Trains already 100% Wind Powered in Holland

Posted on January 14, 2017 by groundswellbasscoast

untitleddutchtrainsInitially, trains in the Netherlands were set to run entirely on renewable energy by 2018. However, it seems officials have been able to beat that goal by an entire year. As of the first of January this year, all public transport trains are being powered by renewable energy, namely from wind power.

Meanwhile, in Australia, all our regional trains are dirty diesel. And as Transport Sector now challenges electricity for biggest source of emissions, we may, eventually, get updated regulated limit for car emissions but trucks are average age 13 years(compared with 6.7 years for USA), many from before any emission standard. Down under junk yard?

>more> Futurism

 

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How fish migration forced by warming seas

Posted on January 14, 2017 by groundswellbasscoast

How crazy if it that mackerel are now in Iceland, calamari in Scotland and anchovies in UK thanks to warming, which now warms up wars between fishermen disputing previous treaties about who has rights to which fish. Meanwhile, in our overheated backyard, our leaders are spending $50Million to make penguin parade a whole 20% bigger!

>more> TheGuardian

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EV motor emigrates to USA for capital

Posted on January 14, 2017 by groundswellbasscoast

For the cost of a Sydney home, Paul Evans would be able to market an electric car engine that could help put Aussie innovation back on the map. In risk-averse Australia, most investors would prefer to buy a house. The entrepreneur has been shunned by local venture capital funds in attempts to raise A$3 million ($2.2 million) for a product that’s been a decade in the works, despite what he describes as strong interest from some global carmakers. Now, after a series of fruitless investor meetings, he’s heading down the inevitable path: straight to the U.S.

more> Bloomberg (previous write up RenewEconomy)

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Electric Bus Fleet-Sydney Airport Launch for 2017

Posted on January 14, 2017 by groundswellbasscoast

untitledelectricbusEV News was recently invited to preview the largest fleet of electric buses in Australia. Built by airport bus operator Carbridge in partnership with Gemiland coachworks and BYD, the new fleet of six battery powered buses are owned by Sydney Airport Corporation Limited as part of a $5 million investment in environmentally friendly ground transportation technology With  carrying capacity of 70 passengers, each bus has a range of 500 kilometres, making up to 100 transfer journeys on a single charge. The fleet will provide transportation for over two million travellers, visitors and airport workers who use the Blu Emu shuttle service every year.

>more> EVNews

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Nuclear revival runs out of time and money

Posted on January 12, 2017 by groundswellbasscoast

Toshiba, the giant Japanese company that owns the American reactor designer Westinghouse, is the latest company to face financial difficulties due to unforeseen cost overruns and delays that run into billions of dollars…Westinghouse Electric’s troubles began after it bought construction contractor CB&I Stone & Webster and then had to write down the value of the acquisition by billions of dollars because of problems with building four new reactors for US utilities… Électricité de France (EDF), the French company with ambitious plans to build four nuclear reactors in Britain, is in ever-deepening financial difficulties because it has failed to build new stations on time or on budget at Olkiluoto, Finland, and Flamanville, in France. It is also embroiled in an ongoing scandal over faulty reactor parts…The industry is in most trouble in countries where nuclear has to compete on price with renewables and gas. Raising enough capital to build a nuclear station at market rates is no longer possible without state subsidy. In EU and USA, where a “free market” in electricity is supposed to prevail, government moves to boost the nuclear industry are increasingly controversial.

>more> ClimateNewsNetwork

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Hewson – Liberals denying climate change

Posted on January 9, 2017 by groundswellbasscoast

Howard stated that he was an “agnostic” on climate, and preferred to rely on his “instincts”. This, of course, ignores the fact that none of us non-climate scientists would even know that there was an issue except that some 97 per cent of peer-assessed climate scientists (now joined by a host of non-climate scientists) have, atypically, agreed on the magnitude and the urgency of the challenge. I say “atypical” because it is the very essence of scientific endeavour that they disagree, that they contest each other’s hypotheses and research conclusions. So, John Howard, it’s not a question of “religion”, but of science, and “instincts” are irrelevant when it comes to matters of scientific “fact”.

>more> TheAge

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Prof Brian Cox: ‘Being anti-expert – that’s the way back to the cave’

Posted on January 9, 2017 by groundswellbasscoast

In a time of austerity, this kind of lavish, globetrotting television can raise eyebrows, but Cox says “that’s just a misunderstanding of the economics of television”. More than half the budget came from foreign broadcasters, “because we know how to film Himalayan honey bees, and they don’t. And if we said we’re going to film bees in Kent instead, they wouldn’t want it.” But more than sound economics, Cox thinks the series exemplifies the whole point of the BBC. “One of the really refreshing things about the BBC now, with Tony Hall running it, is you’ve got someone who I know understands what a public institution is. I’ve always felt that the BBC is a public institution first and a media company second. So it exists in order to make the country better. It does not exist to make television or radio; that’s it secondary purpose. It makes the country better by making television.

>more> The Guardian

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Modernizing Electricity System in Minnesota

Posted on December 23, 2016 by groundswellbasscoast

There’s been strong interest in what’s happening with e21, including people from Australia wanting to find out what’s going on,” said Nordstrom. Because Minnesota has not deregulated its electricity market and its utilities are vertically integrated, its situation is more like the 20 or so fully regulated states than are New York and California.

>more> RMI

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Chief Scientist report on energy corrects Madness

Posted on December 23, 2016 by groundswellbasscoast

…you couldn’t dream up a crazier set of events that have driven fears that South Australia is a sign of the threats to come to power supply reliability and price from lots of renewable energy…The Chief Scientist’s report provides a rational discussion about the future energy security of the National Electricity Market but is surrounded by an environment of ridiculous hysteria and fear…Leading the charge in spreading fear has been Adelaide’s one main newspaper, the Adelaide Advertiser.

Wind power was attracted to SA not because of Mike Rann but because of the state’s high underlying wholesale electricity prices. This is due to SA’s historical heavy reliance on costly gas and the concentrated ownership of power generation…SA’s residential electricity prices are inflated again by its unusually peaky air conditioner demand for power that has required paying for lots of network capacity that is only rarely utilised. Plus the state, unlike others, has avoided subsidising residential electricity…This has meant SA’s homeowners have been more enthusiastic adopters of solar systems than other states.  You see SA’s high electricity prices were the cause of its high amount of renewable energy, not the other way around. A doubling in gas prices since the establishment of LNG facilities has then made SA’s situation even worse.

Yet as part of a Howard Government initiative, South Australia and other eastern states agreed to hand over their energy regulatory responsibilities to national institutions – the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC), Australian Energy Regulator and Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO)…It is these bodies that hold the responsibility of ensuring the lights stay on and they report, not to SA alone but also the Federal Government, Victoria, NSW, Queensland and Tasmania.

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US Climate Heroes: Bypass Trump!

Posted on December 19, 2016 by groundswellbasscoast

To US mayors, governors and CEOs:

We call on you to work together to collectively meet US national climate goals regardless of what the Trump administration does. It’s in your power — set ambitious 100% clean energy targets, move towards green transportation, and stop supporting any new fossil fuel projects. Without the US, we’re in serious danger — and if Trump lets the world down, our future is in your hands.

>more> Avaaz

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