IRENA -a new and growing international energy agency
Recognising the huge potential of renewable energy, IRENA’s Member States have joined together to establish an international organisation dedicated to facilitating the rapid development and deployment of renewable energy worldwide….Visit the IRENA website to learn more
IRENA – Building a New Energy Agency Renewables November 15, 2010 by Anja Atkinson0 On the 24th and 25th October, the International Renewable Energy Agency held it’s fourth session of the Preparatory Commission in Abu Dhabi. All together 300 delegates attended from more than 100 countries. Continue reading
50 years later, Rum Jungle uranium mine site still radioactive
Recreation reserve closed due to radiation, ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), By Louisa Rebgetz Nov 12, 2010 A Northern Territory recreational reserve where a uranium mine once operated has been closed due to low-level radiation in the area. The Rum Jungle Mine, about 100 kilometres south of Darwin, operated in the early 1960s.The area was rehabilitated in 1991 before becoming the Rum Jungle South Recreation Reserve.The Department of Resources says tests at the waste rock pile at the reserve have detected low-level radiation……Recreation reserve closed due to radiation – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Victorian election: renewable energy lost if Liberals win
“There’s no doubt that substantial wind farm investment and jobs will immediately leave Victoria if the Coalition’s current policies were adopted. This could effectively cripple the wind industry.”
A$9bn renewable energy windfall at stake in Victoria, Renewable Energy Focus 12 November 2010 Victoria, Australia, could benefit by up to A$9 billion in renewable energy investment under current State Government policies, according to a Clean Energy Council report.The report found that this would increase clean energy capacity by 3 GW by 2016. Continue reading
Solar energy systems still a good buy
the price of solar systems has plummeted; the drop in the feed-in tariff has been cushioned by demand for green energy from AGL and feed-in tariffs paid to pensioners as a credit on their power bill will not be assessed as income under the government’s pension income test…..Solar installers resent solar power being blamed for increasing electricity prices, saying this is quite incorrect
Solar popularity still rising Coffs Coast Advocate, 15 Nov 10, SOLAR power subsidies are copping a drubbing from critics of both Federal and NSW State government’s ‘green energy’ schemes but solar installers say the sun is still shining brightly for those who would like to go sunny side up. Continue reading
Renewable energy city
Masdar City is powered by renewable energy and its buildings are covered in solar panels.It aims to have a zero carbon and zero waste environment.
VIDEO Sky News: Completely green city being built in UAE Completely green city being built in UAE, Sky News, 15 Nov 10, The United Arab Emirates is on track to produce a completely new – and rather unexpected source of future revenue – in the oil-rich country. Continue reading
Solar energy in Australia great potential, poor political support
Australia: enthusiastic uptake of solar power leads to cuts in state feed-in tariffs iStockAnalysts, November 10, 2010 Residential solar power installations in New South Wales reached 52MW by mid-2010, prompting the state government to reduce its generous feed-in tariff. Continue reading
Hillary Clinton talks sweet nothings to a tame Australian youth audience
The venue was secret. The audience members were carefully selected. The questions to Hillary Clinton were pre-planned.
Hardly a surprise then that nothing of critical relevance to Australia was discussed. And certainly not a heckler in sight, – heaven forfend! – in this reverential audience.
Sad, isn’t it? As Australia already hosts the world’s biggest secret USA spy base (Pine Gap), we’re about to get another one. You’d think that would be a topic, wouldn’t you? (Well, it will be, today, in top level secret talks with Robert Gates, Clinton, Rudd, Gillard. That, and a lot more.)
But, bear in mind – USA is looking like going broke – so, they gotta sell a lot of military stuff to Australia, India, Asian countries – anyone, really.
It’s not about war, and the danger of naughty China. No, it is about America’s need to be the world’s military police, but mainly, it’s just the money, stupid!
By the way, one little U.S. worry that might be discussed – possible export of U.S nuclear wastes to Australia. Even trickier, now that Europe has decided than nuclear waste is too dangerous to export.
Hillary Clinton’s and Julia Gillard’s unconvincing spin about Solar Energy
But are Clinton and Gillard serious? I doubt it. The giveaway, as always, is the funding. Australia is investing $50 million in the project……. enough to transform the world’s energy supply and prevent climate change? I doubt it….Such a project needs billions, not millions.
More solar spin – Daily Telegraph Mark Mann , November 07, 2010 According to US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, speaking in Melbourne yesterday: “We [the US and Australia] have a common goal of making solar energy competitive with conventional sources by the middle of this decade, 2015,” Continue reading
BUSTING THE NUCLEAR SPIN – theme for November
The nuclear industry is, in reality, in quite a mess. As French, American, South Korean companies scramble to sell nuclear power to the “Third World” – the industry stalls at home. The nuclear emperor’s new clothes are starting to be revealed to the world.
So – loads of money pour into this desperate sales pitch – while it becomes ever clearer that the nuclear industry is expensive, dangerous, and produces long-lasting toxic wastes – for which there is no storage solution.
Meanwhile – technologies for energy efficiency, and renewable energy get cheaper and more practical. And – renewable energy can be operated both as large scale projects on the grid – or as small-scale decentralised forms – very suitable for developing countries.
New South Wales govt promotes coal, cuts back on renewables
“The more [greenhouse gases] you emit, the more subsidies you get.”……..
Canary in the NSW coal mine Business Spectator Giles ParkinsonPublished , 2 Nov 2010 Even as the NSW government is cracking down on subsidies for renewable energy generation such as rooftop solar, it is ramping up the level of subsidies provided to its coal-fired power stations Continue reading
Corporate front groups continuing campaign of climate change denial
Books such as Merchants of Doubt by science historians Naomi Oreskes and Erik Conway have detailed how front groups for the fossil-fuel industry have been waging an orchestrated, well-funded campaign against climate science and climate scientists for more than two decades.
Professional climate change deniers’ crusade continues – 02 November 2010 – New Scientist, In the media and the courts, the battle to undermine climate science and its researchers hasn’t let up, warns climatologist Michael Mann Continue reading
Stacked nuclear discussion panel for Melbourne
In November Melbourne University is to grace the public with another stacked nuclear power panel. ( It’s been a while since Ziggy Switkowski was heckled at the last one)
Despite the fact that nuclear power involves issue such as the environment, health, atomic weapons, even economics, the panel will be dominated by pro nuclear interests, with just one (?token) speaker possibly having some knowledge of environment.
Speakers will be: Ziggy Spinowski – paid nuclear spruiker from ANSTO, Dr Selena Ng, from AREVA, Prof John Daley – background in stockbroking, with ANZ – from Grattan Institute which is largely funded by BHP Billiton, Prof Mike Sandford, geologist, from Pro nuclear Melbourne Energy Institute
None of your “soft” scientists there!
Except possibly Prof Lee Godden – ? token woman – lecturer in human rights, indigenous issues, environment
Australian Liberal MP wants “An Inconvenient Truth’ not shown in schools
The 2006 documentary, about former US vice-president Al Gore’s campaign to educate citizens about global warming, was a box-office success and won two Academy Awards.But Liberal MP Dennis Jensen, a well-known climate sceptic, is unhappy about its possible inclusion in the curriculum.”It’s a very popular work of fiction,” – Dr Jensen
MPs at odds over An Inconvenient Truth in school curriculum THE AUSTRALIAN, AAP * October 27, 2010 11:50AM FEDERAL MPs are divided over the proposal that a controversial climate change documentary be included in the national school curriculum.The Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority reportedly has said An Inconvenient Truth had a place in modern history studies and English. Continue reading
New jobs in renewable energy for 10,000 Indian villages
10,000 villages to get power from renewable energy sources, The Hindu :Sujay Mehdudia, 27 oct 10, Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday announced that 10,000 remote villages across the country would be electrified with renewable sources by March 2012 under an innovative initiative that will also generate employment.
“We will provide electricity to 10,000 villages at a cost of Rs. 500 crore by the end of the current plan period,” Dr. Abdullah said, while addressing a press conference to mark the start of the Delhi International Renewable Energy Conference (DIREC) here……… The Hindu : News / National : 10,000 villages to get power from renewable energy sources
Carbon offset scheme can be an economic winner for Australia’s Aborigines
Centrefarm has urged the Government to make new laws to enshrine Aboriginal ownership of the carbon stored on their land.
Carbon offset scheme aims to use Indigenous land – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), By Alex Johnson and Paul Serratore Oct 26, 2010 A not-for-profit group in Central Australia is establishing a scheme to encourage Australians to offset their carbon emissions on Indigenous land. Continue reading
1 This month
Read the Public Inquiry Report, the Commissioners’ report, Surrendering Australia: The AUKUS Deception is available to download for free at aukuspublicinquiry.com. Or just watch the replay of the National Press Club Luncheon.
4 November – Will AUKUS keep us safe – at what cost?
the Commissioners of the AUKUS Public Inquiry present their findings at the National Press Club of Australia in Canberra. iview.abc.net.au/show/national-press-club-address
Submissions to the federal government’s new draft framework close on the 13th November 2026.
Australians deserve the truth
about
AUKUS – https://aukuspublicinquiry.com/
PETITION – To: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the Australian Labor Government
of the week – Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR)
To see nuclear-related stories in greater depth and intensity
