Antinuclear

Australia’s challenge to take part in the renewable energy revolution

there are all kinds of businesses associated with these industries, and we can do that well in Australia and we can certainly demonstrate how to make our cities work better with them, which requires this integration of smart grids and all kinds of storage systems and so on that are emerging.

RENEWABLES INVESTMENT ECLIPSES FOSSIL FUELS  Radio National, The Science Show, download audio http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/scienceshow/the-science-show-19th-may-2012/4019492       19May  Investment in renewable energy infrastructure is outstripping that for fossil fuels. Investment was equal in 2008, but the balance has swung since. During 2011, globally, $40 billion was invested in fossil fuels. $260 billion was invested in renewables.  In the past year the price of photovoltaic cells has dropped by 50%.

Peter Newman describes the growth of investment in renewable as exponential. He says we are living through one of the most dramatic periods in history as fossil fuels are being phased out.

Robyn Williams: There’s a massive revolution underway. Steve Chu,
Nobel prize-winner and US Energy Secretary, noted this a couple of
weeks ago, he said, ‘The price of photovoltaics dropped 80% in one
year, and by 40% in another year.’ Has the world changed and we
haven’t noticed?
Peter Newman: The investment opportunities that are appearing now and
which are being funded, the reality is coal and gas are on their way
out, so globally in the last year, $40 billion was invested in fossil
fuels, $260 billion in renewables. The peak at which fossil fuels

as though there’s much change happening, whereas in fact we are living
in one of the most dramatic periods of history as we phase out fossil
fuels…..
 one of the reasons globally solar and wind have taken off is that the
mass production in China with their demand and their ability to
produce so quickly and efficiently is driving the price down. The
logistics, the processes of applying it, the systems, there are all
kinds of businesses associated with these industries, and we can do
that well in Australia and we can certainly demonstrate how to make
our cities work better with them, which requires this integration of
smart grids and all kinds of storage systems and so on that are
emerging. And that means that we need to have trials, demonstrations
everywhere, and we are doing some of that. So the solar cities program
and the smart cities program and so on, these things are leading I
think to the green economy work. But it is not nearly enough in
Australia, we could do a lot better at this…..
http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/scienceshow/renewables-investment-eclipses-fossil-fuels/4019784

May 25, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | General News