Author Archive: robyn

Friends of the Earth Adelaide > Articles by: robyn

Energy Storage Opportunities for SA – Monday 17 August

August 13, 2015

People interested in renewable energy storage may like to attend this Alternative Technology Association event:

ATA Adelaide Branch Meeting – Energy Storage Opportunities for SA

When: Monday, August 17

Time: 7.30pm sharp

Where: Goodwood Community Centre (Banquet Hall), 32/34 Rosa St, Goodwood. Goodwood Community Centre is convenient to the tram, buses and train. Enter the car park via Florence St.

Cost: ATA members $2, non-members $5. Tea, coffee and biscuits provided.

Presenter: Dean Spaccavento of Reposit Power

South Australia enjoys a high penetration of solar energy but electricity consumers pay high electricity prices by world standards. We have a volatile energy market and energy companies pay very high spot prices to generators when demand is high. All of this makes solar, energy storage and intelligent control a more attractive prospect for SA than elsewhere.

Dean will speak about the GridCredits software that allows householders to trade on the energy market. Using parameters such as a home’s energy consumption habits, weather, grid demand and future energy prices, the software automatically decides whether it’s advantageous for a system to store the solar energy or sell to the grid, allowing the household to profit. GridCredits is integrated into Tesla’s Powerwall battery storage system.

Dean has considerable technical expertise in the Australian, North American and Asian-Pacific electrical supply industries.

Other events

Adelaide Cleantech Network will hold their Tonsley Tour and refreshments on August 26 at 4pm. Click herefor details and free registration. Presentations include new Siemens facility.

Adelaide Sustainable Building Network: Graeme Hopkins and Janelle Arbon will present on Connecting with Nature on August 26, 6.30-8.30pm at 87 Gibson St, Bowden. Details and registration:https://guestlistapp.com/events/338700

Q&A

ATA meetings put people with questions in touch with people who might have answers. The Q&A session is an open discussion about sustainability topics.

ATA Adelaide Branch meetings are open to ATA members and non-members.… Read more >>

Clean Futures, Renewables, Sustainability

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Media Release: Nuclear is the wrong direction for SA

August 13, 2015

MEDIA RELEASE     13 August 2015

Three leading environmental organisations – Conservation SA, the Australian Conservation Foundation and Friends of the Earth, Australia – have submitted a detailed joint submission to the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Royal Commission which forensically details an extensive series of nuclear myths and false assumptions.

“South Australia’s future lies in renewable energy, not nuclear.  It’s cheaper, safer and quicker to roll out,” said Conservation SA Chief Executive Craig Wilkins.

“This week’s axing of hundreds of jobs from Olympic Dam should raise huge questions about growth potential in the nuclear industry. With renewables, we can be in charge of our own destiny, not dependent on decisions made in corporate boardrooms on the other side of the world,” he said.

“Much of the nuclear promotion in SA is premised on the idea of a global nuclear ‘renaissance’, said lead submission author Dr Jim Green. “In fact, the nuclear renaissance is stone cold dead.

There are fewer reactors now than there were a decade ago. Nuclear fuel cycle markets for enrichment, conversion and fuel fabrication are oversupplied. And as the continuing job losses at Olympic Dam demonstrate, the uranium market is extremely weak and will remain so for years,” he said.

As well as highlighting the contested and constrained status of the current nuclear sector the 248 page report makes a compelling case that the industry’s future will be no brighter.

“So-called Generation 3 reactors projects such as the French EPR and Westinghouse AP1000 are in trouble, with multi-year delays and multi-billion dollar cost blowouts,” said Dr Green. “So-called Generation 4 reactors are decades away and, as a recent report by the French government concludes, safety claims made by Generation 4 advocates do not stand up to scrutiny.”

Many environment, public health and Aboriginal groups have expressed concern that the Royal Commission is being used by the nuclear industry as a Trojan Horse in an attempt to open national and international radioactive waste dumps in SA.… Read more >>

Clean Futures, FoE, Media releases, Mining, Nuclear, Old_Notes, Reports, Weapons proliferation

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FoE Submissions to the Royal Commission into the Nuclear Fuel “Cycle”

August 13, 2015

Friends of the Earth Adelaide have been busy the last few months preparing submissions to the Royal Commission into the Nuclear Fuel Cycle.

The issues papers are on the Royal Commission website along with many others.

Issues Paper 1: Exploration, Extraction and Milling

FOE Issues Paper 1: Mining Expansion Submission Final July 2015

Appendix 2 Pt Augusta Statement

 Issues Paper 2: Further Processing and Manufacturing

FOE Issues Paper 2: Enrich-Final
Issues Paper 3: Electricity Generation

FOE Issues Paper 3: Electricity Generation Final July 2015

Appendix 1: Nuclear Power – Still Not Viable Without Subsidies

report by the Union of Concerned Scientists

 Issues Paper 4: Management, Storage and Disposal of Waste

FOE Issues Paper 4: Nuclear Waste Submission

Appendix 1 Pt Augusta Statement

CFC member Philip White’s individual submission addressing Issues Paper 3: Philip White Submission

Clean Futures, FoE, Mining, Nuclear, Old_Notes, Publications, Renewables, Reports, Weapons proliferation

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Anti-nuclear coaliton meeting 20 August

August 10, 2015

The next antinuclear coalition meeting will be this Thursday 20th August 6pm start at Mad Mouse Alley, 58 Light Square, City (on the eastern end of the square, along the alley to the north of the People’s Choice Credit Union building).  Mad Mouse is a DIY not-for-profit social centre.

Enquiries robyn.wood@foe.org.au or 0423 219 096

Clean Futures, Mining, Nuclear, Sustainability, Weapons proliferation

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Media Release: PUBLIC CONSULTATIONS BASED ON MISINFORMATION:

August 10, 2015

MEDIA RELEASE

23rd July 2015

PUBLIC CONSULTATIONS BASED ON MISINFORMATION:

ROYAL COMMISSION ON THE NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE FAILS TO CORRECT FACTUAL ERROR IN ISSUES PAPER

Friends of the Earth Adelaide have recently informed the Royal Commission into the Nuclear Fuel Cycle of a factual error in Issues Paper 1, concerning the regulation of Aboriginal Heritage matters in South Australia. Issues Paper 1, which deals with the exploration, extraction and milling of uranium, states that Aboriginal sites of significance are protected by the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1988.

“The Royal Commission was informed in writing that this is not the case for BHP Billiton, South Australia’s biggest miner,” said Nectaria Calan of Friends of the Earth Adelaide.  “Under the Indenture Act, which applies solely to BHP Billiton, the company’s Olympic Dam mine and some

15, 000 square kilometres of the surrounding Stuart Shelf are exempt from the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1988.  This exemption would carry through to any future expansion of uranium mining by BHP Billiton at Olympic Dam or in the surrounding area.”

In his recent response to Friends of the Earth Adelaide Royal Commissioner Kevin Scarce insisted that in the event of an expansion of uranium mining Aboriginal Heritage matters would be regulated by the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1988.

“This is simply not the law throughout the state,” said Ms Calan.  “Friends of the Earth Adelaide have supplied the Royal Commission with referenced information regarding the Roxby Downs (Indenture Ratification) (Amendment of Indenture) Amendment Act 2011, which amends the current Indenture Act to apply to any expansion formally announced by the company up until October 2016. If it was an honest mistake to begin with, it is negligent not to correct it.”

“At one point, the Royal Commissions reply almost acknowledges the inaccuracy by suggesting that it is the substance rather than source of legal protections that is important. … Read more >>

Clean Futures, FoE, Media releases, Mining, Nuclear, Sustainability

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