Author Archive: robyn

Friends of the Earth Adelaide > Articles by: robyn

Vote for a Solar Thermal Power Station in Pt Augusta

December 6, 2016

Repower Pt Augusta invite you to take the following actions to let politicians know you want more clean energy in SA and a solar thermal power plant in Pt Augusta is the ideal way to achieve it.

“The Repower Port Augusta Alliance has developed a solid proposal to replace the coal plants with 6 solar thermal plants and 95 wind turbines. This will create 1800 jobs, save 5 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, improve the health of the local community and ensure energy security and stable electricity prices.

Clean Futures, Climate, Old_Notes, Renewables, Sustainability

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SA Parliament report released – enquiry into unconventional gas mining

December 6, 2016

FOE Adelaide’s Clean Futures Collective welcomes the decision by SA Parliament after completion of the 2 year enquiry into unconventional gas mining in the South East of SA (Mt Gambier region). Contact us if you would like a copy of the final report emailed to you.

adelaide.office@foe.org.au

From the media-release-fracking-report

“After two years of work, the Natural Resources Committee has concluded its inquiry into unconventional gas in the South East of South Australia and has made its final report available, Presiding Member Hon Steph Key MP announced.

“After review of all evidence and additional research, the committee has reached the position that social licence does not yet exist for the development of an unconventional gas industry in the South East,” said Ms Key. “This has been made starkly apparent by widespread opposition from the local community and it is the overarching finding of the inquiry.”

“This is not to say unconventional gas exploration and development should never occur in the region, but that in the committee’s view, obtaining social licence is a necessary precondition to such development occurring,” Ms Key said.

“Throughout the inquiry, all evidence the committee heard, both for and against unconventional gas development, has been in the context of myriad external forces including climate change considerations, production and export price, export demand, technological advances, renewable energy growth, and very notably, public opinion,” said Ms Key.”

FOE Adelaide recognises the extensive and important work of Lock the Gate’s SA representative and Agricultural Advocate Anne Daw in achieving this outcome.

Climate, Mining, Old_Notes

Nuclear update – November 2016

November 30, 2016

Its been an exciting two weeks since the nuclear Citizen’s jury handed their report to the Premier:  two thirds of them did not want SA to pursue an international waste dump under any circumstances; based on concerns around its economic feasibility, lack of trust in the government, and the wishes of Traditional Owners.

Opposition Leader Steven Marshall has confirmed that the Liberal party will not support a nuclear waste dump and will not support a change in legislation to allow the government to continue pursuing the idea. The Opposition wants it to be an election issue in March 2018.

Despite this, Premier Weatherill says the government will still keep pursuing the project, though he acknowledges that it will not be possible to implement without bipartisan support. He says there should be a referendum with a final veto by Traditional Owners, but as he will need the Liberal party to support a referendum so its unclear how this will proceed.

Full information from Mr Weatherill is here.

We will continue to follow developments very closely.

We’ve kept a dossier on media articles over the last fortnight, please get in touch at adelaide.office@foe.org.au if you’d like a copy emailed to you.

Clean Futures, Nuclear

Yes2Renewables

End the Blame Game and Back Renewables Open Letter

November 30, 2016

Yes2RenewablesYes2Renewables invite you to sign the online petition to Malcolm Turnbull asking him to stop blaming power blackouts and electricity price spikes on renewable energy.

“South Australia is a renewable energy success story. The state is fast approaching 50 percent renewables and has booming solar, energy storage, and wind power sectors.

This success has made South Australia public enemy number one for the fossil fuel lobby, who will do anything to stop our transition to 100 percent renewables.

Clean Futures, Climate, FoE, Renewables, Sustainability

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Rally: Dump the Dump Fri 2 Dec

November 30, 2016

The Anti-nuclear Coalition invite you to the rally

The Dump is Dumped!

Last hurrah for the Dump – for this year anyway. Join us for some large-scale street theatre! (The more of you who come and bring friends, the larger the scale!)

Let’s make a really strong statement this coming Friday evening – tell Jay in no uncertain terms that “No” means “No – not now, not ever.” Tell him that his nuclear waste dump is indeed “dead and buried”. We will ceremonially, with all pomp and circumstance, consign it to the bin!

Parliament House steps,
Friday 2nd December, 5.45 (for 6 o’clock start)
Regina McKenzie will speak on the Fed Govt’s Dump at Barndioota in the Flinders Ranges. The ACF has just pronounced Regina as a co-winner of this year’s Rawlinson Award for outstanding leadership in her efforts for Indigenous and environmental justice in her region.

Wear and bring all your anti-Dump clothing, placards, flags and banners, plus Govt propaganda to be binned. Drums and bodhrans would be good.

We will come together to celebrate the power of people standing collectively, to celebrate Country and our desire that it not be desecrated, and to ceremonially consign the Proposal, the Royal Commission report and all the government’s propaganda to history. (We’d like to burn it, but suspect the authorities wouldn’t be too happy with a fire on Parlt House steps. Instead we ask that you bring copies of the report and the Know Nuclear propaganda, and throw it into a yellowcake drum.)

Obviously, we know that the proposal is not really dead – Jay has just taken the heat out of the situation for now. We know:

  • the proposal is still on the table and there will be very strong forces pushing it behind the scenes;
  • the Government has accepted the RC recommendations to encourage the expansion of uranium exploration and mining in SA, and to promote further investigation into nuclear power;
  • the Federal Govt’s proposed dump at Barndioota is still on the agenda, despite the opposition of the Adnyamathanha people, and other local residents.
… Read more >>

Actions, Nuclear

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