Sorry this just comas across as another 'Renewables aren't good enough' post and with it the subtext that we might as well keep on using fossil fuels. IT completely ignores that Australia has already managed to be 100% renewable and is looking to have an energy surplus in the near future. It talks about how renewables are just as polluting, despite the fact that most of what is used for wind and solar can be recycled and that fossil fuels are the most dangerously polluting energies next to nuclear.

The whole point of moving to renewables is not to have some kind of massive energy nirvana but to save the planet from climate destruction. If there isn't enough energy produced by renewables it just means we need to reduce our energy consumption. I know this is a concept that is alien to most Americans brought up on the ethos of more is better. Our race to save the planet needs a two pronged approach. Replace polluting fuels with renewables (solar, wind, hydro, tidal, thermal, bio) and reduce our impact on a planet of limited resources. Remember we are all travelling on spaceship earth and even Musk can't build a life-raft to save all of us. So we also need to cut down our consumption of resources such as reducing meat consumption, reversing deforestation caused by land exploitation and reducing population through education.

Renewable energy can power the world but it can't power the infinite greed of capitalism.