The Week That Was - September 12 2012

Photo: Elliott Brown

Yes, the headlines say being energy efficient saves us money. Hurrah! Except maybe the energy utilities who may not agree with that statement at face value. Are we going to sign Kyoto 2 and what sort of car does the Pope drive? All this and more this week

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“As an energy-efficiency engineer, the first thing I would do to decrease maximum demand would be to insulate a lot of houses and install solar hot water systems.”
- Evan Beaver is a consulting engineer
 
This week, let’s start from the very beginning. This piece in the Herald Sun states very plainly that the air conditioner is not the friend of the energy efficient. A good reminder as if we are to take note of what is happening around us, our summer is likely to be hot…

Tom Arup tells us that energy efficiency saves us money … bolstered by recently released research by the Alternative Technology Association, the Victorian Council of Social Service and Environment Victoria say retrofitting 1 million low-income households would reduce the long-term state budget burden of helping them pay power bills.

The discussion around RET is not quite so upbeat . TRUenergy recently confirmed what many have expected: it will join with Origin in an attempt to water-down the RET. In doing so, it will be at odds with fellow ‘big three’ energy retailer, AGL.

In the ACT, the proposed 20mW solar farm at Royalla hopes to make the national capital Australia's solar energy epicentre. The ACT government has revealed its plans for a vast power farm to be built in the south of the territory.

Meanwhile in Vladivostok, 21 leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation forum have agreed to cut tariffs on solar panels, wind turbine blades, solar hot water systems and other "environmental goods" in a move to reduce protectionism. While the Danes tell us that all of us should realise climate change is a serious threat to all of our economies.

And in amongst all of that – a Sydney Morning Herald opinion piece asks for action on climate change not to be derailed. Oh boy, we are trying …

Some news of Australia linking to the EU carbon price is still rumbling around in the print media. If you need you questions answered on this issue, here are some FAQs kindly posted on the Federal governments’ website.

Our first way of staying on the rails might be, hmm let’s see, signing up for the second round of Kyoto commitments?! Chris Wright says Rome was not built in a day ….

Maybe it is time for us to change the way we think? And the good folk at CSIRO have been doing some fantastic research identifying the trends of the future which will define the way we look at our connection to issues like climate change … and our future.

Oxfam has released a report explaining that food prices will soar without fast action on climate change. And we are told wind could power the world.

And, in a sentence I never thought I would write, Go the Pope! He has been given an electric car which he is seen whizzing around in when he is at ‘home’ at the Holy See. Til next week.