'Power failure' - Four Corners

Four Corners investigates how a nation as rich as Australia is in coal, gas, sunshine and wind, has found itself in the middle of an energy crisis.

The ABC's Four Corners takes a
look at Australia's energy crisis.

"We've had a catastrophic failure of national policy making." Industry Lobbyist.

For a decade, the politicisation of energy policy has divided the major political parties and brought down their leaders.

"We've had a series of disasters, bad political decisions to end up where we are." Energy Analyst.

The result is an uncertain energy future and soaring power bills.

Watch the Four Corners program here - “Power failure.”

The Age of Consequences - depressing and uplifting

Should you want to be horribly depressed and yet strangely uplifted, watch “The Age of Consequences” as shown on the ABC’s Four Corners program.

The film illustrates that what’s ahead will be grim, but at least it is uplifting to see that many people who hold positions of influence in the U.S. care about what is unfolding.

Monday night’s Four Corners gave viewers a taste of the film, and was it any good?

“You are unlikely to ever see another climate film like ‘The Age of Consequences’”, according to David Spratt on the Climate Code Red website.

Considering coal's future - is Australia backing a loser?

W

ith the price of coal plummeting and our biggest customers turning to renewable energy, is Australia backing a loser?

The story – “The end of coal?” – was presented last night in the ABC’s Four Corners program.

When Prime Minister Tony Abbott famously declared coal to be "good for humanity" and "essential to the prosperity of Australia" there was no doubting he saw a coal-fuelled future for the nation.

And it's easy to see why: Australia has one of the world's largest deposits of coal; it provides two-thirds of our power, employs more than 50,000 people and brings in more than $40 billion a year from exports.

Yet not everyone is so upbeat. Some argue that the downturn is permanent.

"There's been a number of price cycles like this in the past. I have to say this is probably the worst we've seen." Mining Executive

Four Corners explores the driving forces that neither the Federal Government nor the mining industry can control.

Among the challenges, rapid technological change revolutionising the way we generate and store power.

"It is totally a game changer." Christina Figuerres, UN Climate Change Chief

And investors are getting nervous.

"With fossil fuels we want to get out as quickly as possible for financial reasons, as fast as is prudent, but also because we feel like the value of these stocks is really declining." US Investor

"Financial markets though operate like a herd. Once one of the bulls runs, a stampede is caused." Energy Analyst

And with countries like China, America and the rest of the G7 committing to curbs on fossil fuels, will Australia be left on the wrong side of history?