climate change | Indymedia Australia

Electricity demand and emissions falling in eastern Australia

Submitted by takver on Tue, 18/12/2012 - 8:19pm

New research on energy demand in the National Energy Market (NEM) by Pitt and Sherry's carbon emissions Index (CEDEX) shows demand for power for electricity has been falling since late 2010. Power generation from black coal (mainly in NSW) has been falling since the start of 2009, while there has been a fall in generation from (Victorian) brown coal since July 2012.

Almost certainly the Federal Governments Renewable Energy Target (RET) driving construction of wind farms, and now the Carbon Tax increasing the cost of coal fired power, as well as energy efficiency programs and drop in electricity demand from consumers, has been driving these trends.

Geography:

Keywords:

Coal protest: activists scale Yallourn power station cooling tower

Submitted by takver on Tue, 18/12/2012 - 8:08pm

Late last week two intrepid climate change activists scaled one of the cooling towers at Yallourn coal fired power station in Victoria's La Trobe Valley. In the end they spent 30 hours on the cooling tower, the longest power station occupation of it's kind in Australia, finally coming down voluntarily to be arrested and charged with various offences. The protest highlighted the enormous multi-million compensation being given by the Australian Government to power operators for the imposition of the carbon tax. The brown coal fired power stations in Victoria's La Trobe valley are some of the dirtiest most carbon emissions polluting power stations in Australia and the world.

Geography:

Promotion:

Keywords:

Brazil: Structural changes on the way

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 15/12/2012 - 9:47pm

Brazil: Structural changes on the way

Geography:

Keywords:

International news and opinion

Tropical Cyclone Evan damages Samoa, heading for Fiji

Submitted by takver on Sat, 15/12/2012 - 5:13pm

The tropical paradise of Samoa in the South Pacific has been lashed with gale force winds, flash flooding from torrential rain and a 3 metre storm surge from Category 2 tropical cyclone Evan on Thursday and Friday. After two days the tropical cyclone is now moving west and intensifying to a Catergory 4 storm as it heads in the direction of Fiji. Wallis and Fortuna Islands lie directly in the storm path and northern atolls of Tonga may also be affected to some degree.

Geography:

Keywords:

Update on Honduras Coup for November 2012 Terrible wave of assassinations

Submitted by autonomousactions on Thu, 13/12/2012 - 1:28pm

http://www.sydney-says-no2honduras-coup.net/much-shorter-monthly-summari...

Update on Honduras Coup for November 2012
Terrible wave of assassinations

Geography:

Keywords:

International news and opinion

Honduras coup

On Typhoon Bhopa and the Doha Conference

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 12/12/2012 - 12:32am

Typhoon Bhopa (Philippine name Pablo) have resulted to a total number of 647 casualties, with another 1,842 people injured, and 780 missing.

Typhoon Pablo and Doha: Ways Forward for the Philippines

By Akbayan (Citizens Action Party)

It is truly a sad day for Filipinos across the nation, as the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council announced the devastation of typhoon Pablo to have resulted to a total number of 647 casualties, with another 1,842 people injured, and 780 missing.

Geography:

Keywords:

International news and opinion

Victory Gardens Past & Future

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 11/12/2012 - 4:12pm

If you eat food, maybe you've noticed groceries costs more and more. Well stock up now, food inflation is just ramping up. It's not just the extra 200 million mouths to feed on the planet next year. Climate change is already re-arranging your food bill. Learn how cities can start feeding themselves - in just one year! from Lamanda Joy in Chicago.

Download Radio Ecoshock special on Victory Gardens (1 hour, 14 MB LoFi)
http://www.ecoshock.net/eshock12/ES_121212_Show_LoFi.mp3

Or 56 MB in CD Quality
http://www.ecoshock.net/eshock12/ES_121212_Show.mp3

Geography:

Keywords:

Electric vehicles powering in Australia - Canberra fest this weekend

Submitted by Jane A Salmon on Fri, 30/11/2012 - 3:02pm

Media Release - 30.11.2012 - please circulate widely.

ELECTRIC VEHICLES ARE POWERING ON

International Electric Vehicle Festival comes to Canberra CBD
http://www.electricvehiclefestival.com.au/

The International Electric Vehicle Festival will be held in downtown Canberra in City Walk (Civic) next to the merry-go-round on December 1st 2012, demonstrating the potential for these vehicles to be sustainable transport options.

Geography:

Keywords:

Climate change implications of new study on methane emissions in coal seam gas field

Submitted by takver on Fri, 16/11/2012 - 12:46pm

Coal seam gas has been touted as a green transitional fuel, far less polluting than coal, but a new study implies it may not be as green or climate friendly as the industry makes out. It hinges on the level of fugitive emissions produced in development and production of a gas field. A study by two scientists from Southern Cross University based in Lismore, northern NSW, detected much higher levels of the strong greenhouse gas methane around the Tara gas field on the Darling Downs of Queensland west of Brisbane.

Action: Getup! have started a Dirtier than Coal? campaign calling on Federal Climate Change Minister Greg Combet to commission urgent research into the climate impacts of coal seam gas, and to make sure that CSG companies start accounting, and paying, for fugitive emissions.

Geography:

Promotion:

Keywords:

Origin Energy under scrutiny over anti-renewables stance

Submitted by takver on Tue, 13/11/2012 - 12:01am

Origin Energy, Australia's largest energy retailer, came under intense scrutiny today from shareholders at the Annual General Meeting in Sydney over it's energy portfolio placing great emphasis on development of gas, poor investment in wind and solar power, and a campaign by Managing Director Grant King to destabilise the Renewable Energy Target.

At one stage a banner was quickly unfurled infront of the board on the stage which said "Origin: Build wind and solar, not coal and gas". It was just as quickly taken down.

Geography:

Keywords: