Why Big Mining loves Big Green, by Viv Forbes.

The Labor/Green coalition in Australia has declared war on coal, oil and gas. So why is Big Mining not fighting back? …

[BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, Glencore, and Shell] employ competent geologists, physicists and chemists who could tell them that CO2 is not a pollutant and is not the primary driver of climate….

None of these big miners speak out against this baseless war on their products. Some even waste shareholder funds producing glossy brochures promoting the green agenda.

Big Mining is not that dumb. Their climate concern is more motivated by self-interest — they see long-term profits flowing from the silly green agenda. They are also political cowards. …

Wind and solar are very diffuse power sources and need large areas of land together with webs of access roads and power lines in order to generate significant power. The heavy machinery needed for construction, maintenance and dismantling these green power networks provide more demands for petroleum and mining products. Before one watt of green electricity is generated for consumers, green power has boosted demand for most products of Big Mining.

Green power also needs back-up power ready to swing into action immediately the wind drops or clouds obscure the sun. This is great news for reliable energy suppliers capable of rapid backup, which usually means gas. … So Big Gas loves Big Green and is secretly delighted by the war on coal. …

On the debit side are the usual victims – taxpayers and consumers of coal, oil, gas, electricity and metals; and employees and shareholders of industries being forced to close or emigrate because of expensive or unreliable electricity supply.

The wholesale cost of production of electricity is 3 cents per kWh, but the retail price in Australia is now well over 20 cents per kWh. Huge markup, so there is lots of room for juicy revenue and expenditure for the usual suspects.