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
Transport projects will happen: Keneally AAP February 22, 2010, 2:48 pm AAP © Enlarge photo Premier Kristina Keneally says she’ll take personal responsibility for the implementation of NSW’s new transport plan, amid scepticism about whether some projects will see the light of day. Ms Keneally on Sunday announced her government’s $50.2 billion Continue Reading →
Right now, the Kimberley is under threat like never before. The WA government, the Federal Resources Minister (Martin Ferguson) and the company Woodside Ltd have activated a time bomb set to explode in the Kimberley.
Despite the grim warning of the recent Kimberley oil spill the rush continues to build a huge, polluting ‘Kimberley gas hub’ at James Price Point on the Kimberley coast, 50km north of Broome. This push to industrialise the Kimberley coast is occuring despite there being technically and economically viable alternatives that would be less environmentally destructive, such as processing in the Pilbara region which already has established industrial infrastructure.
If this proposal were to go ahead the impacts would include reef blasting and dredging, damaging crucial habitat for dugong, turtles and thousands of Humpback Whales which use the Kimberley coast as a nursery.
Electricity sale grinds to a halt
February 18, 2010 – 2:00PM
The NSW government is set to announce a delay in the sale of its electricity retail assets this afternoon, senior government sources have confirmed, raising further questions over the funding of public transport projects.
The government hopes to raise $5-10 billion from the sale of the electricity retail and generation trader businesses, which could then be redirected to public transport projects.
But the Treasurer Eric Roozendaal will announce that the sale will not proceed until at least September, the Herald understands.
It is understood one reason for the delay is the complexity of the generation trader model for the sale set up by sacked former minister Joe Tripodi, which is putting off prospective buyers.
Solar panels put homes at risk of fire: Clean Energy Council
Thousands of homes could be at risk of electrical fires due to badly installed solar panels under a federal government scheme.
Homeowners are offered a $1600 rebate to install solar hot water systems, under the scheme run by Environment Minister Peter Garrett’s department.
The Clean Energy Council says there is a risk of house fires because of rushed installation of the roof-top panels.
“If they [installers] do a mistake on one system they’ll tend to be doing it on all their systems that they’re installing,” council spokesman Geoff Stapelton told ABC Television last night.
Metro is doomed as start delayed
February 18, 2010
THE metro system is dead, with the Keneally government to abandon plans to begin work on the project this year, amid a push from Treasury officials to delay the lines for 20 years.
Senior government sources have confirmed plans to start work this year will be scrapped in a transport blueprint to be announced on Sunday amid pressure from the Treasurer, Eric Roozendaal, and his officials to defer or dump the project.
This will allow the Coalition an opportunity to dump the project cheaply if it wins office as expected next year.
Treasury officials were pushing yesterday for work to begin on the Western Metro as late as 2030, despite an original deadline on the CBD Metro to begin mid-year.
A Herald investigation yesterday revealed bureaucrats and political fixers inside the state’s transport agencies altered official reports as part of a widespread government effort to suppress criticism of the controversial $5.3 billion CBD Metro.