If the public could have its way, Australia would be 100 per cent powered with alternative energy.
This is the main finding of a recent survey carried out by campaigners who interviewed 14,000 people across the country.
They found that 86 per cent of Australians want renewable energy and 91 per cent of them would like to see the government leading the shift. 75 per cent of respondents said they would be happy with a price on carbon.
“They’re sending a very strong signal to those of us who are in the negotiations to get on with it, get a carbon price,” Deputy Australian Greens leader Christine Milne told the press in Canberra, according to an AAP report.
Wind accounts for most of the large-scale renewable energy projects in this country. Milne says more action is necessary to bring solar and thermal projects online.
Currently there’s a political discussion going on in the country about the price of carbon, which is set to be unveiled in July.
Australia’s energy consumption is heavily dependent on coal, which makes it one of the highest emitters per capita in the world. Renewables such as wind, hydro and solar power, account for roughly five per cent of the total.
Article by Antonio Pasolini, a Brazilian writer and video art curator based in London, UK. He holds a BA in journalism and an MA in film and television.
