TVNZ - Smith hints at changes to ETS timetable

Climate Change Minister Nick Smith has hinted that there may be quick changes to the timetable for bringing different sectors into the government's amended emissions trading scheme (ETS) once a parliamentary select committee reports back.

News.com.au - Queensland petrol prices to rise by 10c a litre

MOTORISTS can expect to pay an extra 10 cents a litre at the pump next week when the scrapped fuel tax subsidy and school holidays deliver a double blow to hip pockets in Queensland.

ABC - Fuel price drop likely

The RAA says the price of petrol will fall in coming days, after seven consecutive weeks of rises.

Brisbane Times - Oil price turns higher in Asia

"It's really the currency movement that continues to be a driver of oil prices in the near term," said Victor Shum, a senior principal at energy consultancy Purvin and Gertz in Singapore.

Conflicting signals about the strength of a recovery for the global economy have led to volatile swings in oil prices recently, with some analysts saying they were recovering too fast despite weak demand.

Business Day - Solar power scheme expands

A CONTROVERSIAL scheme that will pay a premium for rooftop solar power has been expanded to include small businesses, schools and community buildings.

The State Government's solar bill — which will pay 60 cents per kilowatt hour of solar energy generated at home and fed into the electricity grid — previously applied only to homes.

Sail World - World's first totally green superyacht
Ah, yes.... the joy of sailing the ocean blue in that symbol of your dedication to sustainability - your own super-yacht

Solar Sailor created its first solar vessel in time for the Sydney Olympics and it has been in use since by Australian tourist company, Captain Cook Cruises, as well as acting as its research and development vessel. In November the company will launch the first of four vessels being built in China for the Hong Kong ferry authority, and it is helping design drone vessels for the US military that will use a combination of solar, wind and wave power.

The attraction of the super yacht market, says Dane, is that about 600 super yachts of 30m or more are built each year and a green yacht could be the ultimate statement of sustain ability for the rich.

Mining Australia - Nuclear cleanest option, study

A new study commissioned by the Australian Uranium Association (AUA) has found that nuclear energy is the world's only currently available ‘clean’ power capable of producing base-load electricity.

On Line Opinion - Hasten slowly into renewable energy

It took the Earth millions of years to develop those stores of high energy density fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas). In the last 150 years, big holes have been made in those fuel stores. For oil, at least, production may soon peak and start to fall. Gas may be in short supply this century and, eventually, coal will meet the same fate. All this at a time of growing energy demand from countries like China and India.

As if this were not concern enough, we are now told that these high carbon fuels are damaging the atmosphere and warming the planet and we need to quickly replace them with other forms of energy. Further, to avoid the same problem happening again, we need these energy sources to be low-carbon and sustainable. This is a Herculean task. We are trying to do in a few decades what the earth took millions of years to do.

The Australian - Climate ball up in the air
Doesn't really add anything to the argument ( see: http://www.skepticalscience.com/argument.php ) but worth reading the comments.

IT is surprising to see the slow response of Climate Change Minister Penny Wong in fielding a team to counter the arguments assembled by Family First senator Steve Fielding's team of experts and presented on this page last week. At this stage we don't know whether the questions are too hard or she has opted for the regal approach of lofty silence. As a mere scientist, I'll join my colleague Neville Nicholls, whose letter was published in The Australian on Saturday, and step in where others have declined to tread.