Kevin 747 flops in the Big Apple

Yet renewable energy is not receiving comparable funding to the figures that CCS is now slated to receive in Australia, despite Australia being ideally placed to harness solar, wind and hot rock energy.

In his final address to the UN General Assembly Rudd spoke about the need for the global unity to address the three key issues facing the world - economic security, terrorism and the environment. But the proposed Global carbon capture and storage Institute was the “cornerstone” of his UN address, the main game of his US visit.

Not only did Rudd manage to pick the worst week imaginable to be pushing Australia onto the international stage as a clean coal pioneer, but by embracing CCS Rudd is effectively locking Australia into a risky gamble. At best clean coal remains an untested unproved technology.

At worst it threatens to further delay the real action required to transform Australia from a country addicted to coal toward becoming a world leader in clean renewable technologies.