Abbott in for climate shock as Australia loses solar momentum  

Prime Minister Tony Abbott is in for a shock when the international community voices their concern about Australia’s climate back-flip, according to respected American economist Jeffrey Sachs.

Australia’s fossil fuel production places it amongst an infuential group of countries including the US, Canada, China, India and the European Union on contributing to the climate change debate.

“This government was surprised this week with the reception to the budget,” said Prof Sachs. “And I think it is going to be surprised by the global reception of its climate policies as well unless it begins to understand the real situation in the world and what’s really expected of a country like Australia.”

In Melbourne to address a seminar on decarbonising the atmosphere, it was revealed he also attempted to lobby Foreign Minister Julie Bishop into backing as yet unproven carbon capture and storage technology.

Failing to act could prove costly, with the professor advising that leaving decisions until a meeting in Paris next year could prove too late in circumvent a 2 degree global increase in temperature.

Apart from halting major solar programs already underway, the government’s position will see Australia fall behind the pack in solar market growth. This year alone the US is forecasting installations totally 6 GW, an amazing 10% of Australia’s entire solar capacity.

Our other major trading partner China is also booming, with 12.4 GW of solar capacity being installed in 2013. China is on course to install 1000 GW by 2050 with an ambitious goal to achieve double that if the roll out goes smoothly.

But surely blanketing the country with solar panels will bring the energy utilities crashing down and cripple the country’s infrastructure? It’s clearly achievable, Germany recently set a new world record with a peak of 75% of their consumed electricity coming from renewable means.

And yet, the world keeps turning and we move forward.