Direct Action a damp squib will not touch Australia’s top 20 polluters

Posted on August 21, 2015 by groundswellbasscoast

…after all rules and concessions are applied, not one of Australia’s 20 largest emitting facilities is expected to exceed their baseline – despite almost all being forecast to grow their emissions over the next 10 years…This means largest electricity generators such as Loy Yang A and B, Hazelwood, Bayswater, and Yallourn are expected to avoid exceeding their sectoral baseline under the scheme, while new LNG export facilities Wheatstone, Gorgon, Itchys and Pluto are also expected to avoid facing any liability. Combined, RepuTex forecasts these largest facilities will account for over 50 per cent of all emissions covered by the safeguard mechanism by 2020, yet not be liable for emissions increases…Clown Prince Tony leads us ever more backwards, downwards, dirty and brown

>more> RenewEconomy

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Five things you didn’t know about EV(electric market)

Posted on August 20, 2015 by groundswellbasscoast

apple-car-sign-300x168

A future to get excited about except for coal powered Clown Prince Phoney Tony.. ..1. Battery cost is expected to drop significantly  And by significantly, Morgan Stanley means by a good deal more than half. The report points to Tesla, which aims to produce a battery that costs only $US100/kWh – currently, the average EV battery costs between $US250-400/kWh – from its under-construction Gigafactory.

>more> RenewEconomy

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Government vs environment – “lawfare” in Australia

Posted on August 19, 2015 by groundswellbasscoast

The government’s use of the term “lawfare” is inflammatory, but even if it were a correct descriptor it would be a classic David and Goliath battle. If mining companies are free to use their financial clout to both lobby the government and challenge unfavourable decisions in court, while the government itself has a track record of significant bias towards industry, shouldn’t the community also have the right to at least challenge decisions that clearly breach the law?

>more> TheConversation

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Event – update and movie 21.08.2015

Posted on August 17, 2015 by groundswellbasscoast
 AUGUST 21st (Friday) from 7:30 p.m. at Kilcunda Hall – Groundswell Bass Coast is having a movie and music night. It’s to let all our supporters and friends know about our re-invigoration and upcoming events and projects … We welcome EVERYONE.  No charge.  Just a small plate of supper to share … if you wish.
What’s on…

• A short movie.  BLACK ICE; a new imgresGreenpeace movie about “the Arctic 30”first Arctic Ocean oil drilling.
• Music by Phil Beggs.
• Poetry by Mike and Pippa Cleeland.
• Detail on Groundswell’s planned involvement in “pre – Paris Climate Conference” actions in Canberra.
• Maddie Harford to fill us in on plans for local community energy projects.
• Tea, coffee, cakes and good company!
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Abbott Announces New Rebate Scheme For Rooftop Coal-Fired Power Stations

Posted on August 17, 2015 by groundswellbasscoast

rooftop-coal-station-620x400Abbott punches above his
“wait”, nothing but delay, we can be certain about, leading us backwards,
downwards, dirty and brown.. ….when we need to go onwards, upwards, clean and green.

>more> TheShovel

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Record growth in emissions from electricity sector

Posted on August 13, 2015 by groundswellbasscoast

Untitled2 copyAs Federal leaders keep repeating that there’s no need to do anything…this time about proportionate measures to  mitigate against climate change…here’s how well carbon tax performed at $23/tonne, which comes from:

“One hundred days on from the repeal of the carbon tax, we now have a new framework for emissions abatement (the Emissions Reduction Fund) and the odds are firming that we will smash previous records with an unprecedented rise in our electricity sector emissions, by around 9% this financial year.”

>more> TheConversation

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Not stop climate change by Reducing emissions alone : new research

Posted on August 12, 2015 by groundswellbasscoast
Based on current greenhouse gas emissions, the world is on track for 4C warming by 2100…
2 papers published today… first…shows, to limit warming below 2C…remove some carbon from the atmosphere, no matter how strongly we reduce emissions… second, shows, even if we can remove enough CO2 to keep warming below 2C…not restore the oceans to state…before altering atmosphere…In IPCC high scenario, RCP8.5, emissions continue to grow from our present rate of 37 billion tonnes of CO2 per year to about 100 billion tonnes of CO2 in 2100, when atmospheric CO2 levels are projected to be 950 ppm. This scenario assumes little mitigation of our carbon emissions…Present emissions are tracking close to the highest scenario (RCP8.5).
We have two options by which to reduce emissions, the first through reducing the use of fossil fuel energy, and the second through Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR)… technologies that remove CO2, the primary greenhouse gas, from the atmosphere…exact level of CDR depends…emissions reduction achieved, from 2 billion to 10 billion tonnes of CO2each year in most optimistic scenario, to between 25-40 billion tonnes CO2 each year in lowest emission reduction case. This is equivalent to current total global emissions. The study also suggests that requirements for CDR may indeed be even higher if unanticipated natural carbon cycle (positive) feedbacks were to occur. While reducing carbon emissions is safest…it’s likely that some CDR will still be required
>more> TheConversation
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Senate Enquiry(Inquisition) – big$ foolishness about wind farms

Posted on August 12, 2015 by groundswellbasscoast

…called for states that did not accept expert advice or not adopt national noise standard to be overruled by the Commonwealth…recommendations are in keeping with Government hostility to wind power industry…major cut in the national Renewable Energy Target, as well as directing Clean Energy Finance Corporation to stop investing in wind energy projects….establishment of an Independent Expert Scientific Committee (IESC) on Industrial Sound to research the health effects of wind turbines…develop a national noise standard for wind farms…the Committee also cast doubt on the reliability of (NHMRC)National Health and Medical Research Council investigations of the issue, after the nation’s peak research body reported a lack of evidence to support claims of the harmful effects of wind turbines.
…this means, again, that NHMRC denied funding for original research,
previously restricted to evaluating research by others…so no progress
In  hearing on Stony Gap Wind Farm last year, Ms Sarah Laurie called for investigation of theory some people were so exquisitely sensitive to certain frequencies that, from Australia, they could detect an earthquake in Chile…The judge hearing the case found that Ms Laurie’s testimony did not “contain evidence of a causal link between contemporary operating wind turbines and the kind of health problems reported by deponents”…evidence presented by Ms Laurie “does not indicate that she has conducted a comprehensive review of all literature, nor that she has expertise to assess sufficiency of the research methodology in individual research studies”.

>more> RenewEconomy

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Electric Vehicles news updates, provided by BZE

Posted on August 12, 2015 by groundswellbasscoast
Quite a lot of interesting EV stuff (including autonomous element) in news at the moment. With mobile technologies, EVs and autonomous cars plus traffic pressure, our whole transport model is very obviously going to change although it’s obviously not obvious to the power that be Smile
Tesla Model S (fanciest version) virtually autosteerable on motorways
They’re only awaiting the solution of a very specific problem:
“Final corner case is low contrast lane markings (faded white on grey concrete) while driving into sun at dusk,” 
World’s fastest-charging electric bus (10 seconds to go 5 km) debuts in China
Delivery by year-end of 3,500 “Micro Public Transport” EVs to two Chinese cities 
Opoli Rideshare (similar to Uber) in San Diego getting 50 BYD e6 EVs (BYD – Build Your Dreams is a Chinese company)
Toyota i-Road 3-wheeler
(I imagined a “car” like this would come into existence before I saw it today.)
Daimler EV user study over 620,000 miles
Where to put Queensland’s first EV charge station (yes, it’s all happening in Australia)
Regards,
Petra
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Solar undercuts coal in India, as another bank quits Adani mega-mine

Posted on August 12, 2015 by groundswellbasscoast

…nails hammered into coffin for Australian coal mining export plans of Indian conglomerate, Adani Group…news on Monday night that Standard Chartered – one of the largest investment banks in UK – latest international financier to withdraw support for largest new coal mine…Galilee Basin…tariffs agreed for solar in the July 2015 Telangana and Madhya Pradesh state solar tenders were around 1 rupee/kWh cheaper than electricity from imported thermal coal and fixed for 25 years…“While many commodity forecasters have assumed Indian imports will continue to grow, as a result of the transformation, IEEFA forecasts a peak in Indian thermal coal imports in 2015, with a rapid ~20 per cent pa decline thereafter, says the report.

TheAge recently reported more jitters; as well as CBA pulling out, Deloitte is suddenly replaced by KPMG; how much longer before  our mad monk PM is charged with heresy by the Vatican?

>more> RenewEconomy

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