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The Pope weighs in on climate change

June 29, 2015

Last Thursday, Pope Francis issued an encyclical on our place in the environment.He had some interesting things to say on energy:

“We know that technology based on the use of highly polluting fossil fuels – especially coal, but also oil and, to a lesser degree, gas — needs to be progressively replaced without delay.”

 “There is an urgent need to develop policies so that, in the next few years, the emission of carbon dioxide and other highly polluting gases can be drastically reduced, for example, substituting for fossil fuels and developing sources of renewable energy. There is still a need to develop adequate storage technologies.”

There’s a nice article in RenewEconomy, “The Pope is an Energy wonk”

The encyclical itself is an interesting and poetic read, even in the english translation.

Climate, Old_Notes

Tony Abbott in denial

June 28, 2015

There’s a lovely summary of government energy policy on the RenewEconomy webiste:

Grahame Morris – a former chief of staff to Coalition prime minister John Howard, and a corporate lobbyist who is influential in the government of Tony Abbott – had, in the words of Q & A host Tony Jones, steam coming out of his ears at the idea that wind and solar could offer a future energy solution.

morrisFlapping his arms about and pointing his finger, Morris exclaimed: “Look, not everyone wants a bloody big windmill in their backyard … nuclear power is clean … one of the problems with the third world with poverty is that they don’t have electricity. We have coal and we have uranium that can provide energy sources for those people. You are talking about poverty  … that is the answer.”

Read the full article Tony Abbott in denial about Australia’s energy future

Old_Notes

Introducing our new CANE campaigner!

June 27, 2015

We are very pleased to announce that Nectaria Calan has accepted the position of Anti-Nuclear/Pro-Renewables Campaigner with the Clean Futures Collective’s Campaign Against Nuclear Expansion.
Nectaria will work with us on a part time basis over the next six months. She holds a Bachelor of International Studies (Honours) and has previously worked with us as an Anti-Nuclear Coordinator. She brings strong skills and experience in grass roots activism and media.
Nectaria is passionate about environmental issues, and strongly believes that the social and environmental problems the nuclear industry creates far outweigh those it purports to solve.  She was an organiser and spokesperson for the Lizards Revenge event, a week long protest-festival held at the gates of the Olympic Dam mine in July 2012 to raise awareness and protest the mine, its expansion, and the broader impacts of uranium.
Nectaria’s responsibilities will include:
  • – tracking activities of the SA Nuclear Fuel Cycle Royal Commission
  • – coordinating FoE responses to the Royal Commission
  • – providing the initial point-of-contact for media
  • – encouraging volunteers to join FoE CFC campaign
  • – coordinating volunteer activities
  • – liaising with other groups working on related issues
Members, donors and friends can keep up with the CANE campaign by signing up to our elist to receive meeting minutes – email robyn.wood@foe.org.au

Clean Futures, Climate, Nuclear, Old_Notes, Renewables, Sustainability

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Ross Garnaut talk: Australia: Energy Superpower of the Low-Carbon World

June 17, 2015

  Professor Ross Garnaut
Australia has the potential to be even more important in global energy
in a low carbon world. Amongst the world’s developed countries, Australia has by far the greatest per capita potential for low-cost production of energy from most of the promising renewable sources: solar, wind, deep geothermal, wave and tidal.
Professor Ross Garnaut

You can read the text of his lecture. The University will post the recording of the session Tuesday the 30th.

Australians get a second chance at internationally low energy costs with the world’s transition to a low-carbon economy. Managed well, the transition to a low-carbon economy will restore and enhance old Australian strengths, this time built on sustainable foundations.  These strengths will be especially important in South Australia.

The Adelaide University 2015 Luxton Memorial Lecture was delivered by the distinguished academic and economist, Professor Ross Garnaut AO. Professor Garnaut is a Professorial Research Fellow in Economics at the University of Melbourne (since 2008). He was the senior economic policy official in Papua New Guinea’s Department of Finance in the years straddling Independence in 1975, principal economic adviser to Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke 1983-1985, and Australian Ambassador to China 1985-1988.

He is the author of a number of influential reports to Government, including Australia and the Northeast Asian Ascendancy (Australian Government Publishing 1989), The Garnaut Climate Change Review (Cambridge University Press 2008) and The Garnaut Review 2011: Australia and the Global Response to Climate Change (Cambridge University Press 2011).

RSVP https://mecheng.adelaide.edu.au/news/luxton-memorial-lecture/

Clean Futures, Climate, Old_Notes, Sustainability

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