Author Archive: roman

Friends of the Earth Adelaide > Articles by: roman

FoE Adelaide needs you!

May 2, 2017

Unfortunately, we didn’t get a quorum for the AGM at the end of March.
We know people are busy, but this makes it a bit difficult to plan for the coming year.
We hope there’s enough interest and enthusiasm
to support a local FoE group, so we thought it might be a good idea to check. 
We’re inviting people to a ‘meet & chat’ – about future possibilities for the branch.
As a subscriber to our email newsletter, we thought you might be interested.
This will be pretty informal, and held in the community room at
Christie Walk, 101 Sturt St, Adelaide.
Food and drinks will be supplied.

Discussion will include:

* what campaigns/activities do our members and friends want us to continue with?

* how can FoE Adelaide best carry out these suggestions?

* should FoE Adelaide go into recess for, say, a year?
 
We’d be grateful if you could let us know:

1. whether you’re interested to come to this discussion – or to be informed of its outcome, and

2. what preferences you have for possible meeting times suggested

The easiest way to respond is to fill in this short survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GJ7K2C9
 
If you fill out contact details on the survey, we’ll let you know when the “meet & chat” is happening.

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Energy in SA? Ask Giles Parkinson

March 22, 2017

Elon Musk? Snowy Hydro 2.0? Jay vs Josh? World’s biggest battery? Is gas dead?

We’ve had a truly remarkable week of energy news in SA. Are you elated? Worried? Or just a little confused?

Find out from Giles Parkinson, one of Australia’s leading and most forthright energy commentators what’s really going on — and why there’s much cause for optimism.

He’s talking at The Joinery, on March 27, 2017 at 6pm – 7:30pm

With as much punch as an Elon Musk battery tweet but without the awkwardness of the Jay Weatherill/Josh Frydenberg stoush, Giles will explain all. 

Tickets are just $5 to cover costs.

Bookings at Conservation SA

 

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SA Govt expands gas exploration

March 22, 2017

On March 14th, the SA government unveiled its plan for Energy Security. While there were some laudable measures — a $150 million Renewable Technology Fund to make renewable energy dispatchable, including 100MW of grid-connected storage (likely to cost $20 million) — there were some measures aimed at promoting and expanding the gas industry: a 250 MW gas generator ($350 million), an additional $24 million to encourage more gas exploration (why when we can’t burn existing reserves if we are serious about tackling climate change?).

What wasn’t made explicit, but was confirmed by the Minster for Energy & Resources, was the drive to open up the SE to fracking of gas.

This is something the farmers in the SE are dead set against, and the new 10% royalty fund is unlikely to persuade them. FoE believes the SA government should follow the example of the Victorians and ban any expansion of the fracking gas industry. Fracked gas is more carbon intensive than coal!

Come along to our AGM and hear Ann Dawe explain why it just won’t happen.

You may be wondering, as FoE Adelaide is wondering, why the government didn’t just spend three times as much on storage, and pocket the savings ($290 million) by not bothering with a new gas-fired plant.

[excellent detailed commentary on the reneweconomy website:

 

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Undemocratic nuclear waste law

March 22, 2017

Friends of the Earth Australia is today releasing a detailed report on the National Radioactive Waste Management Act 2012 (NRWMA). The report ? written by Monash University fifth-year law student Amanda Ngo ? comes against the backdrop of the federal government’s targeting of a site near Hawker in SA’s Flinders Ranges for a national radioactive waste store and repository.

The NRWMA is heavy-handed, undemocratic legislation that gives the federal government the power to extinguish rights and interests in land targeted for a radioactive waste facility. In so doing the Minister must “take into account any relevant comments by persons with a right or interest in the land” but there is no requirement to secure consent.

Traditional Owners, local communities, pastoralists, business owners, local councils and State/Territory Governments are all disadvantaged and disempowered by the NRWMA.

The NRWMA disempowers Traditional Owners ? in this case Adnyamathanha Traditional Owners ? in multiple ways, including:

  • The nomination of a site for a radioactive waste facility is valid even if Aboriginal owners were not consulted and did not give consent.
  • The NRWMA has sections which nullify State or Territory laws that protect the archaeological or heritage values of land or objects, including those which relate to Indigenous traditions.
  • The NRWMA curtails the application of Commonwealth laws including the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act 1984 and the Native Title Act 1993 in the important site-selection stage.
  •  The Native Title Act 1993 is expressly overridden in relation to land acquisition for a radioactive waste facility.

See the media release from FoE Australia, or follow the link above to the report for details.

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