Spaceship Earth in Trouble

By Scott Paterson The entire population, faced by the threat of climate change, has been flung into a state of complete panic (below right) In 2003: “[Critics of the pact] often say, half-jokingly and half-seriously, that Russia is a northern country and if temperatures get warmer by two or three degrees Celsius it’s not that…

Column 20 Nov, 2014

BY: Tracey Carpenter Potentially another blow to the local coal industry came this week when, India’s Energy Minister, Piyush Goyal announced an ambitious target that could see India cease thermal coal imports within two to three years. After China recently announced a major city ban on coal followed by a coal tariff on imports, the…

Time is not on our side

BY: Tracey Carpenter It’s Time” – the slogan that ushered in Gough Whitlam’s nation building government was rekindled last week but not only in relation to the great Australian passing. Echoing Whitlam’s call to reform last week Secretary General Ban Ki Moon urged that “Leaders must act. Time is not on our side”. He was…

Genetically Modified Foods represent Risk of Global Harm

GMOs represent a public risk of global harm

Scientists at New York University have published their analysis that “Genetically modified organisms represent a public risk of global harm.” In an (arguably well-overdue) holistic, systems approach to the issue of GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms), the team at NYU point out that “Bottom-up modifications1 do not remove the crops from their long term evolutionary context,…

Thanks for the Memery

BY: Tracy Sorensen Goodbye fossil fuels. It was an exciting ride. You gave us so much. But here’s your gold watch and a card signed by all of us. The farewell party for fossil fuels isn’t here yet, but it’s coming. According energy expert Craig Memery, the fossil fuel industry is already on its way…

Fossil Fuels Risk

BY: Tracey Carpenter This week is the anniversary of superstorms Sandy in the US and Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines; a sobering reminder of the devastating consequences of climate change. Meanwhile, at home, the Australian parliament chose this week to take yet another step backwards on the global challenge of tackling the not-so-small problem that…

Who are you going to call?

Community Energy groups who are thinking or planning to install community solar energy systems face a barrage of changing dynamics such as the latest RET status; regulatory changes; reductions in the costs of solar panels and inverters; new creative financing approaches and other matters. Nonetheless, going by recent media reports, it seems there are new…

THIRD RET REVIEW FARCICAL

BY: Tracey Carpenter How can we can get the energy we need in regional communities – without it costing the earth?  Craig Memery of the Alternative Technology Association has the answers and will be guest speaker at BCCAN’s annual general meeting on Wednesday 29th October from 6pm at the Flannery Centre. Craig Memery offers the latest…