Daily Telegraph: Power up the hybrids and forget petrol

SO drivers will escape the full force of emissions trading, with the Government cutting excise until 2013 to negate the extra cost of petrol once the scheme is introduced in 2010. On the face of it that's fair enough, given the pain motorists have already suffered.

But concerns about the cost of petrol totally miss the point - far more important is the need to help drivers turn away from oil towards something far better. Namely, electricity. The age of the electric car is dawning, an age in which $5 worth of electricity (even at post-emissions trading prices) will get you as far as $40 worth of petrol does today.

The Australian: Massive clean energy reserves found

This is either disengenious or displays an incredible lack of understanding, by both the journalist and Anna Bligh. Coal-seam methane is not 'zero emission' any more than coal is. Are the companies really bidding for the 'zero emission' geothermal resources deep underground in granite, or are they primarily interested in the more accessible coal seam methane?

QUEENSLAND has struck yet another bonanza with the discovery of an enormous reservoir of zero-emission coal seam gas, 100km east of the outback town of Cloncurry.
...
"Other rocks of this age in other basins have significant coal seam gas and water resources, and the granites uncovered signal the potential for new sources of geothermal energy that have the potential to generate one-fifth of Australia's total electricity needs over the next 25 years without producing any carbon dioxide emissions,'' Ms Bligh said.

Business Spectator: Has the oil bubble popped?

Last week was a rough one for oil-price experts. On Monday, when the price of crude topped $147 a barrel, they were mulling over a $200 peak. By Friday, the price had dropped 12 per cent to $130 and the question was whether this bubble has finally and definitively popped.

It will, sooner or later. When supply gets durably ahead of demand, financial conditions will no longer set the price, because the key factor will no longer be the cash and credit available to buy scarce oil. Then the price will tumble back towards the $50-a-barrel full cost of production.

GreenLeft: Climate Camp blockades coal port

More than one thousand people successfully blockaded the world’s largest coal port in Newcastle on July 13, bringing coal trains to a halt for most of the day. The mass blockade was part of the Camp for Climate Action, held in Newcastle between July 10-15.

ABC: NSW urged to learn from WYD transport success

Former Roads and Traffic Authority director Ken Dobinson says the New South Wales Government should draw lessons from the success of Sydney's public transport system during World Youth Day celebrations.

Mr Dobinson says the system ran smoothly, despite hundreds of thousands of extra people crowding the city, because buses, trains and ferries were better coordinated and the different transport authorities worked together.

NZ Herald: Commuters leaving cars at home

The soaring price of petrol seems to be changing Aucklanders' commuting habits. And new figures show public transport use at record highs. An Auckland Regional Council Transport Patronage Survey shows the level of public transport use this year is the highest since records began in 1986.

The one-day, snapshot survey - which records numbers of public transport users on April 1 each year - shows overall public transport use up 9.4 per cent from last year. Commuter rail leads the way. More than 5700 passengers took trains on survey day - up 34.8 per cent from last year.

Scoop NZ: Understanding of the key components of fuel prices

With the volatility in petrol and diesel pump prices, it is difficult for those outside the industry to determine the impact of the two key variables; crude oil prices and exchange rates. That is until now.

With the benefit of information from the Ministry of Economic Development (“MED”) website, The ValueAdd Company has just launched a user-definable online calculator designed to allow users to get an understanding of the key components of fuel prices. (See http://fuel.nzh1.com)

eTravelBlackboard: Virgin Blue takes new measures to offset fuel

In order to mitigate the pressure of fuel, Virgin Blue Airlines announced last week four key measures including capacity reduction, new baggage fees, lower lead-in fares and a 5% increase in flexible fares.

SMH: Rudd sails through greenhouse test despite lack of green flagellation

The Rudd Government is never going to win a medal for political bravery. It's not in the same league as Hawke-Keating Labor. Even so, it's done a better job with its first step towards a carbon pollution reduction scheme than many people accept.

Last week's green paper has been criticised on three fronts. First are industry vested interests intent on scaring the public and the Government into giving them an easier ride than they've been promised. There's no law against rent-seeking, but everything they say should be viewed with scepticism.