Stopping mindless consumption – no more ‘politics as usual’
all these issues – environmental, social and economic – have their source in a world view that sees the central purpose of our society as pursuing ever more material enrichment in order to allow us to consume more……….
Fiddling while the Earth burns, The Age, Richard Eckersley, August 27, 2010 No more ‘politics as usual’ should mean having enough courage to tackle the sickness of mindless consumption…… Continue reading
Business looks to new Australian Parliament for action on Climate Change
Fiona Wain, the head of the Environment Business Australia think tank made half a dozen useful recommendations: –
Trillion-dollar climate question, Sydney Morning Herald, August 28, 2010 Hopes surged this week that a swing to the Greens will result in meaningful action on climate change in the new Parliament. Continue reading
NSW Solar scheme needs improvement, but energy efficiency still the best
Dr Diesendorf said schemes such as the solar bonus had long-term potential but ”bang for buck, energy efficiency is the cheapest and fastest”.
Solar bonus generates a mega-load of energy, Sydney Morning Herald, Jennie CurtinAugust 28, 2010 THE NSW Government’s solar bonus scheme, which pays householders for the electricity they generate from their rooftop panels, has proved so popular it has reached a 50-megawatt milestone 18 months before expected. Continue reading
U.S. nuclear loans a BIG financial mistake
These kinds of advance payments are exactly the kind of financial shenanigans that brought the last nuclear-construction boom to an end, leaving utility ratepayers with billions of wasted dollars in costs.
Sorry, But Nukes Still Don’t Pencil Out, THE HUFFINGTON POST, Carl Pope, August 24, 2010 ” Continue reading
Australia’s economy needs new renewable energy industries, not fossil fuel ones
Relying on our fossil fuels for energy and future wealth is no longer a sensible option…Despite the claims of the fossil-fuel lobby, renewable energy can provide a vital new industry and energy source to power Australia’s economy day and night
Where’s the vision that will take us to a brave new world?, The Canberra Times, BY FIONA ARMSTRONG20 Aug, 2010 Call me fussy, but I have always expected leaders to provide leadership……while we’ve seen plenty of special interests in this election campaign, we haven’t seen much that captures what might be best for all of us…. Continue reading
Victorian govt aiming for Renewable Energy inverstment
Government is committed to making Victoria an attractive location for renewable investment
Brumby to streamline planning for renewable energy projects – Government News By Rob O’Brien, 25 Aug 2010, Planning processes for renewable energy projects will be streamlined with Victorian councils receiving support to administer wind farm permits, the State Government has announced. Continue reading
Australian Greens will push for a Renewable Energy Feed-In Tariff
The petition is still active and can be viewed at FeedInTariff.com.au.
Greens Senate Victory And Australia’s Solar Power Revolution : Renewable Energy News, 25 Aug 2010, While Australia starts the working week still not knowing who will take the reins of the country, the Greens having won the balance of power in the Senate is very good news for renewable energy….. Continue reading
Renewable Energy Feed-In Tariff – the key to thousands of jobs
If we look to those places where renewable energy JOBS are already employing tens of thousands of people, places such as nearly all of Europe and most of Asia; and did I mention Wisconsin? Yes, Wisconsin….
That is the Feed-In Tariff. It is the one item that is proven to make it all work.
(USA) Renewable energy can be the source of JOBS Review Messenger, By Richard Carter. 24 Aug 2010, It’s certainly no secret, the economy needs JOBS, especially in rural Minnesota.There is a source of jobs which could help. Those JOBS come from renewable energy: solar electric, solar hot water, solar hot air, and wind. Continue reading
Australian Election -That Green Light on the Hill
Media commentators focus on the overall national swing against Labor, in the Australian election results.
But what about that other equally big, equally national, swing – towards the Greens?
I note that some mainstream media are describing the elected Greens as “extremists”, and as “completely irrational”.
But a swing to the Greens, across Australia, and the prospect of 9 Greens Senators – it’s hard to write off such a sizeable representation of the Australian public as “extremists” and “irrational”
In the more positive article, Paul Strangio’s ”post-materialist cosmopolitans” is mentioned, as the constituency for new Greens MP Richard di Natale. These people represent a growing new breed in Western culture – progressive, broad-minded, ready to lead a satisfying lifestyle with fewer material things, and less energy use.
It’s unfortunate that the newly elected Senators will not take their places until July 2011. This means that Australians will need to be aware of their politicians rushing bad laws through between now and then – Christina Macpherson 23 Aug 2010
New Greens Senator brings hope for renewable energy
There’s a new light on the hill, and it’s bright Green, The Age, Jewel TopsfieldAugust 23, 2010 “… there was no stopping Victoria’s first Greens senator Richard Di Natale in this sweet, long-savoured moment. ”There is a new light on the hill and it’s powered by renewable energy,” he thundered at the Greens election night party in Melbourne,………..Comprising the former working-class suburbs of Fitzroy, North Melbourne, Brunswick and Richmond, the electorate is home to many progressive-thinking, educated professionals – a tribe Monash University lecturer Paul Strangio dubbed ”post-materialist cosmopolitans”. There’s a new light on the hill, and it’s bright Green
Self cleaning solar panels a solution to dusty desert areas
The researchers found that 90 percent of deposited dust can be removed by the transparent screen in fewer than 60 seconds.
Self-cleaning solar panels could find use in the dusty environs of Arizona, the Middle East or Mars, Scientific American, By Larry Greenemeier, Aug 22, 2010, The best places to collect solar energy are also some of the dustiest on Earth and beyond, a quandary that leads to inefficiencies in how well the cells are able to convert strong sunlight into renewable electricity. The solution, according to new research, is to coat solar cells with material that enables them to chase away dirt particles on their own with the help of dust-repelling electrical charges. Continue reading
Australia’s error – dig it up, ship it out, high carbon mentality
Lack of certainty on a carbon price stunts the growth of fledgling alternative energy industries, stifles consumer behavioural change and, combined with conflicting regulatory measures, leads to non-optimal short-term decisions, while both main political parties lack the stomach to take on the vested interests. So we fall back into the comfort zone of our dig-it-up and ship-it-out high carbon mindset. In so doing, we are making arguably the greatest strategic error in Australia’s history.
Our great strategic error, ABC The Drum Unleashed, 21 Aug 2010, “…Our resource base is formidable and expanding. But that bounty is fast becoming our Achilles heel. Continue reading
Renewable energy growing more than coal or nuclear
Both the US and Europe added more renewable power capacity in 2009 than they added coal, gas, and nuclear capacity. Globally, 80,000 megawatts of renewable capacity was added, with China adding nearly half the total and nearly three-quarters of the total
Renewable Energy Investment is Growing – 24/7 Wall St., Paul Ausick, 21 Aug 2010, An international policy network called the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century, or REN21, has released its global status report for 2010. Continue reading
Both Australian Labor and Liberal would cut renewable energy funding
Australian Greens Blast Gillard For Cutting Solar Power Funding : Renewable Energy News, 20 Aug 2010, The Australian Greens say they are the only party serious about tackling climate change and transitioning Australia into a renewable energy economy. Greens Deputy Leader, Senator Christine Milne, has attacked both Labor and the Coalition for cutting $416.5 million out of renewable energy funding. Continue reading
Business needs a carbon tax, says Bob Brown
business sees the Greens as being economically responsible, I talked about saving Australia from recession. I talked about our proposal for a carbon tax. I believe it’s that proposal which one of the big parties, the next party in office is going to have to come back to because business wants it, because business is saying we need a carbon signal for investment into the future. Only the Greens are offering it
Greens say business wants carbon tax, Radio Australia:, Linda Mottram interviews Bob Brown, Australian Greens leader. August 19, 2010 “……..BROWN: The Australian Greens are in favour of transforming our economy from burning coal and forests to renewable energy and energy efficiency, and we have to do it urgently. My colleague Christine Milne has put forward a proposal for Australia to be carbon neutral; that is not putting any further carbon into the atmosphere between 2030 and 2050. 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/2352741955560
15 April – Zoom –Nuclear Power is Not the Solution
Apr 15, 2026 01:00 AM in Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney
Join the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) on Tuesday, April 14th for a timely webinar exploring the risks associated with nuclear power and challenging the myth that it offers a simple, safe, carbon-free solution to the climate crisis
21 April Webinar: No Nuclear Weapons in Australia
Start: 2026-04-21 18:00:00 UTC Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney (GMT+10:00)
End: 2026-04-21 19:30:00 UTC Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney (GMT+10:00)
Event Type: Virtual
A virtual link will be communicated before the event.
Host Contact Info: australia@icanw.org
of the week – Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR)
To see nuclear-related stories in greater depth and intensity
Antinuclear 