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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.
 

  • Chinese ecotower filters river

    Riding the wave of new development in China, Studio SHIFT recently won a competition to design a fantastic new landmark in Miyi County. Miyi Tower will sit on the edge of the Anning river as a symbol of the new face of Sichuan provence. The tower’s most striking feature is its whimsical latticework skin, which suffuses the structure with daylight and ‘”evokes the shimmering surface of the river below.” This connection is reinforced by the project’s goal of filtering and transforming the polluted Anning river into a lush landscape of wetlands, lakes, leisure and agricultural areas.

    Los Angeles based Studio SHIFT and SWA Group were selected to create a master plan for the developing area of New South Town in Sichuan Provence. The northern section will include a new high-density residential and cultural hub devoted to regional arts while the southern section will transform the highly-polluted Anning river into a viable ecosystem. The design will utilize natural and mechanical filtration to turn what was once an environmental liability into an a significant community and cultural asset.

    More pictures inHabitat

  • NSW debates feed in tarrifs for rooftop solar

    The the climatemovement.org.au website, people have been sending the following letter to government agencies and members of parliament.

    I support the Nature Conservation Council of NSW’s submission for a strong, gross solar feed-in tariff that pays householders for all of the electricity they produce, not just for the surplus electricity that isn’t used and fed back into the grid.

    I agree with the Nature Conservation Council’s recommendations for an effective Feed-in Tariff framework:

    * The scheme should apply to the gross amount of energy generated, not the surplus exported to the electricity grid.

    * The scheme should cover all renewable energy technologies, so that it provides an incentive for large-scale renewable power that can feed into our homes and businesses.

    * The incentive should be available to businesses as well as households, helping small businesses and creating opportunities for large-scale renewable energy.

    * Energy efficiency programs already announced by the government need to be fast-tracked, and an aggressive energy efficiency short-term target set, to shield electricity consumers against the small rise in the price of fossil-fuel electricity.

    * The tariff should be two-tiered, with a lower final electricity tariff for low-income households. Low-income and disadvantaged households should be issued with a concession card exempting them from any price rises associated with the scheme.

    * The NSW Government must underpin household investment in solar energy technology by guaranteeing the tariff for a minimum of 20 years.

  • Farmers see Australia as world food bowl

    THIS week the NFF officially released its Budget Submission highlighting the need for any Government stimulus tackling the impact of the global financial crisis on the Australian economy to take full account of agriculture’s vital function in underpinning economic growth, prosperity, jobs and food production.
    Further, the Government must focus on a strategy for addressing the short-term fiscal shot-in-the-arm necessary to bolster the economy now, but ensure that investment generates lasting growth and prosperity.
    The NFF maintains that it does not have a Budget ‘wish-list’, rather a clear plan to secure the Australian economy and jobs through the global financial crisis. In doing so, ensuring Australia is front-and-centre in overcoming the world food shortage.
    This is an important message, reminding people just how important agriculture is to the Australian economy. Our farm sector underpins 12% of GDP, 1.6 million Australian jobs and 20% of our national exports.
    When you throw the world food shortage into the mix – which is worsening as the global population grows by 100 million people a year, while there is less land for food production – it’s a compelling case for the Australian Government to re-invest in Australia’s agricultural capacity now.
    The NFF’s media release launching the Budget Submission is available at: http://www.nff.org.au/read/2464041787.html. Contact: NFF Manager – Economics and Trade, Charlie McElhone.

  • Thin film panels roll out from Indai

    “Moser Baer is pursuing a differentiated strategy in the high growth photovoltaic business and launching production of the SunFab thin film solar module line is of great significance in our effort to bring the solar energy dream to fruition. The thin film line will help us significantly scale up our manufacturing capacity and supply thin film solar modules to our customers. The close relationship we have with Applied has enabled us to quickly ramp up our Greater Noida facility,” said Deepak Puri, chairman and managing director of Moser Baer.

    The Applied SunFab line is a fully-integrated PV module production line that delivers solar manufacturing capability using advanced engineering, process equipment, automation and other key supporting technologies. PV modules produced by Applied’s SunFab line have very recently been certified by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), verifying that they meet stringent performance and safety specifications under challenging environmental conditions.

    To be awarded certification, the IEC standards subject PV modules to a series of tests designed to simulate years of exposure to sunlight, extreme temperatures, wind and precipitation — factors that can impact long-term reliability. The IEC 61646 standard for thin-film modules tests environmental conditions and power output, while the IEC 61730 standard mandates additional electrical and environmental testing to provide assurance of safe operation of a module throughout its expected lifetime.

    The testing and certification of the SunFab modules was conducted by TÜV Saarland of Germany, and covers both single junction and higher-efficiency tandem junction modules in what is currently the most commonly installed size (1.1m x 1.3m). Module manufacturers can produce four panels of this size from each 5.7m² substrate processed by the SunFab line to achieve high production and cost efficiencies. Certification of full size 5.7m² modules, which are best suited for utility-scale applications, is expected in the first half of 2009

  • Massachusetts aims for 10 percent wind power

     

    by Carl Levesque, AWEA – RenewableEnergyWorld.com

    Providing further support to a package of previously passed legislation impacting renewables development, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick set a goal of developing 2,000 megawatts (MW) of wind power capacity by 2020.

    “With the growing interest in wind turbines we see in communities across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the abundant wind resource we have off our coast, wind power is going to be a centerpiece of the clean energy economy we are creating for Massachusetts,” said Patrick.

    Massachusetts has been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy for one of just two Wind Technology Testing Centers in the country.

     

  • Farmers ‘gutted’ by reef damage claims

    A MASSIVE surge of polluted water has spewed onto the Great Barrier Reef following heavy rains that hit north Queensland last week, environmentalists say.

    WWF reef spokesman Nick Heath has called for tougher regulations on farm chemicals following the flow of polluted runoff.

    “When big weather systems blow through the area, a lethal chemical cocktail of farm pesticides, nutrients and sediment gushes on to the reef from Queensland’s many rivers,” the WWF said.

    The WWF estimated up to one million megalitres – enough polluted water to twice fill Sydney Harbour – entered the reef after a monsoon brought drenching rain to north Queensland.

    Mr Heath said satellite imagery confirmed water flows travelled to mid-shelf reefs, causing algal blooms.

    “If we are to give our iconic reef the best chance of withstanding climate change, we must ensure its water quality is as clean as possible,” Mr Heath said. “It is astounding what we are allowing to happen to the reef.”

    Premier Anna Bligh last year flagged farming regulation and penalties after years of voluntary efforts to help save the reef had not worked.

    The announcement was unpopular with farmers but Ms Bligh said the reef would die if nothing was done.

    A recent study showed more than 6.5 million tonnes of sediment was discharged into the reef in 2007 – four times higher than estimated pre-European settlement levels.

    It’s estimated the reef injects $6 billion into the tourism economy each year and provides about 65,000 jobs