uphold our independent status in this way, and maintain the conviction that no institution, corporation or state holds supremacy over another or over the world's population, so as to justify the damage they cause to society and the environment.

In this manner, we point out that the Paris Climate Conference was itself sponsored by fossil fuel-allied companies, including BNP Paribas (leading investor), Air France (refused to support emissions reduction in its sector) and Suez Environement (pro-fracking).

https://theconversation.com/meet-the-fossil-fuel-firms-sponsoring-the-worlds-biggest-climate-conference-51876

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Fossil Fuel Subsidies-huge hidden costs 

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Fossil Fuel Subsidies-huge hidden costs 

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"A study was published in the Journal World Development that quantifies the amount of subsidies directed toward fossil fuels globally...the subsidies were $4.9 tn in 2013 and they rose to $5.3 tn just two years later...these subsidies are important because they promote fossil fuel use, which damages the environment. Second they are fiscally costly. Third, the subsidies discourage investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy that compete with the subsidised fossil fuels."
Abraham, J. 2017, 'Fossil fuel subsidies are a staggering $5 tn per year', Guardian, 7 August 2017, viewed 21 May 2017, <https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2017/aug/07/fossil-fuel-subsidies-are-a-staggering-5-tn-per-year>

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Renewables are now the CHEAPEST power generation we can build today! 

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Renewables are now the CHEAPEST power generation we can build today! 

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Domestic power bills have risen substantially across Australia over the last decade, and they are expected to increase further in coming years. Find out why, and what we can do about it.

So what are we actually paying for? According to a fact sheet published by the Department of Environment and Energy, there's more to it than just flicking a switch.

Watch the following video to find out more or read on below.

Simply put, we pay for four main things in our bills.
Generating electricity (wholesale power)
The cost of actually generating energy - whether from renewable energy, coal or gas - is almost a quarter of the cost of the average bill. This is known as the wholesale electricity price.

The wholesale price of power has risen in the last couple of years due to a couple of factors. First, the rising cost of gas has increased the cost of power produced by gas power plants.

Second, several old and inefficient coal power plants have closed in South Australia and Victoria.

As not enough has been invested in new power generation over the last decade, increased strain is being felt across the entire electricity network. With less electricity supply in the market after the closure of the coal plants, this has pushed up prices for the time being.
Poles and wires (the grid)
Australia has one of the longest electricity networks in the world.

The cost of the poles and wires that carry the electricity from power plants to our homes and businesses is passed through to us in our power bills.

Keeping our poles and wires well maintained and building new parts of the electricity network is not cheap. These costs can make up as much as half of our power bills. According to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, poles and wires were responsible for 48 per cent of the average residental electricity bill in 2015-16.
Electricity company administration and marketing costs
This part of our bill covers the cost of maintaining customer databases and billing processes at electricity retail companies, as well as marketing to win new customers.

Information from Origin Energy in 2016 suggested that these costs made up about 15 per cent of the average bill in New South Wales, while a recent study by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission into electricity prices across the National Electricty Market found that electricity company costs accounted for about a quarter of the average residential electricty bill.

Analysis from the Grattan Institute in 2017 says this component of the average power bill has been one of the biggest causes of recent price rises. A recent bipartisan inquiry into Victorian power prices found that competition in the state among energy retailers had not delivered value for consumers.

This is the smallest component of the average bill. It includes the cost of meeting the national Renewable Energy Target, as well as the ongoing costs of rooftop solar power support schemes. The cost varies from state to state. According to a recent inquiry into power prices by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, the cost of environment schemes makes up about 7 per cent of the average bill.

Why are prices rising?

A variety of different factors are contributing to price rises. Some of these include:

A lack of national energy policy beyond 2020. This means that business does not have the necessary certainty to invest in the new infrastructure needed to replace the old power plants which are retiring

Rising network costs were a big factor in price rises from 2007-2014, but have since fallen

Increased charges by energy retailers for winning and billing customers

The export of gas reducing the amount of gas available for local companies, which makes it more expensive. In some cases this means Australian gas is cheaper to buy in Japan than it is back home

The retirement of large old coal-fired power stations with not enough new power generation to replace them

Game playing by power plant operators in the wholesale electricity market and not enough competition to help reduce prices

Complicated consumer information which makes it hard for people to easily understand the options they have available and make smart choices to reduce their bills.

These issues were highlighted in a recent speech given by Jonathon Hunyor, CEO of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre.

Some relief is on the way. Renewable energy can relieve some of the burden from consumers. The unprecedented increase in the amount of renewable energy projects and investment in Australia will add more supply to the electricity system and reduce the strain caused by the closures of coal plants. But it won't happen immediately - many of these projects are still being built or planned.

We currently have an opportunity in this country to act on an issue that is affecting all of us with a clean and reliable solution from renewable energy and energy storage. With long-term and effective bipartisan energy policy, we can ensure this happens smoothly after 2020. It would be a waste to let it pass us by.

Is the Renewable Energy Target driving up power bills?

Opponents of the Renewable Energy Target often claim that the target is forcing up the price of power. However, analysis from energy market experts ROAM Consulting found that Australian households would pay over half a billion dollars more for power in 2020 without the Renewable Energy Target in place, and up to $1.4 billion more per year beyond that.

Modelling conducted by ACIL Allen as part of the Federal Government's Renewable Energy Target review found that the average household electricity bill would be lower in the future with the target in place than without it.

This is because less renewable energy generation means we need more gas, which the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) forecasts to increase in price by 48 per cent over the next 20 years. A variety of energy sources also means more competition in the electricity market - and as in any market, competition helps keep prices down.

A recent report by the Australian National University showed that between 2006 and 2016, electricity price rises were highest in the states with relatively low levels of renewable energy and a high reliance on gas and/or coal generation (136 per cent in Queensland, 118 per cent in Victoria and 109 per cent in New South Wales). In contrast, South Australia, which now generates almost half of its energy from renewables, experienced a far lower electricity price rise (87 per cent) over the same period.

What can we do to combat rising electricity prices?

In addition to retaining the Renewable Energy Target, the best thing we can do to combat rising electricity prices is to reduce or better manage 'peak demand'.

Peak demand refers to the small number of times each year when very high amounts of electricity are used - usually the hottest few days of summer. As we build more houses and install more air-conditioners, the demand for electricity on these very hot days goes up, and we need to build more power plants to avoid blackouts.

These new plants come at a considerable cost to consumers, even though they might only be used for a few hours a year (over the whole of 2012, the electricity network experienced peak demand for less than 40 hours). Energy policy experts generally agree that building additional power plants specifically to meet the small number of peak demand periods every year is the most expensive way to deal with the issue.

So what's the solution? Clean energy sources like co-generation, tri-generation and solar can help reduce strain on the electricity network during peak demand times. And energy efficiency measures can also make a big impact in reducing peak demand.

The increasing uptake of rooftop solar panels is already playing a major role in managing peak demand on hot summer days. The technology's growing contribution was particularly evident during the January 2014 heatwave - the Energy Supply Association of Australia acknowledged that rooftop solar probably stopped Victoria from hitting a new record for network power use on a single day.

There is also substantial scope for different types of 'smart' power demand management to help reduce peak demand. These can include remotely cycling air-conditioners on and off, more widespread use of energy storage and a system that charges different rates for power use during peak periods.

By better managing peak demand, we can reduce the need to build expensive extra power infrastructure and help ease the pain of residential power prices.

References

AEMC Residential Electricity Price Trends, December 2016

AEMO National Gas Forecasting Report for Eastern and South-eastern Australia, December 2016

Bloomberg New Energy Finance

BREE, 2013, Australian Energy Technology Assessment 2013 Model Update

N Harmsen, ABC News, South Australian power bills to increase by $115 after Hazelwood power station closure, December 2016

B Phillips, ANU Centre for Social Research, Research Note: Household Energy Costs in Australia 2006 to 2016, February 2017

Roam Consulting, RET Policy Analysis, April 2014

Threat to energy support now shifts to bush fires and storms, ESAA media release, 17 January 2014.

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Domestic power bills have risen substantially across Australia over the last decade, and they are expected to increase further in coming years. Find out why, and what we can do about it. So what are we actually paying for? According to a fact sheet published by the Department of Environment and Energy, there's more to it than just flicking a switch.

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Australia's biggest polluter is showing more leadership on climate change than the Turnbull government... 

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Australia's biggest polluter is showing more leadership on climate change than the Turnbull government... 

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https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/agl-rejects-alinta-offer-for-liddell-power-station-20180521-p4zghf.html Australia leading energy company AGL rejected a $250 million offer to sell its coal fired power station, an initiative pushed by the government which proves once again that the government is incapable of showing initiative on climate or energy policy. AGL refused the offer given its commitment to shut down the power station by 2022 and to replace it by investing in renewable energy. It seems that the energy company has now understood that coal is a relic of the past that need to be replaced. Much like Turnbull's government and its hypocrite belief that coal is in the national interest.

Turnbull's government believes:  -coal-fired power stations provide affordable and reliable energy to Australian customers
--> communities leaving near coal-fired power stations are facing major social and health risks / CO2 emissions are indisputably responsible for thousands of deaths and illnesses.
(https://futurism.com/reducing-dependency-coal-make-healthier-long-run/)

- coal industry employ a large amount of people
--> the solar energy industry employ more than the coal industry and it is cheaper
(Homegrown Power Plan)

- HELE ((High Efficiency Low Emission Coal) aka clean coal will help reducing coal emissions
--> Expert shuts down “coal fantasy”: No technology exists that allows coal to be used without adding carbon pollution to the atmosphere

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Get Up! is a progressive internet-based organisation convinced that coal and CO2 emissions

are a threat to human society. Our organisation defines itself as a “movement of

movements”, a people-power movement (over a million members) that seeks to bring active participation back to democracy in Australia (Get Up! 2018). In this, we believe that only a people-powered energy revolution like our movement can envisage a move to a 100%

renewable energy-powered future for Australia. Our platform creates opportunities for the

public opinion to: engage in a virtual public sphere and be heard; challenge established

power relations; facilitate collective action; and raise awareness on the climate issue.

Published in 2016, The Homegrown Power Plan aims to challenge Australia political,

economic and social reliance on coal by repowering the country with renewable energy.

Reducing our reliance on coal and invest in renewable energy is an opportunity for

addressing ecological principles and lifestyle, as both a social and health imperative. Quitting

coal will have major social and health benefits for the population such as a better air quality or fewer coal-related illnesses (University of Sydney 2012). In this, Get Up! is devoted to expose the overall health and social costs of coal dependency by overshadowing its

economic benefits, one being that industries of renewable energy are cheaper and employ

more than the coal industry (Homegrown Power Plan 2016).

There is no doubt that the call to quit a coal-powered future in Australia requires political,

economic and social acceptance. On the challenge of reducing CO2 emissions,

urgency is not felt by many in the public opinion. Nonetheless, Get Up! is profoundly

committed to change attitudes towards Australia’s dependence on coal by coming up with

ways to make the important urgent. Changes in consumption patterns have already been

identified as contributing to CO2 emissions reduction in the country, which The Homegrown

Power Plan intends to maximise by providing access to affordable clean energy to all

Australian (2016).

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The Problem?

The fossils fuels industry is environmentally and economically unsustainable. If we do not reimagine Australia’s energy industries the challenge of reducing CO2 emissions will become virtually impossible, leaving our future incredibly bleak. Economically, the renewable energy industry is incredibly lucrative. Decarbonising our energy economy before 2050 will enable Australia to take a healthy percentage of the $800 billion global renewables rush, additionally enabling us to capitalise on the employment boom that will ensue (GetUp! 2018). Current economic costs associated with the coal industry are hurting tax payer’s pockets as well as the future profitability of Australia’s tourism industry. If we do not transition our energy sources from fossil fuels to renewable sources, the inevitable degradation of ecosystems will cost our economy hundreds of millions of dollars each year.

Our Proposal

We take Australia’s commitment to the Paris Climate agreement very seriously and believe that aside from being the only plausible option for the planet, the economic benefits of clean energy are undeniable. Australia is fortunate enough to be blessed with an abundance of renewable energy amenities (Australian Government Bureau of Resources and Energy Economics 2012). We propose a move away from outdated energy sources and an investment in our futures via the lucrative renewable energy sector. Transitioning to 100% renewable energy will deliver fuel-cost savings that cancel out any building costs for renewable energy systems (Getup! 2018). We propose a transition to a fully renewables based economy by 2030, and are firm in our belief that the planned and strategized closure of coal stations will enable our economy to thrive. As soon as 2020 our proposed targets are forecasted to create 152,000 jobs and to free up $40.4 billion of investment money (GetUp! 2018). Ultimately renewables are more affordable than outdated forms of energy. Ending subsidies to fossil fuel conglomerates will allow $6.4 billion to be poured back into the economy (GetUp! 2018) and funnelled into reducing CO2 emissions.

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Sophie Mayo
Luca Harmat
Lauren Fiedler
Emma Gensollen
Sarah Forsberg

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Our main prerogative is defending democratic integrity (GetUp! 2018). We recognise a profound disjunction between community demand and political response in the matter of transitioning away from fossil fuel energy and reducing carbon emissions. We implicate an obscure nexus of elected officials, business leaders and industrial lobbyists in the systematic imperilling of democratic process for enacting this urgent change.

In a poll released by the Climate Council last year, findings revealed 77% of people surveyed believed it important to have a Clean Energy Target, yet the Liberal party announced it would be phasing out the Renewable Energy Target by 2020. Polling shows that 82% of Australians want government spending on renewables to stay the same or increase (SMH, 2018), but federal funding for climate action in the 2018 budget was missing entirely (Budget 2018-19). Instead, the $6.4 billion yearly subsidies to fossil fuel companies go ahead as usual (GetUp, Solar Citizens, 2016). So, in spite of the beliefs of the majority, the government ignores and even endangers the transformation of the energy sector.

Secondly, we advocate democracy and progressivism in connection with a deeper moral argument. The environment and economy are systems that the powerful manage and influence. The aim must be sustainability; in this way, system-enabled privileges enjoyed by one generation are protected for their futurity, ensuring intergenerational equality.

Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions are the highest per capita of any OECD country and are among the highest in the world (The Climate Institute, 2015). Inarguably, the continuation of our rate of emissions and apathetic approach to climate governance sentences younger generations to either a huge, expensive, implausible cleanup, environmental destruction, or both (Hansen et al., 2017).

We believe it is time to re-responsibilise the issue to those in power and demand accountability and action.