Matthew Warren, the Chief Executive of the Clean Energy Council, questioned the justification for the government’s  announcement.

“This decision has nothing to do with rising electricity prices, and everything to do with supporting an industry of the future. That’s why any job losses in this industry are the worst kind of job losses.

“So it’s a necessary change, but it will hurt,” he said.

Mr Warren said the positive aspects of strong demand for solar technology by Australian families should not be lost amid policy uncertainty.

The truth is Australia loves solar. It is a technology that gives families a way of protecting themselves against rising electricity prices,” he said.

“Electricity price rises are mainly driven by the need for critical investment in network capacity. Painting solar as the problem-child is misguided and out of step with what Australians are telling us through their purchasing decisions.

“Yesterday (May4) we released data for solar installations across Australia as a percentage of eligible households. It shows the idea that solar is the province of inner-urban elites is a myth. People in regional communities, working class suburbs and coastal villages are all signing up. Australians from all walks of life are embracing this technology.”

Mr Warren said there is the real risk that this industry could be a victim of its own success.

“The SRES Scheme is designed to be an uncapped incentive for households to install solar. Australian households have responded exactly as the policy intended.

“What has been done today is an effort to correct a flaw in the market design, not to control electricity prices that are barely affected by this program.”

Mr Warren said the solar industry had weathered years of stop-start policy from state and federal governments.

“It is appropriate that support is adjusted as the cost of solar power systems continue to fall. But the minimal time available for business planning will mean that small businesses in particular will struggle to ride the wave of rising and falling demand as a result of this decision.

“This will lead to pain for some solar installers. These are business people who have taken a significant financial risk, they have real skin in the game.”

“Current market pressures are the result of a number of local and international factors occurring simultaneously. They might not equate to a permanent shift in conditions,” he said.

The work on the plan, officially titled Zero Carbon Australia Stationary Energy Plan, is being led by Patrick who often goes overseas to find out what the rest of the world is doing to combat climate change.

Patrick Hearps

He was in Spain recently checking out solar thermal power plants with BZE’s executive director Matt Wright, wrapping the trip up with a three-week rock climbing holiday with friends on the Mediterranean south of Barcelona.

But with just two days left on the holiday he took a fall while climbing up some sea-cliffs on the Mediterranean coast.

“I’m used to falling, but this time a bolt, rusty from sea spray, broke and I hit the deck from about five metres up,” said Patrick.

He had to be rescued by helicopter, but thankfully he had no bones broken.

“I was just incredibly sore and stiff for a few weeks, but it hasn’t stopped me climbing,” he said.

“It’s my passion and that’s what you can find me doing when I am not working on the Zero Carbon plan.”

That’s the kind of never-give-up attitude Patrick has and one that BZE needs with its lofty, yet achievable aims.

“I’ve been rock climbing for a few years now. It’s an exhilarating and unique way to experience nature and I wish I had more time so I could get better,” he said.

So how did Patrick get involved in such a major project. His story goes back to childhood days.

“I grew up on a farm in Tasmania until I was 13-years-old. I loved the outdoors, and always had a keen interest in science and how things worked. I had heard about the greenhouse effect but didn’t really understand how big a deal it was,” he said.

“And while I had seen the hydro dam up the road which produced electricity just using the flowing water, the only cultural reference I had to coal was Ebenezer Scrooge’s coal heater which featured in Charles Dickens book A Christmas Carol.”

So when he eventually came to live in the Sunshine State he had a shock.

“A couple of years after moving to Queensland, I visited a coal power station and coal mine, and was absolutely amazed at both the scale of the plant, and the fact that we were still using technology and a fuel source from several centuries ago; burning vast amounts of coal in what is essentially a glorified kettle,” he said.

“Engineering was a natural path of study for me, and as I became fully aware of the scale of the climate and energy problem in my later years of uni, I knew that my role in life was to be part of solving one of the largest problems we have ever faced.

“So I took a job with ExxonMobil to gain experience with an international energy company, but frustrated by the old-fashioned views and limitations of full-time corporate work, I resigned to get more directly and immediately involved in creating a renewable future.  He says it is ‘incredibly enjoyable and satisfying’ working with the Melbourne Energy Institute and Beyond Zero Emissions on the project.

ECO put some more questions to Patrick:

ECO: How did you gather together such a wide field of expertise to develop the ZCA plan? Please give an indication of the global reach of this amazing venture and from where you have been drawing your technical knowledge and tell of the encouragement/hurdles you have experienced along the way.

PATRICK: The contributors to the Zero Carbon Plan are a diverse range of people. Key professions represented are chemical, mechanical, electrical, and environmental engineers along with physicists and others with specific qualifications and experience in renewable energy. Collectively, they have decades of experience in the energy industry and academia and understand the requirements of a rigorous study.

Furthermore, Beyond Zero Emissions through the media and research have links to institutions and companies in the global renewable energy industry. We have personally interviewed the CEOs and reps of the companies building and operating solar thermal power plants, in Spain and the US, such as SolarReserve, Torresol/SENER, Solar Millennium, Brightsource, Abengoa etc, along with researchers who have been involved in the field for decades.

For example, from the US Department of Energy’s Sandia National Laboratories and National Renewable Energy Laboratories, the German Aerospace Centre, the UAE’s MASDAR Institute and many more.

ECO: How difficult/easy has it been, as technical director of BZE, to draw together the scientific team to take this forward? Please give a little background.

PATRICK: The ZCA Project is primarily a pro-bono effort, started by Beyond Zero Emissions, using their networks of industry contacts, media and partner organisations to find people with the skills and motivation to work on the Zero Carbon Project, with the Melbourne Energy Institute providing both staff, students and alumni.

It should be pointed out from the start that what brings them together is an understanding of the physical scale of the climate and energy challenge, and a desire to get to work fixing it, recognising that the mitigation measures currently being looked at by most industry and policymakers just isn’t going to cut it.

Recognising the disconnect between policy, reality and perhaps the limitations of their day jobs, the authors are keen and motivated to put their skills to work truly creating the future they want to see, not just getting half the job done 10 years too late.

So while I wouldn’t say it has been an easy process to guide the project, once people are involved and feel ownership I am continuously impressed by the quality of work and ideas that come together.

ECO: Your forthcoming visit to Woodford is being eagerly anticipated by many festivalgoers. What does it mean to you personally in bringing the latest news of this important development to such an event which is noted for its green ethic? Also, whether this is your first Woodford experience or you have been before, what are you looking forward to seeing and experiencing at this festival?

PATRICK: I’ve never been to Woodford before, though I’ve had it highly recommended by friends. It sounds like a great combination of good music, relaxed atmosphere and people keen to find out how to create a better future.

I enjoy different audiences for different reasons. For example, when talking to relatively conservative audiences, it is a sense of achievement to be able to blow aside many people’s misconceptions about the ability of renewables to provide energy for society at a cost and scale that is required.

For relatively progressive audiences, as I suspect Woodford will be, it can be gratifying to give people information that can be used to strengthen their own work in pushing for a safe climate.

One of the great things about the ZCA Project is that it shows how achievable 100 per cent renewable energy in a decade really could be if we choose to push for the right decisions, which is more empowering than what we usually hear about it being too hard, too expensive or infeasible.

Being armed with the right information is important. And we are also always looking for more people to contribute to our work, whether on the technical side, or aiding in communication and organising, or if you can’t donate your time then helping to fund our research is also effective and appreciated.

ECO: Please tell us of your hopes and fears regarding the further development of this plan and the continuing research. Also, what can we, the public and interested parties, do for you?

PATRICK: Our research shows that we already have the technology, the knowledge, the resources, the money, the capacity to achieve 100 per cent renewable energy in 10 years, which is a necessary timeframe if we are to give ourselves a decent chance of avoiding runaway climate change.

I think its value is that it demonstrates that such an infrastructure rollout is achievable, while also giving us a sense of the scale of the task. It will require significantly more political commitment than is being shown today, and should be used as a benchmark for proposed climate mitigation measures.

It is encouraging to see other countries around the world pushing ahead on building a renewable energy future – the first few concentrating solar thermal plants in the US for 20 years are currently breaking ground, Spain is in the flurry of their $20 billion rollout of CST, China’s wind power output is growing exponentially at phenomenal rates, Germany’s commitment to their feed-in-tariff is seeing solar and wind installed in gigawatts per year, the countries around the North Sea are investing in huge offshore wind capacity, as are South Korea, and the Desertec Industrial Initiative has commitment and funding from Europe’s leading energy companies and banks.

However, Australia is at high risk of being left behind, as our leaders pretend that a tiny diversion from business-as-usual is all that is required.

Everyone can play a role in publicly pushing for more aggressive energy policy that will actually see us re-powering the country with renewables, and holding our leaders accountable.

Patrick Hearps will be at the Woodford Folk Festival Greenhouse venue on Wednesday, December 29 at 4.30pm, Thursday, December, 30 at 4pm for his BZE sessions, Friday, December 31 at 2pm with ‘Green Mythbusters and at 4pm with ‘Green Innovators’.

BZE, stands for Beyond Zero Emissions, and is an organisation that has been going since 2006 and is committed to providing a real, comprehensive, technically and financially feasible blueprint for Australia to slash its carbon emissions to zero by 2020.

They believe their 10-year target is attainable and it has meant coming up with a plan to transition Australia to 100 per cent renewable energy sources using existing proven technologies. It’s a plan that promises to ensure the nation’s future energy security.

Already, BZE, led by its driving force Matthew Wright, 31, has come up with the first stage. With the help of post graduate students from the University of Melbourne Energy Research Institute they have this year launched the Zero Carbon Australia 2020 Stationary Energy Plan.

It’s a comprehensive, detailed plan, documented in 170 pages of reasoned argument, heaps of facts and figures, graphs, charts and photographs. And it is very persuasive – already endorsed by enlightened politicians, leading conservationists and environmentalists.

“Not only do politicians support the Zero Carbon Australia initiative, but so do leading academics, energy experts, business people, and community leaders,” said Matthew,  the executive director and founder of BZE.

Solar Power towers -- set to create zero-emission, baseload-solar electricity in Australia.

“I found that I just couldn’t stand by as climate action progressed at such a glacial pace – I soon got addicted to the momentum we were building.”

It has taken four years to assemble the team, do the research, come up with some solutions to this massive planetary dilemma of carbon emissions and climate change, and then compile the first report. And now the momentum is with them to take the project to the next stage in 2011. So what is the Zero Carbon Australia plan?

The BZE researchers say they propose a 60/40 mix of large-scale solar thermal power plants with storage and wind farms to provide the bulk of Australia’s energy needs as part of a national energy grid.

“It will allow for geographically dispersed solar and wind power installations, with our existing hydroelectric capacity and small amount of biomass used for back-up generation,” said BZE’s 24-year-old technical director, Patrick Hearps, a chemical engineer and co-author of the ZCA plan.

Patrick will be attending the Woodford Folk Festival (December 27 – January 1 inclusive) as a speaker at the Greenhouse venue. There, he will present the plan and tell of the organisation’s incredible journey to develop and promote the plan, including a trip to Europe, touring solar thermal storage and wind power plants and attending an international solar conference.

Patrick says a combination of wide-spread large-scale concentrated solar thermal plants with molten salt storage (otherwise known as ‘baseload solar’) and wind farms can power Australia 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

Concentrating solar thermal plants use mirrors to concentrate sunlight onto a receiver ZCA2020 proposes the use of ‘solar power towers’. The sunlight heats molten salt. The hot molten salt is safely stored in insulated tanks. At any time of day or night, the hot molten salt is used to generate steam for the turbine, creating zero-emission, baseload-solar electricity.

According to US Department of Energy projections, solar thermal will soon be cost-competitive with coal and gas power, as the solar thermal industry scales up to an installed capacity in the thousands of megawatts around the world. The ZCA2020 Plan has 12 solar regions across the country, consisting of 3500MW of power tower units. These would supply 60 per cent of Australia’s electricity in 2020.

The other 40 per cent of Australia’s electricity would come from wind ? 6400 gearless Enercon 7.5 MW turbines would be distributed across 23 sites around the country.

“We’ve completed the research that no Australian government or organisation has been prepared to investigate,” said Matthew, who was voted ‘Australia’s Young Environmentalist of the Year’ at the 2010 Banksia awards.

“We really seek to debunk the myth that renewables can’t cover baseload power needs and dispel concerns that it’s going to be too expensive.

“The projected investment is around 3 per cent of GDP over 10 years, or $370 billion. This is about as much as we spend on insurance over the same time.

“For an average household this would mean an increase to their electricity bill of $8 per week, which isn’t bad when you consider Australians spend over $30 billion on imported new cars each year. And after the initial decade of set-up costs, we should remember that the fuel is free from the sun to help pay for upgrades and maintenance.”

So, now it’s into the next phase.

“After the success of the Stationary Energy plan and new volunteers on board, we will develop transition plans for buildings, transport, steel, cement and other industrial sectors,” said Matthew.

The expected publication date for the ZCA2020 Buildings Plan is August 2011. Potential contributors to the buildings and transport plans can help provide content for the research database by getting in touch with BZE.

The projects already involve expert contributions in many areas relating to BZE’s specific calculations and forecasting, but they say more help is needed and that there are many different roles on offer.

“Though we first set up BZE back in 2006 it feels like we’ve only just begun,” said Matthew as he rolled up his sleeves for the next round.

But while he rolls up his sleeves he will also need to tighten his belt. For Matthew must continue to work part-time in radio to help him survive life in the penny-pinching world of an unfunded not-for-profit organisation.

However, it’s all worth it, he says. And the donors are starting to dig into their pockets and bank accounts to fund this massive project. The two front men, Patrick and Matthew, and their growing team of expert volunteers have shown that no other initiative has generated such excitement in Australia’s quest to address climate change or provided such a practical, scientifically-based solution to transition Australia to a zero carbon economy.

“The growing wave of support is at times overwhelming. Every week, our in-boxes are filled with messages of support and requests to join the Beyond Zero Emissions team and address climate change, so we wonder if the average Aussie knows just how strong this force of grassroots action is becoming,” said Matthew.

At Woodford they will be able to spread the word even further and, hopefully, attract some strong support. This time, it’s Patrick’s turn to deliver the message. He will be telling many Queenslanders that while their state might be leading the world on carbon emissions per capita at the present time, all of that could be reversed within a decade.

And that will be an easy job compared to his tough task of overseeing the growing team of pro bono engineers and scientists now involved with BZE. But neither of this dynamic duo ever really switch off message. Matt uses his previous experience and skills from working in the provision of financial information and news to corporates, energy and commodity markets, banks and other financial institutions, to lead the development of further ZCA plans across a range of priority areas.

Their diligence and brilliance has resulted in plaudits and encouragement across the spectrum. The various launches around the nation of the first part of the Zero Carbon Australia 2020 plan has drawn packed audiences over the past several months.

These launches have not only seen Australians turn out in their thousands, but have also featured endorsements from politicians as diverse as the past Premier of NSW Bob Carr, independent MP Senator Nick Xenophon, Australian Greens deputy leader Senator Christine Milne, and Federal Shadow Minister for Communications, Malcolm Turnbull.

In Brisbane, the forum of speakers even included Queensland Premier Anna Bligh, who recommended the plan. However, she did turn up late, leave early and gave a plug for the coal industry while she was at it.

But the attention given to BZE is not just from within Australia’s shores. There has been considerable international interest shown such as from luminaries at the International Energy Agency and the director of the Atmosphere/Energy Program at Stanford University, USA.

At home, there has been a welter of encouragement including that from leading conservationist and former Australian of the Year, Tim Flannery, who described the plan as “an ambitious, technically feasible plan that should be looked at seriously”.

The Woodford Greenhouse crew and hundreds of festivalgoers are looking forward to Patrick’s sessions.

“We at the Greenhouse are enormously excited and feel honoured to host this young, resourceful visionary from Beyond Zero Emissions to our festival. His team’s cutting-edge research is inspiring and fills us with optimism and hope that a carbon-free future is truly possible,” said Greenhouse programmer and coordinator Jillian Rossiter.

“At last, Australia has an energy plan that demonstrates that renewables CAN provide baseload power; so no longer are there valid arguments for mining our farmland for fossil fuels or nuclear energy power plants.

“Let society lead our governments towards the Transition!”

Patrick Hearps will be at the Woodford Folk Festival Greenhouse venue on Wednesday, December 29 at 4.30pm, Thursday, December, 30 at 4pm for his BZE sessions, Friday, December 31 at 2pm with ‘Green Mythbusters and at 4pm with ‘Green Innovators’.

To learn more or donate visit Beyond Zero Emissions.

image: greghardwick.com.au

Anyone who has attended meetings will know — the greater the number of people, the less chance there is of obtaining an outcome.

Therefore the outcome of Copenhagen should come as no surprise. Governments from wealthy countries know that voters are easily swayed by economic arguments. Poorer countries want more for their people. While we all argue about money, man-made climate change will worsen.

As our planet’s human population increases we face a growing problem. The wealthier we all become, the more we want and the more we consume. More people consuming more of the earth’s finite ‘resources’ leads to only one outcome – less for everyone.

The science of climate change has taught us two things. Firstly, we need to be smarter, be prepared for change and focus upon cleaner, renewable energy sources. Our very short love affair with fossil fuels is over and is not worth one tear.

Secondly — many people do not like change, they use denial to avoid serious problems and know that many of us are swayed by fear. Radical politicians will seize on this and increasingly make promises they cannot deliver on.

The way forward is not something we are going to be given by our politicians. We are going to have to show our politicians what we are capable of. Great social changes have always been peaceful and well supported by the population. However, we will need to constantly remind our governments, and those seeking to be in government, that they serve us, and deceitful behaviour for the sake of claiming or clinging to power, will not be tolerated.

Now is not the time for blaming others for our woes or arguing whose way is best. It’s all too easy to point out the wrongs of someone from a distant nation or from a group who you do not associate with. Throwing stones over the fence is easy when you don’t see your victim, but stand face to face and it becomes so much harder.

In 2010 we need to stand face to face and unite everyone who wants a fairer, cleaner future. It is possible, if only we dare to try.

***

Do yourself a favour this Christmas. Turn the air conditioner off, put the mobile phone away and get outside and talk to someone new. See you at the Woodford Folk Festival!

Wishing you all the best over the Christmas break and we look forward to bringing you more eco news in 2010. Eco online will take a short break, before returning in mid-January.

Keep safe and look after one another.

Associate Professor Peter Waterman from the University of the Sunshine Coast

The climate was on everybody’s mind as low clouds created hot and humid conditions on the Sunshine Coast today. But it wasn’t only local weather patterns being discussed. As the Copenhagen climate conference enters its second week, thousands of Australians took to the streets around the country for the 5th annual walk against warming.

On the Sunshine Coast almost 200 residents not only demanded government action at Copenhagen, they also showed the value of local businesses and environment groups coming together.

The Sunshine Coast Environment Council, solar business, Ingenero and Maleny Credit Union used the day to launch the Sunshine Coast 10,000 Solar Roofs Project. Injecting an estimated $20 million into the local economy, as well as creating over 100 jobs, the project will install 10,000 solar-power systems without any upfront costs.

Sunshine Coast Regional Council environment portfolio chair, Cr Keryn Jones said the Sunshine Coast ranks as one of the most popular areas in Australia for solar-power installation.

“The Sunshine Coast now has one of the highest per capita installation areas for solar power in Australia and the new 10,000 Solar Roofs Project will keep us in the forefront,” she said.

Associate Professor Peter Waterman, who teaches climate-change adaptation at the University of the Sunshine Coast believes we need to keep focused on locally-based action.

“It is great to be aware of the bigger picture but we have to do things in our region, our homes, our workplaces and our lives. We have to think about adapting — we have to climate proof,” he said.

Half of all Renewable Energy Certificates generated come from solar hot water and not renewable energy such as photovoltaic panels.

The Federal Government’s chop and change approach to renewable energy policy is causing uncertainty and the stalling of cleaner energy projects.

Everyone knows that solar hot water is not a renewable energy source however Minister for Climate Change and Water, Penny Wong has included solar hot water and heat pumps as part of the Renewable Energy Target, claiming that Treasury modelling showed it would only amount to 5 per cent of the target. The modelling Senator Wong relied on got it very wrong with approximately 50 per cent of all Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) generated coming from solar hot water and not renewable energy.  The resultant flood of RECs has collapsed the price affecting the viability of renewable energy projects across the country.

Greens Senator Christine Milne has warned, “We have got 150 jobs on the line right now with Keppel Prince Engineering and we have got $20 billion worth of investment in commercial-scale renewable energy projects at risk. Dare I say that, if this were 150 workers in a coalmine or in a coal-fired power station or $20 billion worth of investment in coal at risk, there would be emergency meetings all over the place, but this is renewable energy.”

It is said that it can be good sometimes to be behind as you can learn from the mistakes and success of others. Not apparently when it comes to renewable energy policy.

Feed in tariffs (FiT) means that if you are generating green electricity and sending it back to the grid you are getting paid a higher price.  There is a “net” feed in tariff where you only get paid for the excess you send back to the grid after your own household usage has been taken out. With a’gross” FiT one gets paid for what ever is generated.

Countries like Germany and France have grown their clean renewable industry by having long-term certainty around a national gross feed in tariff.

Farmers in Germany put solar panels in their paddocks and on their barns and make a good rate of return as they are guaranteed a price for 20 years. China, Japan and the UK are all introducing gross feed in tariffs to assist the transition to a low carbon economy.

The Federal Government have allowed feed in tariff arrangements to be handled by the States and the result is a total lack of consistency.  Western Australia, Northern Territory and Tasmania have no feed in tariffs. Queensland and South Australia have net feed in tariffs of 44 cents per KwH, Victoria has a net of 60 cents, ACT has a gross FiT of 50 cents and next year New South Wales is to be congratulated for having the highest feed in at 6o cents gross per KwH.

What a crazy situation for such an important piece of policy to be handled in this way. The Federal Government has made the mess and now they need to fix it. Immediate action is required to remove solar hot water from the Renewable Energy Target. Take federal control of feed in tariffs and introduce a national gross feed in of say 60 cents a KwH.

It is about time that the coal industry was told to look after itself and the tax-payer subsidies withdrawn, and assistance went instead to the future of renewable energy.

Life on this planet has run from solar energy for eons

Even though we live in the ‘sunshine state’ and those of us in south-east Queensland have recently witnessed the impacts of leaking oil tankers, there are some that still doubt the ability of the big ball in the sky to supply clean, efficient and cheap energy. Even though those doubts make as much sense as the tightly spun marketing term, ‘clean coal’.

Below is an excerpt from Ken Hickson’s popular ABC Carbon Express (Issue 62:13 – 19 June 2009).

He interviews Ausra’s founder and chief scientific officer David Mills. Ausra designs, manufactures, installs, and operates solar thermal energy systems for customers around the world.

When people ask David Mills why he got into the solar field, he puts it this way:

“Energy is a huge problem for humankind, with an obvious solution that beams down on us every day.

The obviousness is so complete that it can be shared by many different personalities:

1. For the fastidious, solar is perfectly clean. No radiation waste dumps, oil tankers to pollute our coastlines, smog, or buried carbon dioxide ready to bubble up in an earthquake.
2. For the economists, if they can be persuaded to add total benefits properly, solar is cheaper.
3. For geeks, solar is high tech. The sun is an advanced fusion power system with the reactor at a safe distance. Think 10 square kilometre steam boilers, super sophisticated thin film PV, advanced computer control, high temperature materials science, and solar sailing space ships.
4. For power engineers, solar power with 15 hours of storage is a much better match to human activity than their beloved ‘base load’. A square less than 100 km on a side would power the US electricity sector and a future electrified vehicle sector with greater than a 95 per cent correlation between supply and demand. Ditto China and India, and of course Australia.
5. For ‘big number’ fetishists, solar is really huge. Caltech estimates that humans will only pull up a total — including all past mining — of 662 billion tons of coal out of the Earth. The thermal value of solar energy reaching the earth’s surface each year is 230 times larger than that. The sun also generates a smaller but still very large wind power resource.
6. For the insecure, solar makes us safer. No nuclear technology to divert to bombs. No energy wars over oil. No struggles for water rights (via access to solar desalination). No additions to climate change. Just make sure you wear a hat at the beach.
7. For the historians, life on this planet has run from solar energy for eons, and for futurists, solar is the key to ensuring that we and our biosphere have a satisfactory future relationship.”

Read more at the ABC Carbon website.

Looking to the future: Eumundi-based permaculture teacher and author, Janet Millington. Image by: Anastasia Holt

The Sunshine Coast, as the world’s first recognised Transition Region within Australia, is an environmental pioneer. Eumundi-based permaculture teacher and author Janet Millington, explains the concept.

“It focuses on helping communities overcome fossil fuel dependencies in the face of peak oil and climate change. It means asking people to reassess their need for petrol, plastics, electricity, imported goods, remotely-grown foods and long-distance travel. It means asking people to consider their means of survival when dwindling resources reach record prices or disappear altogether, when climate change brings devastating storms and mercury-busting weather which cannot be fought by traditional fuel-infused means”.

Transition Town provides alternatives and answers for people to incorporate in their everyday lives.

“If something has to come a long way or is fossil fuel based, make sure you have alternatives. Try to buy local and to support businesses that are trying to compete with global-market forces. Network with neighbours and within your local community, to find people with expertise that can help you become prepared. Understand that this is something that cannot be done alone and that we need to improve our communication and decision making skills as we will succeed or fail only as a group,” she said.

Millington believes the Sunshine Coast is well and truly up to the challenge and points to the proactive stance of many Coast communities as proof of the region’s natural abilities.

The Sunshine Coast is proud of its leadership

“The Sunshine Coast is a leader with a long tradition of good environmental warriors who have fought hard to replace forests or not allow them to be cut down in the first place. We have a population with the economic means and business savvy to see opportunities in the changes that need to be made and we have a Council that is willing and asking for direction from its community. We have much of our eco-services intact or able to be restored and we have good minds that are wise in science and technology and are equally creative. The Sunshine Coast was the first initiative outside the United Kingdom and the first to be not simply a town.”

According to Janet, several local towns are well on their way to self reliance, such as Transition Eudlo, Transition Maleny and Transition Cooran, and urges all Coast householders to take steps toward greater regional independence. Succeeding as a group undoubtedly means the Sunshine Coast will continue to be known as one of the cleanest, greenest, lifestyle-oriented regions in the world, no matter what the future holds. It is one of the main messages of this year’s Sunshine Coast World Environment Day Festival.

By Guest Writer, Lindsay Holt

When it comes to government spending, coal continues to eclipse solar and other renewables

Federal Environment and Climate Change Ministers jointly announced that there was less than 8 hours to submit solar rebate applications before they were stopped 3 weeks before schedule. Environment Minister, Peter Garrett is now clearly in the running as the most disappointing and underachieving environment minister in recent years.

The rationale for suddenly stopping the $8000 rebate was that it was so popular that the budget blew out to $700 million, which according to Garrett was four times its original commitment.

Contrast this with the government allocation of $2.4 billion of your taxes for so called “clean coal”.  So what do you get for this outlay?  By 2018 not even one commercial scale “clean coal” plant!  The reality is that “clean coal” is a big lie and an expensive excuse for keeping us stuck in the old dirty economy.

If $2.4 billion had gone into renewables instead, it would kick start a true green revolution creating new jobs and diversifying our economy.

Guest writer for Eco watch, Lindsay Holt

The Climate Change mafia that former Liberal Party advisor Guy Pearse exposed under Howard is obviously alive and well and prospering under the Rudd Government.

The Queensland Government is also keen on keeping the love affair with coal going.  In Professor Weller’s independent review of Queensland Statutory Bodies it recommended that the Queensland Government clean coal project, Zero Gen Pty Ltd “be wound up or handed over to the private sector.” Weller described the project as “highly technical if not speculative”.  The Queensland Government has refused to implement the recommendation. So what do Queensland taxpayers get for their $100 million investment – a goal to have a small scale clean coal demonstration plant operating by 2012.

Contrast this with the Western Australian State Liberal Government’s implementation of a 60 cents a kilowatt hour gross feed in tariff for renewable energy sent into the grid. Under the scheme all the solar electricity your panels generate gets paid at the higher rate of 60 cents and you purchase the balance you need at 16 cents a kilowatt hour.  The pay back is over 10 per cent and will drive WA’s green renewable industry.

It is about time we collectively told the Queensland and Federal Labor Governments to stop subsidising fossil fuels and invest in our future not our past.

From the makers of “Fargo”, “O Brother Where Art Thou” and “The Big Lebowski”.  Academy Award-winning filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen have directed a short video for The Reality Campaign dispelling the myth of clean coal with their advertisement “clean coal air freshener”. The Coen Brothers get the point across as only they can.

Australia's green future. Image: greghardwick.com.au

How many times do green groups need to shout if from the roof tops? Roof tops that could easily be covered in green, clean energy.

Clean energy and energy efficiency industries will create more than 28,000* new jobs by 2020, according to ground breaking economic modelling released today by the Clean Energy Council (CEC).

CEC Chief Executive, Matthew Warren, said the report demonstrates that renewable energy jobs are the key to Australia’s defence against ongoing global recession and the front line response to climate change.

“We have a burgeoning renewable energy industry in Australia that is ready to become an economic powerhouse when the parliament passes critical Renewable Energy Target legislation,” he said. ? ?“We now need politicians from all sides in Canberra to set aside cheap political point scoring and pass the RET bill now.”

Mr Warren said that immediate deployment of renewable energy projects has the clear support of most stakeholders and the community.

“Any political tricky manoeuvre to hold the legislation up now will simply end up being a remarkable own goal,” he said.
The report concludes that at least 50 percent of Australia’s energy will be derived from renewable sources by 2050 and this will require the creation of a new renewable energy workforce.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for employers, investors, education providers and jobseekers to reap the benefits of a green jobs revolution,” Mr Warren said.

The CEC is working with all levels of government, industry and educational institutions to make sure we get the RET legislation right and pave the way for the creation of this exciting new industry.

The report is now available for download at the clean energy council website.

*jobs – modelling does not account for jobs created under the $1.6bn Solar Flagships program nor does it include jobs created under the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS).