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  Concentrating Solar Power

  The peak scientific research body in Australia, the CSIRO, has said for years that 100% of Australia's electricity needs can be met from CSP (concentrating solar power - use of mirrors to focus sunlight and drive turbine systems) stations in dry sunny regions (we have more than enough of them).  50km by 50km of mirrors would provide enough electricity to power all our nation's needs and could be constructed by 2020.

  The technology allows for storage of energy in chemical form overnight - eg Ammonia is fractionated to hydrogen and nitrogen and then recombined, the process releases energy for driving the turbines when the sun isn't shining.

  Yet our Australian government is in bed with coal and uranium as it (not without justification from past and current economies) sees mining as the source of Australia's relatively easy wealth.  The PM, John Howard, says he doesn't believe in climate change alarmism and wants to "preserve Australia's natural economic advantages" (namely coal and uranium).  

  But what is our biggest natural advantage if not sunshine?  Some of our best scientists certainly thinks so.On It's seductive -- and wrong posted 2 years, 9 months ago 54 Responses