The Bullroarer - Monday 24th November 2008
Posted by Phil Hart on November 24, 2008 - 2:27am in The Oil Drum: Australia/New Zealand
SMH: Get paid for solar power on your roof
HOUSEHOLDERS who put solar panels on their roofs and generate power that feeds back into the electricity grid will be paid a fee, but how much will not be decided until January. The move to introduce the "feed-in tariff" will be announced today by the NSW Minister for Environment and Climate Change, Carmel Tebbutt, at a solar power conference in Sydney.
It marks an end to the State Government's opposition to solar subsidies. The Energy Minister, Ian Macdonald, is backing it despite strong objections from one of the state's main energy retailers, Energy Australia. NSW is the last state to introduce the solar subsidy or feed-in tariff.
ABC: Trucking association lobbies senators to dump indexation of fuel tax
The Australian Trucking Association is hoping its lobbying of independent senators will strengthen its case for changes to be made to a Federal Government bill which could increase the fuel tax.
The bill proposes the charge increase more than two cents per litre, and the trucking industry says that could go as high as six cents in the next five years.
Herald Sun: Experts predict only half of east-west tunnel will be built
ONLY half the east-west road tunnel proposed by the Eddington report will be built, a leading transport expert predicts.
Prof Nick Low, of Melbourne University's urban planning program, said the economic crisis would force the Government to drop the eastern half, which would have tunnelled under Carlton and Royal Park. But he said a tunnel from the Tullamarine Freeway to the Western Ring Rd at Sunshine would still ease traffic problems.
ABC: Clean Energy Council push for Govt encouragement
The head of an industry lobby group says the Federal Government should do more to encourage energy efficiency. The Clean Energy Council is holding its annual conference on the Gold Coast.
Chief executive Matthew Warren says Australia needs to make the most of its natural energy resources to reach its full potential. "We have some of the world's best hot rock assets and some of our wind turbines are three times more efficient than wind turbines operating on the same scale in Europe," he said. "We have terrific bioenergy resources, we are the world's sunniest continent.
SMH: Rich pickings on the horizon
Cashed-up companies are casting their eyes far and wide, writes Clancy Yeates. AT FIRST glance, New Zealand's oil and gas hub looks like it would be more at home in a glossy tourism brochure. The snowcapped Mount Taranaki towers over lush farmland. It has a likeness to Mount Fuji that convinced Warner Brothers to shoot the 2003 film The Last Samurai there, and the area has since become a hit with Japanese visitors.
ABC: O'Farrell playing 'me too' on transport: Govt
The New South Wales Government says an Opposition promise to set up a super transport body if it wins the next state election is a rip-off of Labor policy.
State Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell yesterday said the body would ensure a Coalition government would follow through on major public transport projects.
The Australian: Arrow Energy strikes development deal with China
ARROW Energy has signed an agreement with China's Bin Chang Mining to develop a coal bed methane project in Shaanxi Province.
Under the terms of the deal, if commercial volumes of gas are produced from the pilot program, the parties will enter into a formal joint venture to develop the area, the Australian coal seam gas producer said.
Stuff.co.nz: Fuel-saving car rally kicks off in Auckland
Fifty-nine vehicles will take part in the AA Energywise Rally starting in Auckland today, a race in which efficient fuel use is more important than crossing the finishing line first.
The Driver Award goes to the team that beats the rated fuel use of their vehicle by the highest percentage, and the Supreme Winner Award to the cheapest vehicle over the whole rally, including fuel and road user charges.
I see that Linc seem to be a little grumpy about their eviction from QLD to SA, calling the CSG industry a cartel :
http://peakenergy.blogspot.com/2008/11/coal-seam-gas-cartel.html
Range Resources are making one of the more interesting exploratory efforts offshore - trying their luck in Somalia - Range awaits Puntland govt election.
and this..
SMH: Bike accidents open door to paths
Nice one.
I live in fear of door-openers - they always take me unawares...
After years of worrying about it, I finally got clobbered one night riding home from work in Aberdeen a few years ago. Narrow street, dark, cars parked all along both sides, car coming the other way which only just fits. (I had three front lights - including one on my helmet and one very bright one).
Somebody had been waiting for that car to pass and then opened their door.. all over in a flash. It was a slight uphill but I was pedalling firmly and collected the corner of the door against my chest. The bruise lasted quite awhile. A couple of inches higher and I think I would have broken a collar bone. The driver got quite a shock too..
Ouch !
Even with near misses they tend to get quite a shock...
Ditto for iPod wearing dog walkers meandering along bike paths in the wrong lane (another pet peeve of mine).
The coal seam gas boom seems to be starting in NZ as well:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4771490a13.html
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=1054...
The following article will probably get into the next Bullroarer, but I'm so flabbergasted I have to say something now...
http://www.theage.com.au/national/rudd-claims-global-role-on-coal-emissi...
...Why couldn't our glorious leader have volunteered us for something more achievable, such as inventing perpetual motion?
In ten years the rest of the world will be saying, "Climate change is all down to those danged Aussies who couldn't make carbon sequestration work!"
;-)
The next Bullroarer is a little slow in coming, so thanks for posting this.
Do people like Rudd really believe "clean coal" will ever be real, or are they actively providing cover for the coal industry ?