Archive for the ‘Renewables’ Category
Cycle Against the Nuclear Cycle is coming!
Friday, November 9th, 2007
The Cycle Against the Nuclear Cycle (CANC) are on the home stretch of their epic ride for Rockhampton to Adelaide. Join them for three fun events in three days – kicking off with the Walk Against Warming, this Sunday 11 November, 1pm at Tarndanyangga (Victoria Square). Then, on Monday 12 November at 12noon, pedal along to a bike-and-foot powered lunchtime tour of Adelaide’s nuclear underbelly. Meet at the Victoria Square fountain. On Tuesday 13 November, at 6.00pm, dress up your bike and join the Cycle Against the Nuclear Cycle crew for a public meeting, film screening and welcome party celebrating CANC’s epic ride from Rockhampton to Adelaide. Coglin Street Community Centre, 23 Coglin Street, Adelaide. For more information on CANC, visit http://www.canc.org.au .
Posted in Mining, Weapons proliferation, Sustainability, Renewables, Nuclear, Climate, Clean Futures | Comments Off
Technology: the NEW, the NASTY and the NEEDED
Friday, January 26th, 2007
Dr. Rye Senjen and Georgia Miller, from Friends of the Earth’s Nanotechnology Project, express their concerns about the potentials and applications of nanotechnology. On Thursday 18 January, Friends of the Earth held a public meeting at Caos Cafe, Hindley Street, on ‘Technology: the new, the nasty and the needed’. The meeting featured Dr. Rye Senjen and Georgia Miller of Friends of the Earth Australia’s Nanotechnology Project, discussing the potential risks of this new technology; nuclear free campaigner Michaela Stubbs discussed the Federal Government’s current nuclear push and Dr. Paul Downtown, from Ecopolis Architects, discussed renewable energy technologies. Michaela Stubbs, Friends of the Earth nuclear-free campaigner discusses the nuclear industry’s attempts to reinvent itself in the face of climate change.
Solar hot water overlooked
Monday, December 11th, 2006
Solar hot water overlooked in rush to reduce pollution
Wendy Frew, Environment Reporter, The Sydney Morning Herald. December 9, 2006
WHILE federal and state governments argue over nuclear power and carbon capture and storage, one of the easiest ways of cutting greenhouse pollution is being ignored, energy experts say. The greenhouse gas emissions generated by Australian homes could be cut by at least 20 per cent if consumers converted their hot water systems to solar hot water. The technology has been available in Australia for more than 50 years but because of cheap coal-fired electricity it still remains a more expensive option in the short-term and is in only 5 per cent of homes. But industry figures show if even half of Australia’s households converted to solar hot water it would cut greenhouse pollution by 14 million tonnes – the equivalent of taking 4 million small cars off the road every year. On average, the cost of a solar hot water system can be recovered within five to 10 years, depending on the system, the manufacturer Solahart says.
Greens urge solar options for Adelaide CBD
ABC News Online, 19 July 2006
The Greens say the South Australian Government should consider installing solar panels to generate electricity for Adelaide’s central business district. An Essential Services Commission report says that $60 million will need to be spent upgrading the current power supply to the CBD within two years, to avoid blackouts at peak times. Greens MP Mark Parnell says there are cheaper alternatives. “We might be able to avoid that $60 million expense. We need to first of all conserve the energy we’re currently using, but more importantly we should be generating more of our own electricity from solar panels in the city,” he said. “We know that the periods of peak demand are those hot summer days, that’s the perfect time to be generating more electricity by solar voltaic cells.” Hooray for decentralised renewable energy! Did you know that the United States could supply its entire energy needs from solar panels, and that the panels would only occupy one quarter of the nation’s urban space? All this and more at our paper on decentralised renewable energy ‘Seeking Sustainable Solutions to Climate Change’.