Casltlemaine’s remarkable launch of a solar energy revolution
Renewable energy: power to the people, SMH, November 3, 2014 Michael Green Chewton’s primary school, student population 40, perches on a hill above the houses of the small central Victorian town, which borders Castlemaine. Before the year is out, its red tin roof will be home to solar panels facing east and west, positioned to best offset its demand. The school is crowdfunding for a renewable energy system, by way of a new scheme called the People’s Solar.
“Our savings won’t go back into the big bucket,” says principal Julie Holden. “They won’t be used for staffing and books.” She’s promising to fund environmental initiatives by students around the town instead, as well as more energy efficiency improvements for the buildings.
Modest though its goal sounds, Chewton Primary is one front in a revolution. Continue reading
Aboriginal land claims on New South Wales coastal areas – attempted block by NSW govt!
New South Wales tries to block Aboriginal land claims on coastal areas, Guardian, 3 Nov 14, Move follows successful Coffs Harbour bid despite fact past claims have been granted with easements for public access The New South Wales government is seeking to ban Aboriginal communities from making land claims on coastal areas and to cancel around 1,800 outstanding claims to beachfront land.
Hundreds gathered in Sydney on Monday to protest against the proposal, which the state’s Aboriginal Land Council has slammed as “racist” and “scare-mongering”.
The state government’s move follows a successful 20-year legal battle by the Coffs Harbour district local Aboriginal council to claim a section of land on the state’s north coast that includes a 3.7km stretch of Red Rock beach………
Gordon said the government had granted coastal land claims 30 years ago “when they thought they were wastelands”.
“Now they’re realising it’s pristine land and they don’t want blackfellas to have it.”
He said the “racist” legislation undermined other positive initiatives by the Baird government, including the appointment of an Aboriginal deputy ombudsman and the devolution of power to local communities.
“This government wants Aboriginal land rights to end. They want us to no longer be able to claim crown land,” he said. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/nov/03/new-south-wales-tries-to-block-aboriginal-land-claims-on-coastal-areas
Wind power surging ahead in South Australia
The $450 million addition of 90 turbines increases the farm’s capacity from Sunday by 1350 gigawatt hours a year, enough to power 230,000 homes.
The wind farm in the state’s mid-north is now the largest in the state, the government says.
The Premier has also warned projects such as the Snowtown wind farm are at risk if the federal government scaled back the Renewable Energy Target.
Mr Weatherill told media the project is creating ‘a new future for this region in South Australia’, but a scaling back of the RET would see large scale renewable initiatives become unviable.
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