Australia: Climate News this week
Australians are preoccupied with weather – heavy rain and thunderstorms in the North, extreme heat in the South. Adelaide the world’s hottest city today. Mad dogs, Englishmen, and Australian Open tennis players go out in the midday sun.
If all Australians, instead of just a few, had solar air conditioning, what a difference it would make to electricity consumption from the grid. If King Islanders would let Pacific Hydro’s wind farm go ahead – what a difference to Victoria’s electricity supply!
Meanwhile, our revered Prime Minister Tony Abbott is busily setting up a new inquiry into the health harm done by wind turbines. Scorning the numerous authoritative inquiries already completed, Tony might perhaps ask Sarah Lurie of the anti wind power Waubra Foundation, to run this one?
Abbott’s other feat is to remove all nasty words such as “climate” and “clean energy” from the political discussion. A favourite Liberal tactic – changing words, as in changing the (correct) “asylum seekers” into the (incorrect} “illegal maritime arrivals”
Now – for a bit of real news- the Australian Renewable Energy Agency and the South Australian Government announced that they have committed to funding for Alinta Energy to run a feasibility study into building a solar thermal power plant in Port Augusta.
Australian Climate Denialism from Mont Pelerin Society to Tony Abbott
The argument put by Lindsay back in 2008 is identical to that put by Tony Abbott’s chief business advisor Maurice Newman in recent columns, the latest only a few weeks ago
Mont Pelerin Society Revealed As Home To Leading Pushers Of Climate Science Denial DESMOGBLOG.COM, GRAHAM READFEARN, 14 JAN 14 THERE’S a popular talking point coming from climate change denialists that all people who accept the science and the need to act on it are somehow blinded by faith.
In Australia, climate science contrarian columnists can barely touch their keyboards without typing out the words “global warming faith” or explaining how human-caused global warming is some sort of “new religion”.
This “climate religion” narrative often goes hand-in-hand with another favourite denialist talking point where climate scientists are only doing what they do because there’s a dollar in it.
Presumably the laws of physics, the melting ice sheets, the increasing risk of bushfires, the hottest decades on record and the acidifying oceans are also waiting for their cash.
Maurice Newman, the man hand-picked by Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott to be the government’s top business advisor, loves both of these debating points.
Newman has described climate scientists as being a “global warming priesthood” and belonging to a new “religion”. In a second opinion column in two weeks in The Australian, Newman repeats his cynicism over the IPCC and climate scientists, describing them as a “cartel” that “will deny all contrary evidence”. Newman even repeats the myth that in the 1970s scientists were certain the world was heading for global cooling, when in fact, as this study shows, a healthy majority of scientific papers were predicting the opposite. ……
In Australia, Mont Pelerin Society members include Continue reading
Accidents and dismal uranium prices plague Paladin Energy
Paladin revenue dwindles as output rises Justin Niessner Wednesday, 15 January 2014 PALADIN Energy recorded strong production figures for the December quarter but posted lower sales revenue on a stubbornly weak uranium price.
Revenues for the quarter were down 31.6% year on year at $US101.7 million ($A11.2 million) on the sale of 2.8 million pounds of uranium oxide. It represents roughly the same sales volume compared to a year ago but at a 23.8% lower price of $36.67 per pound of uranium oxide……
Safety was a difficult issue for the company over the period, with an electrical incident sending three workers to hospital in early October. The company confirmed that the most seriously injured worker died on October 29. Two lost time injuries were recorded as a result of the incident…..
a price of at least $70/lb would be necessary to support new uranium supply Earlier this week Paladin said it would not pursue development of its Manyingee project in Western Australia due to the low uranium price. http://www.miningnews.net/storyview.asp?storyid=801876475
A step forward for solar thermal plant in Port Augusta
Australian Youth Climate Coalition 16 Jan 14 We’re excited to share a great win with Repower Port Augusta
Today the Australian Renewable Energy Agency and the South Australian Government announced that they have committed to funding for Alinta Energy to run a feasibility study into building solar thermal in Port Augusta.
This is a huge step forward in building our first solar thermal plant!
You can read more here:http://www.businessspectator.com.au/news/2014/1/15/energy-markets/arena-funds-port-augusta-solar-thermal-study
The Australian Greens BREAKING NEWS: South Australia is one step closer to having a solar thermal plant!
On a day when we are sweltering under record-breaking heat, and climate change looms large, it has just been announced Alinta Energy has received ARENA funding for a feasibility study into solar thermal in Pt Augusta.
A huge effort from the team at Repower Port Augusta who have worked tirelessly on this project, and great news for the Port Augusta community. Bring on a healthy clean energy future!
Threats silence worried and sick Fukushima workers
Sickened Fukushima Worker: “Tepco is God… we are slaves” — Employees beaten, threatened with death for speaking out (VIDEO) http://enenews.com/tv-fukushima-employees-beaten-threatened-with-death-for-speaking-out-sickened-worker-tepco-is-god-we-are-slaves-video
America Tonight, , Al Jazeera America, Jan. 7, 2014:
Anonymous Fukushima worker ‘Tanaka’: “My job was to help workers remove their gear when they came back from dealing with contaminated water and debris, and to check them with a Geiger counter for contamination […] We used to wear charcoal filters, but because of the cost cuts, we got dust filters, like those you’d buy at a convenient store. Tepco employees wore charcoal filters in all locations. […] Tepco is God, the main contractors are kings, and we are slaves. […]
Michael Okwu, Al Jazeera correspondent: Like many nuclear workers approaching their radiation limit it’s unlikely that Tanaka will ever be hired at Fukushima again. He’s since lost his apartment, and is constantly sick. […]
Tanaka: Fatigue, tiredness, I get really tired. I can’t say whether radiation is the cause, but since used-up nuclear workers don’t get any compensation, I’m worried about my future. So some of it could be psychological.
Part II at 2:00 in
Michael Okwu, Al Jazeera correspondent: Unlike some, [Fukushima worker] Sato escaped violent retribution when he complained and then quit.
Takeshi Katsura, a laborer helps workers exploited by the Japanese mafia: I’ve had workers tell me that they’ve been beat up and told, ‘I’ll kill you.’ Threatened with, ‘You know what will happen to you.’
Pro nuclear scientist admits nuclear plants are dangerous
Fox Business: Leading ‘pro-nuclear’ scientist admits our nuclear plants are “dangerous” and “error-prone” — Agrees we don’t even know true extent of Fukushima disaster or its impact (VIDEO) http://enenews.com/fox-business-leading-pro-nuclear-scientist-admits-our-nuclear-plants-are-dangerous-and-error-prone-agrees-we-dont-even-know-true-extent-of-fukushima-disaster-and-its-impact-video
Fox Business, , Jan. 3, 2014 (at 2:00 in):
Lou Dobbs, host: Your thoughts on nuclear power and why you think that’s so critical, given the direction of our climate?
Ken Caldeira, climate scientist in the Carnegie Institution Department of Global Ecology at Stanford University: […] If we look at nuclear power, the facts about the objective risks are also fairly well established, in that nuclear power seems far less risky than coal. And yes, there are risks — we’ve seen Fukushima, and we know that there’s waste disposal issues — but there’s nothing fundamental about nuclear power that says that it can’t be substantially safer than what we’re currently doing.
Dobbs: I don’t want to get into the issue nuclear power itself, other than to say Fukushima — as you put it aside here — I mean, we don’t even know the true extent of that disaster and its impact. You would agree with that right?
Caldeira: I would agree with that. I think Fukushima shows us that the current generation and our current way of operating nuclear power plants is dangerous, but we don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater just because something is error-prone today doesn’t mean we can’t make it better.
(Caldeira was one of four top climate scientists who recently distributed a much publicized open letter “To those influencing environmental policy but opposed to nuclear power”)
Note that both Carnegie Endowment and Stanford University are included in a Tepco document that shows a small group of U.S. entities “working together” with Tepco to “disseminate” Fukushima-related information.
Watch the broadcast here
Super catastrophe potential at Fukushima nuclear power plant
TV: Fukushima confirms nightmarish potential of nuclear power; Public living with threat of worst-case scenarios on daily basis — Author: “Super catastrophe” looms at plant (VIDEO) http://enenews.com/tv-fukushima-confirms-nightmarish-potential-of-nuclear-power-under-threat-of-worst-case-scenario-on-dail-y-basis-author-super-catastrophe-looms-at-plant-video
Dr. Michael Parenti, Ph.D.(Yale University) political scientist, historian, author, Jan. 13, 2014: […] President Obama has been as mute about the calamity looming at Fukushima as the Japanese government itself—-and for the same reasons. First, the potential danger is stupendous and it is in the manner of leaders, when facing something that might develop into a super catastrophe, to keep the public’s mind off it. The last thing they want is to put the public into a fright and fury about their own survival […] Should Obama broach the subject of Fukushima he would leave himself open to a host of questions […] It would become apparent that he and the others have no sure answer regarding how they are going to decommission the nuclear plants […]
Michael Okwu, Al Jazeera correspondent back from Japan, Jan. 7, 2014 (at 2:30 in): To be clear, people are awake at night because every day, worst case scenarios are entirely conceivable at the four troubled reactors at Fukushima Daiichi. If for some reason the cooling system falters or a massive earthquake in this highly quake prone nation were to hit, deadly levels of radiation could be released into the atmosphere In Reactors 1, 2, and 3 the cooling system is completely dependent on an ad hoc warrant of pipes that travel through the melted core. Tepco says its reactors could withstand a M9.0 quake, but we spoke to plenty of people in Japan who were not willing to find out how accurate that statement is.
Watch the broadcast here
Australia voted with USA against Declaration for Rights of Indigenous Peoples
TPPA Environment Chapter & Chair’s Commentary Posted by WikiLeaks Issues for NZ 1Professor Jane Kelsey 16 January 2014 (NZDT) The consolidated draft text of the Environment chapter of the Trans-Pacific partnership Agreement and the accompanying chair’s commentary have been posted in Wikileaks (http://wikileaks.org/tpp-enviro). The documents are dated 24 November 2013, the final day of the 
Salt Lake City round in November…..
The most egregious threat to the environment is the investment chapter, in particular the prior consent by all countries except Australia to investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS). The vast majority of investment arbitrations under similar agreements involve natural resources, especially mining, and have resulted in billions of dollars of damages against governments for measures designed to protect the environment from harm caused by foreign corporations. The US is also demanding that contracts between investors and states that involve natural resources also have access to ISDS.
Chapters that may impact on environmental measures, with some examples, include:…..
France and Germany reduce nuclear power, co-ordinate renewables development
France, Germany to coordinate renewable energy development http://www.pennenergy.com/articles/pennenergy/2014/01/france-germany-partner-on-renewable-energy-development.html January 15, 2014
“We have a strong interest in the closest possible cooperation on energy policy whether on a political or corporate level,” a spokesman for the German Economy Ministry, which oversees energy, told reporters.
Both nations are looking to diversify their energy sources for power generation and plan to gradually decrease dependence on nuclear power. French President Francois Hollande said the country will lower nuclear power to 50 percent by 2025, down from 75 percent currently. The French-German Office for Renewable Energies is expected to head the coordination effort between the two countries.
“We have already established the structure,” a government source told Reuters. “Now the ministers need to give it the necessary impetus.”
French Environment Minister Philippe Martin said in December that France has started to plan subsidies for renewable energy development, Businessweek reported.
China speeding up investment in wind and solar energy
China to Boost Renewable Energy to Curb Air Pollution, CCTV Says http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-01-15/china-to-boost-renewable-energy-to-curb-air-pollution-cctv-says.html By Bloomberg News Jan 14, 2014 China, the world’s biggest carbon emitter, will quicken the development of solar and wind energy this year to help curb air pollution, state television said.
The nation plans to install 14 gigawatts of solar capacity and 18 gigawatts of wind power as well as approve 20 gigawatts of hydroelectric plants, China Central Television reported, citing the National Energy Administration.
The plan surpasses a forecast by Bloomberg New Energy Finance for China’s wind and solar capacity addition in 2014. The nation may install as much as 13.3 gigawatts of solar power and 14.7 gigawatts of wind this year, BNEF estimates. The efforts are targeted at curbing coal power plant emissions to ease smog.
China plans to reduce preferential prices forrenewable energy and achieve parity with coal-fired power by 2020, CCTV reported.
In heat wave electricity supply strained, but solar sources reduce strain
Heatwave Strains SA And VIC Electricity Networks http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=4127 16 Jan A The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) says extreme temperatures in Victoria and South Australia and associated high electricity demand is placing significant strain on the national power system.
The organisation says the situation is such that it has triggered the potential for load shedding to occur in parts of both states.
Both South Australia and Victoria have recorded the highest levels of electricity consumption since January 2009, with a maximum demand of 10,151 MW recorded in Victoria and 3,046 MW recorded in South Australia on Wednesday.
In recent days, demand has pushed the wholesale price of electricity to the maximum allowed $13,000 per megawatt-hour – or $13 per kilowatt hour – in South Australia and above $12,000 per megawatt hour in Victoria. (View 24-hour National Electricity Market Demand And Price Graphs).
While price spikes to such a level have been brief during the heatwave event so far, the situation could have been more sustained if not for the many thousands of rooftop solar panel systems installed in both states that are assisting in offsetting the electricity consumed by increased air-conditioner usage.
According to solar provider Energy Matters, 750,000 domestic air-conditioners units were installed in 2013 in Australia, bringing the total number of household units nationally to over 9.2 million.
In other news from the AEMO, its latest report on South Australia shows the price of renewables rapidly dropping. In terms of economic efficiency, the AEMO says gas, wind, and biomass remain the most viable investment options over the next few years in South Australia, based on projected costs over a 30-year plant life.
The report notes embedded rooftop PV installation in South Australia generated 497 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity during 2012-13; 18.5% of Australia’s total PV output.
The South Australian Fuel And Technology Report can be viewed in full here (PDF).
Introducing a Climate Denialist source- The Mont Pelerin Society
The Mont Pelerin Society DESMOGBLOG.COM, GRAHAM READFEARN, 14 JAN 14 The Mont Pelerin Society was established in 1947 by free market economist and philosopher Friedrich von Hayek.
Maurice Newman, a Mont Pelerin member since 1976, has long been an admirer of the work of Hayek and fellow free market economist Milton Friedman, a past president of the Mont Pelerin Society…….
To become a member, individuals have to be nominated by a current member and then seek endorsement by the membership committee before being endorsed.
DeSmogBlog has obtained a full list of the society’s members that includes senior representatives of many of the world’s foremost “free market” think tanks actively pushing back on proposed policy solutions to tackle climate change……
Among the notable members is Charles Koch (list excerpt here), the US oil billionaire who has been a Mont Pelerin Society member since 1970.
Charles and his brother David have used their charitable foundations to funnel tens of millions of dollars into free market think tanks which fight environmental protection and deny the dangers of human-caused climate change.http://www.desmogblog.com/2014/01/15/exclusive-mont-pelerin-society-revealed-home-leading-pushers-climate-science-denial
Antinuclear 