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
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
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
Victoria, Australia, to lead the way in wind energy
The wind farm, situated between the towns of Macarthur, Hawkesdale and Penshurst in Victoria, is slated to become the largest wind farm in the Southern Hemisphere
Vestas awarded order for the largest wind power project in Australia Industrial Fuels and Power August 13th, 2010 Denmark-based Vestas has successfully secured the order for the largest wind power projectd in Australia. Continue reading
Scotland to develop huge wave power system
“We are at the start of a new industrial boom, akin to the development of the North Sea oil and gas fields,”
World’s largest tidal turbine unveiled New 1MW marine energy system by Atlantis to be deployed later this summer guardian.co.uk, Rachel Fielding , 13 August 2010 The world’s largest tidal turbine was yesterday unveiled at a facility in Invergordon, Scotland, marking the culmination of a decade of development activity and moving tidal power one step closer to commercial viability. Continue reading
Zero Carbon Australia Stationary Energy Plan
The price tag may make it sound like a pipedream but the scheme earned the endorsement of the federal Liberal MP Malcolm Turnbull who added his support at a forum at Sydney Town Hall last night.
How to be fully renewable in 10 years, Sydney Morning Herald, BEN CUBBYAugust 13, 2010 AUSTRALIA could switch completely to renewable energy within a decade by building a dozen vast, new solar power stations and about 6500 wind turbines, according to a major new study. Continue reading
Radiation fears rise as Russia downplays wildfire hazard
The Kremlin has a long history of downplaying disasters in a bid to appear in control. State-run television has focused on official efforts to battle the flames.
Russians fear worst as fires reach Chernobyl fallout zone – NZ Herald News, By Miriam Elderm 12 Aug 2010, Radiation levels near Chernobyl could rise and pose long-term health dangers as deadly forest fires spread to land contaminated by the world’s largest nuclear-reactor disaster, Russian environmentalists said yesterday Continue reading
Greens commend Melbourne University’s Zero Carbon plan
how fast this technology can be rolled out across Australia, making use of sunny areas in convenient geographical areas.
Zero Carbon Australia plan sets the bar – On Line Opinion, Bob Brown, – 12/8/2010 Zero Carbon Australia plan from Melbourne University and Beyond Zero Emissions is so important. By demonstrating that it is technically feasible to completely replace polluting coal power in Australia with currently available renewable energy technologies in as little as ten years, they have made the climate solution imaginable. Continue reading
Australia could be a world leader, with Danish style renewables systems
Australia receives more sunshine per square metre than any other country and could easily adopt a similar system to Denmark to establish large scale solar farms.
Streamline Renewable Energy Policy And Make Australia A World Leader : Renewable Energy News, 11 Aug 2010, By establishing a single governing body to oversee renewable energy projects Australia could leap to the head of the global renewable race. Continue reading
Australia’s Liberal and Labor parties’ backward Climate Change policies
In its report Australia’s Renewable Energy Future, released early this year, the Australian Academy of Science says Australia has the potential to replace coal with renewable energy for its baseload power supply, accelerating the nation’s advance to a low-carbon economy.
Fossilised approach to power, Cheryl Jones, The Australian, August 11, 2010
BOTH Labor and Coalition policy on carbon trading will damage Australia’s emerging renewable energy industry, leading scientists have warned. Continue reading
The coming battle for powering electric cars
I ponder that the nuclear and uranium lobbies are hyping their product in anticipation of fleets of electric cars – powered by their polluting products. They salivate as electric car charging stations are set up in USA.
It ain’t necessarily so!
Electric cars can be charged up by renewable energy.
Do have a listen to Bernie Hobbs’ amusing and enlightening radio interviews on The Science Show and Life Matters – both from ABC radio – see below.
Bernie Hobbs’ zero emissions electric car
ABC Radio National – Life Matters – Home Page
Bernie Hobb’s electric car, ABC Radio National – Life Matters 9 August 2010,
Electric car – Science Show – 7 August 2010 – because the
cars charge overnight when the turbines are going anyway, you’re just using power that’s otherwise just produced for no reason whatsoever. The thing is, if you’re doing it for that reason and if you’re not using green power you’re really defeating the purpose. So you’re pumping just as much carbon dioxide into the air, but you’re not pumping the things that they call Noxs and Soxs, nitrous oxides and sulphur dioxides, which are the things that make the brown colour in smog. So, less of the pollutant, and if you’ve got 100% green power, zero emissions.
Senator Milne puts the case for Australia to boost renewable energy
Labor’s former climate change adviser, Ross Garnaut, warned last week that Australia must accelerate its investment in renewable energy research and development
Greens call for huge boost to renewable energy funds, Sydney Morning Herald, TIM COLEBATCH, August 9, 2010 THE Greens are proposing that the federal government almost quadruple support for large-scale solar, geothermal and other forms of renewable energy by guaranteeing up to $5 billion of loans to new power stations. Continue reading
Australia needs carbon price to reduce emissions
CLIMATE SPECTATOR: Australia’s carbon trap, Business Spectator, Giles Parkinson, 9 Aug 2010, It’s clearly not on the agenda of the front-running, Abbott-led Coalition, but a survey of Australia’s stationary energy emissions underlines the case of why a price on carbon would be a useful tool to reduce emissions. Continue reading












