Author Archive: robyn

Friends of the Earth Adelaide > Articles by: robyn

An evening with Professor Ross Garnaut – Battery Storage Technology

July 11, 2016

An evening with Professor Ross Garnaut
Monday 18 July 2016

In conjunction with the Resilient South Councils of Adelaide, ZEN Energy is proud to present Professor Ross Garnaut – The Paris Climate Summit and the Emerging Role of Battery Storage Technology.

Hosted at the Tonsley campus in the new Flinders University building from 7 to 9pm on Monday 18th July 2016, please join us as Professor Garnaut presents a ‘Post Paris’ debrief on what is required for the global transition to a low carbon economy. Ross will highlight which countries are performing well, what this means for Australia and the economic opportunities presented for South Australia.

What role can we play as individual home and business owners in Southern Adelaide? Richard Turner (Founder of ZEN Energy) and Anthony Garnaut will introduce the latest technologies for utilising solar energy both day and night in our homes. They will discuss how households and businesses can radically reduce their electricity costs by installing a solar power and battery storage system. The presentation will also cover financing, rebate, and tax benefit options. Deputy Mayor of Marion, Jason Veliskou, will speak on behalf of the Resilient South councils and their role in supporting community action on climate change.

Spaces for this incredible event are limited, so please ensure you RSVP here via the City of Marion website by Friday 15th of July 2016 to confirm your place.

More information on this event can also be downloaded here.

Clean Futures, Climate, Old_Notes, Renewables, Sustainability

, , , ,

“Visit your MP training” at the Conservation Council

July 10, 2016

VISIT YOUR LOCAL POLITICIANS TO SPEAK WITH THEM IN PERSON ABOUT NUCLEAR WASTE DUMPS – THIS ACTION HAS THE GREATEST IMPACT OF ALL!

The action with the greatest impact is contacting your local MP to arrange an in-person meeting to share your concerns. You could also phone them or write them a hard copy letter to send in the mail. You can find your local MP contact details here. If you’re not sure which state electorate you are in, you can find out here.
We know some people are a bit shy about speaking to their MP. To make it easier, the Conservation Council can help. We are happy to talk through points to discuss with your local rep, invite you to come in and make the call from our phones or join us for one of our ‘Talking to your politicians about nuclear waste’ sessions:
There are 2 stand-alone sessions, they are on:

Monday 25 July: 6pm-8pm RSVP here

Tuesday 23 August 6pm-8pm RSVP here

Please RSVP to book your place.

A big thankyou to the Conservation Council of SA

Clean Futures, FoE, Nuclear

,

Help protect SA’s Limestone Coast from gas fracking

July 10, 2016

Please help protect the Limestone Coast from gas fracking by signing the petition letter to the Premier.

https://www.communityrun.org/petitions/protect-the-limestone-coast-from-invasive-mining-and-gasfields?source=facebook-share-button&time=1465768092

Dear Premier,

The South East of South Australia (Limestone Coast) is known for its world famous clean and green produce, including wine, beef, lamb, vegetables, fruit, and crops. Tourism plays an important role, with the UNESCO listed Naracoorte Caves Park, RAMSAR listed Bool Lagoon and Piccaninnie Ponds, the wine trails, beautiful coastal towns, the Blue Lake and other spectacular areas.

The South East makes up 2.2% of the state and contains over 40% of the state’s prime agricultural land. Over $1 billion in food, wine and fibre is produced annually. With significant exports, it is of paramount importance that our ‘clean and green’ image is not compromised by proposed unconventional/conventional gas and mineral mining, which threatens our groundwater, agricultural land productivity and tourism.

We live in the driest state in the driest inhabited continent in the world. The Government released a document “Conserving Nature 2012 – 2020”. ‘Drought conditions are likely to increase in frequency across many parts of South Australia, as a consequence of climate change, particularly in agricultural areas’… Our water is already under severe stress as prolonged dry periods persist in Southern Australia. Our industries and communities are reliant on underground water.

Fracking for shale and tight gas is an extremely water-intensive practice. It requires vast amounts of water and large amounts of chemicals in each fracking operation. Disposal of wastewater from shale and tight gas operations is a serious problem. Shale and tight gas operations can have severe consequences for human and animal health.

The South East’s thin layer of prime agricultural land sits over limestone, which is porous and brittle. The limestone is prone to subsidence and is exacerbated by mining, drilling and fracking. Decline in water levels (such as use for fracking and mining) increase the risk of seawater intrusion.… Read more >>

Clean Futures, Environmental Law, Mining, Old_Notes

, ,

Apply for a chance to view the nuclear “Citizen’s Jury”

June 17, 2016

The Nuclear Royal Commission has moved on to the so-called “community consultation” phase where 50 people have been chosen out of RSVPs from 25,000 invitations. See the link below inviting people to apply for the chance to view one of its sessions:

http://yoursay.sa.gov.au/citizens_jury_interest_forms/new

From their website:

“Citizens’ Jury Viewing

Want to know what happens inside a Citizens’ Jury? Now is your chance. Register below to be an “Observer” for the nuclear Citizens’ Jury. There are a number of sessions in which 10 randomly selected South Australians will be able to sit in and watch proceedings, hear what the Jury hears and observe how democracy works in this important discussion.

While sessions will be broadcast publicly via media organisations and live streaming on the YourSAy website, at any time the jury reserves the right to deliberate privately and can ask for the jury room to be cleared.

Please note that photographers will be present to take photographs and capture film at this event. This material will be published in both printed and electronic (including Internet-based) media used by the South Australian Government to promote the consultation process on the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Royal Commission report. In some cases, the media in which this material is published may be administered by a third party.

Step 1

Register your interest below. Please provide your name and telephone number and select a session that you would like to attend – please nominate a date and a morning or afternoon session. More than one box can be ticked.

Step 2

Registration for the first two days of the Citizens’ Jury (Saturday 25 June and Sunday 26 June) will close at 5pm Wednesday 22 June, 2016. Registrations for the last two days (Saturday 9 July and Sunday 10 July) will close at 5pm on Wednesday 6th July.… Read more >>

Nuclear, Old_Notes, Publications

TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) trade election scorecard media release

June 17, 2016

Friends of the Earth Adelaide welcome the initiative shown by FOE Melbourne with their ranking of parties and candidates on trade related issues, especially the Trans Pacific Partnership.

Media release June 17, 2016

Parties and candidates rated on trade issues

Today the TPP Unions and Community Roundtable Coalition, of which Friends of the Earth is a founding member, has released a Federal Election 2016 TPP Scorecard ranking all currently elected parties’ and independents’ stance on the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP).

In order to accurately score the parties and politicians on their commitment to disabling the TPP, the Roundtable asked two questions:

If elected, will you:
1: Vote against the enabling legislation for the Trans-Pacific Partnership?
2: Introduce or support legislation to ban ISDS in all trade agreements?

So far the TPP Union and Community Roundtable has received responses from the ALP, the Greens, the Nick Xenophon Team, Glenn Lazarus and Andrew Wilkie. As evidenced by their ticks on the scorecards, the Greens, Xenophon, Lazarus and Wilkie all responded with an unambiguous “Yes” to both questions.

However, the response from the ALP demonstrated an alarming vagueness, stating that Under Australia’s treaty-making arrangements the Parliament must examine trade agreements. The review of the TPP by the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties (JSCOT) was not concluded at the time Mr Turnbull caused the dissolution of the Parliament. The TPP will be examined by JSCOT in the next Parliament whoever forms government – that’s how our treaty system works; and that A Shorten Labor Government will not agree to Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) provisions in new trade agreements. A Labor Government will seek to remove these provisions from existing trade agreements and work to ensure ISDS provisions do not prevent governments from pursuing legitimate public policy goals.

Friends of the Earth TPP and trade spokesperson Kat Moore said “time and again, the major parties have bluffed their way through questions regarding the TPP, committing to nothing, whilst meanwhile our sovereignty is being eroded, and our environment, health, jobs and basic freedoms put at risk.… Read more >>

Environmental Law, FoE, Media releases, Old_Notes, Publications

,