australia posts, articles, and infographics

Further critique of '100% renewable electricity in Australia'

March 21, 2012 by Barry Brook
with 450 views

Recently on BNC, I ran two guest posts on the economic and technical challenges of supplying an energy-intensive, developed-world market using 100% renewable sources (under a situation where large hydro and/or conventional geothermal can provide little or no contribution). The case study was the national electricity market of... [read more]

Australia: Solar Flagships extends deadline, re-opens bidding

February 7, 2012 by Bea Gonzalez
with 157 views

The Solar Dawn consortium proposing to build a 250MW solar thermal plant in south-west Queensland as part of Australia’s Solar Flagships program has won a six month extension to its contract after initially failing to gain finance for the project. However, the future of the $1.2 billion project looks uncertain. [read more]

Science, risk management or just politics?

February 3, 2012 by David Hone
with 413 views

An opinion piece that appeared in the Wall Street Journal (Europe) on Tuesday (a few days earlier in the USA) presented the views of sixteen scientists on the issue of climate change under the heading “No Need to Panic About Global Warming“. Unfortunately there isn’t much in the way of science discussed and the reality of the policy world is very different from the story they have written. [read more]

America's First Solar Power Tower

January 23, 2012 by Nino Marchetti
with 827 views

On the EarthTechling Utterly Cool Projects Scale™, the EnviroMission Solar Tower project might be unrivaled. More than 2,600 feet tall, with a mile-in-diameter greenhouse canopy at its base creating hot air that is sucked up into the tower, spinning electricity-creating turbines along the way – it’s like something a kid would build in... [read more]

Feeding 10 Billion on a Hotter Planet (Part II)

December 22, 2011 by Barry Brook
with 738 views

Guest Post by Geoff Russell. Geoff is a mathematician and computer programmer and is a member of Animal Liberation SA. His recently published book is CSIRO Perfidy. His previous article on BNC was: Feeding the billions in 2050′s sauna (Part I) —————— Welcome to Part II of my presumptuously titled series on... [read more]

Theory of Gravity To Be Exposed as Left Wing Plot

December 19, 2011 by David Lewis
with 917 views

Robyn Williams is the host of Australian public broadcasting's The Science Show. Here's how he introduced the new hit song "Denial Tango" on his show this week: "2011 has been momentous. It marked the burial of climate science, as former Prime Minister [of Australia] John Howard remarked on Monday. Next year promises... [read more]

Australia Wants "Clean Energy Cheap Rather Than Dirty Energy Expensive"

December 14, 2011 by Alex Trembath
with 245 views

With the latest round of international climate negotiations coming to an anticlimactic close in Durban, South Africa, former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's chief advisor Andrew Charlton offers a pragmatic "Plan B" for tackling the challenges of climate change and energy access. Writing for the Canberra Times, Charlton promotes an agenda centered on technological innovation and the expansion of human welfare. [read more]

Is The End of Durban Also The End of Kyoto?

December 9, 2011 by Shira Honig
with 269 views

The end of the Durban conference is approaching, and in all likelihood, the end of the Kyoto Protocol along with it.Developments in the last few days indicate the outcome is more likely to confirm a global disagreement, rather than agreement, over the idea of a second Kyoto commitment period, or “Kyoto II,” for all countries, both... [read more]

Leadership By China is The Best Chance For Successful Climate Treaty

November 30, 2011 by Jim Pierobon
with 164 views

As the next round of international negotiations about a possible climate change treaty — the 17th to be exact since the Kyoto Treaty was signed in 1992 — get up to speed in Durban, South Africa, it’s becoming increasingly clear that an environmental emergency stands the best chance of compelling industrialized countries to act. That’s because nothing else will. [read more]

A Carbon Price for Australia - Finally!!

November 9, 2011 by David Hone
with 234 views

Depending on your take on events the toll has been as high as two Prime Ministers and one Leader of the Opposition, but Australia now has a carbon pricing mechanism operating in the economy (I say “now” in that even though it doesn’t formally start until July, the price exposure for companies was there the instant the law was officially passed). There does remain some uncertainty given the “blood oath” made by the current Opposition Leader to repeal the law, but at least for now the business playing field in Australia has changed. [read more]

Thoughts on 10 Questions about Climate Change from Australia

September 10, 2011 by David Hone
with 1,254 views

Image source: Author's blog

Over recent weeks, one of the major Australian newspapers has asked readers to submit questions on climate change and, at the same time, opened a poll so that all readers could vote on the questions they most wanted to see answered. The newspaper pledged to investigate and attempt to answer the top ten questions. The poll closed last weekend and the questions are now in. Without getting too lengthy, and also drawing on many previous postings, here are some my thoughts on the ten questions. [read more]

Report: Climate Change Harms Mental Health

August 31, 2011 by Lou Grinzo
with 319 views

The damage caused by a changing climate is not just physical. Recent experience shows extreme weather events also pose a serious risk to public health, including mental health and community wellbeing, with serious flow-on consequences for the economy and wider society. [read more]

Decarbonise SA, Brave New Climate Visit The Atomic Show

August 16, 2011 by Rod Adams
with 143 views

Open coal wagonsOn August 13, 2011, I braved the 13.5 hour time difference between Adelaide, South Australia and Lynchburg, VA to record an interview with Ben Heard, the force behind Decarbonise SA and Dr. Barry Brook, the well respected climate scientist who blogs at Brave New Climate. Aside: I used the phrase “braved the time... [read more]

Carbon Smoke and Mirrors – The Reality of Emissions Reduction Plans

August 2, 2011 by Barry Brook
with 273 views

When it comes to energy and carbon emissions reduction, the devil is always in the detail. So too with Australia’s plans to cut its emissions by five per cent below year 2000 levels by 2020. But first, let’s look at the big picture. Why we need to do this As a scientist who researches the impacts of climate change on... [read more]

Australia’s New Energy Regime

August 2, 2011 by Matt Hourihan
with 286 views

Below figures will use Australian dollars unless otherwise noted.As followers of the international climate and energy scene will know, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard last month unveiled a major climate change package attempting to reduce carbon emissions and spurring clean energy development. The full plan and a... [read more]