Australia's climate change, wind farming, coal industry and the 'big carbon plan'

TY - JOUR

T1 - Australia's climate change, wind farming, coal industry and the 'big carbon plan'

T2 - Mine coal, sell coal, repeat until rich

AU - Muenstermann, Ingrid

N1 - Imported on 12 Apr 2017 - DigiTool details were: Journal title (773t) = Rural Society: the journal of research into rural and regional social issues in Australia. ISSNs: 1037-1656;

PY - 2012

Y1 - 2012

N2 - Climate change threatens all elements of life for people around the world (Stern Review, 2006), it presents the greatest ecological, economic and social challenge of our time (CSIRO, 2009), the chance that it is natural and not manmade is less than 5%, and carbon dioxide emissions contribute to the problem. Australia's biggest export article is coal: more than 80% of Australia's electricity is produced by coal (Diesendorf, 2006a; Garnaut, 2008; United Nations Statistics Division - Environment Statistics, 2010). This indicates there is a need to consider greater use of renewable energies. The creation of more wind farms would be one way of reducing the problem. However, there is controversy and conflict regarding the development of wind farms. From a sociological point of view, Beck's (2007) risk society can be applied to concerns regarding the outcome of 'mind coal, sell coal, repeat until rich' (Pearse, 2010b). This literature review looks at issues surrounding wind energy and the coal industry by using trustworthy published research, by analysing the print media, internet postings, scientific reports, social scientists' oppinions, attitudes of philosophers, a four-Corners' television report, government data and the findings of a government inquiry. There is evidence that members of the powerful coal industry play an important part in the anti-wind farm movement in examining: who are the people gehind the scene and what are their motifs?

AB - Climate change threatens all elements of life for people around the world (Stern Review, 2006), it presents the greatest ecological, economic and social challenge of our time (CSIRO, 2009), the chance that it is natural and not manmade is less than 5%, and carbon dioxide emissions contribute to the problem. Australia's biggest export article is coal: more than 80% of Australia's electricity is produced by coal (Diesendorf, 2006a; Garnaut, 2008; United Nations Statistics Division - Environment Statistics, 2010). This indicates there is a need to consider greater use of renewable energies. The creation of more wind farms would be one way of reducing the problem. However, there is controversy and conflict regarding the development of wind farms. From a sociological point of view, Beck's (2007) risk society can be applied to concerns regarding the outcome of 'mind coal, sell coal, repeat until rich' (Pearse, 2010b). This literature review looks at issues surrounding wind energy and the coal industry by using trustworthy published research, by analysing the print media, internet postings, scientific reports, social scientists' oppinions, attitudes of philosophers, a four-Corners' television report, government data and the findings of a government inquiry. There is evidence that members of the powerful coal industry play an important part in the anti-wind farm movement in examining: who are the people gehind the scene and what are their motifs?

KW - Anti-wind farm movement

KW - Climate change

KW - Coal production

KW - Environmental sociaology

KW - Greenhouse gas emissions

KW - Risk society

KW - Wind energy

KW - Wind turbine syndrome

M3 - Article

VL - 21

SP - 231

EP - 249

JO - Rural Society: the journal of research into rural and regional social issues in Australia

JF - Rural Society: the journal of research into rural and regional social issues in Australia

SN - 1037-1656

IS - 3

ER -