Antinuclear

Australian news, and some related international items

Abbott’s Climate Policy very costly – Financial Analyst’s Report

the Coalition proposal would exacerbate the problem and ”put the final nail in the renewable energy industry’s coffin”

Report blasts Abbott climate plan Sydney Morning Herald ADAM MORTON February 10, 2010THE Coalition’s climate change policy would cost taxpayers more than twice as much as the government’s emissions trading scheme, an analysis has found. Continue reading

February 11, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, climate change - global warming, energy | , , , | Leave a comment

Review: AREVA, Climate Policy, Iran’s uranium enrichment

Australia. Areva takes over Australian solar company. Continuing chaos on Australia’s Climate Change policy, as Rudd dithers over the Greens’ modest carbon tax plan, and Abbott is encouraged, as media publicises cranky extremist views of Lord Monckton. Sustainable Northern Australia report raises debate. W.A. govt refuses to hold public inquiry into uranium industry’s impact.

International: Obama appoints nuclear lobbyist as nuclear safety regulator. France’s AREVA joins powerful Korean nuclear industry competitor, while acquiring several solar companies. Iran ramps up uranium enrichment, while U.S and Israeli hawks preach war. Continuing anxieties over overuse of medical radiation – the week that has been

February 10, 2010 Posted by | 1, climate change - global warming, energy, solar, uranium | , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Areva ‘hedging’ its bets, with renewable energy push

this acquisition of Ausra is a good sign of where the market is heading. Given that the nuclear renaissance simply isn’t materializing as expected, it’s wise for Areva and other big energy conglomerates to hedge their bets.

Areva gets deeper into renewables with Ausra purchase the energy collective, by Tyler Hamilton, 02/08/2010 France’s Areva SA is known mostly as a designer of light-water nuclear reactors, builder of transmission and distribution systems, and a miner of uranium, Continue reading

February 9, 2010 Posted by | 1, climate change - global warming, energy, uranium | , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Small, beautiful, renewable energy cars

a bright future for a spectrum of ‘micro’ electric vehicles

Meet Trev: A two-seater renewable energy vehicle, by Phil Hart , February 6, 2010 , The Oil Drum: ]Major auto companies are now close to bringing their first electric vehicles onto the market. Continue reading

February 9, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, climate change - global warming, energy | , , , | Leave a comment

Australia’s voting system distorts Climate Change action

Queensland and particularly Western Australia, which both have strong fossil fuels industries, relatively rural dwelling patterns, and populations of about 2m and 4.5m respectively.’……….

The climate policy disconnect: It’s rural voter over-representation  Financial Times February 8,  by Kate Mackenzie “………..a new paper finds that over-representation of regional voters can make a significant difference to public policy on both gasoline taxes and international climate change agreements… Continue reading

February 9, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, climate change - global warming, politics | , , , | Leave a comment

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

Continue reading

February 8, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, climate change - global warming, energy | , , , , | Leave a comment

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

February 8, 2010 Posted by | 1, climate change - global warming, energy, wind | , , , , | Leave a comment

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

February 8, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, climate change - global warming, energy, solar | , , , , | 1 Comment

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

February 4, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, climate change - global warming, energy, politics | , , , , | Leave a comment

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

February 3, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, climate change - global warming, energy, media | , , , | Leave a comment

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

February 3, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, climate change - global warming, energy, politics, solar | , , , , , | Leave a comment

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.

Continue reading

February 3, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, climate change - global warming, energy, solar, wind | , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

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

February 2, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, climate change - global warming, energy | , , , | Leave a comment

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

February 2, 2010 Posted by | climate change - global warming, energy, General News, uranium | , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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)

January 28, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, Christina reviews, climate change - global warming, energy, media | , , , | Leave a comment