No Christine Milne in election debate – so no mention of climate change
Where was Christine Milne? The debate we never had Christine Milne theguardian.com, Sunday 11 August 2013 The Greens leader was a notable absentee at the National Press Club. Here she outlines the issues she says her rivals missed
……..Fossil fuel subsidies
Another issue that didn’t get mentioned at all in the debate between Rudd and Abbott is their continued financial support for the environmentally damaging fossil fuel industry. Australian taxpayers continue to subsidise mining companies use of fuel by around $2bn a year as well as giving them tax breaks to explore for more fossil fuels that we cannot afford to burn if we are to avoid global warming.
Instead of subsidising fossil fuels we should be investing in higher education, research and development and the clean economy. The Greens will stand up to the powerful mining companies and invest in clean energy technology………
Climate change
The Greens are the only party you can trust to cut greenhouse gas emissions by increasing the reduction target to between 25% and 40% by 2020, net carbon zero by 2050, increasing the renewable energy target to 90% by 2030, increasing the Clean Energy Finance Corporation funding to $30bn over 10 years and stopping the expansion of coalmining and coal seam gas.
Rudd’s hypocrisy on the Great Barrier Reef is breathtaking. You cannot save the reef by opening up the Galilee and Bowen basins to new coalmines and dredging ports and dumping spoil into the reef. Both he and Abbott will give the go ahead to Abbot Point coal terminal. Abbott doesn’t even pretend to care about global warming. Both old parties cannot be trusted to act with conviction and internal consistency on addressing climate change.
Abbott has cast overwhelming uncertainty over clean energy investment and will stall all utility scale investment when he slashes the large-scale renewable energy target from 41,000 gigawatt hours…… http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/11/australian-election-2013-australian-greens
Call to Indigenous Australians to enrol to vote
Video and podcast Calls on Indigenous Aussies to enrol to vote The Australian Electoral Commission says more than half of Indigenous Australians who are eligible to vote are not on the electoral roll. (Transcript from World News Australia Radio)The Australian Electoral Commission says more than half of Indigenous Australians who are eligible to vote are not on the electoral roll.
The Commission says, as the federal election approaches, it’s working towards increasing Indigenous participation.
It says this is particularly important as Australia considers changes to the Constitution to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Bob Eckhardt, Director of the AEC’s Indigenous Electoral Participation Program, says Indigenous Australians are significantly under-represented in the voting process. He says Indigenous Australians are much less likely to enrol to vote than other Australians.
And he says many of those who are enrolled either do not vote, or vote incorrectly…….. The Electoral Commission says people have until August the 12th to enrol to vote. The Electoral Commission can be contacted at www.aec.gov.au.
Launch of Australia’s Zero Carbon Australia Buildings Plan today
Australia maps out smart energy plans Asian Correspondent, By Rowena Dela Rosa Yoon Aug 08, 2013 Climate solutions think-tank Beyond Zero Emissions (BZE) and the University of Melbourne are launching a joint project that hopes to help builders build smarter buildings: eco-friendly and energy-efficient. Climate solutions think-tank Beyond Zero Emissions (BZE) and the University of Melbourne are launching a joint project that hopes to help builders build smarter buildings: eco-friendly and energy-efficient.
The Zero Carbon Australia Buildings Plan, to be unveiled Thursday (8 Aug), will showcase a blueprint will make existing buildings cut their energy usage by half. Residential and commercial buildings can achieve maximum energy efficiency in 10 years…… Continue reading
New study says Australia could be 100% renewable energy powered by 2040
Australian Power Could be Totally Renewable by 2040 : http://sourceable.net/australian-power-could-be-totally-renewable-by-2040/#sthash.CbwC9lEd.dpuf– Marc Howe 7 Aug 13, -A new study claims that renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power could completely replace all fossil fuels for electricity generation purposes in Australia by 2040 given current trends and rates of deployment. – Research conducted by Andrew Blakers, director of the Centre for Sustainable Energy Systems at the Australia National University, has concluded that if current trends in the country’s energy sector continue over the long term, Australia will be host to a completely renewable electricity system by 2040. Continue reading
Victoria’s Ararat wind farm under way
Wind farm start quells fears of more delays http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-08-07/wind-farm-start-quells-fears-of-more-delays/4870540 Wed Aug 7, 2013 Concerns a wind farm planning permit could expire have been eliminated with construction starting near Ararat today. Work on the 41-turbine farm at Crowlands had been delayed because of uncertainty caused by the Federal Government’s Renewable Energy Target, which is reviewed every two years.
The Pyrenees Shire Council permit for the Pacific Hydro farm was due to expire next Sunday.
Andrew Richards from Pacific Hydro says concerns about the federal election and a lull in the renewable energy market also contributed to delays.
“We need to start this project in order to keep our planning approval,” he said.
“I think the State Government is quite keen for us to get started on these sorts of projects so they’re quite supportive, so moving forward we have got confidence the renewable energy market is going to turn around and become quite buoyant and hopefully this project will be well positioned to take advantage of that.”
He says the project will cost about $100 million and use local workers and businesses.
“We’ll produce enough clean electricity for around about 55,000 homes per annum,” he said.
“Then there’ll be some jobs as part of operations and maintenance of the project over the next 20 to 25 years, there’ll be payments to the host landholders and of course our sustainable community’s fund and in the case of Crowlands that’ll be about $80,000 a year for every year the project’s there.”
Australia’s solar energy future
Largest solar panels in the Southern Hemisphere Last week, Australia reached another milestone with the announcement of the large-scale solar power stations to be built in New South Wales costing a combined total of $450 million. he Australia Renewable Energy Agency approved the fund of $166.7 million while the NSW Government committed $64.9 million to support the project.
Australia maps out smart energy plans Asian Correspondent, By Rowena Dela Rosa Yoon Aug 07, 2013 “……….Solar Power By 2020, Australia aims to generate 20 per cent of its energy need from renewables. The Climate Commission earlier released a modelling of Australia’s future energy usage that consistently indicates a growing solar energy. By 2050, solar photovoltaics are projected to provide 29 per cent of Australia’s power needs.
Last year, the Climate Commission released a report– The Critical Decade: Generating a renewable Australia– which projects the unlimited potential of renewables, particularly solar.
The report underscores a major shift in global energy policy moving towards renewables and Australia has an advantage given the enormous potential for solar generation as the world’s sunniest continent.
The report also highlights major developments in Australia such as the cost of solar photovoltaic systems which have significantly dropped over the years enabling more consumers to shift to such technology.
In 2012, over one million rooftop solar photovoltaic systems have been installed, up from about 8,000 in 2007. About 2.6 million people, 11 per cent of our population, now use the sun for their electricity needs, the report said.
The Commission also admitted that while Australia generated $60 billion from the export of coal and gas, it, however, concluded that 80 per cent of global fossil fuel resources need to stay in the ground to limit global temperature increase to a relatively safe 2C.
Largest solar panels in the Southern Hemisphere
Last week, Australia reached another milestone with the announcement of the large-scale solar power stations to be built in New South Wales costing a combined total of $450 million. he Australia Renewable Energy Agency approved the fund of $166.7 million while the NSW Government committed $64.9 million to support the project.
The power stations will be built in two separate locations: Broken Hill (NSW) and Nyngan (NSW) which will generate a capacity of up to 155 megawatts (MW) (AC) of electricity. Construction in Nyngan is due on January 2014 and Broken Hill, July 2014 to be completed in 2015.
AGL Energy Pty Ltd was named to build the project and has contracted First Solar to do the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) of the project. First Solar will build the power stations using its thin film PV technology and will maintain the facilities for an initial five year period following construction.
The Federal Government boasts it will be the largest solar power stations in the entire Southern Hemisphere.
Mark Butler MP. Minister for Climate Change said the project will cover a combined area four times the size of the Sydney CBD. http://asiancorrespondent.com/111636/australia-maps-out-smart-energy-plans/
New South Wales’ getting two huge solar energy power plants
LIVING GREEN: Restoring habitats Newcastle Herald, By KAREN TOIRKENS Aug. 4, 2013“………NSW OUTBACK GOES SOLAR NEW South Wales is set to be home to the largest solar power station in the southern hemisphere, with power company AGL announcing that it will install two million thin-film photovoltaic panels at two sites in western NSW.
The solar-energy plants will have a combined 155-megawatt capacity, enough to power about 50,000 households.The larger of the two plants (102 megawatts) will be built in Nyngan, north-west of Dubbo, while the smaller 53-megawatt plant will be constructed near Broken Hill.
Together they will cover an area four times the size of the Sydney CBD.
Federal Minister for Climate Change Mark Butler said the installations represent a big step forward towards the contribution of solar to the nation’s energy mix.”Australia has the highest average solar radiation per square metre of any continent in the world and we should take advantage of that,” Mr Butler said.
The $450-million project will receive $166.7 million in federal funding through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, with the NSW government investing a further $64.9 million in the project….. http://www.theherald.com.au/story/1682069/living-green-restoring-habitats/?cs=303
Construction will begin on the plants from January, with both expected to be supplying a combined 360,000 megawatts of clean electricity annually to the eastern Australian grid by late 2015.
Ranger resignation should trigger underground uranium mine plan review
1 August 13, Environmentalists have called on Kakadu uranium miner Energy Resources of Australia and parent company Rio Tinto to re-think plans for underground mining at the troubled Ranger site following the resignation yesterday of ERA’s CEO.
The resignation news was accompanied by confirmation that ERA had again booked a half year loss, this time of over $50 million.
“The window is closing on the Kakadu uranium mining sector and before making any final investment decision ERA/Rio should review and reject any planned expansion at Ranger,” said the Environment Centre NT’s Lauren Mellor.
The ageing Ranger mine has posted financial losses for the last few years and remains badly hit by the continuing market fallout from Fukushima. It continues to be contested and plagued by water and waste management issues.
Open cut mining finished at Ranger in late 2012 and the mine is now relying on processing stockpiled ore.
ERA have submitted plans to mine a 34,000 tonne underground deposit (Ranger 3 Deeps) – this mining technique has not been used in Kakadu and is currently the subject of a full federal EIS. “Later this year the public will have the opportunity to say enough is enough – that Kakadu is no place for uranium mining – but ERA could save us all the trouble and make this call now,” said Ms Mellor.
“The resignation of CEO Rob Atkinson, the historic low uranium commodity price, the finite mine and lease life at Ranger and the high level of community interest and concern mean the Ranger 3 Deeps project should be shelved, for good.”
Brisbane hosting Clean Energy Week
Clean Energy Week Kicks Off http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=3855 24 July 13 Thousands of delegates are expected to attend Australia’s biggest renewable energy and energy efficiency industry event, which kicks off today in Brisbane.
Incorporating the ATRAA trade exhibition, Clean Energy Week will also incorporate two awards programs and a clean energy debate on the 2013 conference theme of ‘rethinking energy’.
Clean Energy Week is presented by the Clean Energy Council (CEC), an industry association made up of almost 600 member companies operating in the fields of renewable energy and energy efficiency.
The CEC says the event will see Australia’s leading politicians staking their claim on the clean energy agenda ahead of the next Federal Election.
“The new Climate Change Minister Mark Butler and Greens Leader Christine Milne are scheduled to speak, providing a fascinating look into their pre-election thinking,” said Clean Energy Council Chief Executive David Green.
“Queensland Energy Minister Mark McArdle will also join a top-flight line-up of national and international speakers who will challenge and illuminate delegates in equal measure.”
Other speakers include:
– The Hon Yvette D’Ath MP, Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change, Innovation and Industry
– Senator Simon Birmingham, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment
– Dr Yang Fuqiang, Senior Advisor on Energy, Environment and Climate Change, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) China Progam
– Ivor Frischknecht, CEO, ARENA
The event will deliver the latest news on policy initiatives and technology developments, as well as the opportunity for industry participants make valuable new contacts.
The ATRAA (formerly known as the Appropriate Technology Retailers Association of Australia) exhibition component began back in 1979 and this year will feature dozens of exhibitors.
Clean Energy Week is being held at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, South Brisbane. The event runs today, tomorrow and Friday. Further details can be viewed here.
Mournful uranium mining conference in Fremantle
Clean energy advocates celebrate while nuclear lobby holds wake in Fremantle http://greensmps.org.au/content/media-releases/clean-energy-advocates-celebrate-while-nuclear-lobby-holds-wake-fremantle 17 Jul 2013 While nuclear power is in retreat around the globe, advocates of clean energy had ‘Better Things To Do’ than protest the Uranium Conference held in Fremantle today – attending the ‘Better Things To Do’ renewable energy industry breakfast. There’s a reason the Australian Uranium Conference shrinks year on year. Nuclear power is in retreat across the globe. Electricity generation from nuclear power plants dropped by a historic seven per cent in 2012, adding to the then record drop of four per cent in 2011,” said Senator Scott Ludlam.
“The world price for uranium has been in free fall since 2007. Uranium accounted for only 0.29 per cent of national export revenue and less than 0.015 per cent of Australian jobs in the decade to 2011.
“WA first proposed uranium mine on a lake bed that floods near Wiluna was analysed by Economists At Large and found only has a business case if Toro can offload clean-up and decommissioning costs to the taxpayer.
“Uranium from Australia was in the four reactors at Fukushima. More than two years since that disaster, there are still 160,000 people evacuated from their homes and their farms as a result of nuclear contamination.
“Western Australia will be a world leader in renewable energy. In the eastern Goldfields and Midwest in particular the emerging solar energy industry could deliver clean energy and sustainable jobs for decades to come. We have exciting developments in wave energy, and a growing wind energy sector. We need to leave uranium in the ground and leave the menace of nuclear power in the past.”
Solar Energy to be prominent at Melbourne All-Energy Australia Exhibition
Solar industry shines at All-Energy Australia http://ecogeneration.com.au/news/solar_industry_shines_at_all-energy_australia/082613/ Fri, 19 July 2013 Many of the world’s solar industry leaders have recognised the commercial advantages of attending Australia’s biggest clean and renewable energy show and are coming in record numbers.
All-Energy Australia 2013, now in its fifth year, has always had a healthy solar representation, and those figures are continuing to escalate. In 2012, of 4,700 people from 23 countries attending the free-to-delegate two-day multi-stream conference and exhibition, 2,200 were solar industry professionals.
Organisers expect that total to be exceeded at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on October 9–10 2013. Continue reading
Uncertainty in Victoria’s wind enegy if Review of Renewable Energy Target
Renewable Energy Target uncertainty may delay wind farm http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-18/renewable-energy-target-uncertainty-may-delay-wind/4827380 Jul 18, 2013 Pacific Hydro says construction of the 41-turbine Crowlands wind farm, near Ararat, could be delayed because of uncertainty about the Federal Government’s Renewable Energy Target (RET).
The RET is reviewed every two years but the wind industry wants that changed to a four-yearly review. Initial works on the Crowlands site are due to begin before the planning permit expires next month.
However, the general manager for Pacific Hydro in Australia, Lane Crockett, says the final go-ahead may be delayed until there is more certainty about the RET. “It’s not helping that there’s a review of the Renewable Energy Target planned for next year,” he said.
“So that might be something that we have to wait for to be concluded until we can make the final go-ahead for the project or it may be able to get away sooner. “It’s just hard to tell because it’s slightly uncertain.”
Australian uranium industry “in crisis” says Paladin Energy boss
I wasn’t able to read this whole article, as I am not a registered reader. However, I’d bet that Mr Borschoff goes on to speak of the wonderful investment opportunities that must exist, seeing that the uranium price must now be at rock bottom. I mean – it can’t go further down – or can it?
I love the way the uranium lobby and Australia’s subservient mass media use the ever plunging uranium price as evidence of what a fine investment it must be – CM
Uranium industry facing volatility: Paladin MD John Borshoff BY:PAUL GARVEY , THE AUSTRALIAN, July 18, 2013 THE uranium industry is “in crisis” and faces years of uncertainty and volatility, mining veteran John Borshoff has warned.
Mr Borshoff, the managing director of Perth-based uranium miner Paladin Energy, told the Australian Uranium Conference in Fremantle yesterday that “absurdly low uranium prices” had halted the development of the new supplies …. (registered readers only) http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/mining-energy/uranium-industry-facing-volatility-paladin-md-john-borshoff/story-e6frg9df-1226680989121
Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance keen to keep energy efficiency and renewable energy investment
Green group wants parties to keep carbon cutting commitment http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-16/green-group-wants-parties-to-keep-carbon-cutting/4822444 Jul 16, 2013 A central Victorian green group says it is hopeful the move to an emissions trading scheme can continue to fund local energy efficient projects.
The Federal Government has announced it will remove the fixed carbon price a year earlier than planned. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is expected to announce today how Labor would pay for the change, which is expected to cost the Government billions of dollars.
The Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance’s Karen Corr says she just wants Labor and the Coalition to keep their commitment to reduce carbon emissions.
“But whatever way they do it, we’re really interested in the outcomes and the investment into our region so that we can encourage businesses and local government to move to energy efficiency and renewable energy as quickly as possible because that’s going to be better in the long-term anyway,” she said.
Opportunity for more Australians to take up solar power
National solar provider Energy Matters says the early ETS move and retaining of the Household Assistance Package provides an opportunity for more families and businesses to not only burn a hole in their power bills or blow them away altogether by going solar; but to buffer against possible future electricity price rises that can occur due to a variety of factors.
Carbon Tax Relief = More Bucks For Australians To Go Solar http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=3843 17 July 13 The early move to an emissions trading scheme combined with the household assistance program staying as is presents an opportunity to use part of the windfall to create even more savings – by going solar now.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says the Federal government’s decision to terminate the carbon tax will help reduce cost of living pressures for families and operational expenses for small business. The Government will also be maintaining its special assistance payments given to families and low income earners. Continue reading
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
20 May – Webinar – The dangerous world of AUKUS, US, military occupation and suppression of dissent
National Webinar, 20th May, 2026, 6.30pm AEST. Confronting laws restricting/suppressing protest speech and action
Speakers: Former Sen. Rex Patrick, Lawyer Nick Hanna ,Arthur Rorris ,Jorgen Doyle, Sen David Shoebbridge,
Facilitator Kelley Tranter.
of the week – Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR)
To see nuclear-related stories in greater depth and intensity
Antinuclear 