Rural Victoria to host forums in favour of wind farms
Wind supporters out in force http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/article/2012/11/23/550499_national-news.html Samantha Landy | November 23, 2012 PRO-WIND energy group Friends of the Earth will host a forum in Lancefield tomorrow to discuss the role of wind farms in communities.
The “listening post” at Lancefield and District Farmers’ Market on High St will be the first of a number of open forums run by the renewable energy advocates as part of their Yes 2 Renewables campaign.
The farmers’ market was chosen became of its nearness to two opposing wind energy movements – the Macedon Ranges Sustainability Group’s push to build a community-owned wind farm project in Woodend and Mitchell Shire’s rejection of the proposed Cherry Tree Hill wind farm threeweeks ago.
“We understand there’s a lot of conflicting information and opinions out there in the community when it comes to wind farms,” Yes 2 Renewables spokesperson Leigh Ewbank said. “We’re eager to engage with community members to find out what they think about wind energy.”
Mr Ewbank said Yes 2 Renewables supported wind farm projects that were appropriately sited and well supported by surrounding communities. “As the most mature and affordable form of renewable energy, we believe wind energy is central to our efforts to address climate change,” he said.
The listening post will run from 8am to 1pm.
Australia’s industrial cane toad pushes on, despite water scarcity and uranium market collapse
Company steps up search for uranium in Red Centre, ABC Rural News, By Caddie Brain, 19/11/2012 The uranium explorer set to start Western Australia’s first uranium mine at Wiluna, is expanding its exploration into the Tanami Desert of Central Australia.
Toro Energy will conduct three aerial surveys over the next fortnight about 350 kilometres north-west of Alice Springs.
The surveys follow an agreement with Traditional Owners to explore for uranium at its Wiso, Mount Denison and Reynolds Range tenements…. http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/201211/s3635569.htm
Australia’s amazingly fast uptake of solar panels
Australia Hits 2GW Solar Panel Installations http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=3460 by Energy Matters, 11 Nov Australia has reached the 2 gigawatts of cumulative sub-100kW PV installation milestone this month and at least 45MW of solar panel installations larger than 100kW in capacity can be added to this figure. The news comes from in-depth analysis of the REC Registry by solar consultancy firm SunWiz.
“This threshold has been reached in previously only-dreamed of rapidity, and has been paradoxically accelerated rather than decelerated by the removal of government incentives,” says SunWiz’s Warwick Johnston. Continue reading
Korean nuclear scandal adds to poor outlook for Australia’s uranium indcustry
Korean nuclear scandal should trigger inquiry. 9 November 2012. A nuclear scandal in South Korea dealt another blow to the crumbling global nuclear industry this week but the Federal Government’s Energy White Paper appears blissfully ignorant, the Greens said today
Greens nuclear policy spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam said the Government needs to conduct a comprehensive, public independent assessment of the risks posed by Australian uranium given scandals in Korea and Japan.
“If uranium advocates really believe our current system is adequate they will have nothing to fear and everything to gain from an inquiry into the adequacy of Australian safeguards and whether they address utility transparency and competence in receiver nations.
“In the energy White Paper, the Government claims the mass nuclear reactor shut-downs in Europe and Japan will be offset in part by a handful of new plants in South Korea. This week it was announced that South Korea’s nuclear watchdog will investigate every nuclear power station in the country amid a scandal that has forced the closure of two reactors and the resignation of the head of the state power company.
“On Monday the South Korean Government revealed that the safety certificates for more than 7,600 items procured for two nuclear plants over the past nine years had been forged. This is the customer Minister Ferguson sees as the saviour of Australia’s uranium exports.
“Two more nuclear reactors were closed in Belgium after a new testing method revealed metal stress and fatigure. Germany, Switzerland and Japan are closing their nuclear sectors completely. In a recent referendum 96 per cent of Italians voted no to any new nuclear stations. 150 nuclear plants are marked for closure in Europe alone.
“Nuclear power is well into its phase of terminal decline – and the booming renewable energy sector is helping hasten its demise.”
Business will get a boost from Australia signing up to new Kyoto Protocol
Kyoto 2 a boost to business but it will cost coalminers BY: SID MAHER AND LAUREN WILSON : The Australian November 10, 2012 THE Gillard government’s decision to sign on to the second period of the Kyoto climate change protocol will guarantee Australian businesses access to low-cost UN emissions permits.
However, the move will force big methane emitters, such as gassy coalmines and landfills, to pay 20 per cent more within five years…. subscription only
Australia’s rapidly accelerating photovoltaic solar energy reaches 2,000MW
Australia reaches 2,000MW milestone for solar PV By Warwick Johnston on 8 November 2012 November 2012 will be remembered by Australian sunlovers for two noteworthy events: 1) a solar eclipse visible across most of Australia, and 2) the month cumulative Australian PV installations reached 2 gigawatts (GW) (equivalent to 2,000 Megawatts or 2,000,000
kilowatts).
This threshold has been reached in previously only-dreamed of rapidity, and has been paradoxically accelerated rather than decelerated by the removal of government incentives. (Politicians take notice, there are tens of thousands of solar voters in your electorate.)…
http://reneweconomy.com.au/2012/australia-reaches-2000mw-milestone-for-solar-pv-39439
Senator Christine Milne, and protestors too, slam Ferguson’s Energy White Paper
Greens leader Christine Milne has slammed the white paper’s focus on gas and its recommendation for streamlined environmental approvals. “What that means is Australia’s farmland, its aquifers, communities who are already outraged by the onrush of coal-seam gas are going to see this as yet more taking away of their rights to facilitate the fossil fuel industry,”
Protesters crash release of energy white paper Yahoo 7 Finance, By chief political correspondent Simon Cullen | ABC 8 Nov 12 Resources and Energy Minister Martin Ferguson has been interrupted by anti-fossil fuel protesters as he outlined plans to overhaul the national energy market.
The two men took over the podium during Mr Ferguson’s speech, accusing him of being a “puppet” of the fossil fuel industry and singing a satirical song about global warning….. Continue reading
CSIRO’s “eFuture”.- new online modelling tool to design Australia’s energy market
How to design your own clean energy future, REneweconomy, By Giles Parkinson 8 November 2012 Do you want to design your own energy market for Australia? Keen to know what a low emissions network might look like. What sort of grid are we looking at if solar is cheap and solar thermal with storage reduces its costs?
Punters, experts, and even those with vested interests of their own are invited to find out with a new online modeling tool released today by the CSIRO called “eFuture”. It is the latest in a series of online tools released by the CSIRO, which is looking for new ways of communicating the science. Continue reading
Anti Lynas campaign gearing up in Australia and Malaysia
On the 5th of November a Green ban petition on rare earths exports out of WA, with over 12,000 signatures was delivered to Mines and Petroleum Minister Norman Moore’s office in Perth
Lynas will now try and begin shipping its rare earths ore, that has been stock piled in Bibra Lakes WA to Malaysia to test run its controversial Rare earths plant – Lynas applied material plant (LAMP). Rare earths processing is one of the most polluting industries involving concentrated acids and other toxic substances in the process.
After September 5th when the Australian company Lynas Corporation were granted a 2 year temporary operation license (TOL), by the Malaysian atomic energy licensing board. The Save Malaysia, Stop Lynas group had blocked operation of LAMP through a temporary suspension of the TOL by the Kuantan High Court on the 10th of October, whilst two judicial review cases on the issuing of the TOL were pending.
Future Events & Actions: Continue reading
SunPower’s solar leasing plans for Australia
Solar Insights: How Australia trails the world in big solar REneweconomy By Giles Parkinson on 6 November 2012 “…..SunPower’s plans for Australia SunPower gave some interesting insight into the solar leasing business, which it dominates in the US and which is starting to enter the Australian market. SunPower said it accounts for 40 per cent of solar leases in California – the biggest market in the US, and solar leases account for two thirds of the residential market. Amazingly, the average sized system on household rooftops is 7.9kW – that compares to 2.2kW in Australia.
CEO Tom Werner described the leasing market this way: “Leasing is really an LCOE (levellised cost of energy), or cents per kilowatt hour-based decision. Put another way, the consumer is not leasing a solar system, but buying energy over a period of time for a set price.” He believes that some of the first entrants in the solar leasing market will start securitizing their residential assets in coming quarters – a sure sign of the maturity in the industry, and the interest of the financial sector.
CFO Charles Boynton made a brief reference to the Australian market, which it sees as the most promising in Asia after Japan. “We think upside potential in Australia is rather significant,” he said. Si\unPower recently bought a major share in Australian renewable energy retailer Diamond Energy, Boynton said the size of the transaction was not significant, but the strategy was – and the purchase would enable the company to sell energy directly to customers – sort of a local variation of the US leasing model.
SunPower is also building the 250MW California Valley Solar Ranch project, and in September connected the first 22MW to the grid. So far, 150MW has been built. It is currently financing two other projects in California totaling 600MW. And to give an idea of the extent of the distributed and commercial sector in the US, tt also recently connected a 4MW system to a school district in California. http://reneweconomy.com.au/2012/solar-insights-how-australia-trails-the-world-in-big-solar-32446
Australia is still an attractive market for utility scale solar power – says First Solar
Australia remains one of the most attractive growth markets, along with Chile, and north and South Africa
Solar Insights: How Australia trails the world in big solar REneweconomy By Giles Parkinson on 6 November 2012 “……First Solar’s bullish on costs First Solar, by contrast, is focused almost entirely on the utility scale market. To give some idea of scale of its business, it $9 billion in project sales over the next few years, including the 550MW Topaz and Desert Sun projects in California. Continue reading
Red Cross expert speaks out on nuclear weapons
Nuclear weapons are a threat to humanity, expert tells conference http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/nuclear-weapons-are-a-threat-to-humanity-expert-tells-conference/story-e6frea83-1226510200063 Katrina Stokes adelaidenow November 04, 2012 GOVERNMENTS must work towards eliminating nuclear weapons for the sake of humanity or risk devastating effects in the future, a leading expert says.
Australian Red Cross international law expert Dr Helen Durham cited the dangers of immediate and long-term radiation damage to people and the environment, saying nuclear weapons were uniquely destructive weapons. Continue reading
Wind farms lower power bills: authorities Samantha Landy | WIND energy is helping decrease South Australian energy bills, not increase them, clean energy authorities say.Weekly Times, 3 Nov 12 Continue reading
Doubters frustrate climate-change expert Canberra Times, November 3, 2012 Larissa Nicholson After more than two decades researching the health consequences of climate change, Tony McMichael admits it has been frustrating to see policy makers and even other scientists unable to comprehend the scale and scope of the looming human problem. Continue reading
For once, Queensland Premier Campbell Newman makes a wise statement
Premier Campbell Newman claims Queenslanders against uranium mining should vote for the Greensby:Sarah Vogler The Courier-Mail November 01, 2012 IF YOU do not want uranium mining in Queensland, vote for the Greens at the next election. That was the message from Premier Campbell Newman yesterday as he defended the government’s decision to overturn Queensland’s uranium mining ban.
“If you do not support uranium mining, vote for the Greens,” Mr Newman told State Parliament during question time…..
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 