On this day, May 20, 45 years ago, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser said coal (which Australia had fucktonne of) was the future, not solar (because, you know, Australia is not sunny, and has no scientists who could figure out how to harness that. Obvs).
An article in the Canberra Times begins thus
“Energy research funds would go largely to studies of coal use rather than solar energy the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, said in Hobart yesterday.”
Davidson, G. 1977. Top priority to coal. Canberra Times, 21 May, p.9.
But on the same day, at the same time, environmental activists were holding an alternative energy fair.
Another article on the same page contains the following-
“Demonstrators rode bicycles and walked, peacefully, carrying placards, to Civic from the lawns of Parliament House, where, organisers said, more than 500 demonstrators had set up tents as part of an ‘alternative energy festival’. They went to the Department of Natural Resources, in Hobart Place, where they put up placards and chanted. About 70 of them invaded the department’s office in the AMP building, putting up stickers. They were ushered out by policemen. They then went to the department’s office in Tasman House to talk to the Secretary, Mr James Scully. Policemen stopped them in the foyer. Then they went to the Civic shopping area. An organiser, Mr John Holmes, said the protest was aimed simply at getting media exposure on the uranium-use issue.”
Veteran activist “Takvera” has a simply wonderful blog post I urge you to read, here.