Climate change isn’t a debate. Renewable energy isn’t a fantasy. The climate crisis is already underway. But we know you know this. 

You may not know just how long the climate change conversation has been going on. It started back in the 1820s when French mathematician Joseph Fourier did the calculations and discovered the earth’s increasing temperature couldn’t be produced from solar radiation alone. Scientists have continued to warn us about the dangers of fossil fuels since then. Only for Australia’s now-Prime Minister to say renewable energy targets are “nuts” in 2017. Cue the exploitation of the planet’s limited resources for greed and the wealth of only a few. 

The Climate Council of Australia defines “net-zero emissions” as an overall balance between greenhouse gas emissions produced and greenhouse gas emissions taken out of the atmosphere. Crucially, the Climate Council also states that ‘a net-zero target is also fundamentally incompatible with new coal or gas. All gas and coal expansion must stop’.

To stop the continued use and investment into fossil fuels, we need to know how to have constructive conversations with people who aren’t yet ‘sold’ on the switch to renewable energy. 

So, here are a few common ‘concerns’ and how to answer them:

1. ‘Climate change isn’t real…’

Hopefully it’s just your distant uncle you only see at family gatherings once a year that continues to deny what is an undoubtable fact. It can be incredibly draining to start a discussion on climate change with a denier. However, if you are feeling up to it, The Climate Reality Project has some helpful pointers, which include starting the conversation casually and being prepared with evidence. This one’s key! The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has loads of great resources to get you started – including their report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels, and a special report on climate change on land. While being informed is the best way to respond to climate deniers, don’t be disheartened if you can’t change Uncle Larry’s mind. Just because he doesn’t believe, doesn’t mean he is immune to rising temperatures or natural disasters. Ultimately, the planet will have the last say. 

2. ‘The economy can’t cope with a transition to renewables‘

Stay it louder for the people in the back: renewable energy is rife with economic opportunity. The idea that the Australian economy only thrives because of coal is a total fallacy. In reality, coal only accounts for 3.5% of GDP. That amount is almost tripled by construction, which contributes 9% to GDP annually. What coal-sympathisers also don’t tell you is that most of the profits from the coal industry don’t benefit the Australian economy. For example, in New South Wales alone, 90% of the profits from coal are pocketed by overseas owners. 

While we’re looking overseas, Europe is showing the world how to flourish with renewables. New data named Norway as a world leader in renewable energy, with 45% of the country’s energy supply produced by hydropower. Brazil was also shown to have the biggest share of biofuels and waste energy, with 32.1% (just 0.1% more than Finland). While wind and solar now make up a quarter of the energy supply in New Zealand. So if Australia’s neighbours are getting it so right, how can we be going so wrong? The same report exposed Australia as still producing 93% of its energy through fossil fuels. 

Federal policy has played a major role in other countries’ successful pivot to renewables. For example, in Germany, around 370,000 new jobs were created in the renewable energy sector in 2010. Germany’s use of renewable energy rosee from 3.4% in 1990, to 42.1% in 2019.