The 50/50 by 2020 campaign is progressing well.

News Weekly
Wednesday 6/12/2006 Page: 16

The targets are for a 50 per cent reduction in the consumption of energy, and a 50 per cent production from renewable energy resources by the year 2020. Those targets have been adopted by the communities of the Bega Valley and Eurobodalla.

Currently working groups in both shires are looking at how those targets will be met. his is an exciting time for the South Coast of NSW. We can make a big difference to our CO2 emissions, and show others how it can be done.

At the moment, governments on all sides of politics are realising that they have to do something about Australia's reliance on coal. Some interest groups and industry lobbyists are promoting the role that nuclear energy could have in our energy future. They have the support of some political leaders and publicists.

However nuclear energy is definitely not clean and it is not renewable, so it does not even make the list of possible clean energy sources. Despite this fact it seems that this is a debate that we must have.

We look forward to a similar high profile debate about the role of clean, renewable energy. In fact, our main purpose is to make sure that this clean energy debate happens, so that voters can be fully informed at election time.

Decisions on how we can reach clean energy targets are much more important than a sideshow debate on nuclear power, which is already an old, lost cause.

There is a huge groundswell of support for renewable energy on the South Coast, and because we want to lead this debate, the strongest statement we can make is to show Australia that renewable energy can work.

`Clean energy for eternity' plans to kick-start the 50/50 by 2020 campaign with a highly visible project, involving our surf clubs. We want to help set up surf clubs on the South Coast to produce all their energy from renewable sources.

A pilot project has been set up for the Tathra Surf Lifesaving Club and the project aims to be up and running before the end of the year. Other surf clubs will be close behind. Renewable energy will allow surf clubs to forget about their electricity bill, enabling them to spend money on much needed equipment.

The Bega Valley Shire has been supportive, and has offered to help fund this project dollar for dollar with community donations. This is where you the reader comes in, but I will talk about this in a second.

Once the South Coast is set up, we plan to announce this project as a national initiative, and have all 304 surf clubs in Australia set up with renewable energy by the end of 2007.

2007 is the year of the lifesaver. The surf club package must include solar hot water, photovoltaic cells and a wind turbine. The wind turbine must have a tail, and that tail must be painted in surf club colours.

Our new web is www.cleanenergyforeternity.com.au