Wind power for Western Australia
Synergy signs on for Collgar wind power The Australian March 25, 2010 PLANS for another massive wind farm in Australia received a major boost yesterday when West Australian energy retailer Synergy signed a 15-year contract worth an estimated $1.5 billion to purchase power from the proposed Collgar wind farm. Continue reading
USA, Australia Lag Behind, China leads, in Renewable Energy Policy
Countries without such policy frameworks – including the U.S., Japan and Australia – lag behind
China Leads G-20 Nations In Renewable Energy Finance And Investmentin Solar Industry:25 March 2010 For the first time, China led the U.S. and other G-20 members in 2009 clean energy investments and finance, according to a new study by The Pew Charitable Trusts. Continue reading
Australia’s CSIRO develops renewable energy storage device
Renewable Energy Storage – CSIRO’s UltraBattery : Renewable Energy News, 25 MARCH, 2010 The CSIRO is continuing development on a hybrid energy storage device that combines a supercapacitor with a lead acid battery in one unit cell, called the UltraBattery. Continue reading
Australia’s right wing sabotages Earth Hour
In Australia the Conservative Leadership Foundation’s campaign includes posters and brochures; one poster proclaims: ”Don’t be stuck in the dark with the Communists. Turn your lights on!”
Earth Hour supporters left in the dark TOM ARUP , Sydney Morning Herald March 25, 2010 A THINK tank founded and chaired by the Liberal senator Cory Bernardi has launched a campaign to promote an anti-Earth Hour event – urging people to turn their lights on. Continue reading
Earth Hour Saturday 27 March 8.30 – 9.30 pm
To register for Earth Hour visit www.earthhour.org.au (it’s free!).
Bright sparks say lights off | Northern Rivers News 25 March 2010, “Earth Hour started in Australia so imagine if every school and business across Australia came on board on the Friday to ‘launch’ Earth Hour – we would be the first people on the planet to do that!”…
..Earth Hour is an annual event co-ordinated by the World Wildlife Fund Australia, which is asking people to turn off essential lighting and machines, and unplug appliances at power points, for one hour from 8.30pm this Saturday, March 27. The event has grown steadily since it began in Sydney in 2007 and last year hundreds of millions of people from 4189 cities in 88 countries took part….
To register for Earth Hour visit www.earthhour.org.au (it’s free!).
WWF is also asking people to make the commitment to reduce their footprint on an ongoing basis. You can measure your current environmental impact on the footprint calculator at earthhour.org.
Australia’s grassroots Climate Action movement to focus on green jobs
June 5, World Environment Day, was adopted as a national day of climate action,
Climate Action Summit 2010: A step forward Green Left, Ewan Saunders, 21 March 2010Three hundred climate activists participated in Australia’s second national Climate Action Summit in Canberra on March 13-15, marking an important step forward for the grassroots climate movement in this country…………. Continue reading
‘Baseload’ power planned for Australia, in huge solar energy plant
Cobra Energy Eyes $1 Billion Solar Power Plant For Australia – Ecofriend, Mar 19 2010, Eco Factor: Massive solar power plant designed to generate 250MW of energy.Cobra Energy has unveiled plans to develop a massive $1 billion solar power plant in Australia that will be able to generate up to 250MW of renewable electric power. Continue reading
China aiming to be world leader in renewable energy
China – A Powerhouse in Renewable Energy, Renewable Energy World, March 21, 2010, “China missed the first industrial revolution, missed the computer revolution, and the biology revolution – they want to be a leader in the green revolution.” And indeed, China is now the third largest producer in the wind power market and one of the fastest-growing in domestic wind installations. For the fourth consecutive year, China has more than doubled its wind installations.
And offshore wind, a technology with a great deal of sex appeal, is yet another story. China installed its first major offshore wind farm near Shanghai and is 9th in the world as far as total offshore capacity……..China is also the world leader in PV manufacturing and production –
Nuclear, Fossil Fuel, people stack Australia’s New Renewable Energy Centre
Members of the interim board for the Australian Centre for Renewable Energy include:
• Graeme Hunt (Chair) – formerly in charge of BHP Billiton’s Olympic Dam expansion;
• Prof Mary O’Kane – former Vice Chancellor of Adelaide University;
• John Ryan – awarded the public service medal for his work on the PM’s Task Force into Development of Uranium Mining and Nuclear Energy in Australia;
• Emma Stein – has served on the boards of energy, oil and gas utilities;
• Dr John Wright – CSIRO Energy Transformed;
• Other members without clear relevant expertise in renewable energy development.
Centre for Renewable Energy welcome, but Greens amendments would have improved it | Greens MPs
Australia’s Renewable Energy Centre designed to fail
“You could almost say (the centre) was designed to fail.”
Greens slam new renewable energy body, Sydney Morning Herald, March 10, 2010 The Australian Greens have slammed a new body designed to develop renewable energy in Australia.Greens’ senator Christine Milne told parliament the Australian Centre for Renewable Energy was not independent, transparent or adequately qualified to carry out its duties Continue reading
Australia could reduce greenhouse gas without nuclear power
Nuclear does not have the answers we need, Sydney Morning Herald, SCOTT LUDLAM, March 10, 2010 -“…….Dr Hansen argues that energy efficiency and renewable energy sources are our first-line weapons in the battle against climate change. No arguments there. In the Australian context, we have a growing body of scientific research mapping out sustainable energy scenarios that would allow us to keep the lights on while also sharply reducing greenhouse emissions. Continue reading
Australian organisations unite to lead new climate, energy, campaign
The Transition Decade: New Campaign Aims to Reshape Australia’s Climate Politics, T10 Starts with Community-Wide Engagement, SolveClimate.com, by Leigh Ewbank – Mar 7th, 2010, In Australia, several environmental groups have banded together to encourage a new approach to climate action. Continue reading
Australia needs job-rich renewable energy, not nuclear power
If Australia aimed to build a renewable energy sector that represented 5 per cent of the global market by 2030 we could realise some 500,000 jobs in our renewable energy industry and finally take advantage of our advanced research base.
Responsibly addressing the urgency of climate change cannot afford to be delayed or misled by nuclear industry hype.
Nuclear energy: money can’t buy love, ABC, david Noonan, 3 March 2010, The truth is investment in nuclear energy means massive capital costs and very low employment benefits…. Continue reading
Wind farm revival depends Federal Govt’s renewables policy
Wind farm revived after change of rules , Ricks Wallace, The Australian, March 02, 2010 CONSTRUCTION of Australia’s largest wind farm has moved a step closer, with AGL announcing it has entered into contractual agreements with its joint-venture partner on the project.The decision by AGL and New Zealand’s Meridian Energy to forge ahead with the $800 million project comes after the Rudd government’s move last week to revamp its failing renewable energy target scheme. Continue reading
Some hope for renewal of Australia’s renewable energy industries
Environmental markets spring back to life as energy target rules change, Giles Parkinson, The Australian March 01, 2010 AUSTRALIA’S environmental markets have sprung into life after the government announced proposed amendments to the Renewable Energy Target, creating hope that Australia may finally be able to rid itself of an unwanted reputation as a dead-end for the renewable energy industry.
Environmental markets spring back to life as energy target rules change | The Australian
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