Faulty wind farms sinking into the sea
Faulty wind farms sinking into the sea
- From: The Times
- April 14, 2010
The Resolution, a purpose-built ship made for installing windmill rotors, is at a wind farm off the east coast of England. Source: Bloomberg
HUNDREDS of offshore wind turbines could be suffering from a design flaw that makes them sink into the sea.
Energy company engineers are urgently investigating the extent to which their offshore wind farms are affected, after flaws were discovered on a Dutch wind farm last year.
The problem could cost ₤50million ($83m), said Renewables UK, the industry body that represents wind farm developers. It says that almost all of the 336 offshore turbines that have been erected could be affected as these were built to European standards now in question.
The problem arises in the concrete used to fix the turbine to its steel foundation. Shell found that some of the turbines at Egmond aan Zee, its Dutch wind farm, had moved a few centimetres.
Keneally government bungles household solar scheme
Keneally government bungles household solar scheme Media release: 14 April 2010 Households with solar power are losing hundreds of dollars and beingforced to wait months because of flaws in the Keneally government’ssolar feed-in scheme, according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye. Dr Kaye said: “The Keneally Government’s solar bonus scheme has beenheld up with delays over the installation Continue Reading →
Churches must not be allowed to sabotage ethics lessons
Churches must not be allowed to sabotage ethics lessons Media release: 13 April 2010 Moves by the Sydney Anglican church hierarchy to interfere with the development of an ethics-based alternative to religious instruction in public schools could severely disadvantage children from non-believing families, according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye (SMH, Tuesday 13 April 2010, p 1, Continue Reading →
Going carbon neutral : Caliifornia pours a foundation for cities to build on
Going carbon neutral: California pours a foundation for cities to build on
Communities adapt with own brands of sustainability planning and conservation. From SolveClimate, part of the Guardian Environment Network
- guardian.co.uk, Monday 12 April 2010 11.31 BST
- Article history
State governments are beginning to set the stage for widespread climate action with emissions laws, energy efficiency rules and renewable energy standards, but the hands-on work of actually achieving carbon-neutral status is happening in cities.
Mangrove forests hit by coastal developments
Ecologist
9th April, 2010
Increasing threats to mangrove species are a symptom of the widespread destruction and exploitation of forest habitats, say campaigners
The widespread destruction of mangrove forests due to logging and coastal development projects has been revealed by a pioneering global assessment.
According to an analysis by the Global Marine Species Assessment Unit (GMSA), more than one in six mangrove species are threatened with extinction.
Rudd health reforms ‘bizarre’, says Reserve Bank Board member Roger Corbett
Rudd health reforms ‘bizarre’, says Reserve Bank board member Roger Corbett
- From: The Australian
- April 12, 2010
RESERVE Bank board member Roger Corbett has attacked Kevin Rudd’s hospital reform plan as “bizarre”, and a “formula for disaster”, as the Prime Minister today prepares to release a $739 million injection to aged-care services as a sweetener to break the deadlock with the states.
The former Woolworths chief executive, who chairs the Westmead Children’s Hospital in Sydney’s west, described the plan as “almost grotesque” and praised Victorian Premier John Brumby and Kristina Keneally of NSW for resisting elements of the blueprint, arguing it would not end the blame game and would add to confusion.
“It’s not going to resolve anything. In fact, it’s conceivably going to significantly worsen the situation,” Mr Corbett told the Seven Network.