$270 million spent on doomed Metro Rail Service
$270 million spent on doomed Metro rail service
- From: The Daily Telegraph
- January 27, 2010
Source: The Daily Telegraph
WITHOUT a single sod being turned, $270 million has already been spent on a metro rail project the State Government is on the verge of scrapping.
A break-down of the metro budget obtained by The Daily Telegraph exposes the high price of constant dithering on what was supposed to be the showpiece of the Government’s transport plan.
Transport Minister David Campbell has admitted 80 boreholes are all the Government has to show for its multi-million dollar metro investment.
Train union calls for tanker ban
Train union calls for tanker ban
Posted
Updated
The rail union wants a ban on long-distance petrol tankers (AFP: Robyn Beck, file photo)
The Rail, Tram and Bus Union has launched a campaign to ban the long-distance transport of dangerous goods on the road.
The union wants each state and territory to introduce a uniform change to their Dangerous Goods Act requiring materials such as petrol to be transported via rail.
The campaign comes after a series of fatal road accidents over the Christmas holiday period.
Eight people have been killed in accidents involving trucks over the last 10 days in New South Wales alone.
Clean coal locked out of funding
Clean coal locked out of funding
- From: The Australian
- December 17, 2009
THE Australian government’s project of trying to make coal less polluting by capturing and storing its carbon emissions has been dealt an expensive blow at the climate summit.
The UN conference refused to include clean coal technology in its main program for channelling money to clean fuel projects, locking carbon capture and storage out of potentially billions of dollars of funding.
Australian officials said they still hoped that Climate Change Minister Penny Wong could get CCS into the funding program in the final rounds of ministerial talks in Copenhagen but its rejection yesterday by long-time opponent Brazil makes that an uphill struggle.
Offshore Wind Makes Sense for China
Offshore Wind Makes Sense for China
One of the thorniest issues that should be addressed at the COP 15 conference in Copenhagen is how large developing nations such as China can continue to grow their economies without producing catastrophic levels of carbon emissions. We believe that a central part of the answer must be renewable energy, and that China should do what it can to encourage renewable energy technology transfer from nations with renewables experience such as Scotland, which continues to build leading-edge capabilities in this increasingly critical area.
As the Saudi Arabia of wind and marine power, with one-quarter of both Europe’s tidal and wind power potential, Scotland is now poised to lead an offshore wind energy revolution that has significant potential to help China achieve its own objectives.
With the appropriate knowledge transfer, China has the opportunity to provide a “green growth” model to the rest of the developing world. To do so, however, requires a mammoth investment in renewable energy capacity to provide reliable, low-cost green energy on a mass scale to factories and cities. China has already shown a firm commitment to investing in renewable energy, a commitment that was reinforced by this year’s massive stimulus plan.
So far, this effort has been principally focused on hydroelectric, solar and onshore wind power. However, with China’s 9000-mile coastline, there is also considerable potential for offshore wind. While the global offshore wind industry is still at its early stages, we believe that offshore wind can and should be an integral part of China’s renewable energy portfolio. China’s State Meteorological Bureau has made a preliminary estimate of 750 GW for the country’s potential offshore wind energy capacity. Depending on hub heights, this potential could be even higher.
Nitrous oxide concerns cloud future of biofuels
Nitrous oxide concerns cloud future of biofuels
European scientists cast doubt on whether oil alternatives can ever be sustainably produced in significant quantities
- guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 8 December 2009
- Article history
Scientists have cast doubt over the sustainability of biofuels: Jamil Bittar/Reuters
Scientists at the European commission have cast doubt on whether biofuels could ever be produced sustainably in significant quantities, dealing a blow to the aviation industry, which sees such fuel as a key way to reduce its emissions.
The researchers argue that the greenhouse gases emitted in making biofuel may well negate most of the carbon dioxide savings made by replacing fossil fuels. Of particular concern is the uncertainty over emissions of the potent greenhouse gas nitrous oxide.
Brazil defends biofuels at Copenhagen summit
Brazil defends biofuels at Copenhagen summit
As the world’s largest producer and exporter of ethanol, it’s no surprise the Brazilian government advocates biofuels as the only real alternative to fossil fuels. From IPS, part of the Guardian Environment Network
- guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 9 December 2009 10.07 GMT
- Article history
Being the world’s largest producer and exporter of ethanol it is natural for the Brazilian government and its partners to push biofuels as the only real alternative for a world trying wean itself away from fossil fuels that contribute to global warming.
Brazilian authorities were ready with their arguments at the United Nations climate change summit underway here. Over the past 30 years, since the country embarked on its ethanol programme, an estimated 800 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions have been avoided.