Category: Archive

NSW gov shelves plans for desalination plant and proposed raising of Tallow dam

admin /11 February, 2006

Premier Morris Iemma yesterday revealed the city’s metropolitan water
plan for the next 10 years, shelving plans for not only the
desalination plant but also the $800 million proposed raising of the
Tallow dam, reported The Daily Telegraph (9 February 2006 p4).

Favourable weather forecasts and deep storage supplies could ease restrictions:
Professor Stuart White from the Institute of Sustainable Futures, who
wrote a special Cabinet committee report, said Sydney’s water supplies
were secure until at least 2015 without the need for desalination.
Further rain forecast and the access to an extra 40 billion litres of
water from deep storages within Sydney dams is expected to return the
dam levels to 50 per cent by August – the trigger level for an easing
of restrictions.

Crisis averted even without new groundwater discoveries, says prof:
Professor White downplayed the significance of the groundwater supplies
saying, even without them, Sydney was now out of crisis mode.
Retrofitting of homes and new design rules will save 145 billion litres
of water a year by 2015, recycling will produce a further 70 billion
litres.

Australian scientists develop portable personal solar cells to recharge laptops and mobile phones

admin /11 February, 2006

Australian scientists are using nanotechnology to develop portable
personal solar cells that can recharge laptops and mobile phones,
reports The Australian (18 January 2005, p.29).

Flexible polymer sheets: The Queensland University of
Technology’s renewable energy source project, which has been under way
for two years, coincides with similar research at other Australian
universities. Nano scientists at the University are using a flexible
polymer sheet that can be rolled up and taken anywhere to charge
communications devices.

Linking can provide extra power: The device is being developed
by Professor Nunzio Motta, of the University’s school of engineering
systems, and Eric Waclawik, of the school of physical and chemical
sciences. Additional power can be generated by linking polymer tiles in
a patchwork that increases the size of the device according to a user’s
needs.

Several years from commercial use: Mr Waclawik said the polymer
may also be a viable alternative to expensive, heavy and delicate
silicon solar cells. Between $200,000 and $300,000 had been spent on
the project, which was probably several years away from
commercialisation, Mr Waclayik said.

Sweden plans oil-free future

admin /9 February, 2006

John Vidal, environment editorWednesday February 8, 2006The Guardian Evergreen… Sweden will develop biofuels from its forests. Photograph: Mattias Klum/Getty Images  Sweden is to take the biggest energy step of any advanced western economy by trying to wean itself off oil completely within 15 years – without building a new generation of nuclear power stations. The Continue Reading →

Desalination consortiums told by Sydney Water to stop work on proposal

admin /9 February, 2006

The two consortiums bidding to build the plant have been given signals
in the past fortnight to go slow on their submission because the $13
billion plant at Kurnell was going on the backburner, reported The Sydney Morning Herald (8 February 2006 p1).

No tender docs yet: They had expected the tender documents to be
available last month but were told by Sydney Water that they should
stop work on the proposal.

Strong opposition to energy intensive desal: The State
Government has attempted to explain the detail of the planned 125
megalitre a day plant. The most recent meetings in Marrickville, a seat
where the Government faces a threat from the Greens, were hostile. The
plant has faced universal opposition from the environmental movement
because of the massive power consumption needed to run it. The
Government’s estimates recognised the plant would add two percent to
Sydney’s power consumption.

Recycling, aquifers now flavour of the month: The change of
heart follows a report from two experts, Dr Stuart White and David
Campbell, to the water subcommittee of cabinet. As well as the aquifer
water, they identified recycling opportunities of up to 70 gigalitres a
year. The newly discovered aquifers are in the Southern Highlands and
western Sydney, near the Hawkesbury River.

Australian sustainable building designer Andreas Sederof tells his story

admin /9 February, 2006

Andreas Sederof tells his story in The Age (8 February 2006) about how he came to be a forerunner in sustainable, energy efficient homes and buildings in Australia.

Limited horizon at start: When I left high school, I studied
aeronautical engineering at RMIT – I thought that boats or planes were
the ant’s pants – but it became pretty obvious that there was little
future there with very little room, in my opinion anyway, for
creativity.

Chance meeting: I was working at the Alfred Hospital, hoping I
would get work as a biomedical engineer in the mid-70s, and I ended up
getting involved in the construction of what was their main ward block.
I got an appetite for construction but I continued to dabble around a
little bit and it wasn’t until 1980 that I attended a workshop called
“Solar Today” where I ran into Douglas Balcomb, from America.

About face: You hear of people having revelations in church?
Well, I had a revelation coming out of the workshop and I realised that
we’d been doing building design and architecture all wrong in this
country – that what we should have been concentrating on is what we now
called five-star energy efficiency in Victoria.

Eyes opened to solar-design principles: What Douglas was talking
about was what we now call passive solar design principles –
north-facing windows, double glazing, thermal mass, those sorts of
principles. I thought, “Wow, imagine designing buildings that require
virtually no heating and cooling.” That was the revelation, you know,
because up until then, we were doing all sorts of dumb things. We were
really backward in many respects.

Brisbane still supplys millions of litres of water daily to Gold Coast

admin /9 February, 2006

Drought-hit Brisbane is still supplying millions of litres of water a
day to the Gold Coast, despite Coast dams being close to full capacity
and Gold Coast Mayor Ron Clarke insisting the allocation is no longer
necessary, reported The Courier Mail (8 February 2006 p1).

Gold Coast wants out of water deal according to Brisbane mayor:
In a bizarre twist, the deal looks likely to remain, even though Cr
Clarke told Brisbane Lord Mayor Campbell Newman he was prepared to
forgo the water. Cr Newman said the Gold Coast wanted to justify
pulling out of the water-restriction regimen for southeast Queensland.

Dollars flow with the water – but in opposite direction: Under a
contract valid until mid-2007, Brisbane supplies 20 million litres a
day from Wivenhoe Dam, one of the city’s three storages now down to 33
per cent capacity. Hinze Dam, the Gold Coast’s major supply source, is
85 per cent full. The sale, estimated at more than $50,000 a week, was
defended by Cr Newman, who said residents would “understand”.

Compromise offered: Cr Clarke proposed the contracted supply not
resume until Wivenhoe recovered to above half its capacity, and that
the period of non-use be added to the end of the contract period.