Tax-payers paid up big for Queensland’s Abbot Point coal port expansion
While the environmental risks of the Abbot Point port expansion have been widely reported, the economic impacts have been overlooked, according to the Australia Institute.
The thinktank found Queensland taxpayers had contributed $1,947.1m to the project despite no public cost-benefit analysis of the project being done.
“The Queensland government money spent on Abbot Point comes at the expense of spending on other government services such as education and health. This fact has been emphasised by Queensland Treasury,” the paper, released on Friday, says.
“… No cost-benefit analysis or other economic assessment has been conducted, contrary to Queensland government guidelines and statements by treasurer Tim Nicholls. The dubious financial viability of Galilee Basin coal projects threatens the expansion of Abbot Point and the large sums spent by taxpayers.”
The Abbot Point port is in central Queensland, adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef. Ships accessing the port must pass through the reef and it is being upgraded to a capacity of 70m tonnes of coal a year. In the 2013-14 financial year 30m tonnes of coal passed through the port……….http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/jan/15/queensland-taxpayers-subsidised-abbot-point-coal-port-expansion-by-up-to-2bn
Central West New South Wales could have a bright future with renewable energy – Greens candidate Matt Parmeter
Greens candidate for Dubbo sees opportunities in transition to renewable energy http://www.mudgeeguardian.com.au/story/2819662/greens-candidate-for-dubbo-sees-opportunities-in-transition-to-renewable-energy/?cs=1485 By Elle Watson Jan. 16, 2015 Greens candidate for Dubbo Matt Parmeter says renewable energy poses a bright future for the Central West.
“[Renewable energy] will have a lot of benefits for inland NSW,” Mr Parmeter said. He said 300 jobs had been created in Nyngan were a solar power plant is currently under construction.
The Greens renewable energy plan claims NSW can transform from its reliance on 19th century fossil-fuels to a clean, green economy. “Investing in renewable energy technologies now is possible, it is affordable, and it will create jobs in our region,” said a release from Mr Parmeter.
“We all want to safeguard the environment for our kids – 100 per cent renewable electricity generation for NSW by 2030 is the way to do this.”
The Greens say transitioning to a low-carbon economy is the only way to tackle climate change head on and avoid the worst predictions of a hotter, drier climate. “I think climate change is an issue that effects everyone,” Mr Parmeter said. “There are a lot of aspects to that.”
Mr Parmeter said the Greens are staunchly against Coal Seam Gas mining and believe renewable energy is a far better alternative. “The concerns people have are for the damage caused by CSG mining,” Mr Parmeter said.
He has worked on farm water supply, town water supply and sewerage projects throughout the region for the last 20 years. Has lived in Dubbo since 1996, has two teenage children, and said he has a good understanding of what paying a mortgage and doing the grocery shopping is all about.
The Dynamics of Possible Nuclear Extinction – Symposium in New York
Symposium: The Dynamics of Possible Nuclear Extinction l February 28-March 1, 2015 at The New York Academy of Medicine
A unique, two-day symposium at which an international panel of leading experts in disarmament, political science, existential risk, artificial intelligence, anthropology, medicine, nuclear weapons and other nuclear issues will be held at The New York Academy of Medicine on Feb 28- March 1, 2015. The public is welcome.
A project of The Helen Caldicott Foundation
http://helencaldicottfoundation.org/symposium-the-dynamics-of-possible-nuclear-extinction-l-february-28-march-1-2015-at-the-new-york-academy-of-medicine/
Northern NSW could be a powerhouse for clean energy, but COALition’s loyalty is to coal
The Greens said the coalition’s love affair with fossil fuels was more about shoring up their mates than a realistic policy for the future.
‘Northern NSW could be a powerhouse for clean energy, but right now the National and Liberal Parties are deliberately wrecking the sector to favour destructive coal and coal seam gas,’
Greens attack coalition’s ‘dumb’ renewables stance http://www.echo.net.au/2015/01/greens-attack-coalitions-dumb-renewables-stance/The Greens say jobs and energy independence in the region are under attack by the Liberal/National parties despite a substantial take-up of solar on the north coast. January 15, 2015 | by Chris Dobney
This week, Bloomberg New Energy Finance reported that investment in renewable energy had plunged 88 per cent in Australia in 2014, largely in response to the hostility of the Abbott government to renewable energy and their policy to reduce the Renewable Energy Target.
But 20 per cent of households in the northern rivers already have solar panels on their roofs and the Greens say the industry is still in a ‘growth phase’ worldwide, with more effective batteries allowing residents to become independent from the grid.
Greens candidate for the state seat of Ballina, Tamara Smith, said that investment in the renewable energy sector could be providing new jobs across northern NSW, but instead the government had caused ‘a collapse in business confidence’. Continue reading
Australia not as protected from UV radiation as we used to be.
From Frances Rowe, 15 Jan 15 The following may have been broadcast via media outlets, however if so, I missed it:
” A pulse of extreme UV radiation from the flare ionized Earth’s upper atmosphere over Australia and the Indian Ocean. Mariners and ham radio operators may have noticed a brief communications blackout at frequencies below about 10 MHz. This map from NOAA shows the affected region:..”http://www.weather.com
(see 13 January 2014)
The intensity of this radiation is referred to as extreme; what cosmic rays may be involved are not indicated. It may be that we are not as protected as we once were.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/02/magnetosphere-leak-earth-magnetic_n_2058880.html
Australia on USA nuclear bandwagon, to sell uranium to India, but technical problems remain
Technical issues holding up India, Australia civil nuclear cooperation: Minister By Ashok Dixit Big News Network (ANI) 12th January, 2015 Australia’s Trade and Investment Minister Andrew Robb said Monday that his country and India have resolved the political issues related to the activation of the civil nuclear cooperation agreement between the two countries, and now, both governments were working on resolving the technical issues.
Interacting with select media here on the sidelines of the four-day Australia Business Week in India (ABWI), Robb said he did not see the government-to-government discussions on civil nuclear cooperation dragging on interminably, but added that at this point in time, he could not put a date on when the agreement would actually be finalized
The minister also said that for the civil nuclear agreement to see the light of day in actual terms, Australia would have to be convinced that India would completely adhere to IAEA and Nuclear Suppliers Group norms for the peaceful and civilian use of uranium before agreeing to release uranium to New Delhi……….
He said there is strong support from foreign nations for India to have access to and give access to civil nuclear business, notably from the United States, Canada and Japan, and saw no reason why Australia could not also join this bandwagon……http://www.bignewsnetwork.com/index.php/sid/229287965
ERA’s low uranium production over 2014, as it mulls viability of new underground pit
Energy Resources of Australia lifts quarterly uranium production http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/mining-energy/energy-resources-of-australia-lifts-quarterly-uranium-production/story-e6frg9df-1227182993463?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A%20TheAustralianBusinessMiningEnergy%20%28The%20Australian%20%7C%20Business%20%7C%20Mining%20and%20energy%29&utm_content=IceRocket%20Blog%20Search&nk=586f17321ea76df33e11a222095b3c3a DOW JONES JANUARY 13, 2015 ENERGY Resources of Australia said uranium oxide output rose in the final quarter of 2014, although annual production was still sharply lower after a radioactive leak disrupted activities at its Ranger operation in the Northern Territory earlier in the year.ERA (ERA), which is majority owned by Rio Tinto, said it produced 599 tonnes uranium oxide in the three months through to December, up 19 per cent. But it produced just 1,165 tonnes over the course of the year, down 61 per cent on 2013 levels.
Processing of uranium oxide was suspended in December 2013 following a leak of about one million litres of contaminated slurry, which was caused by toxic material eating through a steel tank. The processing plant only restarted in June.
The company had already stopped mining uranium at Ranger in late 2012 after its ore was depleted. But it continued to process stockpiled ore while it studied the viability of digging a new underground pit called Ranger 3 Deeps.
ERA said a prefeasibility study is being finalised and would be reviewed by the board in the first quarter of this year.
Tony Abbott and Campbell Newman ignore Queensland’s increasing weather extremes
Queensland election 2015: Greens label climate change the ‘overwhelming challenge of our time’ ABC News, 13 Jan 15 By Alison Middleton The Greens say tackling the challenge of climate change is as important as dealing with terrorism, as the party steps up its campaigning in the Queensland election.
Greens leader Christine Milne joined Queensland Greens spokesman and candidate for Moggill, Charles Worringham on the campaign trail today.
“Extremism and murder are horrific and have to be dealt with in every nation and internationally but so too does global warming, it is the overwhelming challenge of our time,” Ms Milne said.
“If you want to keep Australians safe the best thing that you can do this century is respond to the climate crisis.”
Ms Milne said the Prime Minister and Premier were both bad for the environment.
“We have Tony Abbott and Campbell Newman joined together to undermine the safety of Queenslanders because Queenslanders are going to be subject to more and more extreme weather events,” she said……….http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-01-12/greens-highlight-climate-change-challenge-during-qld-election/6012980
Australia dives toward the bottom in large-scale renewable investment
Australia’s large-scale renewable investment dives in 2014 January 12, 2015 Peter Hannam Environment Editor, The Sydney Morning Herald Australia’s ranking among investors in large-scale renewable energy plummeted in 2014, dropping behind much poorer nations such as Panama, Sri Lanka and Myanmar, as confidence in the Abbott government’s policies for the sector evaporated, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance.
Investments in large-scale wind, solar and other clean energy sources dived 88 per cent in 2014 to $240 million, the lowest level since 2002, the energy consultancy said.
Australia’s global ranking sank 28 places from 11th with almost $2 billion invested in 2013 to just 39th last year.
“We recorded zero investment in the wind sector,” said Kobad Bhavnagri, lead analyst for BNEF in Sydney. Six of the seven largest projects were in solar power and involved support from government grants or the Clean Energy Finance Corp.
A breakdown in bipartisan support for the Renewable Energy Target was central to investment all but halting, Mr Bhavnagri said.
The Abbott government has sought to cut the target from the current goal of 41 terawatt-hours annually by 2020 to 27 terawatt-hours but has been blocked by Labor, the Greens and the Palmer United Party in the Senate.
Such a move would slash the value of renewable energy certificates, harming the viability of existing wind farms, not only new ventures, companies such as Infigen Energy have said.
Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane sought to play down the impact of uncertainty……..
Labor’s policy is to reopen talks with the government but it “will not support any proposal that decimates the industry”, a spokeswoman for Mark Butler, shadow environment minister, told Fairfax Media.
“Tony Abbott’s goal is to protect the profits of old polluting industries like coal,” said the Greens environment spokeswoman, Senator Larissa Waters. “Any so-called compromise deal will be an attack on the RET and clean energy in Australia.”
BNEF’s Mr Bhavnagri said the uncertainty in the industry made it difficult to predict whether investment would improve in 2015.
“It depends entirely on what happens politically,”………
Hugh Saddler, principal consultant for Pitt & Sherry, said ………”Australia is almost unique in the world in combining an extremely emissions-intensive electricity generation industry with a negligible commitment to transforming the industry towards a low-emission future”
The only developed nations with a similar energy mix, Poland and Estonia, had none of the abundant wind, solar, wave and other renewable energy available to Australia, Dr Saddler said……..http://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/australias-largescale-renewable-investment-dives-in-2014-20150112-12mbis.html
Doubt on future of Renewable Energy target has made Clean energy ‘univestable’ in Australia
Clean energy sector ‘uninvestable’ due to Renewable Energy Target uncertainty, analyst says ABC January 12, 2015, Uncertainty surrounding the renewable energy target has made the large-scale sector of the industry in Australia “uninvestable”, a clean energy analyst says…….https://au.news.yahoo.com/technology/a/25973289/clean-energy-sector-uninvestable-due-to-renewable-energy-target-uncertainty-analyst-says/
Abbott govt in a political dilemma over its climate change denialist stance
The political value of climate denial has fallen to zero. What will Abbott do now? Guardian Gabrielle Kuiper 8 Jan 15 Climate change denial was useful to Tony Abbott as long as it helped to bring down the Rudd-Gillard government. Now it’s a hindrance, and he looks isolated at home and abroadIn his renowned 1998 study of power and rationality, the Danish social scientist Bent Flyvbjerg concluded: “Power determines what counts as knowledge … while it ignores or suppresses that knowledge which does not serve it.”
Tony Abbott used climate denial to support his purpose of bringing down the Rudd-Gillard government and gaining power, but it now seems to be a hindrance to his government. Continue reading
Australian government tax regulation delivers a blow to the anti wind farm cause
A black eye for the anti-windfarm issue https:/managingoutcomes.wordpress.com/ January 5, 2015 Allegations about supposed health effects are a common challenge for issue managers. And there are few health issues with so little scientific evidence and so much emotion as claims that wind turbines cause a whole catalogue of illnesses.
But the campaign against wind turbines just got a serious black eye with the Australian Government revoking the status of the Waubra Foundation, one of the country’s most active and vocal anti-windfarm lobby groups. Federal regulators have stripped the group of its health promotion charity status, which effectively means they can no longer receive tax-deductible donations.
Now, it may be a matter of opinion whether wind turbines are ugly and a blight on the landscape. However it’s a matter of fact that passing birds are far more likely to be killed by cats or from crashing into lighted windows at night. And it is a matter of fact that repeated studies around the world have found no real evidence of any link between wind turbines and human health. Indeed a Victorian Health Department report found no physiological health effects caused by turbines, although “expectation of symptoms may lead to increased reporting of health complaints associated with wind turbines.” In other words people could “worry themselves sick” as a result of all the activist claims and allegations.
The recent Government decision about the Waubra Foundation certainly won’t put an end to the anti-windfarm issue, Continue reading
Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) call for input for renewables R&D program
ARENA seeks input for renewables R&D program http://ecogeneration.com.au/news/arena_seeks_input_for_rd_program/090638/, 6 January 2015
ARENA is seeking feedback on four priority areas proposed for its R&D program to encourage collaboration between the research sector and industry in the second round of the program in 2015.
Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) CEO Ivor Frischknecht said “Strong collaboration between research and industry will help ensure Australia’s world-class renewable energy knowledge is translated into commercial outcomes and increase the economic, social and environmental return on investment in R&D.”
The current priority areas include:
- Balance of system cost reduction
- Integration and high penetration of renewables into networks
- Renewables as an alternative to gas for industrial process heat
- Integration of renewable energy into building materials or other products (consumer products, vehicles, signage, sensors etc.)
The agency is seeking feedback from stakeholders on the following:
- Do the proposed priority areas address a current energy challenge for Australia? Are there any other energy challenges that industry-researcher partnerships could address?
- How willing/able is industry to invest in R&D in these priority areas? What other areas would industry be willing to invest in? What level of support is industry willing/able to provide?
- To what extent can existing researcher/industry linkages be leveraged? How easy (or otherwise) is it to establish a new industry-researcher partnership to develop and deliver a project?
- What are the commercialisation prospects (either domestic or international) for research conducted in the proposed priority areas? Are there any areas not listed above where researchers and industry could collaborate effectively to achieve a commercial outcome Does Australia have world-leading research capability in any (or all) of the above areas?
To submit comments, email: submissions@arena.gov.au by COB 30 January 2015.
ARENA also recently announced $2 million for a biomass project in Australia.
Nobody wants to buy New South Wales govt’s last coal-fired power station
No buyer for coal power station
THE NSW government has been unable to find a buyer for its last coal-fired power station. (subscribers only) http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nsw-government-unable-to-find-buyer-for-coal-power-station/story-e6frg6n6-1227169644966
2015 the year of extinction for climate change deniers, like the Abbott government?
Heat is on Abbott government over climate change as world turns This could be the year of extinction for the climate-change denier, writes Peter Hannam. Peter Hannam Environment Editor, The Sydney Morning Herald January 3, 2015 -When the Baird government unveiled the first high-resolution mapping of how global warming is expected to shift the climate for NSW, Victoria and the ACT by 2070, officials were quizzed why they weren’t using “climate variability”, a term favoured by federal Coalition counterparts, to describe the outlook.“This is the NSW government, we believe in climate change!” came the immediate response at the last month’s media briefing.
In the next few weeks, 2014 will likely be declared the hottest year on record globally, beating 2005 and 2010.
So, it seems, does Victoria’s new Labor premier Daniel Andrews. His minister for climate change – Lisa Neville – is expected to take a higher profile on the issue than her Liberal predecessor Ryan Smith. NewEnergy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio has also signalled a keen interest in energy efficiency and renewable energy – both areas largely stalled under the previous government.
Gone, too, is the Coalition preference of eschewing “climate change” in Victorian agencies, such as in 2011 when agriculture minister and now state Nationals leader, Peter Walsh, launched aClimate Challenges Centre at Melbourne University. The jointly funded research interests include how crops might adapt to rising carbon-dioxide levels in an “evolving climate”.
If climate change was a liability for Prime Minister Tony Abbott in 2014 – witness how it dogged his visit to the United States and then dominated G20 coverage after President Barack Obama’s “Save the Reef” speech – there are many reasons to think it will be an even bigger issue in 2015.
By the end of this year, almost 200 nations will gather in Paris to negotiate a global treaty aimed at keeping temperature increases to less than 2 degrees above pre-industrial times (versus about a 1-degree increase so far). Each meeting in the run-up will scrutinise pledges, including Australia’s, for cutting greenhouse gas emissions beyond 2020.
Pope Francis will weigh in too, issuing the first-ever Vatican teachings to the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics to act on climate change. He is also expected to bring together other religious leaders for a summit ahead of the Paris gathering. ……… http://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/heat-is-on-abbott-government-over-climate-change-as-world-turns-20150102-12ghrj.html?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=nc&eid=socialn:twi-13omn1677-edtrl-other:nnn-17/02/2014-edtrs_socialshare-all-nnn-nnn-vars-o&sa=D&usg=ALhdy28zsr6qiq
1 This month
Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes – A good documentary on Chernobyl on SBS available On Demand for the next 3 weeks– https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/tv-program/chernobyl-the-lost-tapes/235274195556
21 April Webinar: No Nuclear Weapons in Australia
Start: 2026-04-21 18:00:00 UTC Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney (GMT+10:00)
End: 2026-04-21 19:30:00 UTC Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney (GMT+10:00)
Event Type: Virtual
A virtual link will be communicated before the event.
Host Contact Info: australia@icanw.org
of the week – Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR)
To see nuclear-related stories in greater depth and intensity
Antinuclear 