Rudd’s chance to truly address Climate Change
Fortunately, Rudd has been thrown a political and environmental lifeline by the Greens who have proposed the government take up the recommendation made by the Garnaut Report to introduce a transitional carbon tax of $20 a tonne for two years between July 2010 and July 2012.
Rudd missed opportunity to dump failed emissions scheme The Age, Kenneth Diavidson, 8 Feb 2010 February 8, 2010
Uranium prices to go down further
Investors take a stick to disappointing resources companies, Robin Bromby,The Australian, February 08,
“……….Uranium in surplusDEUTSCHE Bank has put a “sell” recommendation on Paladin Energy (PDN) with a target price of $3.30, against Friday’s close at $3.52. The bank’s analysts are predicting a uranium market surplus of 4500 tonnes by 2011.
……….. Deutsche believes uranium prices will be hit this year due to production growth in Kazakhstan, increasing US Department of Energy spot sales, and permit delays to nuclear reactor plans in the West.
Wind farm financed by community group
the Jura wind park is the first in the country to be financed by a broad citizen base: some 600 private investors…
Wind power gains ground in Switzerland GenevaLunch Jessica Evans, 5 February 2010 New wind turbines at Saint-Brais, canton Jura, will raise Switzerland’s total annual renewable energy power production to 17.5 MW, according to Suisse Eole, the Swiss wind energy promotion association. Continue reading
Australian govt pursues ‘clean coal’, while missing solar opportunity
the Rudd Government’s actions indicate it now aims to keep Australia locked into using coal and gas for the vast bulk of electricity and to protect its coal and gas exports at the expense of new clean energy.
Government neglect turns lights out for solar power industry, The Courier-Mail, Kerrie Sinclair, February 07, 2010 Continue reading
Climate Sceptic extremist has a ‘significant argument’ says Abbott
‘Mad Monk’ meets Monckton THE AGE , TOM ARUP February 4, 2010 A day after releasing his climate change policy, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has met the world’s most famous climate change sceptic, Christopher Monckton, 3rd Viscount Monckton of Brenchley…… Continue reading
Press Club enjoys light Climate Change entertainment
few understand the role of the Press Club as a third chamber of parliament.
Disbelieving fans put faith in the lord The Age DAVID MARR February 4, 2010 THE THIRD CHAMBER:
What an Australian scene – a scrubbed, white crowd hanging off a viscount’s every word. Rank was everything at the Press Club. “Lord … lord … lord,” intoned Ian Plimer as he introduced fellow climate sceptic Christopher Monckton. “My Lords,” began the visiting peer with a wry smile. “That’s me …” Continue reading
Climate Policy: Rudd’s and Abbott’s not all that different
….It’s time that Australian politicians realised that the clean-energy revolution is the equivalent to a modern-day space race. The winners get to take all. The losers get to clean the dishes and sweep the floor. Or drive a ploughless tractor.
Carbon copy Giles Parkinson Business Spectator 3 Feb 2010 The climate change policies of the prime minister and the leader of the opposition have more in common than you might think.For a start, both studiously ignore the need for the Australian economy to make any sort of transition, despite the clear global trend. Continue reading
Australia missing the bus on renewable energy
the opportunities for jobs, export earnings, energy security and zero-emissions electricity on offer in the renewable sector. Failure to act means Australians will remain stuck in the coal pit while the world prospers from the renewable energy boom.
Australia blown away on renewable energy Sydney Morning Herald MATTHEW WRIGHT February 3, 2010
RENEWABLE energy is the world’s fastest-growing power source. It is already generating baseload electricity at utility scales. Large solar thermal plants with heat storage can dispatch power whether or not the sun is shining, and make handsome profits during demand peaks. Wind power is being installed at scales that dwarf Australian grid requirements. These and other clean-energy technologies are replacing coal on modern energy grids.
Global warming is real, and threatens Australia
As a continent that is already hot and dry, the implications for Australia are profound.
Climate action can’t be put off Penny Wong, The Australian , February 02, 2010 “………There is a simple fact from which we cannot hide: the world continues to get warmer.
Earlier this month, the Bureau of Meteorology released its 2009 annual climate statement. It found 2009 was the second hottest year in Australia on record and ended our hottest decade. Continue reading
Confronting racism and environmental degradation are global issues
Australian corporations, like BHP, exploit labour and resources the world over.
Nationalism and racism Green Left Stuart Munckton 31 January 2010 Celebrating the day that began the British invasion and genocide is a permanent slap in the face for Aboriginal people. Continue reading
Queensland could lead the renewable energy revolution
“New technologies include a solar thermal storage technology pilot, which captures heat from the sun and stores it for future electricity generation…..
Queensland bid for smart grid dollars (Media-Newswire.com) 30 Jan 2010 -A Queensland Government consortium has today launched a bid for $100 million in federal funds to build a demonstration smart electricity grid for Australia. Continue reading
Australian media lets the public down on Climate Change
This week – disturbing examples of two serious flaws in Australian mass media.:
1. Failure of journalists to do their homework. The two items below both illustrate this. Neither Fran Kelly of ABC Radio, nor Miranda Devine (The Age) bothered toask Lord Monckton any of the hard questions – about his own credibility as a scientist, or challenging his statements on Climate Change.
2. Not only does the mass`media seem to believe that they must give equal weight to ‘both sides’ of a story – this week they’ve gone further – not bothering to invite Australia’s scientific institutions to give their information on climate change.
It’s a worrying trend, when views like those of Lord Monckton are taken seriously by reputable journalists – (Climate Change as a front for a world-government conspiracy equal to Nazism)
Bizarre anti-science Climate Sceptics go unchallenged in Australian media
Fifty metres from where I sit at the ANU, 300 meteorologists and oceanographers are listening to the latest research on climate change at the annual conference of the Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society.
But you wouldn’t know it. Instead of sending someone over to hear what the scientists are saying, Radio National this morning decided to give over its program to a charlatan, Lord Monckton, who expounded unchallenged his bizarre theories.
He earnestly told Fran Kelly on Radio National that decades of climate science research could not be believed because the scientists are being paid by governments and governments want to cede national sovereignty to a “world government”. Continue reading
Time for Australians to invest in renewable energy
As always, the market will shift suddenly when it does and being exposed to the wrong companies well, just remember you were told.
WAKE UP AUSTRALIA: Seize the low-carbon opportunity Business Spectator -by Paul Gilding 28 Jan 2010 “……………There is no realistic scenario for Carbon Capture and Storage being able to deal with carbon emissions at a time and a price that will prevent renewable energy winning the market for clean energy. Continue reading
Greens to promote energy efficiency and renewables
there will then be space in the 20 per cent target to bring on large-scale wind and other renewable energy sources,” Greens Senator Christine Milne
Greens renew push for energy target changes ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) 27 Jan 2010 The Greens are making a fresh push for changes to the Federal Government’s renewable energy target scheme, saying it is blocking investment in large-scale projects.
They will introduce a Private Members Bill when Parliament resumes next month to change the way energy efficiency measures such as solar hot water and heat pumps are treated. Continue reading














