The Week That Was - October 24 2012

Where are the extra pennies on your power bill really going?

It’s been a good couple of weeks for reports, what are the experts saying about the future of the Homo Sapiens, any news on the carbon price or the renewable energy target? And meet Australia’s first carbon neutral truckie.

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“In the future, emitting gases damaging to the environment will be as socially unacceptable as smoking in a cafe is today.”
- Peter Ellyard, futurist, author.

A new report says plans to further the brown coal industry in Gippsland, Victoria, would struggle and do little to create jobs or an industry, due to higher processing and transport costs. Check out the analysis by consultants Economists at Large, commissioned by Environment Victoria.

Meantime the good folk at The Climate Institute examine the impact of China’s future emissions trading scheme. The survey says that China's forthcoming carbon trading pilot scheme could dovetail with other global platforms, paving the way for a global climate change agreement coming into force in 2020. Also from TCI - a groovy interactive map looking at the rate of action on climate change. Meantime The Age in Melbourne leaked the findings of a report showing the damage bill faced by some Melbourne suburbs.

And CSIRO, ClimateWorks and Origin tell us via a comprehensive report - how we can save money and reduce our footprints in our home. Guess what – no dryers or air con and efficient light bulbs are the way to go. It’s just not that hard!

And this in the opinion section of The Canberra Times, we are yet to come to terms with the seriousness of our predicament. So say the panelists at the scarily titled symposium last week, ''The Future of Homo Sapiens''.

The Clean Energy Regulator has just released its initial estimate of the 2013 and 2014 renewable energy target for solar PV, solar hot water and other small scale renewable energy systems and the South Australian Government has supported an Opposition motion to form a parliamentary select committee to investigate renewable energy options to replace the two coal-fired power stations at Port Augusta.

It is probably time to talk about the carbon price. Treasury tells us that it is unlikely to have an effect on the economy and there is quite some discussion on what the effect on emissions will be. Meantime Blair Comely tells us a $29 price tag for a tonne of carbon pollution is not implausible.

So if we have mentioned the carbon price, I guess we have to talk about the renewable energy target. Just WHAT are AGL saying now??? If you want to have your say about the target, jump online here and take the test.

Heading abroad, Hong Kong says it will tackle its emission and the Pacific island of Niue says it hopes to soon have 30 per cent of the island's power needs met by solar energy. IKEA, the world's largest furniture retailer, will shift to renewable energy by 2020 and grow more trees than it uses under a plan to safeguard nature that has won support from environmentalists.

Back home, are power bills really rising? And if so, why? A draft Productivity Commission report released recently made it pretty clear that ‘surging electricity prices’ are being caused by “spiraling” investment in poles and wires – or infrastructure – not the carbon price.

Mr Rod Sims of the ACCC states that energy users have been overcharged by as much as $3 billion - a decision too easily influenced by power companies who have a large say in the government spend.

Say hello to Australia’s first carbon neutral truckie - and northern beaches investment broker flies around the world in a plane fueled by plastic bags. Stay safe, and see you next week!