The twentieth century way of life has been made available, largely due to the miracle of cheap energy. The price of energy has been at record lows for the past century and a half.As oil becomes increasingly scarce, it is becoming obvious to everyone, that the rapid economic and industrial growth we have enjoyed for that time is not sustainable.Now, the hunt is on. For renewable sources of energy, for alternative sources of energy, for a way of life that is less dependent on cheap energy.Â
CAR giant Toyota is poised to manufacture its hybrid Camry in Melbourne with a deal set to be clinched by mid-year. Talks are still underway but senior Toyota executives in Tokyo are strongly backing plans to make the company’s Altona plant the regional production base for the green Camry, Fairfax newspapers report today. The deal Continue Reading →
From Jens Luddabeh in der Spiegel
A tiny fraction of the sun’s energy that shines upon the deserts of North Africa and the Middle East could meet all of Europe’s electricity demands. The technology to harness the energy already exists. So why is hardly anyone investing in it?
The oil of the 21st century is not buried deep within the earth. Instead, it falls on its surface — as sunshine.
“The sun is the hidden asset of North Africa and the Middle East,” says Gerhard Knies, a spokesman for the Trans-Mediterranean Renewable Energy Cooperation (TREC), a network of scientists and politicians from various countries who have taken it upon themselves to solve Europe’s energy problem.
CALTEX has warned that it could be forced to scale back production of its Sydney Kurnell and Brisbane refineries later this year if the continuing US economic slowdown leads to a fall in refining margins.
Despite refining margins continuing to hold up in the first three months of this year, Caltex expressed concerns at its annual meeting yesterday that these margins – and its profits – could easily be eroded during the coming US summer holiday season.
“The real test we are all looking for is when their driving season starts, when they start to use a lot more petrol,” said the managing director of Caltex, Des King. He said the US accounted for 20 per cent of world demand for petrol.
At the invitation of the German Federal Government, representatives from more than 60 countries met in Berlin earlier this month to discuss the founding of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), an intergovernmental organization that will exist to exclusively promote the adoption of renewable energy worldwide. Participants expressed a sense of urgency to begin a Continue Reading →
Report May 2008 Atlantic Monthly by Lisa Margonelli Forty years ago, the steel mills and factories south of Chicago were known for their sooty smokestacks, plumes of steam, and throngs of workers. Clean-air laws have since gotten rid of the smoke, and labor-productivity initiatives have eliminated most of the workers. What remains is the Continue Reading →
Electricity supplies in Indonesia are heavily subsidised
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South East Asia’s largest economy is facing a big problem – how much longer can the state electricity company meet the country’s growing demand for power?
In February, the islands of Java and Bali – Indonesia’s economic powerhouses – both suffered blackouts.
The immediate cause, officials said, was bad weather, which meant coal supplies were stuck in ports. But the stoppages highlighted the national grid’s inability to keep the lights on, even in the capital, in the face of any kind of hiccup.
Indonesia’s economy is growing at about 6.3% a year. Its demand for electricity is growing even faster. To cope with this, analysts say, the state electricity company PLN needs to add 1500-2000MW a year to its capacity – and it is currently falling far short.