Antinuclear

Australian news, and some related international items

Powerful union rubbishes Committee of Melbourne’s push for nuclear energy

One of the state’s most powerful unions, the Electrical Trades Union (ETU), on Tuesday slammed a push from the Committee of Melbourne for nuclear energy to be on the agenda.

Nuclear too risky and costly: Brumby, Sydney Morning Herald, Melissa Jenkins and Catherine Best, October 19, 2010 –  Nuclear power is too risky and expensive to be an energy option for Victoria, Premier John Brumby says Continue reading

October 19, 2010 Posted by | energy, politics, uranium, Victoria | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Big polluters head Australia’s carbon tax advisory panel

For a carbon tax to truly make a significant difference on carbon emission levels, revenue raised from the tax needs to be funnelled back into renewable energy projects, not into concessions for energy intensive industries and big polluters,….Australia has vast solar power potential that is being neglected

Australia’s Carbon Tax And The Big Business Roundtable : Renewable Energy News :by Energy Matters, 19 Oct 10 Big business will head the discussion on how to implement a carbon tax in Australia; a situation causing concern in some sectors. Continue reading

October 18, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, climate change - global warming, energy | , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

USA Republicans’ disinformation on global warming

creating an alternative reality in which climate change is a hoax or conspiracy……in a fog of disinformation,

In Climate Denial, Again  The New York Times, October 17, 2010 Former Vice President Dick Cheney has to be smiling. With one exception, none of the Republicans running for the Senate — including the 20 or so with a serious chance of winning — accept the scientific consensus that humans are largely responsible for global warming. Continue reading

October 18, 2010 Posted by | climate change - global warming, energy | , , | Leave a comment

Solar powered desalination plants – small or large

the team hopes scale up the size of the solar module for use in disaster zones and desert areas where climate change has impacted on water stocks.

Portable Desalination System Powered By Solar Energy  Renewable Energy News, 18 Oct 10, A group of researcher s at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), have unveiled a portable solar-powered desalination plant which they say will help provide access to clean drinking water in the developing world. Continue reading

October 18, 2010 Posted by | climate change - global warming, energy, solar, water | , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

BHP Billiton’s carbon tax policy aimed to promote its uranium mine

BHP has an interesting little asset called Olympic Dam in South Australia where it is considering a major series of upgrades. Expanded Olympic Dam output would exceed one quarter of global mined uranium. …..Olympic Dam is the world’s largest known uranium deposit,

BHP: A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing? The Star, by Mark Taylor | 15 Oct 10 Why would BHP BHP CEO Marius Kloppers express support for a carbon tax? The mining industry has its fair share of climate skeptics. Geologists and model-based climatologists have very different views of the world. Does BHP stand to gain or lose from a carbon tax? Continue reading

October 16, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, business, climate change - global warming, energy, uranium | , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

USA, Europe want wind power, but split on nuclear

Opinions on building more nuclear power plants are more mixed and vary by country. The public is more or less equally divided in the U.S., Britain and France but clear majorities are opposed in Italy (60%), Spain (63%) and even more strongly in Germany (77%)…….

U.S., Europe back wind farms but split on nuclear power – Green House , 14 Oct 10, The main findings of the poll, taken between Sept. 15 and 21, 2010, include: * Big majorities of the public in all six countries favor the building of more wind farms in their countries, Continue reading

October 14, 2010 Posted by | energy, wind | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Victoria determined to close down dirty Hazelwood coal power station

Greens MP Greg Barber said new climate change laws allowed the government to legislate Hazelwood out of existence without compensation being due.

Dirty coal station ‘will be closed’, Sydney Morning Herald, Richard Willingham, October 14, 2010 PREMIER John Brumby is ”completely confident” Australia’s dirtiest power station will be closed, with or without federal help. Continue reading

October 14, 2010 Posted by | climate change - global warming, energy, politics, Victoria | , , , | Leave a comment

Lies about ethical investments, lies about Climate Change

Today’s news –  articles about “ethical investments”.  That turns out be an issue for “Secrets and Lies”.  Some companies are described as ethical because they claim not to invest in uranium.  But – read the fine print, where it sometimes goes on to say “where uranium is directly intended for nuclear weapons fuel”.  Now that’s a nice copout, isn’t it?

Another issue for “Secrets and Lies” – the enormously successful push by fossil fuel companies to set up the incorrect story that scientific opinion is “equally” divided on Global Warming and Climate Change.

One silly part of this is that climate scientists are accused of having a secret agenda to promote “socialism”.

Strange – because the nuclear and fossil fuel lobbies also want governments to cover the costs of nuclear power setup, security, and waste disposal – apparently nuclear socialism is OK!

October 13, 2010 Posted by | Christina reviews, climate change - global warming, energy | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Australia’s Climate Minister trying to weaken action on Climate Change

The Greens will have the critical say in passing a legislated carbon price when they pick up the balance of power in the Senate after June 30 next year

Greens must compromise on global warming, minister warns Patricia Karvelas and Joe Kelly   The Australian * October 13, 2010 CLIMATE Change Minister Greg Combet has warned the Greens they need to compromise on climate change if they want action…… Continue reading

October 13, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, climate change - global warming, energy, politics | , , , | Leave a comment

Broadcast Australia goes renewable energy

A 15kW wind turbine was installed, along with a 5kW solar power system. Surplus generated electricity is stored in two banks of deep cycle batteries, providing a total of 5800 amp hour storage; enough to provide full power autonomy for two days….The Broadcast Australia network covers approximately 580 transmission sites located throughout the metropolitan, regional and rural areas of Australia.

Broadcast Australia Powers Site With Wind And Solar Energy : Renewable Energy News, 7 Oct 10, Broadcast Australia has upgraded a broadcast transmission site in Tasmania to be powered by renewable energy. Continue reading

October 7, 2010 Posted by | climate change - global warming, energy, solar, Tasmania, wind | , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Australian govt can use carbon pricing to provide renewable energy infrastructure

The construction of new renewable energy grid infrastructure is one example of an investment-centred measure. Expanded electricity grid infrastructure would open up renewable resources for sustainable development and help overcome a non-market barrier to clean energy deployment……

The Gillard government and those in the parliament who support effective action on climate change can use carbon-pricing legislation to secure funding for an ambitious nation-building climate policy agenda.

Want to stop climate change? Move beyond carbon pricing, Rooted, Leigh Ewbank, October 7, 2010 by Crikey: Continue reading

October 7, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, climate change - global warming, energy, politics | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

USA federal govt approves huge solar project on govt land

the projects in Southern California involve a square mile of glimmering solar panels near Victorville and a large array of satellite dish-like sun catchers covering about 10 square miles in the remote Imperial Valley.Both could start transmitting electricity to the state grid by the end of 2011 or early 2012.

Feds approve 2 Calif solar plants on public land, MontereyHerald.com :By JASON DEAREN Associated Press: 10/05/2010 SAN FRANCISCO—For the first time, federal land managers gave final approval Tuesday for the construction of two large solar installations on public lands that could power hundreds of thousands of homes with renewable energy. Continue reading

October 7, 2010 Posted by | climate change - global warming, energy, solar | , , , , , | Leave a comment

The White House to get its solar panels back

These new panels go far beyond what Jimmy Carter installed and then Ronald Reagan tore down.  Carter’s $30,000 rig was installed in 1979 to heat water, which it did.

Reagan’s tear down was part of his assault on the green power industry on behalf of big oil and nuclear power.

Obama says he’ll now re-instate solar water heating to the White House roof, AND will add photo-voltaic cells that will generate electricity. by Harvey Wasserman, 6 Oct 10, Continue reading

October 6, 2010 Posted by | energy, solar | , , , , | Leave a comment

UK Feed In Tariff delivering solar energy boost

“The scheme is delivering exactly what it was meant to do in terms of a rapid increase in the number of installations, creation of jobs and increase in the amount of renewable energy generated

UK Solar Power Feed In Tariffs Delivering : Renewable Energy News, 5 Oct 10, Rooftop solar energy systems are driving uptake of the UK government’s pilot solar feed-in tariff scheme, Continue reading

October 5, 2010 Posted by | climate change - global warming, energy, solar | , , , , | Leave a comment

ANZ, National, CBA, Westpac hypocrites with their huge investment in coal

the ANZ, National, Commonwealth and Westpac are investing billions of dollars into the coal industry while promoting an image of community responsibility and environmental sustainability…

Greenpeace Slams Australia’s Big 4 Banks’ Coal Power Investment,  Renewable Energy News, 4 Oct 10, A report prepared for Greenpeace Australia Pacific has found Australia’s big four banks are pouring huge amounts of money into the most polluting form of power generation: coal. Continue reading

October 5, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, religion and ethics, solar, wind | , , , | Leave a comment