Renewable energy is happening, and nuclear isn’t
I know that this is supposed to be an anti-nuclear blog. But I get bored with all the stuff in the media about nuclear. For one thing, it’s just not happening – the “nuclear renaissance”.
For another thing, the Australian media is full of hype about uranium. Today – several articles on how wonderfully well Paladin Energy is doing in Africa- oh you gotta invest! Nary a word about how Paladin is pulling out of Niger because uranium workers are getting kidnapped by al-Qaida.
But for the main thing – Renewable Energy is happening! It’s happening both on a big scale – how business and the media love BIG!
It’s happening on a small scale – where communities, schools and households are getting truly clean energy, and making a profit out of it.
Not apparently a scenario for Australia. Are we some sort of cultural outpost – where the idea of energy has to be always BIG, corporate-owned, and coal or uranium fueled?
Australia’s brain drain for solar, and now wave power
Clean energy advocates are concerned that wave power could experience the same sort of brain drain that has hit the Australian solar industry over the past decade.
Rough ride for sea power, Sydney Morning Herald, Mathew MurphyOctober 4, 2010 A LACK of government support for the fledgling wave-energy industry is forcing Australian companies to increasingly invest overseas despite having the world’s best wave resource off our coastline. Continue reading
Decentralised renewable energy profitable in Italy
More than 800 Italian communities now make more energy than they use because of the recent addition of renewable energy plants,…wind turbines, solar panels generate electricity at its ancient cemetery, its sports complex and a growing number of private residences.
Italian towns turn a profit with the wind at their back, The Age, Elisabeth Rosenthal,Tocco da CasauriaOctober 4, 2010 THE towering wind turbines that rise from gnarled ancient olive groves here speak to something extraordinary happening across Italy. Continue reading
Campaign for localised renewable energy in India
Campaign for an energy revolution in Bihar, Sify News, Patna, Oct 2 (IANS) Greenpeace India along with a coalition of civil society groups Saturday launched a campaign to demand an energy revolution in Bihar. Continue reading
Hypocrisy of Australian banks over finance for renewable energy
Most Australian banks are signed up to the Equator Principles for project finance……the UN’s Principles for Responsible Investment….the equator principles are “pretty loose … they don’t compel banks to do or not do particular things”. At worst, they are a dangerous aid to bank greenwashing.
Banks under scrutiny over coal funding, Sydney Morning Herald, Paddy Manning, 2 Oct 10, Australian banks, highly dependent on offshore capital, will face increasing international scrutiny of their lending practices – particularly, their exposure to the coal industry. Continue reading
A positive thought for Australian solar energy industry
”We have got a chance to get in at the start of a major new growth industry, and we have the smarts to make it work if the government signals that it will support local manufacturers.”
Call to foster local solar panel makers, Ben Cubby, Sydney Morning Herald, October 2, 2010 Australian solar panel makers are calling for industry protection to slow down a flood of cheap panels being manufactured in China, as the NSW government reviews its solar tariff scheme. Continue reading
Australian business can reduce costs through energy efficiencies, solar cooling
Such systems are relatively inexpensive (they don’t require large pieces of infrastructure), yet they can realise quite dramatic energy savings, whilst allowing business as usual….Solar cooling using heat from the sun as an energy source which can be used to generate cool air for use in buildings.
FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES FOR BUSINESSES Business Review, 1 Oct 10, As well as renewable energy generation, businesses can make dramatic emissions and cost reductions through energy efficiency measures. Continue reading
Developing Renewable Energy in Australia
CSIRO (Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) is developing the next generation of technologies that produce energy from renewables including solar, wind, ocean and geothermal resources
The Future of Renewable Technologies – Business News – Dr Jim Smitham, 1 Oct 10, If Australia is to mitigate climate change, we will need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from electricity and transport fuels by finding ways to harness our clean, renewable resources like the sun and wind. Continue reading
Hydro power giving Tasmania the lead in Australia
the island’s been really fuelled in economic direction by hydro-industrialisation; that is renewable energy.…Tasmania produces some 75 per cent of Australia’s renewable energy right now
Tasmania set to become next Silicon Valley-style tech hub, Sydney Morning Herald, Ben Grubb, September 29, 2010 Continue reading
Geothermal energy project for Western Australia
Australian Government Funds Geothermal Energy Project : Renewable Energy News, 29 Sept, 10 The Western Australia Sustainable Energy Association (WA SEA) has welcomed an announcement by geothermal proponent Green Rock Energy Limited of the receipt of $7 million in federal funding towards its proposed geothermal test well at WA University’s Crawley Campus. Continue reading
Australia’s political leaders “timid” on energy debate
Greenpeace International executive director Gerd Leipold told The Australian that he was surprised at the timidity of debate in Australia about energy supply, which has seen Liberal and Labor leaders support a renewed focus on nuclear power
Enthusiasm For Nuclear Power Cooling | Hybrid Auto News – September 27th, 2010 “………If nuclear energy supplied 75 per cent of the world’s electricity, it would result in only a 25 per cent reduction in harmful carbon emissions, the global head of Greenpeace has warned. Continue reading
Carbon tax could fund a renewable energy Australia
by investing the revenue raised by taxing carbon emissions (or fossil fuels) in renewable energy and clean technology research, development, demonstration and deployment…establish a National Clean Technology Fund.
Carbon tax could be the ticket for a greener Australia › (ABC Environment) by Leigh Ewbank. 27 Sept 10, “……The Gillard government’s new cross-party Climate Change Committee aims to spearhead carbon-pricing legislation in the next term. Continue reading
Glowing world forecast from International Renewable Energy Agency
there could be 50 per cent renewable energy in the energy mix by 2050. There were double digit growth rates for photovoltaic and wind over the last years and 60 per cent of new capacity in Europe come from renewable energy. Pelosse said, 85 countries are with policy targets and other 75 countries with feed-in tariffs.
Renewable energy sector may have 20m new jobs, Khaleej Times 28 September 2010 ABU DHABI — Renewable energy sector around the world will have some 20 million new job opportunities by 2030, said Helene Pelosse, interim Director- General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Continue reading
Renewable energy growth best for South africa
The report: South African Energy Sector Jobs to 2030, prepared for Greenpeace Africa by the Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology, Sydney, Australia, and authored by Jay Rutovitz, examined three different energy growth scenarios…..
(South Africa) Renewable energy offers more jobs than coal | West Cape News, 24 Sept 10, Focussing on renewable energy initiatives would not only make South Africa more energy secure, it would create more jobs than alternative coal dependent scenarios and save hundreds of billions of rands over the long term. Continue reading
Australian govt in the grip of uranium industry
Mining tax policy overseers – Don Argus (from BHP Billiton), Keith Spence, (from Rio Tinto) , Toro Energy Erica Smyth, (from Toro Energy).
Climate adviser – Marius Kloppers (BHP Billiton)
Minister for Energy Martin Ferguson – hand in glove with uranium industry
Minister for Climate Change – Greg Combet, coal engineer background, supporter of coal industry
1 This month
of the week – Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR)
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