Other schemes for irrigating Australia's Red Centre include giant egg whisks, a transcontinental canal and an artificial
mountain range that would
require» 5 times all the earth
moved in the whole of human history».
Natural gas produces about 50 % to 70 % less CO2 than coal for a given amount of energy produced (the higher figure is compared to the less efficient coal plants, which are probably those being closed right now), and while fracking and
moving natural gas around isn't a free lunch by any mean, it compares favorably to mountaintop removal and all the energy that this
requires (
moving a whole
mountain and grinding rock down to powder, can you imagine how energy intensive that is?).