Fossill fuel interests prevent Australia’s renewable energy takeoff

abundant and cheap fossil fuels, have locked it into a high-carbon energy future. ...Australia has some of the world’s best wind resources along its southern coastlines as well as the highest average solar radiation per square metre of any continent in the world.

Australian renewable industry held back by politics, Renewable Energy Focus, 03 February 2011, Lack of a cohesive national policy is restricting the development of renewable energy in Australia, according to Datamonitor.By Isabella Kaminski

A report by independent market analyst Datamonitor claims that the Australian renewable industry cannot make significant progress until legislation changes, despite the country’s abundant renewable energy resources.

Datamonitor estimates that around A$45 billion of private investment will be required to develop the 20 GW of renewable energy capacity currently under development. Two thirds of this investment is for wind energy, for which no Federal funding provision has been made so far.

Frederik Dahlmann, Datamonitor analyst and author of the report, says: “Australia’s renewable energy market has great potential due to its tremendous natural resource availability. However the country is also blessed with abundant and cheap fossil fuels, which have locked it into a high-carbon energy future. A lack of a cohesive national policy on renewable energy development is preventing it from breaking out.

“Developers and utilities will struggle to make the most of renewable energy resources and finance and develop new capacity until a more joined up approach is taken.”

Australia has some of the world’s best wind resources along its southern coastlines as well as the highest average solar radiation per square metre of any continent in the world. According to Datamonitor, it has good potential in biomass, tidal and wave, and geothermal energy.

Renewable Energy Focus – Australian renewable industry held back by politics

February 4, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, energy

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1.This month.

The Road to War brings a sharp focus to why it is not in Australia’s best interest to be dragged into a war with China which will almost inevitably go nuclear very quickly. The filmmaker has interviewed some of Australia’s senior foreign policy analysts who have vast experience behind them in analysing what really is going on here as the United States rattles its sabres with China. And sets us up to be its proxy, like the poor Ukranians have been fed into the Meatgrinder. So America can remain the Top Dog. The Road to War reveals how the United States through its spy base at Pine Gap and by stationing six nuclear capable B52 bombers in the Top End (without permission from the traditional owners) is making Australia a prime nuclear target if the current war of words suddenly melts down into full scale war.

The Road to War shows the implicit connection between Carbon emissions (the US military uses a whopping 70% of America’s annual petroleum to move its armies and vast War Machine around the globe to its 800+ military bases..but under a loophole wangled at Kyoto, the US military does not have to report its C02 annual emissions). The Road to War starts screening at selected cities and regional centres in March. See the trailer end for details.

Antinuclear

Australian news, and some related international items