Past Programs
Alternative Energy - 2008
Treasury carbon modelling under scrutiny
31/10/2008
Well, after the long wait, you'd expect that the release yesterday of Treasury modelling on the economics of taking action on climate change would put an end to all the arguments. Far from it. Critics on both sides attacked many of Treasury's basic assumptions, including everything from a rosy outlook for so-called clean coal technologies to some pretty dramatic falls in the price of oil, coal, gas and metals in coming years. So what exactly did Treasury try to predict? What were the assumptions, and what options does the modelling now present to government?
Lucas Heights reactor leak: Ziggy Switkowski
07/10/2008
The chairman of the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Ziggy Switkowski, says a new technique will be used in an attempt to stop a slow leak within Sydney's Lucas Heights reactor. The leak is diluting the heavy water around the core of the reactor and reducing its efficiency. Costs for the malfunction are mounting as questions are raised about who will pay for repairs. A series of problems, including loose fuel plates, has shut the reactor down for ten months.
Key mining and energy union rejects carbon compo calls by big business
12/09/2008
One of Australia's biggest unions with a key stake in the mining and energy sectors has rejected calls by the resources and energy sectors for further special treatment in the climate change debate. The CFMEU Mining and Energy Division, in its response to the government's emissions trading green paper, also says there should be no compensation for the coal-based electricity sector unless it's tied to investment in renewables and low carbon technologies.
Oil hits five month low
10/09/2008
There could be more relief for motorists ahead as the oil price continues to decline. It dipped just below $US100 a barrel for the first time in five months.
And it looks like lower oil prices are here to stay, after OPEC ministers meeting in Vienna indicated that their oil producing countries were going to maintain current production levels.
The Australian solar industry
15/08/2008
Earlier this week, an Australian company announced plans to build the world's largest solar plant over the next three years. With the backing of nine Australian companies including miners BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto, engineering firm Worley Parsons says it's looking for a site to host the $1 billion plant. But some in the industry say Australia still has a long way to go when it comes to supporting solar technology.
Climate change preparedness
11/08/2008
One of the world's leading climate scientists is calling on governments to prepare for a dangerous rise in global temperatures of four degrees over the next century. The alarm was raised in response to the current two degree rise many governments are working towards.
Selling uranium to Russia
29/07/2008
In the dying days of the Howard government, during the APEC summit, an agreement was struck with the Russian leader Vladimir Putin for Australia to sell uranium to Russia. Russia wants Australian uranium to fuel its expanding nuclear power industry, in its bid to bring down carbon emissions. The Rudd government supports the plan but the treaty to allow the sale is yet to be endorsed by the Joint Parliamentary Committee on treaties, which is holding hearings this week.
Green energy boom
23/07/2008
Since the release of the federal government's Green Paper on a Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme the focus has been on emissions trading and its potential to damage various industries. But the green energy industry is gearing up for boom times.
Effects of Green Paper plans on the poor
17/07/2008
Some concerns about the effect an emissions trading scheme would have on those on low incomes appear to have been addressed by the government. But there are still questions about whether the compensation is enough or appropriate.
Reactions to the Green Paper on Emissions Trading
17/07/2008
The reaction to the federal government's Green Paper on emissions trading has been mixed, particularly among those on whom the government will depend for votes when it comes to putting the plan into law.
Lobbyists call for action on climate change
07/07/2008
The Garnaut report on climate change may have only just been released, but the lobbyists are gearing up to point the federal government in their direction. This weekend a new group of environmental and social groups launched the Southern Cross Alliance, whose purpose is the urge the government to ignore calls for delays on dealing with climate change and act now.
Malcolm Turnbull: Garnaut report and emissions trading scheme
04/07/2008
Professor Ross Garnaut's interim report on emissions trading is out later today. The government and community response will reveal how determined we are as a nation to tackle climate change and how much we are prepared to pay to lower our carbon footprint.
Emissions trading scheme and business
02/07/2008
A new survey shows that most businesses are unprepared for the introduction of the Emissions Trading Scheme in 2010. In fact, a survey by the Australian Institute of Management shows that 80 per cent of business people know very little about the centrepiece of Australia's greenhouse reduction efforts.
Arctic's sea ice rapidly disappearing
20/06/2008
Arctic's nothern summer sea ice is melting at an alarming rate after losing an area almost half the size of Australia in the past 50 years.
New record oil price
17/06/2008
Oil hit another record high of close to $US140 a barrel before retreating to $134 overnight. The spike came despite Saudi Arabia agreeing to increase output by 200,000 barrels a day next month.
Federal and Queensland rescue packages for international tourism
11/06/2008
With the record world price of oil creating knock-on effects through virtually every sector of the Australian economy, later today the Federal and Queensland governments will unveil further assistance for the hard-hit tourism industry. Queensland Premier Anna Bligh will outline a package of programs in addition to the $4 million of State money announced late last week. And Federal Tourism Minister Martin Ferguson will announce a Federal package after talks with his Queensland counterpart, Desley Boyle. Desley is the Queensland Minister for Tourism, Regional Development and Industry, and the Labor member for the State seat of Cairns, which has been particularly hard hit by Qantas and Jetstar abandoning international flights from Japan.
President Bush last European tour
11/06/2008
US President George W. Bush is on an eight-day farewell tour of Europe. He's doing his best to show he is not yet a spent force, even as the race to appoint his successor gains momentum. He spent most of the day in Slovenia meeting European Union leaders, pressing for further sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program. He has now landed in Germany.
Record oil prices
09/06/2008
The rising price of oil took centre stage at a meeting of energy ministers from the world's leading industrialised countries over the weekend. The G8 summit in Tokyo came after oil hit a record price of $139 a barrel on Friday. The spike was triggered by comments from Israeli Transport Minister Shaul Mofaz after he said that that Israeli would attack oil-producing Iran if it continued its nuclear program. Now Iran is warning that the price of crude oil is set to rise further to close to $150 a barrel by the end of the northern summer.
Solar rebate row
20/05/2008
Millions of dollars and dozens of jobs have been lost and an entire industry says it's been set back 10 years. Australia's solar energy industry is reeling after the Federal Government decided to limit the rebate for home solar panels to those earning less than 100 thousand dollars.
Government flunks the climate change test - Greens leader Bob Brown
14/05/2008
Treasurer Wayne Swan claimed last night that his first budget was about showing global leadership in the transition to a low carbon economy. But that's not how environment groups read the fine print. WWF Australia said the government was only paying lip service to the scale of the climate change problem; Greenpeace described it as a 'pollute as usual' budget. And the Australian Conservation Foundation diplomatically pointed out that Australia would only assume international leadership if by the end of this year the government set a strong, science based target for cuts in greenhouse gas emissions of at least 30% by 2020. The Australian Greens leader Bob Brown was especially critical saying that the government had flunked the climate change test and had delivered a budget that was 'Howard-Costello lite'.
Vision for Australia as the world's first solar continent
29/04/2008
Major solar power stations generating baseload electricity, photovoltaic panels on the roof of every household wanting to make the investment, and every school producing its own solar power. That is the vision for Australia as the world's first 'solar continent', which the Federal Opposition says it will be spelling out over the next 12 months.
China now the world's worst polluter
16/04/2008
China has now overtaken the US as the world's worst polluter for the first time. US scientists believe the unenviable record may have been broken last year, suggesting that China's carbon emissions may have been underestimated. The report published in the Journal of Environment Economics and Management also warns that if China's stellar growth remains unchecked, it will dwarf any emissions cuts made by rich countries under the Kyoto Protocol, which Australia signed late last year.
Call for clean coal task force
15/04/2008
The Climate Institute and environment group WWF Australia are to join the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union and the Australian Coal Association in calling for a new government sponsored national body. Its purpose is to set up benchmarks for the development of clean coal in Australia. John Connor is the CEO of the Climate Institute.
ACF unveils green budget
09/04/2008
What would a 'green budget' look like -- a year of federal spending that didn't promote environmentally destructive behaviour? We'll find out later today at the National Press Club, when Australian Conservation Foundation executive director Don Henry identifies more than $6 billion worth of 'unfair ... senseless' tax breaks that he says are bad environmental policy and should be dumped. He'll also outline three big investments that Australia must make to abandon what he calls 'our old polluting ways'.
LPG conversion subsidy to get the axe?
04/04/2008
The latest budget leak reports in News Limited papers suggest the LPG conversion subsidy will be cut. The subsidy offers motorists $2,000 to swap from petrol to LPG, and around 120,000 motorists have already taken up the deal since it began in August, 2006.
Australians want more subsidies for renewable energy
18/03/2008
A new poll to be released later today reveals that 90% of Australians want to see renewable energy given the same or greater government subsidies than carbon intensive fossil fuels. The poll, commissioned by Greenpeace, will be used to back the environmental group's campaign for the abolition of the diesel fuel subsidy to the coal industry, which is currently worth more than $300 million a year.
