Australia rejects moratorium on new coal mines

Dr Alan Finkel has been appointed by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to replace outgoing Chief Scientist Professor Ian Chubb when his four-year term ends in December.

“His experience in science and the commercial sector means he is uniquely qualified to act as one of the Government’s key advisers…and on ways to translate our great scientific research into real, tangible outcomes for Australians and the economy”, Mr Turnbull said.

ALAL FINKEL: My vision is for a country, society, a world where we don’t use any coal, oil or natural gas because we have zero emissions electricity in huge abundance and we use that for transport, for heating and for all the things we ordinarily use for electricity.

“These coal export plans will have severe negative impacts on the health and wellbeing of citizens all over the world”, they said.

“But you can’t get there overnight, so what we need to do is optimise the technology so that with we can cost-effectively introduce alternatives”, Finkel said.

So coal is a very important part of the agenda.

Mr Turnbull on Tuesday dismissed the idea of a moratorium on coal arguing that it would make no difference to global emissions as importers would simply buy it elsewhere. “Having said that, the pace of technological development in the renewable space has been extraordinary”.

“Solar panels and batteries in an Australian household context at the moment are probably not in most cases competitive with the price of grid-delivered power”, he said.

Prominent engineer and neuroscientist Alan Finkel, who is also an advocate of nuclear energy, has been billed as the man who can help Australia bridge the gap between scientific research and industry.

“The best way to do that is with zero emission electricity generation”. “It is important to take the ideology out of this and just approach it in a very clear-eyed, cool-headed rational way”.

They highlighted a mine planned by India’s Adani Enterprises in the untapped Galilee Basin in northern Australia, which would export more than 2 billion tonnes of coal over its life, among a range of projects on the drawing board.

“The Academy is looking forward to the government’s announcement, but Professor Finkel would be an excellent choice for this position”.

Simon McKeon, who will succeed Dr Finkel as chancellor at Monash University, praised his mooted-appointment on Monday: “There’s no doubt he has done his level-best for the promotion of science in this country”. “I’m confident he will speak strongly and passionately on behalf of Australian science, particularly in his advice to government”.