Antinuclear

Australian news, and some related international items

Renewable energy – Australia’s opportunity

Australia has larger potential resources of renewable energy than any other country. We have abundant sunshine, wind, geothermal and tidal power. The great positive is that we can harness these over the next decade or two to supply most or all of our electricity and perhaps also enough to run our transport systems. We might even be able to export renewable energy

Climate change: the biggest campaign gaffe, Sydney Morning Herald, Barrie Pittock, August 20, 2010 –  Climate change is costing us now – and it’s both a challenge and an opportunity – but you wouldn’t know it from the election campaign. Continue reading

August 20, 2010 Posted by | climate change - global warming, General News, solar, wind | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Renewable energy score – Australia’s election

Here’s how the parties stack up in terms of their major national commitments to renewable energy and climate.

Australia’s Election 2010 – Renewable Energy And Climate Change : Renewable Energy News, 19 August 21 is nearly upon us …Australia’s 2010 Federal Election. While climate change and renewable energy were major platforms in the last election and appeared to have top billing again from the two major parties during the initial stages of the 2010 election campaign; it has somewhat taken a back seat to other issues, leading some to ask – where’s the green? Continue reading

August 18, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, climate change - global warming, energy, politics, solar, wind | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Nuclear power raised at Brisbane politicians’ forum

The issue of nuclear power as a clean energy fuel source stirred the candidates….Mr Bartlett explicitly rejected the idea

No debate dramas for Brisbane candidates, Brisbane Times, Tony MooreAugust 18, 2010 –  Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott may have spent days bickering about another election debate, but there were no such problems for the three major candidates for the seat of Brisbane. Continue reading

August 18, 2010 Posted by | General News, solar | , , , , | Leave a comment

Australia’s politicians hold back investment in renewable energy

“Australia has adopted a posture of being a follower rather than a leader,”

Australia’s `Depressing’ Clean Energy Policies Deter Investors – Bloomberg, by : James Paton // Aug 18, 2010 , The Arkx Clean Energy Fund’s managers are Australians who don’t have a dollar invested in Australia, a stance that’s unlikely to change after the Aug. 21 election. Continue reading

August 18, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, energy, politics | , , | Leave a comment

Australian scientist world leader in solar energy research

Professor Green holds the world record for solar cell efficiency – 25%, a level thought to be impossible.

Solar Scientist Takes Out Australia’s Eureka Prize : Renewable Energy News, 18 Aug, 2010, Some have hailed Professor Martin Green as the “father of photovoltaics”. That label has now been justified with Professor Green taking out the 2010 CSIRO Eureka Prize for Leadership in Science. Continue reading

August 18, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, energy, solar | , , , , | Leave a comment

Australia in the round the world electric vehicle race

Zero Race, for electric vehicles powered by renewable energy, will take competitors 30,000km across 16 countries in 80 days of driving…..”We expect our car to be by far the most energy efficient,”

All eyes on Trev in electric-powered race  Jennifer Foreshew: The Australian  August 17, 2010 IT has three wheels and a top speed of 120km/h, and it’s Australia’s entry in the first zero-emission around-the-world electric vehicle race. Continue reading

August 18, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, energy, solar | , , , | Leave a comment

Feed-in tariffs, tax incentives needed to fire up Australia’s Big Solar

In Spain, Germany and Italy, feed-in tariffs have driven massive growth in big solar. In the United States, loan guarantees coupled with tax incentives and renewable energy targets have driven growth. Along with the exiting renewable energy target (RET), these incentives should be adopted by whoever wins the federal election to ensure Australia meets its solar potential.

CLIMATE SPECTATOR: Big solar’s big potential, Business Spectator. John Grimes, 16 Aug 2010 This week, the Australian Solar Energy Society joined the Australian Conservation Foundation in calling for an additional 5 per cent of Australia’s electricity to come from ‘big solar’ by 2020. Continue reading

August 17, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, climate change - global warming, energy, solar | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Huge potential for ocean wave energy in Australia

Ocean Waves Can Power Australia’s Future, Scientists Say – ABC News, 18 Aug 2010, SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Waves crashing on to Australia’s southern shores each year contain enough energy to power the country three times over, scientists said on Tuesday in a study that underscores the scale of Australia’s green energy. Continue reading

August 17, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, climate change - global warming, energy | , , , , | Leave a comment

Australia left behind in Climate Change action

Abbott doesn’t even accept that climate change is a problem, though there is no evidence he has attempted to understand the work of leading climate scientists.

Sorry state of play when China leaves us for dead on climate, Sydney Morning Herald, Adam Morton, August 18, 2010 tGillard believes and Abbott doesn’t – but neither will do anything anyway………A series of announcements over the past month underlines what Ross Garnaut has been saying for a while – that China is miles ahead of Australia on the path to a greener economy, and the gap is widening……….. Continue reading

August 17, 2010 Posted by | climate change - global warming, energy, solar | , , , , | Leave a comment

The reality of nuclear power decline and falling uranium market

during the past 10 years, only about two-thirds of worldwide demand for nuclear fuel was met from resources obtained from mining. The remaining 20,000 tonnes came from so-called secondary uranium sources – mainly inventories held by utilities and governments, reprocessed nuclear fuel, and stockpiles of depleted uranium……………

The reality of nuclear energy is inconsistent with dreams of a renaissance. Nuclear energy is not on the rise – the hard facts point to a continuing, slow phase-out around the world   Michael Dittmar   guardian.co.uk,  16 August 2010

Repeatedly in recent years there have been calls for a revival of nuclear power. Yet that renaissance never seems to come. Continue reading

August 17, 2010 Posted by | energy, uranium | , , , | Leave a comment

South Australia could be renewable energy hub

According to the Greens South Australian Senate candidate Penny Wright, four potential wind energy projects on the Eyre Peninsula could more than double South Australia’s wind-sourced electricity generation capacity to 7500 megawatts if better transmission infrastructure were available.

Greens Envision South Australia As A Renewable Energy Exporter : Renewable Energy News, 16 AUGUST, 2010, The Australian Greens have proposed upgraded electricity transmission infrastructure across Australia that would see South Australia become a renewable energy exporter. Continue reading

August 17, 2010 Posted by | climate change - global warming, energy, solar, South Australia, wind | , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Australian Democrats say nuclear power is no solution to Climate Change

Climate change – Nuclear power still not a solution, Darren Churchill, 16 Aug 2010, Nuclear power still costs the earth and is not a solution for reducing greenhouse gas emissions say the Australian Democrats.Australian Democrats’ lead candidate in the ACT, Darren Churchill says that only genuine ecologically sustainable energy sources can make the difference. Continue reading

August 16, 2010 Posted by | climate change - global warming, energy, General News, solar, wind | , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

In Brisbane thousands walk against global warming

Walkers send not-too-warm message to pollies on climate, Sydney Morning Herald, Tony Moore and Daniel Hurst, August 15, 2010 Thousands of supporters of the annual Walk Against Warming have wound their way through the streets of Brisbane in a stark reminder that tackling climate change remains a key issue for the 2010 Federal Election. Continue reading

August 16, 2010 Posted by | climate change - global warming, energy, General News, solar, wind | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Resources ‘boom’ failing Australia’s economic competitiveness

there are the fraught issues of energy and climate change…….The lack of investment [in new renewable energy technology] will only further harm Australia’s competitiveness.

Australia slow to wake up to reality, Stuff.co.nz, By ROD ORAM –  Star Times, 15 Aug 2010, IS THE great Australian boom, the longest in any developed country, over? Yes, said Ross Garnaut, one of the country’s most respected economists, in a seminal lecture last week. Continue reading

August 16, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, business, energy, solar, wind | , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Australia well placed to adopt American solar thermal plants

The International Energy Agency has found that renewable energy like household solar power systems and solar thermal power plants are competitive with traditional forms of power generation in the sunniest parts of the world, but a lack of financing is holding back investment in concentrated solar technologies.

Harness Solar Power To Minimise Coal Electricity Generation Emissions : Renewable Energy News, 14 Aug 2010, American plans to build large-scale solar thermal plants near coal-fired power stations should be duplicated in Australia says a local renewable energy industry figure. Continue reading

August 14, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, climate change - global warming, energy, solar | , , , , , | Leave a comment