Australian Carbon Price Day of Shame

Shame on Australia.

The farce surrounding the repeal of the Carbon Tax is revealing the decay in the standard of politics and debate in our fair country.

Last time I looked Barnaby Joyce, my lamb roast didn't cost $100. It was only $15 per kilo last week. Better than Lamb Back straps. If this is the level of your understanding then ....!

http://www.solarcitizens.org.au/myths

As Mr Adam Bandt is saying on the radio just now, we won't get our $550 back as the increase in electricity costs has largely been induced by increasing fixed standing charges.

I will be checking my bill in the next year.

So shame on a country, one of the richest in the world, who says we have neither the leadership, the moral authority or the reasoned scientific argument to fairly price Carbon pollution, to everyone who uses and emits.

So we will miss out on the tide of investment and jobs in the new Renewable Economy. It will cost us more.
Just like we did with the Internet and Digital Revolution.
we will unfairly contribute to a word environment problem with our selfishness. Act local, think Global.

A day of shame indeed.

With hopefully electoral backlash to all who participated.
So who is investing in a new air conditioner, this El Nino summer??

World Environment Day 5 June 2014: Tony's Hate Campaign

This Thursday will be World Environment Day. As such I thought a recent list of 'environment' news would be instructive. So please give generously of your time, money, brains to supporting our environment. Do it NOW. Its your support and work that is helping our Environment, not the Government.

• The Federal Budget as a starting point brought more bad news for Environment Groups leading to my email inbox being inundated with meetings, petitions and requests for funds.
• Solar Citizens is holding a "Our Solar at Risk" Public Meeting on 19 June at RMIT- Tickets are free but limited: Check out details at  http://www.solarcitizens.org.au/melbourne to book. 
• The Climate Council has published the "Abnormal Autumn" report.
• See the Conversations take on the Abnormal Autumn report.
• Australia's environmental laws including the RET have delivered more than our Kyoto Targets, with very little change to our economy. But these will be wound back with a great new tax (Liberal Party's Direct Action) on the Australian people  instead of the small Carbon Tax on a few companies. To protest at changes to the RET (Renewable Energy Target) join Getup's Protect the RET.
• Dirty air is being breathed by the most poor and vulnerable in Australia according to this report by the Conversation. Equity issues here as everywhere else in Australia.
• Australia's leading place in Mammal Extinction continues with recent reports showing our current efforts are leading to 1 mammal going extinct per decade. How to stop this trend requires money, cost-effective analysis and involvement of industry and stakeholders. But money is now tight and there is not an effective science, conservation or climate change minister in the Federal Government.
• Barack Obama plans a 30% cut in Carbon emissions from its dirty coal-fired power stations. He will have to use Presidential decree to get the plans through and like Australia, the reaction from industry is predictable with politicians in coal industry areas running for cover. He risks the same response as we have had. A new government sweeping away any and everything to do with improvement in environmental laws to benefit the fat cats and conservatives of industry. So much for innovation and new industry development which is sympathetic to clean air, water, local industry and good jobs.
• ABC Lateline reports "The head of China's most advanced carbon emissions exchange says australia could scuttle the creation of a global system of carbon trading by dumping its scheme at a crucial time." We should be careful about annoying China as it starts to flex its considerable economic and political muscles. As well as trying to get its rampant ecological problems under control using clean technology. 

Volte Face - PUP

I was surprised and very skeptical to receive an email from Solar Citizens and others regarding the Palmer United Party (PUP)  and Renewable Energy Targets (RET)

Red Sunset on the Autumnal Equinox

"I am writing today with a very important update regarding the future of the Renewable Energy Target in Australia.

Just yesterday evening Clive Palmer and members of his Palmer United Party (PUP), announced they support the maintenance of Australia's current 20% renewable energy target.*

Palmer himself told Fairfax Media he is a ''supporter of renewable energy'', and Palmer United's lead WA Senate candidate, Dio Wang said he thought the current review of the Renewable Energy Target was a ''waste of taxpayers' money.''"

But of course, this changed the very next day - support only involves a voluntary Renewable Energy Target. Why am I not surprised"

I thought it was too good to be true! I didn't think PUP had a record of interest in sustainable, renewable development. Now I'm sure of it!

Well done Federal Senate for refusing to allow the repeal of the Carbon Tax!

But its a dangerous game, pushing for a double dissolution, given the current climate (pun intended).

2 Million Solar and Mr Abbott talks about Coal and Gas!

On ABC Radio World Today, our Prime Minister Tony Abbott made some short-sighted comments regarding Renewable Energy.

Join http://www.solarcitizens.org.au/

"Australia should be the affordable energy capital of the world" and  "Australia has a super abundance of coal and gas"

Yes Tony I agree to the first which is why I have Solar PV. The sun is free! We also have a superabundance of solar generated electricity which is now as cheap as electricity generated by highly polluting coal and gas.
The answers to the problem of variable supply are already here, it just needs government and investment policies that encourage implementation. This is where the RET and the Australian Clean Energy Finance Corporation comes in.
But I forget, these are organisations you and your government have decided not to listen to or value. Thus I am cynical your RET review will deliver anything other than what the Coal and Gas lobbies would like.

See the Renew Economy report on 2 million small solar installations to see what we have achieved in a few short years.

Christmas Cake & Donations- How to divide the portions

As I sit down to write this post my Christmas Cake is cooking gently in my electric oven. Its another cool overcast day here in Melbourne, ideal weather to cook cakes and not suffer heat stroke.
Once cooked I will have to write strict instructions on the cake tin to make sure the cake is kept intact for Christmas Day. Or I can do what my mother does and freeze the cake, bringing it out when I defrost the turkey.
More worrying is how to divide my donations to charity this year. There are so many needy people and organisations. With the various environmental groups reeling in shock with Federal Governments decisions to repeal the Carbon Tax, axe the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, dismiss the Climate Commission, approve the dredging of the harbour at Abbott Point, Queensland for an expanded Coal Terminal and encourage logging in Tasmanian World Heritage areas, I don't know where to turn.
Now Getup has another save the ABC campaign which also is deserving of help.

So sorry to some of my normal people focussed charities, I'm going to divide my donation dollars and support some of these environmental campaigns. After all people need to live in an environment that supports them with clean air, water, sustainable energy, sustainable work and reliable information. As worried Holden workers are finding to their cost.

As Tony Abbott said prior to his election win as reported by SBS News on the idea of a mandate:

“As an Opposition our job is to hold the Government rigorously to account. Oppositions are not there to get legislation through. Oppositions are there to hold the Government to account, and unless we are confident a piece of legislation is beyond reasonable doubt in the national interest, it is our duty, as the Opposition, to vote it down.”

WA revisits its Feed In Tariff

Join them. I have!!

Congratulations to Solar Citizens and other groups who protested the West Australian State Government announcement it wished to change the Feed in Tariff for Solar house owners who were promised 40c. The announcement that they were going to reduce this to 20c was greeted with protests. People Power Lights up WA gives the full story.
As someone who purchased Solar Power a number of years ago I too am on a Feed In Tariff that is greater than the paltry 8c per kWh that is the current tariff. I hope the current Victorian State Government doesn't think to try and follow their West Australian brethren. However, I would personally prefer that Solar Power stands on its own feet, so to speak, and have most subsidies removed. Governments of all persuasions have bugger all credibility in this area with short-term thinking and swinging policies.

I think the tide has turned (sorry another metaphor) and so many people are now aware of the benefits, pitfalls and experience of solar power. I hope the current increases in electricity costs will continue to drive solar uptake and the current schemes to promote them are at arms length from all forms of government.

The Federal Liberals have promised to Cut the Carbon Tax and many of the various public service bodies, including the Climate Commission which are promoting the move to renewable industries.
Perhaps even the RET (Renewable energy Targets will be in the firing line, though supposedly both parties agree to the 5%  carbon reduction  reduction target.
"Election 2013 Issues: looking after Australia", by Andrew Campbell (The Conversation website) gives a good run-down on some of the problems of Government short-term thinking, unsatisfactory interference and general inability to have a bi-partisan approach to improving our environment, livability and climate problems.

If the current polling on the Federal Election is carried through to the actual Election Results then we had better be prepared for a steam roller (another metaphor!) over all sorts of things.
Perhaps I'd better get my protest shoes on and banners prepared.

Winter Sunshine

As we draw near the Winter Solstice, when the shortest days of the year induce winter somnolence, my son reminded me to check the output of our 1 kW Photo voltaic unit. On a cold and sunny day we generated 2.85 kWh of electricity, a bit more than I had expected.
Although the temperature dipped to below 0 degrees C and we experienced a frost, I have been sitting inside without heating, reading my Renew Magazine.

"The full cycle: How sustainable is solar PV" by Alex Bruce, pg 40 (issue 124 Jul-Sep 2013) explained the concept of Life Cycle Assessment. Here all the energy inputs into the device- resource extraction, manufacture, transport, life-cycle use and death- are calculated and and compared with the energy produced by the unit. The full range of inputs is discussed in the report but given my mathematics is a bit challenged, I'll accept the author's conclusion.
Their case study indicated that the PV unit paid for itself in CO2 equivalents in just over 3 years. 

With an expected lifetime production of power of greater than20 years that's a clear win for the carbon sustainability of PhotoVoltaic panels. 
A quote in the article "It is better to be vaguely right than exactly wrong" comes comes from Carveth Read, the British philosopher and logician.    

So renewable energy, generated by the sun, wind, geothermal etc, sounds vaguely right to me. That we are only slowly getting there is no reason to turn our back on the development of these technologies. Change is always hard particularly for entrenched interests such as the fossil energy producers. 
If renewable energy can produce 13.14% of Australia's energy in 2012 (Clean Energy Report 2012 reported in Renew Magazine ) and provide employment for 24,300 people then there is room for considerable improvement.
The same reports indicated 90% of people took some kind of action to reduce their energy bills in 2012. Price signals from combined actions such as the Carbon Tax and Renewable Energy Targets are having an impact, so lets keep them.
So join with others who feel renewable energy use is important. Join the ATA, subscribe to Renew Magazine, join Solar Citizens and other advocacy organisations and put your voice and political power behind these organisations.
But beware of "Turbulent Times Ahead" - but that's another story written by Ben Eltham in New Matilda.

"Sunny Times Ahead" whilst we flood

Flooding Nov 2007

As the rain continued to fall yesterday leading to flooding in Gippsland and parts of Melbourne, I was reading my paper copy of Choice Magazine. "Sunny Times Ahead" detailed the findings by the Alternative Technology Association, ATA, on the payback periods for Solar Power ( PV) throughout Australia.

Whilst now is a good time to buy current solar technology, the fall in the Australian dollar will lead to an increase in the price of panels, in the short term at least. Long term, I would have thought the outlook is sunny with further reductions in costs and increases in efficiency as more research is done.
What concerned me is the question "Is bigger better?" on page 39 of the article.

In purely economic terms, the answer is no. The changes to Feed in Tariff's(FiT) have mean't that consumers are actively penalized from installing as much capacity as our roofs can stand. This means the Electricity companies are continuing to produce highly polluting, carbon rich electricity, particularly in Victoria with little thought of the environmental consequences. So if you considered only the environment, then big is certainly better!

If all the roofs in Melbourne, capable of producing solar power, were encouraged to produce and feed into the grid, then more CO2 free electricity is produced, less infrastructure in terms of new Coal Powered Generation is required. (Gas Powered generation will be required to load balance at the moment).

Research has shown that the current level of Solar Power, plus other renewable energy is reducing the cost of peak power. It is incredibly short-sighted to reduce this energy input and will make those who are poorer and don't own their own roofs more susceptible to "electricity supply gold plating". See the following article by the Age and checkout the Melbourne Energy Institute web site for more in-depth, knowledgeable articles.

That's why I have joined Solar Citizens, the ATA and the Australian Consumer Association. I want my voice to be heard, my roof to produce as much solar as it can (within my limited budget) and know that I am at least trying to reduce my environmental impact, before it all becomes irrelevant (EROEI stuff).