Energy switch: Is renewable electricity now driving coal prices?

Posted on February 1, 2016 by groundswellbasscoast

It’s official: more money was invested in renewables and more generation capacity added in 2015 than ever before. Conventional wisdom has always been that low fossil fuel prices would make renewables uncompetitive even as the cost of renewable energy continues to drop. In that view, fossil fuel prices drive investments in renewables. It’s not happening, however, so maybe it’s time to consider the reverse paradigm: renewables driving fossil fuel prices. Craig Morris investigates…share price of Peabody Energy, largest coal company in the world, dropped by 90% between Dec 2014 and Dec 2015.

>more> RenewEconomy

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THANK YOU for your work to convince Australian environment ministers that clean air matters.

Posted on February 1, 2016 by groundswellbasscoast

Late last year, Australia’s nine environment ministers met to decide on new national air pollution standards for coarse particle (PM10) and fine particle (PM2.5) emissions. Unfortunately…Commonwealth Environment Minister Greg Hunt who pledged ‘clean air is a signature objective of my watch’ was entirely silent on the matter of the new standards…At a time when we’re seeing a reappearance of deadly Black Lung Disease among coal miners, it’s clear that self monitoring by industry just won’t work…There’s a lot of work to do but, like you, we’re committed to the goal of achieving clean, healthy air for all Australians.

>more> Environmental

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Solar Citizens supporter survey 2016

Posted on January 29, 2016 by groundswellbasscoast

Please complete this survey to help persuade our politicians that The People want more renewable energy and less foreign owned, dirty, fossil fuel power.

>gotosurvey> SolarCitizens

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Your car air-con is consuming half your fuel in heavy traffic

Posted on January 28, 2016 by groundswellbasscoast

rsz_shutterstock_231205252….using the transport calculator developed for EPA Victoria Greenhouse Calculator… assumed ‘small’ car (Corolla size), 10 km/h average speed, with stops every 50 metres and  Darwin climate…results are only approximate, as the model is fairly basic and changes in environmental and traffic conditions and driving techniques can affect the outcomes significantly…The big message was that air conditioner usage was almost half of total fuel use under these conditions.

>more> RenewEconomy

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Sad UK nuke – Hinkley delayed again – fund shortage, union challenge and safety fears

Posted on January 28, 2016 by groundswellbasscoast

EDF is also under pressure from investors. The firm’s share price has fallen by more than 50% in the last 12 months and it’s been thrown out of the top tier of the French stock market, leading a French association of employee-shareholders (EAS) to suggest the scheme is so expensive and so risky that it puts the survival of the French utility at risk.

In its letter to the board the CFE union noted the EU had rated investment in Hinkley as “speculative”. Infrastructure UK has given the project BB+ rating, which is below investment grade. If it does go ahead Hinkley Point C would be the latest – and possibly final – attempt by EDF to build a reactor to its trouble-hit “EPR” design, which has been beset by construction difficulties and safety glitches. Projects are currently running over-budget and over-time in China, Finland and France…<last news about Hinkley was steel of containment vessel not to specification, not dangerous but shortened service life>

>more> RenewEconomy

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Reasons to be fearful 1,2,3 of TPP

Posted on January 28, 2016 by groundswellbasscoast

“The TPP is not so much about trade as it is about deregulation and forcing governments to pay corporations and wealthy investors for the cost of complying with environmental and other public interest safeguards. The TPP contains all the worst elements of NAFTA plus new provisions that give more goodies to global corporations that care little about protecting working families or the planet.”

Interesting review of reasons to fear TPP, by FoE USA. If it goes ahead, as our exchange rate gets lower, look out for USA buying up any local enterprise worth having. Previous track record is that many are closed after 12 months or so, with products imported from low cost countries. Of course our leaders just make more noise about “growth and proper jobs.

>more> Friends of the Earth

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Powering Australia

Posted on January 27, 2016 by groundswellbasscoast

Back after the break, here’s an outstanding review/debate/Q&A of what’s looking realistic for power options, solar, wind, nukes, the lot. Particularly like prospect of driverless car, booked like Uber, comes to you, details already on board. At destination, it takes itself away to next booking. Why own a car? We do at least $20B/year of damage with coal exports, to raise $20B/year of foreign exchange, just to maintain our habit for petrol powered cars, a habit we need to kick. And they consume enormous amounts of space, ever wider roads for driving, also parking, on and off street, doing nothing for 99% of the time, plus tolls, of course.

>more> ABC RN Science Show

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Ugliness of Dan Andrews and Transurban stuffing up Melbourne’s inner west

Posted on January 27, 2016 by groundswellbasscoast

Ken Davidson does it again, explaining that $5,5B Transurban rip off for Western Distributor elevated road is the kind of dirt and noise pollution ugliness that’s being demolished elsewhere in the world. It’s totally in conflict with pre-election plans. To get containers to/from Port, it’s $58Million to reinstate clean, fast rail link to depots and keep trucks outside Western Ring Road. Big tollway is all about more cars/tolls into CBD, regardless of congestion and extending tolls on City Link for 15 more years. Build cost of CityLink was $1200M, profit last year was $580M and they paid a whole $3M in tax. Of course, if Western Distributor goes ahead it means that a Labor government will also be signing up to protection racket, compensation if Transurban perceive any competition from public transport, with similar protection for privatised Port of Melbourne. Government of the people, by and for the Corporations. How can “our” Transurban be allowed to get away with tax lurks as bad as Transnationals?

>more> TheAge

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Byron Bay with BZE went to Paris COP21

Posted on January 27, 2016 by groundswellbasscoast

UntitledByronIf only…how about this for initiative – councillors from Byron Bay serious enough about climate change to get themselves, with BZE, all the way to COP21 in Paris

>more> BZE

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Australia sinks on ‘most credible’ environmental index in the world

Posted on January 27, 2016 by groundswellbasscoast

1453859818732The country’s worst performance, though, came in the climate and energy category, where Australia was ranked 150th for its trend in carbon emissions for electricity generation …Yale said that, among wealthy nations, only Saudi Arabia had a lower ranking than Australia for the decade to 2012…Australia’s greenhouse gases from its power sector jumped by 3.8 million tonnes in 2015 alone, and were 5.1 per cent higher than in June 2014 before the Abbott government scrapped the carbon tax, energy consultants Pitt & Sherry said.

>more> TheAge

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