Fairfax fantasy - green power is so cheap

Always desperate to plug the green agenda, The Sydney Morning Herald gleefully swallows a WWF report that claims Australia could build a low-carbon economy based on solar, wind and geothermal power for less than half the cost of the Government's economic stimulus package.

The WWF-commissioned report calculates the price for transforming the nation's energy base, using technology that exists, would be $28 billion between 2010 and 2050 - less than half the Government's stimulus handout, but spread over 40 years.

It was prepared by Climate Risk, a corporate analyst that advises the federal and local governments and businesses on climate modelling [and which is making very tasty profits out of climate change hysteria, see here for a list of their services - Ed]

It shows that a transition to renewable power is affordable, but that the proposed carbon trading scheme and renewable energy target could not achieve it. Extra government investment in energy of about $100 million a year from 2010 would be enough to make solar, wind and geothermal power dominant in the electricity and manufacturing sectors by the middle of the century.

Well I'm convinced, or I would have been if this report had any basis in reality. And so is Paul Toni of WWF Australia:

"Earth Hour shows that millions of Australians want this government to act to battle climate change. This report shows they can."

Earth Hour shows nothing of the sort of course, as most of the participation comes from councils and organisations who fear being branded as non-environmentally aware if they don't. And to all those councils and organisations who have signed up, Earth Hour isn't just a jolly little bit of fun once a year, it has a deeply political agenda (dictated by WWF):

This will send a powerful message to our world leaders to support a new climate change agreement at the UN Climate Change Conference being held in Copenhagen in December 2009 (source)

Read it here.

P.S. If you are in the mood for some top quality Fairfax BS, look no further than here.

PP.S. In the interests of full disclosure, Earth Hour is run by WWF, and sponsored by Fairfax (coincidentally)