Right Pulse

According to the Herald Sun, Rudd has said that going from a 23 mega bit connection to a 100 mega bit connection – at a cost of $43 billion plus –  as part of this National Broadband Network will:

…reduce Australia’s carbon emissions by five per cent…

Okkkayyyy. And this number comes from where? Rudd mentioned the figure as part of his address to the UNSW, in which actually said:

…it has been estimated that broadband can help reduce Australia’s annual emissions of greenhouse gases by five per cent.

Is it greenhouse or carbon emissions? Don’t know because there is no citation, no indication of where the savings will be and it is not clear if it is a net figure. So basically a meaningless reference.

5 per cent of Australia’s annual net emissions (about 550 million tonnes) represents about 30 million tonnes. According to the US EPA, this equates to taking 5 million cars off the road for a whole year or nearly 8 coal fired power stations. Is Rudd seriously suggesting that such an increase in internet speed – apparently not subject to the laws of diminishing returns – will save us that much in emissions from transportation and power? Presumably this is where the saving will be in. And of course the mainstream media dutifully and uncritically report Rudd’s ramblings.