Wstern Advocate (Bathurst) Startling statistics

A small delegation of Bathurst residents is planning to attend a national conference to discuss ‘Population, Peak Oil and Climate Change’. The two-day conference, starting on Friday in Canberra, will see several international and Australian speakers present papers and participate in a wide range of discussions.

Michael Lardelli, Perspective (ABC-Australia) - The Australia 2020 Summit - more hallucination than clear vision

In April this year 1000 of Australia's best minds will congregate in Canberra for Kevin Rudd's Australia 2020 summit. The name suggests that these fine folk will form a clear vision of what we want Australia to be in 12 years time and the long term challenges that our nation faces. Quoting from the Labor Party website for the summit [1] , one of its five objectives is said to be, "To provide a forum for free and open public debate in which there are no predetermined right or wrong answers". This sounds great but as one reads further one finds that this is simply not true. In fact, the summit is destined to fail. By the year 2020 - only 12 years away - we will look back on the summit and the reports it produces as a lost opportunity. A tragic victory for fantasy and self-deception at a moment when a clear vision of reality could have helped us to meet the challenges ahead.

Grist - Australia's ratification of the Kyoto Protocol comes into force

Australia's ratification of the Kyoto Protocol came into force on Tuesday. While the Aussies have the second-highest greenhouse-gas emissions per capita in the developed world, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd waxed optimistic, saying the country is on track to meet its Kyoto-suggested emissions-reduction targets. "From today, Australia officially becomes part of the global solution on climate change, not just part of the global problem," Rudd announced. Still part of the global problem: the United States, the last industrialized country to hold out on Kyoto.

The Australian - Spotlight on price of petrol

THE consumer watchdog is monitoring petrol prices in the run-up to Easter, with motorists expected to be paying about $1.50 a litre following the latest surge in global oil prices. Crude oil hit $US108.21 a barrel - an increase of $US3 - during Monday trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, and yesterday's Asian price was $US107.70 a barrel. Australian prices are benchmarked against movements in the Singapore price for 95-octane petrol, which has been following the crude price closely in the past month. Federal Consumer Affairs Minister Chris Bowen said last night that when oil prices were high, it was even more important that the Government did everything in its power to ensure motorists were not paying a cent more than was necessary.

The Australian - Interstate power upgrade scotched

THE high-voltage electricity connection between NSW and Queensland will not be upgraded because costs are outweighed by market benefits. The link -- the Queensland NSW Interconnector or QNI -- allows transference of up to 1100 megawatts of Queensland electricity to meet shortfalls in Victoria and South Australia, and for 700MW of southern power to travel north. It is a key contributor to the National Electricity Market (NEM).

In recent years there has been criticism that QNI restricts the transfer of electricity north and south and limits the effectiveness of Queensland participation in the NEM. It was said in 2005 that a $120 million upgrade could be economic in 2009. At the time, the upgrade was promoted as providing economic benefits to the NEM by improving the reliability of power supply to both Queensland and NSW, eliminating costly constraints on the QNI, potentially reducing power station operating and investment costs across the NEM and lowering the wholesale price of electricity. Following a pre-feasibility study, this view has now been overturned.

QNI came into operation in 2001 and completed one of the world's longest alternating current transmission systems, stretching 4500km from Cairns in Far North Queensland to Port Augusta in South Australia.

Scoop.co.nz - National electricity grid greatly worries NZers

Eight out of 10 New Zealanders believe the national electricity grid needs upgrading. Some 42% think an upgrade is urgent, according to the results of a major new national poll by ShapeNZ. More than six out of 10 also believe the national interest are more important than local interests when considering grid upgrades and major new power generation projects. Support for putting the national interest first still holds strong at 56% even when it might involve putting a pylon or new power station on or near respondent's own home or land.

Energy Current - New Zealand outlines energy plans

New Zealand will actively encourage petroleum exploration and development as the role of fossil fuels remain critical to ensuring the security of the nation's energy sources, Energy Minister David Parker said at an address to the NZ Petroleum Conference yesterday afternoon. Increased petroleum exports can significantly improve New Zealand's trade balance, while increased returns from royalties and taxes can be applied for the benefit of all New Zealanders, Parker said.

Oil production in New Zealand subsided since a write-down of the reserves in the country's signature Maui field. Now, the country has four major projects undergoing offshore Taranaki: Tui, Maari, Kupe and Pohokura. Production at these fields will bring 140 million barrels of new reserves into the market by 2010, Parker said. New Zealand expects to invite bids for blocks in a new offshore oil and gas frontier, the Raukumara sub-basin, in the third quarter of 2008. The area, covering 25,000 square kilometres (9,653 sq miles) below the offshore Raukumara Plain, is touted to hold up to 10 million barrels per square kilometre in waters around 2,000 metres (772 ft) deep and about 2,000 metres (772 ft) below the seabed, based on data acquired by Crown Minerals.

However, Parker also cautioned against substantial increases in domestic gas or coal production for electricity generation. He indicated a continued commitment towards the country's Energy Strategy released last October. The strategy outlined New Zealand's ambition to meet 90 per cent of its energy needs from renewable sources by 2025. To meet the target, New Zealand needs to build about 175 MW of renewable generation capacity each year. "This year we're building 300 MW [of renewable energy capacity], and there are many other significant projects in the planning, especially for geothermal and wind," Parker said.

The Australian - BHP to part close S. Africa smelter

BHP Billiton expects to lose about 120,000 tonnes of aluminium production in South Africa this year, primarily from its Bayside smelter, where some operations will be shut. The loss, which will include an anticipated 92,000 tonnes at Bayside in Richards Bay, is the result of South Africa's power shortage and rationing to large industrial operations.

The Australian - Cleaning up coal's dirty image

WHITE Energy chief executive John Atkinson says there's no such thing as clean coal. He believes that concepts such as carbon sequestration or coal-to-liquids processes, which are touted as possible ways of delivering "clean coal", are a long way from becoming an economic reality. "Clean coal sounds good, but cleaner coal is the reality," says Atkinson. "We can clean up coal -- but we can only take it so far."