The Week That Was - August 1 2013

This week, more discussion about financing coal fired power stations, or not. Good news about Australia’s emissions, and we are told it will be a hot one this year. The Marshall Islands are leading the way and you wanna buy a new car?? Read on for all this and more…

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"Australia's economy could grind to a halt in a matter of days if there was a major disruption to the world's energy markets."
Dick Smith

Let’s start off with the wonderful news that Australia will soon be the home of the largest solar power station in the Southern Hemisphere… To be housed in rural NSW along with the big sheep, the big prawn, the big banana.

At the same time there is a whole lot of news questioning the validity of investing in coal. This piece of research out now is from Climate Works. Some pieces pull no punches.

Meanwhile the mining and gas industries' ad campaign has launched. Are they confusing national interest with other interests? While the high rolling financial house of Goldman Sachs’ are not confused at all – they say investing in coal is a dud and renewables are the way to the future.

And the great news is that Australia’s carbon emissions are – officially – stable. With it comes no visible sign of economic collapse. In fact, we have enjoyed economic growth.

Which is a good thing for us to remember as we swelter through another very hot year.

And economists from Cambridge University in the UK have released research that reveals that if we allow the Arctic Circle to defrost it will cost $60 trillion. That’s a lot. And our friends at CANA Europe have released some technical but very interesting research about how we can limit a global temperature rise, factoring any economic restraints.

While we are waiting, K Rudd is copping flack for not getting on with enough energy efficiency measures, and we are told business could save thousands by becoming efficient. And US EPA chief Gina McCarthy said it all when she asked her audience at Harvard Law School “can we stop talk about environmental regulations killing jobs please?”

While we muck about figuring out our domestic energy efficiency issues – Marshallese Senator Tony de Brum was in Canberra this week asking for Australia to approve urgent action on climate change leadership to help the sinking island state. And our friends in the Philippines have plans to be 100 per cent renewable before another decade passes.

But as they say, that is not exactly news.

Our friends, and former coal miner unionists, in the Hunter Valley are getting on with the business of supplying well priced solar hot water units for those who want them. And Mt Gambier pools are warm now with the aid of a biomass boiler.

For all of us bike commuters out there – did you know that every trip you make saves you/us $21? Nice huh…
But if you are determined to stay with four wheels not two – here are is an elegant electrical option hot off the press.  With news just in that Toyota is prioritising the installation of chargers to keep the electric wheels rolling.



Image: 'Lulu Petite' courtesy of flickrcc.net