Jeremy’s Little Corner Of The Web…

I read an interesting article on the SMH Science Blog today, discussing the additional cost of using GreenPower in Australia (renewable energy):

To specify 100 per cent Greenpower adds on average $300 a year to your household bill. It's only a relatively small additional cost (and, I reckon, well worth paying) but the important thing is the principle.

Why should people who want to do the right thing have to pay more? Why shouldn't those who buy coal-fired electricity not have to pay a premium?

Or to put it another way, I can save myself $6 a week simply by opting to trash the planet.

As I said … surreal.

Have you opted for Greenpower? Do you object to paying more for doing the right thing?

(Source)

The author, Nick Galvin, raises an interesting point. Why should a consumer acting responsibly have to pay more for renewable energy? I'm sure generating renewable energy costs more… if you only consider the financial costs. What about the social and environmental costs of generating the energy?

Here's a thought. Why don't we have a carbon emissions trading system for energy production? If energy is produced from greenhouse gas-producing fossil fuels, the energy producers would pay for the amount of greenhouse gases produced. (A tax, essentially.) This cost is then passed onto the consumer, which would result in the cost of fossil fuel energy increasing. Of course, energy from renewable resources would be a lot "cheaper", reflecting the real cost of generating the energy in financial and environmental terms.

Consumers and energy companies would hate it in the short-term. In time, people will shift over to renewable energies, providing greater revenue and incentives for the energy companies to invest in renewable technologies (driving the cost down further).

Unfortunately, I lack faith in the current federal and state governments to take such a drastic move and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. Instead, our politicians prefer to just talk about it and quibble with each other. Is there room for an NGO to come in here and change the situation?

(FYI, I don't have 100% GreenPower at the moment, but will be switching over soon.)