Environmentalists living in 'fantasy land', says Australian trade minister

India and China want fossil fuels they should source and dig them up in their own countries !

This muppet (or Rio Tinto puppet) trade minister is living in a "fantasy world"! Yes we all need power, fuel and energy. The fact is, Australia is just as bad as Tobacco companies, weapons manufacturers, drug producers, all who deal in death of some type. Burning coal has long been a scientifically proven catalyst for rapid depletion of our life sustaining atmosphere. Thank god we have environmentally contentiousness groups who do care about what governments and business are doing and informing and educating people of the possible consequences.

Secondly and more importantly, Australian uranium in the form of radiation is now spread across Japan, polluting the seas and will be causing health issues for years to come. TEPCO has been for years purchasing uranium from Australia. Australia might have natural resources but the long-term global social, economic and environmental damages which Australia is ultimately supporting and funding slow death through coal and uranium sales is a disgrace.

Australian resources, including coal, are in big demand from developing countries such as India and China as they build power projects to fuel their fast-growing economies.

so they can build more factories to produce more cheap crap that no one really needs back to the west & then we can get upset about a trade imbalance we've helped to create. And they will provide 1000s of jobs- to women and children who'll work for a few dollars a day. Nice one Oz.

The technology to switch to renewable energy already exists. In fact, this is nothing new at all. These ideas and technologies have been around since at least the sixties. So no, this is not a radical and snap of the fingers transition as they would have you believe. There is simply a lack of political will. The big old energy companies just keep the politicians pockets lined with cash. And talk about wasting money! Governments all around the world use tax dollars to subsidize these dirty, aging technologies all the time. And the global economy will not falter. Talk about fear mongering (a phrase I despise but will use here in irony). It will become more efficient and profitable. Companies who have already made the switch or have taken steps to go green have already witnessed this. The only people who cannot see this are people with closed minds.

Agree with Gaijininfo wholeheartedly. Eco-terrorist/Environmentalists, call them what you want, they're breaking laws and jumping in with two feet. Once these people get home, you don't know, they might be the greatest breakers of environmental rules themselves. Some might love sharks fins or have a coal-burning heater this winter and drives cars that belched smoke.

Air Uhmerica what would the bone headed errors be?

Perhaps they're not as bone headed as those american errors the world all knows about.

Nothing against environmentalists, we need them to a certain degree.

Just wonder if the millions they spend on demonstrations, stopping whaling, etc, etc could not be better used for everyone's benefit.

Conservation costs a lot of money, yet I see millions and even possible billions being squandered on useless demonstrations, etc.

And for what end-result, I see no changes besides some activists made a few bucks and other padded themselves on their back while having a pint.

looks like aussies don't wann make same bone headed errors the kiwis made.

Unintended consequences.

The world needs energy. Remember the bright idea of ethanol from corn as an alternative? Drove up the prices of corn (which is a base for many goods) and in turn made many foods more expensive. And that was due to a small diversion of corn (maize) into fuel. And irony of ironies, clearcutting done to prepare land for maize production in 3rd world countries led to environmental (erosion and water) issues in those places.

Incentivize yes, but this idea that all at once one can just switch from non-renewable to renewable in a matter of years is ignorant or lunatic. Things just don't work like that.

rio tinto investing 2 bil$ in india. not going to happen many have tried and failed.

Eco terrorists should be put in prison for violation of private property. Long live capitalism.