Environment-Africa:
Wanjohi Kabukuru*
NAIROBI, Dec 4 (IPS/IFEJ) - The 12th session of the Conference of Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change came to an end in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, recently with little mention of cleaner sources of energy.
This was troubling, given the huge potential for such energy sources in Africa -- and the fact that a third of the world's population, the bulk coming from the continent, currently has no access to electricity.
According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, wood is amongst the main forms of energy in most rural homes in the developing world.
In Africa, renewable energy alternatives like solar, wind and geothermal resources remain largely untapped with the exception of Kenya, which obtains about 150 megawatts (MW) -- 10 percent of its energy -- from wells in the Rift Valley in East Africa. The power produced by geothermal means proved critical during the drought in 2001, when hydroelectric plants closed down for want of water.
In 2002, at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa, governments turned down a proposal seeking to force countries to produce 10 percent of their energy needs from sustainable energy sources.
Geothermal energy, derived from rocks as hot as 345 degrees centigrade below the surface of the earth, is abundant in the Rift Valley: a giant fissure running 9,500 km from Lebanon to Mozambique.
"The potential of geothermal power in Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia stands at 3,000, 1,000 and 250 megawatts respectively. Of these Kenya, which leads in terms of exploitation of this energy, has only managed to harness some 150 megawatts. Ethiopia has exploited two megawatts and Uganda nil," observed Stephen Karekezi, director of the African Energy Policy Research Network, a Nairobi-based think tank.
Kenya has announced plans to up the contribution of geothermal energy in its power supply to 22 percent by 2019. Other countries exploiting geothermal sources include the U.S., Japan, Mexico, Italy, Indonesia and Philippines; one of the oldest plants in the world has been in operation since 1904 in Lardarello, Italy.
David Yuko, a Kenyan renewable energy consultant, makes a strong case for geothermal power in developing countries as a far cheaper alternative to large-scale conventional energy systems that require massive investment.
"Plants can be built on a modular basis, and can be scaled up as resources become available. Most renewable energy technologies are available at modest capital costs. Geothermal power reduces the import of fossil fuels, and this alone saves foreign exchange earnings," he argues.
"It is neither susceptible to drought nor is it subject to the direct effects of the globally volatile fossil fuel prices."
Kenya launched surface geothermal exploration soon after independence from Britain in 1963. Two wells were drilled at Olkaria in Naivasha, some 100 km from Nairobi. In the 1970s, more feasibility surveys were carried out between Olkaria and Lake Bogoria, a hot water spring lake in the Rift Valley.
In 1981 Africa's first ever geothermal power plant was commissioned, providing some 15 MW to the Kenyan power grid. By 1986, geothermal energy was figuring prominently in all the country's power plans.
There are myriad uses for this clean form of energy which releases negligible quantities of carbon dioxide compared to emissions from oil fired plants. Fumes belching from geothermal power plants are mostly eco-friendly steam vapour.
At a horticultural farm in Naivasha, geothermal heat is used to control night time humidity levels so as to alleviate incidences of fungal diseases. In nearby Eburru, low temperature geothermal steam is used for drying pyrethrum flowers.
'The Price of Power', an authoritative dossier prepared by the New Economics Foundation, a think tank in the United Kingdom, takes a dim view of fossil fuel energy for Africa. It notes that a year's worth of World Bank spending on conventional power projects, if redirected to small-scale solar installations in Africa, would provide 10 million people with electricity.
Karekezi said that in Kenya, the economic benefits of renewable energy sources opened the door to environmentally-sound initiatives using these sources. "We increased the uptake of renewable energies by stressing economic benefits such as job creation, lower energy costs and import bills. People are more concerned about economic problems because of the serious levels of poverty. The environment is fairly low on the priority list of many communities and governments," he noted.
New jobs have also been created through the construction, maintenance and operation of geothermal energy sources in Kenya. According to Yuko, "Niche markets, especially for direct geothermal energy applications, have taken advantage of emerging opportunities."
(* This story is part of a series of features on sustainable development by IPS -- Inter Press Service -- and IFEJ, the International Federation of Environmental Journalists.) (END/2006)
Wednesday, 6 December 2006
Greenhouse cuts to hit lucrative sectors
The Australian
04dec06
Matthew Warren, Environment writer
AUSTRALIA'S farm sector and multi-billion-dollar metals processing industry risk decimation if deep cuts in domestic greenhouse gas emissions are put in place by 2050. The grave warning is the result of modelling by the CSIRO and ABARE to be released this week.
Renewables rather than nuclear or clean coal are projected to be the big winners from significant emissions cuts in the future, with wind and biomass providing up to 41 per cent of power by 2050.
The modelling forecasts cuts in greenhouse emissions up to 50 per cent lower than 1990 will result in reductions to domestic output in metals processing of up to 74per cent and farm output of 44per cent by 2050.
Acknowledging the disproportionate impacts such cuts would have on regional employment, the report signals a role for government intervention to manage the transition to a low-emissions economy. The report also constructs a range of scenarios that may help drive change in Australia based on the success or failure of international agreements, environmental politics and technological developments.
While not a formal policy document, the CSIRO report singles out agriculture, aluminium, iron and steel industries as the most affected by responding to climate change, and flags the risk to Australia's balance of trade. These sectors make up only 5per cent of total domestic output but 30 per cent of the value of Australian exports.
"Some regions reliant on trade ... and carbon intensive industries may be disproportionately impacted if measures to protect those industries are not implemented," the report says.
"While these industries and regions may comprise relatively small proportions of the Australian economy, measures may need to be developed to assist them with the transition to new forms of production or to new industry." The report - The heat is on: the future of energy in Australia - by the Energy Futures Forum, will be launched tomorrow by the CSIRO after more than two years of development with input by ABARE, as well as industry and environment groups.
The risk of energy intensive industries shifting to other countries - carbon leakage - is found to be much greater if Australia attempts to impose higher emissions cuts than other nations.
The report says such leakage is plausible under these scenarios and flags exempting energy intensive and trade exposed industries from a carbon tax - an idea raised in the state-based emissions trading blueprint released in August.
Carbon capture and storage and nuclear energy may play a greater role in the future energy mix, along with solar energy and geothermal energy depending on their ability to reduce costs and, in the case of nuclear energy, manage public perceptions and regulatory risk.
Origin Energy spokesman Tony Wood said the report highlighted the importance of governments not picking specific technologies, but rather setting the right policy and price signals and letting the market deliver the most effective outcome.
"This whole debate about geosequestration and nuclear is really important to be able to make the transition over the long term," he said. "If neither of these turn out to be successful, that's a big issue for Australia. "What this work shows is that provided you start reasonably soon you can turn this ship without wrecking the economy."
The report also finds the economic cost of the impacts of climate change are likely to be higher than the cost of mitigation in all scenarios - a finding consistent with the report prepared for the British Government by former World Bank economist Nicholas Stern last month.
04dec06
Matthew Warren, Environment writer
AUSTRALIA'S farm sector and multi-billion-dollar metals processing industry risk decimation if deep cuts in domestic greenhouse gas emissions are put in place by 2050. The grave warning is the result of modelling by the CSIRO and ABARE to be released this week.
Renewables rather than nuclear or clean coal are projected to be the big winners from significant emissions cuts in the future, with wind and biomass providing up to 41 per cent of power by 2050.
The modelling forecasts cuts in greenhouse emissions up to 50 per cent lower than 1990 will result in reductions to domestic output in metals processing of up to 74per cent and farm output of 44per cent by 2050.
Acknowledging the disproportionate impacts such cuts would have on regional employment, the report signals a role for government intervention to manage the transition to a low-emissions economy. The report also constructs a range of scenarios that may help drive change in Australia based on the success or failure of international agreements, environmental politics and technological developments.
While not a formal policy document, the CSIRO report singles out agriculture, aluminium, iron and steel industries as the most affected by responding to climate change, and flags the risk to Australia's balance of trade. These sectors make up only 5per cent of total domestic output but 30 per cent of the value of Australian exports.
"Some regions reliant on trade ... and carbon intensive industries may be disproportionately impacted if measures to protect those industries are not implemented," the report says.
"While these industries and regions may comprise relatively small proportions of the Australian economy, measures may need to be developed to assist them with the transition to new forms of production or to new industry." The report - The heat is on: the future of energy in Australia - by the Energy Futures Forum, will be launched tomorrow by the CSIRO after more than two years of development with input by ABARE, as well as industry and environment groups.
The risk of energy intensive industries shifting to other countries - carbon leakage - is found to be much greater if Australia attempts to impose higher emissions cuts than other nations.
The report says such leakage is plausible under these scenarios and flags exempting energy intensive and trade exposed industries from a carbon tax - an idea raised in the state-based emissions trading blueprint released in August.
Carbon capture and storage and nuclear energy may play a greater role in the future energy mix, along with solar energy and geothermal energy depending on their ability to reduce costs and, in the case of nuclear energy, manage public perceptions and regulatory risk.
Origin Energy spokesman Tony Wood said the report highlighted the importance of governments not picking specific technologies, but rather setting the right policy and price signals and letting the market deliver the most effective outcome.
"This whole debate about geosequestration and nuclear is really important to be able to make the transition over the long term," he said. "If neither of these turn out to be successful, that's a big issue for Australia. "What this work shows is that provided you start reasonably soon you can turn this ship without wrecking the economy."
The report also finds the economic cost of the impacts of climate change are likely to be higher than the cost of mitigation in all scenarios - a finding consistent with the report prepared for the British Government by former World Bank economist Nicholas Stern last month.
Combating global warming
Electrical Connection
Friday 1/12/2006 Page: 62
With fossil fuels out of favour, wind and solar power are increasing in popularity as
cleaner, greener and more efficient forms of energy, writes Joanna Gerantidis.
The new millennium has seen the emergence of solar power and wind farms as serious contenders to help address rising concerns over greenhouse gas, which is just one of the environmentally unfriendly by-products of fossil-fuelled power stations.
Unchecked, climate change represents a serious challenge to human health, economies and environments, which is why an increasing number of countries around the globe are beginning to add more low-emission and emission-free energy into the overall energy mix.
Solar panels and wind farms are providing viable solutions to these issues as well as supplying electricity to homes and offices.
In October the South Australian Government announced legislation for a new `feed in' solar rebate. This is an Australian first that will see householders who install solar power in their homes rewarded for putting surplus solar power back into the main electricity grid.
The new rebate ties in with the Federal Government's $75.3 million `Solar Cities' initiative which has been implemented by the Department of the Environment and Heritage. The primary focus of the project is to demonstrate how solar power, smart meters, energy efficiency and new approaches to electricity pricing can combine to provide a sustainable energy future in urban locations across Australia.
The first `test' city is Adelaide which, with the aid of a $15 million government grant, will work together with Origin Energy, BP Solar, Big Switch Projects, the City of Salisbury, Mawson Lakes Development and the ANZ Banking Group to assist consumers, conmiunities, businesses and governments to be proactive in energy sustainability.
A key aim of the initiative is to install solar panels in more than 1700 homes in North Adelaide, as well as 7000 smart meters to help consumers save approximately $200 a year on their electricity bills.
The solar panels will be made in Australia by BP Solar at the company's Homebush plant in Sydney. The solar photovoltaic (PV) technology will come from Origin Energy's Adelaide plant.
According to Australian Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE) director Ric Brazzale, the $15 million government grant will aid in offering consumers discounted loans when they purchase solar panels for their homes. A comprehensive package of measures will double the current capacity of solar panels in South Australia, provide energy savings of $5 million per year, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 30,000 tonnes per year.
"Consider a recent study by the Queensland Government which found that for every air conditioner installed in a home the electricity industry has to spend an extra $13,000 on additional poles, wires and substations to mange the extra load. Ultimately, to meet the needs of a few it is the consumers who have to pay," he says.
Ric says that a major benefit of solar PV power is that it is generated on site, where the energy is actually needed. This means that no electricity is lost in transmission, as is the case from coal-fired power plants, which lose 30% of their electricity in transmission.
"Because solar generation is at many sites on many roofs, instead of being concentrated in one big power plant, there are fewer blackouts.
Australia's peak power needs are rising rapidly with a staggering $24 billion already comnutted to electricity infrastructure over the next five years. Yet much of this peak demand will be required for just a few hours a day on a handful of days throughout the year," says Ric.
"By utilising the sorts of technologies and designs offered by Solar Cities, newer and more efficient ways of meeting demand will be demonstrated to be more sustainable and economically efficient. This is a great boost to the solar power industry and a large proportion ofAustralian households could support solar photovoltaic systems" After being named Queensland's first Solar City, Townsville joins Adelaide as one of the first cities set to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by more than 50,000 tonnes per year.
Like Adelaide, Townsville will invest part of its $15 million government grant in the installation of solar panels in 500 homes and businesses and the rollout of 2500 smart meters and 1700 inhouse energy display meters. Townsville's project partners are Ergon Energy, Townsville City Council, HIG Riverway, Delfin Townsville and the Queensland Government.
More solar cities are slated to be announced by the Federal Government at a later date. There is also growing interest to increase the number of wind farms in Australia.
Australia has world-class wind resources, particularly in southern Australia and Tasmania, which he in the path of the Roaring Forties - the prevailing westerly winds that circle the earth's high southern latitudes.
The Australian Wind Energy Association (Auswind) says there is potential for at least an additional 5000MW of wind power - an investment of some $20 billion. In 1996, there were only 20 wind turbines operating in Australia, with a total energy generating capacity of approximately 2.7MW. Today, there are around 505 wind turbines with a total capacity of about 817MW.
Wind energy has grown at around 28% per year worldwide thanks to policies that encourage clean energy production. Auswind chief executive Dominique La Fontaine, says that compared to the US, India and China, Australia has been relatively slow to adopt wind farms. The main objection has always been that a move to this renewable source would push up energy costs, but Dominique says that this mindset is beginning to change, particularly as a number of Australian companies have emerged as wind farm project specialists in site monitoring, design, installation and operation and maintenance. These firms include Pacific Power International, Pacific Hydro,Western Power Corporation and Hydro Tasmania.
"The latest figures show that Australians recognise that tackling climate change is far more important than a few dollars extra on an electricity bill.
"Australia has plenty of investors just waiting for the right signals from Canberra to show that Australia also welcomes wind energy. Schemes like the Victorian Renewable Energy Target (VRET) have shown a potential for huge investment in wind energy and its potential to deliver clean electricity while providing a boost to regional economies," she says.
Recipe For Environmental Success
Victoria believes it has the recipe for an infinite supply of clean and affordable energy.
The Federal and State Governments have announced they will provide $125 million in grants towards a $420 million proposal by Melbourne-based company Solar Systems, to build the world's largest solar power station between Swan Hill and Mildura by 2013.
The power station will be built across a number of different sites and use highperformance solar cells originally developed to power satellites. Solar Systems technology will have the capacity to concentrate the sun by 500 times onto the solar cells for ultra-high power output.
The proposed funding will also go towards developing solar and wind technologies to create renewable energy sources. The power station will use technology known as Heliostat Concentrator Photovoltaic (HCPV) that will consist of fields of heliostats sun-tracking mirrors that focus sunlight onto receivers. The receivers will house PV modules, which consist of arrays of ultra high efficiency solar cells that convert sunlight directly into electricity.
Solar Systems' managing director Dave Holland says it's an exciting opportunity for the company, which has invested over $50 million since it began developing the technology 16 years ago.
"This plant is the first step in a strategic plan to roll out large scale solar technology across Australia and internationally. The plant will make a significant contribution towards reducing Victoria's environmental impact by reducing greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 400,000 tonnes per year.
"The project is also important for Victoria's and Australia's economy. It is expected to create approximately 950 jobs at the peak of construction and be a catalyst for a new industry that will create more than 10,000 permanent jobs," Dave says.
Australian Business Council for Sustainable Energy www.bcse.org.au
03 9349 3077
Australian Wind Energy Association www.auswind.org
03 9670 2033
Friday 1/12/2006 Page: 62
With fossil fuels out of favour, wind and solar power are increasing in popularity ascleaner, greener and more efficient forms of energy, writes Joanna Gerantidis.
The new millennium has seen the emergence of solar power and wind farms as serious contenders to help address rising concerns over greenhouse gas, which is just one of the environmentally unfriendly by-products of fossil-fuelled power stations.
Unchecked, climate change represents a serious challenge to human health, economies and environments, which is why an increasing number of countries around the globe are beginning to add more low-emission and emission-free energy into the overall energy mix.
Solar panels and wind farms are providing viable solutions to these issues as well as supplying electricity to homes and offices.
In October the South Australian Government announced legislation for a new `feed in' solar rebate. This is an Australian first that will see householders who install solar power in their homes rewarded for putting surplus solar power back into the main electricity grid.
The new rebate ties in with the Federal Government's $75.3 million `Solar Cities' initiative which has been implemented by the Department of the Environment and Heritage. The primary focus of the project is to demonstrate how solar power, smart meters, energy efficiency and new approaches to electricity pricing can combine to provide a sustainable energy future in urban locations across Australia.
The first `test' city is Adelaide which, with the aid of a $15 million government grant, will work together with Origin Energy, BP Solar, Big Switch Projects, the City of Salisbury, Mawson Lakes Development and the ANZ Banking Group to assist consumers, conmiunities, businesses and governments to be proactive in energy sustainability.
A key aim of the initiative is to install solar panels in more than 1700 homes in North Adelaide, as well as 7000 smart meters to help consumers save approximately $200 a year on their electricity bills.
The solar panels will be made in Australia by BP Solar at the company's Homebush plant in Sydney. The solar photovoltaic (PV) technology will come from Origin Energy's Adelaide plant.
According to Australian Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE) director Ric Brazzale, the $15 million government grant will aid in offering consumers discounted loans when they purchase solar panels for their homes. A comprehensive package of measures will double the current capacity of solar panels in South Australia, provide energy savings of $5 million per year, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 30,000 tonnes per year.
"Consider a recent study by the Queensland Government which found that for every air conditioner installed in a home the electricity industry has to spend an extra $13,000 on additional poles, wires and substations to mange the extra load. Ultimately, to meet the needs of a few it is the consumers who have to pay," he says.
Ric says that a major benefit of solar PV power is that it is generated on site, where the energy is actually needed. This means that no electricity is lost in transmission, as is the case from coal-fired power plants, which lose 30% of their electricity in transmission.
"Because solar generation is at many sites on many roofs, instead of being concentrated in one big power plant, there are fewer blackouts.
Australia's peak power needs are rising rapidly with a staggering $24 billion already comnutted to electricity infrastructure over the next five years. Yet much of this peak demand will be required for just a few hours a day on a handful of days throughout the year," says Ric.
"By utilising the sorts of technologies and designs offered by Solar Cities, newer and more efficient ways of meeting demand will be demonstrated to be more sustainable and economically efficient. This is a great boost to the solar power industry and a large proportion ofAustralian households could support solar photovoltaic systems" After being named Queensland's first Solar City, Townsville joins Adelaide as one of the first cities set to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by more than 50,000 tonnes per year.
Like Adelaide, Townsville will invest part of its $15 million government grant in the installation of solar panels in 500 homes and businesses and the rollout of 2500 smart meters and 1700 inhouse energy display meters. Townsville's project partners are Ergon Energy, Townsville City Council, HIG Riverway, Delfin Townsville and the Queensland Government.
More solar cities are slated to be announced by the Federal Government at a later date. There is also growing interest to increase the number of wind farms in Australia.
Australia has world-class wind resources, particularly in southern Australia and Tasmania, which he in the path of the Roaring Forties - the prevailing westerly winds that circle the earth's high southern latitudes.
The Australian Wind Energy Association (Auswind) says there is potential for at least an additional 5000MW of wind power - an investment of some $20 billion. In 1996, there were only 20 wind turbines operating in Australia, with a total energy generating capacity of approximately 2.7MW. Today, there are around 505 wind turbines with a total capacity of about 817MW.
Wind energy has grown at around 28% per year worldwide thanks to policies that encourage clean energy production. Auswind chief executive Dominique La Fontaine, says that compared to the US, India and China, Australia has been relatively slow to adopt wind farms. The main objection has always been that a move to this renewable source would push up energy costs, but Dominique says that this mindset is beginning to change, particularly as a number of Australian companies have emerged as wind farm project specialists in site monitoring, design, installation and operation and maintenance. These firms include Pacific Power International, Pacific Hydro,Western Power Corporation and Hydro Tasmania.
"The latest figures show that Australians recognise that tackling climate change is far more important than a few dollars extra on an electricity bill.
"Australia has plenty of investors just waiting for the right signals from Canberra to show that Australia also welcomes wind energy. Schemes like the Victorian Renewable Energy Target (VRET) have shown a potential for huge investment in wind energy and its potential to deliver clean electricity while providing a boost to regional economies," she says.
Recipe For Environmental Success
Victoria believes it has the recipe for an infinite supply of clean and affordable energy.
The Federal and State Governments have announced they will provide $125 million in grants towards a $420 million proposal by Melbourne-based company Solar Systems, to build the world's largest solar power station between Swan Hill and Mildura by 2013.
The power station will be built across a number of different sites and use highperformance solar cells originally developed to power satellites. Solar Systems technology will have the capacity to concentrate the sun by 500 times onto the solar cells for ultra-high power output.
The proposed funding will also go towards developing solar and wind technologies to create renewable energy sources. The power station will use technology known as Heliostat Concentrator Photovoltaic (HCPV) that will consist of fields of heliostats sun-tracking mirrors that focus sunlight onto receivers. The receivers will house PV modules, which consist of arrays of ultra high efficiency solar cells that convert sunlight directly into electricity.
Solar Systems' managing director Dave Holland says it's an exciting opportunity for the company, which has invested over $50 million since it began developing the technology 16 years ago.
"This plant is the first step in a strategic plan to roll out large scale solar technology across Australia and internationally. The plant will make a significant contribution towards reducing Victoria's environmental impact by reducing greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 400,000 tonnes per year.
"The project is also important for Victoria's and Australia's economy. It is expected to create approximately 950 jobs at the peak of construction and be a catalyst for a new industry that will create more than 10,000 permanent jobs," Dave says.
Australian Business Council for Sustainable Energy www.bcse.org.au
03 9349 3077
Australian Wind Energy Association www.auswind.org
03 9670 2033
Legal threat in wind farm dispute
Australian
Wednesday 6/12/2006 Page: 4
Ewin Hannan
THE developer of the Victorian wind farm blocked because of a perceived threat to the orangebellied parrot has threatened fresh legal action against federal Environment Minister Ian Campbell unless he rules on the project by next week.
Wind Power Pty Ltd yesterday condemned Senator Campbell's refusal to rule on the $220 million project and warned it would take Federal Court action to compel him to make a decision. Senator Campbell said last month he would await fresh advice from his department - which has previously supported the wind farm - before announcing his decision on the green energy project.
Wind Power Pty Ltd director Andrew Newbold said company lawyers had written to the minister seeking a ruling by Friday week.
"We are trying to. .. compel him to make a decision in accordance with his (legal) obligations," he said. ' `The simple fact is this project has been delayed for an inordinate amount of time already." A spokesman for Senator Campbell said last night the company's letter was "perplexing", given that the department was yet to provide advice to the minister. "He has always said he would make a timely decision when that advice has been received."
Wednesday 6/12/2006 Page: 4
Ewin Hannan
THE developer of the Victorian wind farm blocked because of a perceived threat to the orangebellied parrot has threatened fresh legal action against federal Environment Minister Ian Campbell unless he rules on the project by next week.
Wind Power Pty Ltd yesterday condemned Senator Campbell's refusal to rule on the $220 million project and warned it would take Federal Court action to compel him to make a decision. Senator Campbell said last month he would await fresh advice from his department - which has previously supported the wind farm - before announcing his decision on the green energy project.
Wind Power Pty Ltd director Andrew Newbold said company lawyers had written to the minister seeking a ruling by Friday week.
"We are trying to. .. compel him to make a decision in accordance with his (legal) obligations," he said. ' `The simple fact is this project has been delayed for an inordinate amount of time already." A spokesman for Senator Campbell said last night the company's letter was "perplexing", given that the department was yet to provide advice to the minister. "He has always said he would make a timely decision when that advice has been received."
Cool it: With a little help from non-Silicon Valley
Economist
Monday 1/1/2007 Page: 144
If you fancy walking to the North Pole, 2007 is not I going to be a very good year for it. That said, it might be your last chance. The sea-ice that tops off our planet like a gleaming case of male-pattern baldness is retreating at a rate Rogaine-users could only dream of, and is likely to go on doing so.The retreat of the sea-ice is one of the many reasons why doubts about the reality of anthropogenic climate change are in even steeper decline.
For all practical purposes 2007 will see those doubts laid to rest. Early in the year the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change will release its fourth "Assessment Report", the third having been published in 2001. It will say that greenhouse gases are at their highest levels for at least 650,000 years, and possibly many millions of years more; that there is a high likelihood that the modest global warming of the past 50 years can be attributed to the industrial pumping out of those greenhouse gases; and that further warming is unavoidable.
The largest source of uncertainty about human effects on the climate no longer lies in science. It lies in what can be predicted about, or indeed what limits can be enforced on, the world's use of fossil fuels. In 2007 this question will sit in its rightful position at the centre of the debate.
The good news is that some industries and previously uninterested governments have already caught on to this. Environmental regulations in China are toughening up and there is hope for serious energy efficiency measures there (China's emission standards for cars and trucks are already, shamingly, more stringent than America's). Meanwhile, in America and Europe "Cleantech", including alternative energy technologies, is one of the fastest-growing categories in venture capital.
Of the new technologies seeking R&D, capital and markets, the one worth paying particular heed to in 2007 will be solar energy. Wind turbines will, from now until the end of time, be subject to only incremental improvements: they will become a bit more efficient, a hit cheaper to install, and a bit cheaper to build. Solar, on the other hand, is ripe for breakthroughs. The material which forms the basis of the vast majority of today's solar cells, silicon, is expensive and cumbersome. There is no compelling reason why new materials of a tenth or a twentieth the price of silicon could not be used-all that is needed is ingenuity, incentives private or public, and knowledge of the relevant subtleties of physics and chemistry. None of these factors is at present a limited resource; indeed they are all growing. In 2007 a Silicon Valley start-up, Nanosolar, will open the first really large non-silicon solar-cell factory. Many more will follow.
Even with sustained growth in energy efficiency and carbon-free generation, there is more warming in store. How fast we should move in cutting emissions will still be a source of vigorous debate in 2007. But the need to start will be clearer than ever.
Monday 1/1/2007 Page: 144
If you fancy walking to the North Pole, 2007 is not I going to be a very good year for it. That said, it might be your last chance. The sea-ice that tops off our planet like a gleaming case of male-pattern baldness is retreating at a rate Rogaine-users could only dream of, and is likely to go on doing so.The retreat of the sea-ice is one of the many reasons why doubts about the reality of anthropogenic climate change are in even steeper decline.
For all practical purposes 2007 will see those doubts laid to rest. Early in the year the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change will release its fourth "Assessment Report", the third having been published in 2001. It will say that greenhouse gases are at their highest levels for at least 650,000 years, and possibly many millions of years more; that there is a high likelihood that the modest global warming of the past 50 years can be attributed to the industrial pumping out of those greenhouse gases; and that further warming is unavoidable.
The largest source of uncertainty about human effects on the climate no longer lies in science. It lies in what can be predicted about, or indeed what limits can be enforced on, the world's use of fossil fuels. In 2007 this question will sit in its rightful position at the centre of the debate.
The good news is that some industries and previously uninterested governments have already caught on to this. Environmental regulations in China are toughening up and there is hope for serious energy efficiency measures there (China's emission standards for cars and trucks are already, shamingly, more stringent than America's). Meanwhile, in America and Europe "Cleantech", including alternative energy technologies, is one of the fastest-growing categories in venture capital.
Of the new technologies seeking R&D, capital and markets, the one worth paying particular heed to in 2007 will be solar energy. Wind turbines will, from now until the end of time, be subject to only incremental improvements: they will become a bit more efficient, a hit cheaper to install, and a bit cheaper to build. Solar, on the other hand, is ripe for breakthroughs. The material which forms the basis of the vast majority of today's solar cells, silicon, is expensive and cumbersome. There is no compelling reason why new materials of a tenth or a twentieth the price of silicon could not be used-all that is needed is ingenuity, incentives private or public, and knowledge of the relevant subtleties of physics and chemistry. None of these factors is at present a limited resource; indeed they are all growing. In 2007 a Silicon Valley start-up, Nanosolar, will open the first really large non-silicon solar-cell factory. Many more will follow.
Even with sustained growth in energy efficiency and carbon-free generation, there is more warming in store. How fast we should move in cutting emissions will still be a source of vigorous debate in 2007. But the need to start will be clearer than ever.
Wind farm
Albany & Great Southern Weekender
Thursday 30/11/2006 Page: 6
A WIND farm proposed for Mount Barker has passed the first stage.
The Shire of Plantagenet agreed to initiate a town planning scheme amendment on farmland north of the town to enable a wind farm to be established.
The amendment will be referred to the Environmental Protection Authority before proceeding to a formal public comment period of 42 days.
Thursday 30/11/2006 Page: 6
A WIND farm proposed for Mount Barker has passed the first stage.
The Shire of Plantagenet agreed to initiate a town planning scheme amendment on farmland north of the town to enable a wind farm to be established.
The amendment will be referred to the Environmental Protection Authority before proceeding to a formal public comment period of 42 days.
Monday, 4 December 2006
Wind Power's ahead
Ballarat Courier
Saturday 2/12/2006 Page: 30
WIND FARM company Wind Power Pty Ltd has placed an application with the Pyrenees Shire Council for its plans to build a 19-turbine wind farm at Lexton. The proposal, which the company has been looking at for some time, will provide enough power to supply about 16,000 homes.
The facility will also displace about 113,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide, or greenhouse gas a year, the equivalent of taking 26,000 cars off the road. Director Andrew Newbold said Lexton was a very good location for a wind farm and the company was very excited about the project.
"The site has an excellent wind resource is located along the Ballarat-Horsham Transmission Line, which means there is good access to the grid," Mr Newbold said. He said the closest neighbouring house to the wind farm was more than a kilometre from the nearest turbine.
Mr Newbold said support from the community had been fantastic, and said the community was "fair-dinkum" about tackling issues of climate change as well as developing our sustainable future. "The community is concerned about a lack of water, salinity and climate change," he said.
"Many homes in the area have solar power and people around Lexton are aware of how important it is to manage our demand for electricity." The company is still in discussions over its plans to build a 70-turbine wind farm at Stockyard Hill near Beaufort.
The wind farm is estimated to cost more than $250 million. The Pyrenees Shire Council was not available for comment yesterday.
Saturday 2/12/2006 Page: 30
WIND FARM company Wind Power Pty Ltd has placed an application with the Pyrenees Shire Council for its plans to build a 19-turbine wind farm at Lexton. The proposal, which the company has been looking at for some time, will provide enough power to supply about 16,000 homes.
The facility will also displace about 113,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide, or greenhouse gas a year, the equivalent of taking 26,000 cars off the road. Director Andrew Newbold said Lexton was a very good location for a wind farm and the company was very excited about the project.
"The site has an excellent wind resource is located along the Ballarat-Horsham Transmission Line, which means there is good access to the grid," Mr Newbold said. He said the closest neighbouring house to the wind farm was more than a kilometre from the nearest turbine.
Mr Newbold said support from the community had been fantastic, and said the community was "fair-dinkum" about tackling issues of climate change as well as developing our sustainable future. "The community is concerned about a lack of water, salinity and climate change," he said.
"Many homes in the area have solar power and people around Lexton are aware of how important it is to manage our demand for electricity." The company is still in discussions over its plans to build a 70-turbine wind farm at Stockyard Hill near Beaufort.
The wind farm is estimated to cost more than $250 million. The Pyrenees Shire Council was not available for comment yesterday.
Spain takes some of the wind out of its clean energy sails
Age
Monday 4/12/2006 Page: 3
Madrid: Spain is to cut subsidies to windpower plants following an overhaul of the way it calculates aid for renewable power sources, hurting earnings at utilities including lberdrola SA, the world's largest producer of wind power.
Electricity from wind will be paid between 67 ($A112) and 84 per megawatt hour starting next year, down from about 97 this year, Spain's secretary of state for energy, Ignasi Nieto, told reporters on the sidelines of a conference in Palma de Mallorca.
Rates will rise for solar and biomass plants as well as for co-generation sources that generate power and heat. "Wind-power subsidies were exaggeratedly high, especially since the technology has developed in the last few years and costs have fallen," Mr Nieto said.
Spanish subsidies for wind power in the past eight years have helped it become the world's second largest producer of wind power after Germany. Spain is trying to curb the emission of carbon dioxide, the gas blamed for global warming, while meeting soaring demand for electricity as its economy grows faster than the European average.
Overall, Spain will devote 1.8 billion a year until 2010 to subsidising wind power, 50 per cent more than this year. Solar power subsidies will almost double.
"The new rates will not mean less wind parks are built because they will still be making more money that they were a few years ago," Mr Nieto said. The Government plan has been sent to energy industry regulators for review.
Monday 4/12/2006 Page: 3
Madrid: Spain is to cut subsidies to windpower plants following an overhaul of the way it calculates aid for renewable power sources, hurting earnings at utilities including lberdrola SA, the world's largest producer of wind power.
Electricity from wind will be paid between 67 ($A112) and 84 per megawatt hour starting next year, down from about 97 this year, Spain's secretary of state for energy, Ignasi Nieto, told reporters on the sidelines of a conference in Palma de Mallorca.
Rates will rise for solar and biomass plants as well as for co-generation sources that generate power and heat. "Wind-power subsidies were exaggeratedly high, especially since the technology has developed in the last few years and costs have fallen," Mr Nieto said.
Spanish subsidies for wind power in the past eight years have helped it become the world's second largest producer of wind power after Germany. Spain is trying to curb the emission of carbon dioxide, the gas blamed for global warming, while meeting soaring demand for electricity as its economy grows faster than the European average.
Overall, Spain will devote 1.8 billion a year until 2010 to subsidising wind power, 50 per cent more than this year. Solar power subsidies will almost double.
"The new rates will not mean less wind parks are built because they will still be making more money that they were a few years ago," Mr Nieto said. The Government plan has been sent to energy industry regulators for review.
Awards for Kings Creek
Frankston Independent
Tuesday 28/11/2006, Page: 22
Kings Creek Hotel is a winner on two counts - its drive-through bottle shop and the wind turbine that towers over the hotel in Frankston-Flinders Rd, Hastings.
Kings Creek's liquor barn was voted best hotel bottle shop and drive-through in the state at the annual Australian Hotel Association state awards at Crown Casino. Also Kings Creek was awarded for "outstanding innovation in environmentally sustainable practice" at the Frankston and Mornington Peninsula Business awards.
Judges said the liquor barn showed excellence in sustainability with its wind turbine running the fridges and lighting.
The hotel association judges also took into account the Creek's gardens, convenience, staff service, competitive pricing and variety of beers, wines and spirits.
The liquor barn site was formerly occupied by an independent service station in the early 80s. It was the highest volume and first LPG site on the Mornington Peninsula, but was converted to its present use when independents were forced out of the market, said Kings Creek owner Bruce Alderson, who also operated the service station.
The hotel welcomes family visits to the turbine as the Aldersons try to increase community awareness of sustainable energy production and its beneficial effects on the fight against global warming.
Tuesday 28/11/2006, Page: 22
Kings Creek Hotel is a winner on two counts - its drive-through bottle shop and the wind turbine that towers over the hotel in Frankston-Flinders Rd, Hastings.
Kings Creek's liquor barn was voted best hotel bottle shop and drive-through in the state at the annual Australian Hotel Association state awards at Crown Casino. Also Kings Creek was awarded for "outstanding innovation in environmentally sustainable practice" at the Frankston and Mornington Peninsula Business awards.
Judges said the liquor barn showed excellence in sustainability with its wind turbine running the fridges and lighting.
The hotel association judges also took into account the Creek's gardens, convenience, staff service, competitive pricing and variety of beers, wines and spirits.
The liquor barn site was formerly occupied by an independent service station in the early 80s. It was the highest volume and first LPG site on the Mornington Peninsula, but was converted to its present use when independents were forced out of the market, said Kings Creek owner Bruce Alderson, who also operated the service station.
The hotel welcomes family visits to the turbine as the Aldersons try to increase community awareness of sustainable energy production and its beneficial effects on the fight against global warming.
Wave energy a possible option for Gracetown
Augusta Margaret River Mail
Wednesday 29/11/2006 Page: 2
ENERGY company Renewable Energy Holdings has had discussions with Landcorp and Planning and Infrastructure Minister Alannah MacTiernan with a view to deploying a wave energy system at Gracetown.
REH owns and runs windfarms in Europe, and a spokesman said the company looked forward to explaining its Western Australian developed wave energy system to local people.
Using wave energy to generate electricity and fresh water could be a reality for the town in three years. "The area is ideally suited to wave energy," he said. "REH's CETO technology is ideally suited as it produces both fresh water and electricity.
It floats below the surface, would be invisible from the shore and it will not be deployed in any surf breaks. The worst thing that could happen to it, he said, was a leak of high-pressure seawater.
In early 2005 a wave energy converter unit was launched off the company's test facility on North Mole Drive on Fremantle Harbour. The unit, called CETO after a sea goddess in Greek mythology, was sunk on demarcated seabed about 300m from the Rous Head test facility.
In May, it was announced the CETO wave energy converter had produced electrical power and desalinated water good enough to bottle. CETO was designed and developed by Western Australian company Seapower Pacific Pty Ltd, which was acquired by REH in 2005.
The CETO pipe pumps pressurised seawater ashore to drive a turbine to produce electricity or a reverse-osmosis filter to produce fresh water. Each unit can produce enough power for about 100 homes.
The commercialisation of wave energy units has occurred mostly in the United States. China, India and Japan also are investing in wave energy research and development.
Wednesday 29/11/2006 Page: 2
ENERGY company Renewable Energy Holdings has had discussions with Landcorp and Planning and Infrastructure Minister Alannah MacTiernan with a view to deploying a wave energy system at Gracetown.
REH owns and runs windfarms in Europe, and a spokesman said the company looked forward to explaining its Western Australian developed wave energy system to local people.
Using wave energy to generate electricity and fresh water could be a reality for the town in three years. "The area is ideally suited to wave energy," he said. "REH's CETO technology is ideally suited as it produces both fresh water and electricity.
It floats below the surface, would be invisible from the shore and it will not be deployed in any surf breaks. The worst thing that could happen to it, he said, was a leak of high-pressure seawater.
In early 2005 a wave energy converter unit was launched off the company's test facility on North Mole Drive on Fremantle Harbour. The unit, called CETO after a sea goddess in Greek mythology, was sunk on demarcated seabed about 300m from the Rous Head test facility.
In May, it was announced the CETO wave energy converter had produced electrical power and desalinated water good enough to bottle. CETO was designed and developed by Western Australian company Seapower Pacific Pty Ltd, which was acquired by REH in 2005.
The CETO pipe pumps pressurised seawater ashore to drive a turbine to produce electricity or a reverse-osmosis filter to produce fresh water. Each unit can produce enough power for about 100 homes.
The commercialisation of wave energy units has occurred mostly in the United States. China, India and Japan also are investing in wave energy research and development.
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