Artificial intelligence. A contradiction in terms? Is a machine actually ‘intelligent’, or is it merely a powerful tool for an intelligent human being?
A powerful tool. That is how it was used by Chris Kenny when he was investigating the story of ‘net zero’ carbon emissions. About ‘renewable energy’, and how it was supposed to be replacing dispatchable fossil and nuclear power.
The question put to ChatGPT was whether Australia’s target of achieving net zero by 2050 was achievable. Initially ChatGPT indicated that it was. With world class wind and solar resources, and government and business commitments. That sounded more like a spiel by Chris Bowen, the climate change and energy minister responsible.
Chris Kenny found it a slick. So he started to ask further, more probing questions. And one of the benefits of ‘artificial intelligence’ – AI – is that if you push you get more info. Actual, real info, not politicians’ guff! Kenny asked ChatGPT about whether renewable systems could supply affordable and reliable electricity, given that so far they had given no sign that they had done so or could do so.
ChatGPT replied that ‘…current renewable heavy systems haven’t proven they can replace dispatchable fossil power without caveats. That’s the reality.’ ChatGPT conceded that no nation had ever build an electricity grid on just renewables. Coal, gas, nuclear … backup power was always necessary.
That was getting somewhere. So Kenny posed four questions:
- Will the transition to ‘renewables’ deliver affordable power? No. Electricity is becoming more expensive.
- Will the transition to ‘renewables’ deliver reliable power? No. Reliability is worsening. Especially in high-renewables states like South Australia.
- Will the transition to ‘renewables’ help the economy? No. It is hurting key sectors, driving up business costs, and pushing investments offshore.
- Will the transition to ‘renewables’ improve the climate? No. Australia’s emissions are globally insignificant.
Remember, these are the findings of an AI system, analysing mountains of data. That is what AI is good for. It can analyse enormous amounts of data quickly. And that data shows clearly that the claims that ‘renewables’ could provide affordable, reliable, power to help the economy and improve the climate are not true.
Australia used to have the cheapest, reliable power due to our abundance of coal reserves. We also have an abundance of natural gas. An abundance of uranium for nuclear power. We have abandoned all that because of a false claim that by building ‘renewable’ electricity generation plants we could prevent ‘climate change’!
They don’t tell us that China, that sells us the windfarms and solar farms, is building hundreds of new coal fired power plants. India is using more fossil fuels to help pull their people out of poverty. Germany had a green transition plan which failed dismally, and they are now turning back to coal and nuclear.
Australians are starting to realise that transitioning to ‘renewables’ is not reliable, not cheap, not effective. And certainly not inevitable. What we need from our governments is truth. Instead we get propaganda. Slogans. Policy driven by fear. Fear of climate catastrophe. Fear of activist outrage. What we need is truth. Truth doesn’t care about fear.
Chat GPT seems to have described the truth far better than the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen. Perhaps we ought to swap him for ChatGPT? Then at least we would have policy based on truth and not on feelings.
Based on an article by Chris Kenny in The Australian.