EcoRadio

Category: News

Add your news
You can add news from your networks or groups through the website by becoming an author. Simply register as a member of the Generator, and then email Giovanni asking to become an author. He will then work with you to integrate your content into the site as effectively as possible.
Listen to the Generator News online

 
The Generator news service publishes articles on sustainable development, agriculture and energy as well as observations on current affairs. The news service is used on the weekly radio show, The Generator, as well as by a number of monthly and quarterly magazines. A podcast of the Generator news is also available.
As well as Giovanni’s articles it picks up the most pertinent articles from a range of other news services. You can publish the news feed on your website using RSS, free of charge.
 

  • Our Most Powerful Petition Target Ever AVAAZ

    Click here to enable desktop notifications for Gmail.   Learn more  Hide
    1 of 30
    Web Clip
    Quote of the Day – Iris Murdoch – “Between saying and doing, many a pair of shoes is worn out.”

    Our Most Powerful Petition Target Ever

    Inbox
    		 x

    Ricken Patel – Avaaz
    9:21 AM (14 minutes ago)
    to me
    Dear amazing Avaaz community,

    The path to changing the world requires us to walk the longest journey – the journey within – to change ourselves. When 500,000 of us pledge to live 3 simple but powerful values in 2015, we’ll invite world leaders to join us:

    SIGN THE PETITION

    Dag Hammarskjöld, the great UN leader, once reflected that we’d never make sustainable progress in our world until we all “walked the longest journey”. The journey within.

    Each of our capacities to create the world we dream of depends on our own journey, from fear to love, towards believing in ourselves, and leaving our demons behind.

    We’ve come together as a community hundreds of times in campaigns, and created magic. At this most reflective time of a new year, let’s come together around this, most important campaign of all – the campaign for ourselves, to “be the change we wish to see” – for us, and for all the people we love and the planet we call home.

    Our community has chosen 3 simple but powerful values to support each other to follow in 2015. When 500,000 of us pledge, we’ll invite world leaders to join us, and we’ll check in 3 times this coming year to see how we’re all doing — click to see them and sign a new year’s pledge to ourselves:

    http://www.avaaz.org/en/three_principles_loc/?bhPqncb&v=51797

    Our journeys within are profoundly individual. But it’s amazing how similar we are in what we love and fear and hope for. Over 97% of our community strongly support every one of the 3 principles in our petition!

    Being part of a community can be a powerful influence, for better or worse. Avaaz is an extraordinary community of hopeful, practically idealistic people who choose to sign a petition or donate money when no one is looking. I’ve been blown away by the wisdom and humanity of the people in this community. Seems like we’re a good influence on each other :).

    Click to see the principles, and if they sound right, sign the pledge and join the culture list to kick off your 2015:

    http://www.avaaz.org/en/three_principles_loc/?bhPqncb&v=51797

    I wake up every day grateful for how we change the world together. It’s just a thrilling bonus that I might get a chance to hear inspiration and support from everyone on how I personally can grow and be better. And I think inviting our leaders to join us could powerfully impact some of their own journeys to be wiser for the rest of us. So excited to do this with you all!

    With hope and gratitude,

    Ricken, with Danny, Nataliya and the whole Avaaz team

  • Masdar Chairman: “Renewable Energy Has Graduated” & “Opportunity To Revisit Fossil Fuel Subsidies”

    ergy Smart
    Electric Cars
    Solar Power
    Wind Power
    100% Renewable Energy?
    Sponsor A Post
    Advertise
    CleanTechnica is the #1 cleantech-focused
    website in the world. Subscribe today!

    CleanTechnica logo

    About
    Exclusives
    Consumer Tech
    Power
    Transport
    Surprise!

    Masdar Chairman: “Renewable Energy Has Graduated” & “Opportunity To Revisit Fossil Fuel Subsidies”

    Share on Google+Share on RedditShare on StumbleUponTweet about this on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on FacebookPin on PinterestDigg thisShare on TumblrBuffer this pageEmail this to someone

    January 21st, 2015 by Zachary Shahan

    Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, the Chairman of Masdar & UAE Minister of State, gave the opening remarks at the start of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week and the World Future Energy Summit. Listening to them, it’s hard not to get the impression he could be labeled a climate hawk. Or maybe it’s just that speech on top of so many others, and so many Q&As I’ve seen with him, that makes me think so.

    In either case, this recent speech is worth closely listening to. It was at the end of the “Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week Opening Ceremony” video I already shared, so I’m afraid many didn’t see it at all. If you watch the video starting here, but I’ve also pulled out the key sections to highlight in text format here:
    Renewable Energy Has Graduated

    “Our interconnected energy landscape has evolved beyond the point where the price of oil determines the fate of clean energy, simply because… renewable energy has graduated from an expensive alternative to a competitive technology of choice. Over the past 12 months, we have seen investments in clean energy rise by 16% to $310 billion. And installations of solar and wind increased by 26% to 100 GW [of capacity]. This growth has been driven by the sharp decline in costs, and the steady rise in technology efficiency. In fact, the drop in solar prices has been so dramatic that in many parts of the world, it is now competes with traditional sources of energy.”
    Opportunity to Revisit Fossil Fuel Subsidies

    “Ladies and gentlemen, what today’s evolving landscape presents is an opportunity to improve the overall economics of energy, economics that can support governments, industry, and people. With oil at a 5-year-low, there is indeed an opportunity to revisit fossil fuel subsidies, especially in countries where subsidies have become a heavy financial burden for their economic development and progress. In only 2013, fossil fuel subsidies cost countries $550 billion. Yes, $550 billion in one year only, money that can be otherwise redirected to improve energy systems and transform economies, by creating jobs, stimulating economic growth, and educating future generations.

    “Ladies and gentlemen, to embrace opportunity is the very reason why we are gathered here today at the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, so let us do our part. Let us shape a future energy mix that will bring light to those without it, to electrify cities that do not yet exist, to power inventions that we cannot today imagine, and to ultimately ensure that growth is as sustainable as it is enduring.”

    For more exclusive content from this week, see our Zayed Future Energy Prize, World Future Energy Summit, and Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week tags.

    *Full Disclosure: My trip to and accommodation in Abu Dhabi for the Zayed Future Energy Prize, World Future Energy Summit, and other Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week events is being covered by Masdar. That said, I have full editorial control over the work and am even publishing it without feedback. I am only covering things that I find very interesting or important, and that I think others will find interesting or important.

    Keep up to date with all the hottest cleantech news by subscribing to our (free) cleantech newsletter, or keep an eye on sector-specific news by getting our (also free) solar energy newsletter, electric vehicle newsletter, or wind energy newsletter.

    How much money can a solar roof save you?
    Profit from your roof space: find local deals on solar in your area, eliminate your power bill, and join the solar revolution.
    Calculate My Savings!

    Share on Google+Share on RedditShare on StumbleUponTweet about this on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on FacebookPin on PinterestDigg thisShare on TumblrBuffer this pageEmail this to someone
    Google+
    Zachary Shahan Zachary Shahan

    Tags: Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, World Future Energy Summit

    About the Author

    Zachary Shahan spends most of his time here on CleanTechnica as the director/chief editor. Otherwise, he’s probably enthusiastically fulfilling his duties as the director/editor of Solar Love, EV Obsession, Planetsave, or Bikocity. Zach is recognized globally as a solar energy, electric car, and wind energy expert. If you would like him to speak at a related conference or event, connect with him via social media. You can connect with Zach on any popular social networking site you like. Links to all of his main social media profiles are on ZacharyShahan.com.

    Related Posts
    Jonathon Porritt on Oil & Gas Companies Failing Society, Divestment, The Zayed Future Energy Prize, & Masdar
    Jonathon Porritt on Oil & Gas Companies Failing Society, Divestment, The Zayed Future Energy Prize, & Masdar →
    The 2015 Zayed Future Energy Prize Winners Are… (Ceremony Videos)
    The 2015 Zayed Future Energy Prize Winners Are… (Exclusive Ceremony Videos) →
    Masdar Launches 4th Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
    Masdar Launches 4th Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week →
    Al Gore Speaks To CleanTechnica (VIDEO)
    Al Gore Speaks To CleanTechnica (VIDEO) →
    Advertisements

    Top Posts & Pages
    Lithium-Sulfur Battery Performance Improved Via New Cathode Stabilization Strategy
    Lithium-Sulfur Battery Performance Improved Via New Cathode Stabilization Strategy
    Fuel Cell EV Doubters Get In-Your-Face Treatment From Honda
    Fuel Cell EV Doubters Get In-Your-Face Treatment From Honda
    New Hybrid Electric Motorcycle Wins Hearts And Minds In Unlikely Places
    New Hybrid Electric Motorcycle Wins Hearts And Minds In Unlikely Places
    Energy Efficiency & Distributed Renewables Will Kill Energy Suppliers
    Energy Efficiency & Distributed Renewables Will Kill Energy Suppliers
    Wind Energy Giant Suzlon Energy To Sell German Subsidiary Senvion For €1 Billion: Report
    Wind Energy Giant Suzlon Energy To Sell German Subsidiary Senvion For €1 Billion: Report
    What Is The Current Cost Of Solar Panels?
    What Is The Current Cost Of Solar Panels?
    Connecticut May Legalize Tesla Sales
    Connecticut May Legalize Tesla Sales
    Daily Cleantech News via Email
    All CleanTechnica Stories

    Solar Energy News

    Wind Energy News

    Electric Vehicle News

    Connect!
    Electric Cars

    Electric Car Answers

    Electric Cars For Sale in 2015 (US + Europe)

    Electric Cars Are Greener

    Electric Cars Are Totally Bloody Awesome!

    Why Norway Is Electric Car World Leader

    Tesla Motors News
    Clean Energy

    Is 100% Renewable Energy Possible?

    Clean Energy Is Needed Now

    … Top Clean Energy Resources
    Solar Energy

    Solar Energy Facts & Solar Power Facts

    About Solar Energy

    How Much Solar Costs In Your State

    Cost of Panels, Power and Solar Energy

    … Top Solar Energy Resources

    Wind Energy

    Wind Energy Facts & Wind Power Facts

    About Wind Energy

    Top Wind Power Countries Per Capita

    Top Wind Power Countries Per GDP

    … Top Wind Energy Resources
    Search the IM Network

  • Direct to campus BILL SHORTEN

    Click here to enable desktop notifications for Gmail.   Learn more  Hide
    More

    2 of 34
    Web Clip
    Quote of the Day – Samuel Johnson – “My dear friend, clear your mind of cant.”

    Direct to campus

    Inbox
    		 x

    Bill Shorten via sendgrid.info 
    4:33 PM (36 minutes ago)
    to me
    .
    Neville,
    No Australian receiving an offer of a uni place this week should need to ask themselves ‘can I afford to accept it?’

    But that’s the Australia Tony Abbott and his Government are trying to create.

    Under the Liberals’ plan, students stepping onto campus for the first time will be saddled with crippling debt they will struggle with for life. We already see it in the US.

    These students need to know the truth about what’s in store for them — right now, their only information is the Abbott Government’s multimillion dollar taxpayer-funded ads designed to fool them.

    When they hit campus for Orientation week next month, they need to know what’s at stake: that’s why we’re planning to launch an information offensive. Click here to help us do it:

    postersthumbnail.png

    https://debtsentence-australianlaborparty.nationbuilder.com/donation

    We’ve got posters designed, volunteers on hand, and a plan to make sure these students know about $100,000 degrees. We just need your help to make it happen.

    Your donation will help coat uni campuses in the truth about Tony Abbott’s plan to Americanise our unis with $100,000 degrees — chip in to take a stand against it. 

    I want to see a country where getting a place at uni is based on merit, not your parents’ bank balance.

    This Orientation Week is a unique opportunity to help get the word to new students and keep Australia fair.

    Thanks for standing with me on this,

    Bill

    PS — Next month new uni students will hit campuses for the first time. Unless we want them saddled with $100,000 US-style debt, we need to get out there with a massive information campaign. Click here to help pay for posters our volunteers will put up across the country.
  • 2 of 5
    Web Clip
    CNN.com Recently Published/Updated – Bush lining up Romney aides for possible presidential run – 7 hours ago

    They’re flogging our farms

    Inbox
    		 x

    Stewart Mitchell via Lock the Gate Alliance <info@lockthegate.org.au>
    1:37 PM (4 hours ago)
    to me
    Dear Neville,

    My name is Stewart and I’m a local historian from the community of Bulga in the Hunter Valley. You might have heard about us, and how our village is threatened by the huge and expanding Warkworth coal mine.

    My ancestors arrived at Bulga in 1825 and generations of our family have farmed here since. The original 1,500 acre property farmed by my ancestors has long since been subsumed by a massive open-cut coal pit.

    I’m writing to tell you about a startling new map that Lock the Gate has produced of the Hunter Valley and Gunnedah Basin, showing for the first time the full scale of the massive land grab that is underway by big coal corporations.

    ccoalmeme2.jpg

    That’s right – big coal corporations are literally flogging our farmland from under our noses. Entire rural villages and vast areas of prime agricultural land are being swallowed up by the mining giants. You can see the full extent of the land grab in this shocking new interactive map.  Just click on any parcel of and to see which coal company owns it.

    Here are some of the other startling findings from the Lock the Gate research into land ownership by big coal:

    • In the Muswellbrook Local Government Area, coal companies have bought 24% of all freehold land and 23% of all mapped Biophysical Strategic Agricultural Land, and in the Singleton Local Government Area, they own 15% of all freehold land and 27% of all mapped Biophysical Strategic Agricultural Land.
    • This startling concentration of mining company land ownership is undoubtedly already causing negative impacts to agricultural industries in these areas. With every new mine and mine expansion that is approved, more properties are identified to be bought by multi-national mining giants.

    If the Watermark coal project on the Liverpool Plains goes ahead, Chinese mining giant Shenhua may have to purchase 25 more properties surrounding the area, because of the unliveable impacts the mine will create. If the expansion of the Warkworth mine is approved in the Hunter Valley, multinational mining company Rio Tinto is offering to buy out most of the village of Bulga, where I live, including the shop, service station and pub.

    The destruction of flourishing rural villages by multi-national coal mining companies is a terrible legacy of coal mining. We don’t want Bulga to go the way of so much of the Valley, bought up by huge mining companies to leave to rot and ruin.

    Warkworth was also once a village, not a super-pit. The mining companies have bought all the houses in Warkworth and Ravensworth villages: the people have gone, the social fabric is gone. Do you agree that this has gone far enough, and that our food production, way of life and community fabric will be fatally compromised if coal companies continue to buy up our productive river valleys?

    Share this story with your friends, and get involved with Lock the Gate to help defend our countryside.

    Sincerely,

    Stewart Mitchell

    PS If you want to stand with communities threatened by unsafe coal and gas mining, and support more important ground-breaking research like this, please sign up as a Gate Keeper today!

    Lock the Gate Alliance
    http://www.lockthegate.org.au/

  • Tony Abbott said: Bill Shorten

    1 of 28
    Web Clip
    Quote of the Day – Robert Baden-Powell – “The most worth-while thing is to try to put happiness into the lives of others.”

    Tony Abbott said:

    Inbox
    		 x

    Bill Shorten via sendgrid.info 
    3:31 PM (2 hours ago)
    to me
    .
    Neville,
    Today was Tony Abbott’s first press conference since he got back from holidays.

    You know what he said?

    “There’s still a lot of work to be done, starting with the higher education changes.” He went on to say that “we are absolutely persistent” on the plan for $100,000 degrees.

    We know Tony Abbott didn’t listen when the Senate voted down the changes and we know he didn’t listen to the huge community backlash over the last few months.

    He still isn’t listening.

    That’s why we need to start 2015 by making ourselves heard. Tony Abbott needs to know there are hundreds of thousands of Australians against his plan for $100,000 degrees.

    Last year we found out that the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet employs 37 people to monitor social media and let him know what Australians are saying. Let’s give them something to monitor.

    Can you share this graphic on Facebook today? Click here to say you stand against $100,000 degrees. If you don’t have Facebook, share this on Twitter or email it to a friend.

    I_stand_against_fb.png

    Together we can make our voices heard. If you add your voice to thousands of other Australians who support high quality, affordable education for every Australian, Tony Abbott and his team will have no choice but to listen.

    Thanks for standing with me on this,

    Bill

  • SBS under threat PETITION

    Click here to enable desktop notifications for Gmail.   Learn more  Hide
    1 of 4
    Web Clip

    SBS under threat

    Inbox
    		 x

    Margaret Pomeranz & Quentin Dempster – CommunityRun
    1:47 PM (1 hour ago)
    to me
    A message from Margaret Pomeranz and Quentin Dempster

    Here’s something you may not already know about: the government is proposing major changes to SBS’ advertising arrangement – which, if passed, would see primetime broadcasting interrupted with more ads, more frequently, than ever seen in Australia’s public broadcasting history.

    Read on for a message from former SBS & ABC TV presenter Margaret Pomeranz, and public broadcasting advocate and journalist Quentin Dempster, on what you can do to stop this proposal in its tracks – and click here to sign the petition: www.getup.org.au/saveoursbs

    ~ A message from Margaret and Quentin ~

    NEVILLE,

    Want to stop the further commercialisation of our already under fire public broadcasters?

    When Parliament re-commences next month, MPs and Senators will face a proposal on whether to allow the doubling of ads and commercial breaks on SBS, a move that will have a significant negative impact on our public broadcaster and its devoted viewers.

    If the government’s proposed amendments to the SBS Act are passed, SBS will look no different from the commercial networks. It will effectively be turned into Australia’s fourth fully commercial TV channel, by stealth.

    We will be doing everything we can to get the word out about the threat that these amendments pose to public broadcasting – but we need your help to demonstrate we have the support of the Australian public. The more signatures we can collect, the more seriously MPs and Senators will take us.

    Now is the moment that Australians need to stand up to fight for sustainable, multicultural public broadcasting, and stand up for our SBS. Sign our petition urging the Federal Parliament to reject amendments to extend advertising on SBS: www.getup.org.au/saveoursbs

    Our SBS is unique. It emerged in 1978 as an initiative of the Fraser Government, because of the shortage of services for the growing population of newly arrived Australians who didn’t speak English.

    In 2015, SBS’ reason for being is more relevant than ever. Australia is one of the world’s most multicultural countries, with an increasingly culturally diverse population. Thirty-three per cent of Australians weren’t born here, nor were their parents. In a time when the risk of segregation and polarisation are greater than ever, our SBS can break down xenophobia, racism and bigotry through intelligent, engaging journalism, informed conversation, satire, documentary, movies and entertainment programming.

    But if proposed amendments to the SBS Act pass, the SBS will be brought back to a shadow of its former self. It will be severely hindered in its ability to comply with its very own Charter, and provide quality content for Australians from diverse backgrounds.

    Audiences love SBS, but love it less with commercial breaks continually disrupting programs. Together, let’s remind our Parliament that we want our public broadcasters to treat us as audiences and as citizens in a robust democracy, not as consumers to be delivered up to advertisers.

    Will you sign this petition, urging Parliament to protect SBS and reject these amendments? www.getup.org.au/saveoursbs

    This isn’t just about SBS. Australian commercial media networks rely upon advertising revenue to underwrite its financial viability – and they don’t need a taxpayer-subsidised SBS competing for precious ad revenue. Public broadcasters weren’t designed to be run on a commercial media business plan.

    Here’s what we need to tell our politicians: we want a strong and creative private media sector in Australia, complemented by robust public broadcasters with their independent Charter roles. It’s this that has helped to make Australia a great and peace-loving country. Please join us and the Save Our SBS our campaign to fight for a non-commercial future for Australia’s great multi-cultural broadcaster: www.getup.org.au/saveoursbs

    With every good wish,

    Margaret Pomeranz & Quentin Dempster

    PS – We believe a public broadcaster that reaches Australia’s diverse communities through multi-lingual radio, online services and television programming is crucial to a sense of inclusion. SBS is an investment in our communities – let’s show politicians that we won’t stand for cuts by stealth: www.getup.org.au/saveoursbs

    GetUp is an independent, not-for-profit community campaigning group. We use new technology to empower Australians to have their say on important national issues. We receive no political party or government funding, and every campaign we run is entirely supported by voluntary donations. If you’d like to contribute to help fund GetUp’s work, please donate now! To unsubscribe from GetUp, please click here. Our team acknowledges that we meet and work on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We wish to pay respect to their Elders – past, present and future – and acknowledge the important role all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people continue to play within Australia and the GetUp community.