Yes, we have an energy crisis

and we have it right now. 

I am sorry if you think you are going to get through summer here in Downunder without the power failing at all. It will fail. 

When it does you are still going to be in a better position than people in the northern hemisphere. It is winter for them and there will be people who will die of cold. This will especially be the case in a country like Ukraine.  They really do have an energy crisis on their hands. 

In other parts of Europe the situation is also going to be serious. People will layer up as far as they can. They will try to use as little electricity and gas as possible but they are going to need some. Power is part of almost everything we do and depend on in the modern world. 

The present government of Downunder managed to win power, among other things, by claiming that they would reduce the cost of power. They claimed they were going to have green and clean energy, that we would reach our "emissions target" and much more.  Our particular system of voting (compulsory with compulsory preferences) allowed them to get in on 32% of the primary vote. Since then, with the help of "the Greens", they have claimed a mandate for a number of very disturbing changes. Some of them, such as greatly increased powers for the union movement, were to be expected. Power over power sources however is something the Greeens have demanded in return for their support. 

So we have a situation where a country which has an abundant supply of natural gas and indeed who exports a great deal of it is, according to Greens philosophy, going to have to stop using it altogether. They keep telling us we can rely on "renewables" like wind and solar. They want to close down the gas industry completely. In order to obtain their support for an "election promise" to "reduce power bills" the government has caved in. They have also put a "cap" on prices.

What will happen now? We have already been informed that, even with this measure, power prices are going to rise steeply. Inflation will rise with it. The standard of living is going to drop and it may drop dramatically within a few short years. The Greens say we will have an endless supply of renewable energy. The doomsayers are predicting an energy short fall of massive proportions. 

The government is blaming the war in Ukraine for the current high energy prices. I doubt that is the case. It is perhaps one contributing factor but it far from being the only problem. The problem is being compounded here by the failure to use the resources we have, to do the research, to build the power plants and much more. We have "green blinkers" on. People really do believe that "renewable" energy is the answer to everything right now. 

It isn't the answer to everything right now. We have a long way to go. I still believe there are answers out there but they might not be popular with those who have invested so much in "renewable" sources. Our "energy crisis" is as much about who will benefit financially as it is about what is best for the planet. It is also about the other sort of power and how much it can be used to control others. That worries me.