Solar Energy Costs On a Par with Coal Fired Energy by 2015

A solar power plant developer, Silex Systems, which is investigating sites in Queensland, says solar electricity generating costs could be similar to coal-fired power costs within five years, while Brisbane-based Ingenero has helped 300 schools generate their own electricity and installed solar on the roofs of Woolworths petrol stations to feed energy into the grid.

Two stories on very significant solar developments appeared in the Courier Mail on 16 April 2010. Unfortunately these cannot be accessed online. So for the full story view a scanned copy of the articles, go to: http://www.ingenero.com.au/media/press/

Think Global, Act Local: Planet Footprint, Carbon View & Intel

A new sensor and personal energy management panel made by Intel could help combat global warming by cutting electricity use by one-third, while the Premium Carbon Management Service offered by Planet Footprint and Carbon View will enable Councils to achieve full ownership and management of their carbon emissions, without spending unnecessary time collecting and managing the data needed to report those emissions.

Thursday 15 April 2010

Planet Footprint announces launch of its Premium Carbon Management Service

Planet Footprint, in partnership with CarbonView, have announced the launch of Australia’s only

carbon scorekeeping service for local government.

Planet Footprint Premium Carbon Management Service will be offered to all Australian Councils from today, and gives Councils access to a complete end-to-end service for carbon measurement, reporting and management.

The service builds upon Planet Footprint’s existing Scorekeeping Service which is currently

delivered to over 170 Councils nationally. Like the existing service, the new Premium Carbon

Management Service will deliver full management of the carbon data collection process by Planet

Footprint, detailed environmental and carbon reporting, and national and international

benchmarking and profiling.

The Premium Service will also give Councils access to CarbonView, an advanced software tool

for carbon reporting, modeling and management.

“The Premium Carbon Management Service will enable Councils to achieve full ownership and

management of their carbon emissions, without spending unnecessary time collecting and

managing the data needed to report those emissions” said Andrew Wales, Managing Director of

Planet Footprint.

Planet Footprint has selected CarbonView as its software partner for the Premium Service because

of CarbonView’s comprehensive and practical approach to carbon management.

“CarbonView understand the fundamentals of carbon scorekeeping, and have developed a

software tool that provides the exact functionality needed by Planet Footprint for delivery to

Australian local government” said Mr Wales.

Councils that subscribe to the Premium Carbon Management Service will also have access to a

team of sustainability, IT and engineering specialists to assist in applying the service within

Council.

“Because Planet Footprint works with Councils during the scorekeeping process, each Council

will retain full ownership of their data and build greater internal capacity for dealing with climate

change”, said Mr Wales.

Councils will be able to move quickly beyond talking about greenhouse action and be able to

focus more time and money on actions to improve their carbon performance. We are delighted to

support Planet Footprint with this strategic initiative” said Fadi Geha, Managing Director of

EcoView Technologies, CarbonView’s Master Distributor.

The Planet Footprint Premium Carbon Management System is available to Councils on an annual

subscription basis.

Source: www.planetfootprint.com and www.carbon-view.com

By Leslie Meredith, TechNewsDaily  (17 April 2010):

A new sensor and personal energy management panel made by Intel could help combat global warming by cutting electricity use by one-third.

In an address this week during Intel’s Developer Forum in Beijing, China, Justin Rattner, chief technology officer, posed the question: What if we could make energy management personal? Just like computing was taken from the hands of big business and put into the pockets and purses of consumers. After all, computers and information technology (IT) equipment only account for two percent of the world’s power consumption.

“If we were to hugely succeed and cut IT power in half, we’d only improve things by one percent,” Rattner said. “On the other hand, there are 113 million households that represent 35 percent of total U.S. energy. Now that’s a huge number.”

Rattner says information can change behavior. He called it the “Wayne Gerdes Effect.” Gerdes, considered the father of hypermiling (the art of getting super high gas mileage at rates above 100 miles per gallon) and one of the world’s foremost experts in vehicle fuel efficiency said that if every vehicle on the road had an energy management screen, we would immediately save 20 percent of total fuel associated with vehicle operation.

“That literally could bring an end to global warming,” Rattner said. He said the same principle can be applied to household energy use.

During its presentation, Intel unveiled a single sensor that plugs into a wall outlet. The sensor is not much bigger than a night light.

Once connected, the sensor will wirelessly connect to all electrical devices in the house and self configure to record the voltages from each source in real time.

During the demonstration, the sensor detected the unique signal from three ordinary appliances: a toaster, a microwave and a refrigerator. The sensor sent the information to a PC, which displayed icons associated with the appliances and their energy consumption.

Intel says its research has revealed that consumers want to know more than how much energy they’re using and they want to know what they can do to reduce their energy consumption.

Intel engineer Mary Murphy-Hoye showed a touch screen “energy panel” that resembled Apple’s iPad tablet. The device could be used to suggest ways homeowners could further reduce their energy use. For instance, it could display a dynamic clock showing optimal times to run different appliances.

“We’re putting together a reference design right now,” Murphy-Hoye said. Intel expects to have the sensor and the personal energy management panel available before the end of the year.

Intel estimates the average U.S. household could reduce energy consumption by 15 to 31 percent and save up to $470 per year in electricity costs using its system.

Murphy-Hoye tested a prototype of the system in her own home, and used sensors to track and analyze her family’s energy use.

She reported the feedback had immediate effects on her family and led to the discovery of new ways to save energy. The first thing everyone did after seeing the energy graph on the family PC was to turn off the lights, she said.

The system also revealed that the water heater was automatically firing up even when she set the washing machine on cold, in order to heat the water to a less cold temperature before the washer filled. This revelation led Murphy-Hoye to find the “tap water” setting on her water heater, which proved to be more energy efficient.

Murphy-Hoye said her time with the system convinced her that it’s important for people to not only understand their energy use, but also make it really simple for them to use that information to change their behavior.

Source: www.livescience.com

50,000 Electric Vehicles: France Commits to Infrastructure & Production

Deployment plan for hybrid and electric vehicles: commitment from 12 local governments to install charging infrastructures starting from 2010 and announced the legal creation of the consortium which will place the order of 50,000 electric vehicles with a range of at least 150km.

The French government presents the progress of its hybrid and electric vehicles deployment plan.

Special thanks to Philippe Reboul – organiser of Australia’s first Electric Vehicle Conference – for the translation of the announcement

13 APRIL 2010, PARIS:

Deployment plan for hybrid and electric vehicles: commitment from 12 local governments to install charging infrastructures starting from 2010 and launch of the first order for 50,000 electric vehicles.

Jean-Louis BORLOO, Minister for the Environment, Energy, Sustainability and the Sea, in charge of

Green Technology and Climate Change negotiations, and Christian ESTROSI, Minister for the Industry have signed on 13 April a charter with 12 “pilot” local governments and car manufacturers Renault and Peugeot, committing over the deployment from 2010 of public charging infrastructures for electric and hybrid vehicles.

Jean-Louis BORLOO presented on 1 October 2009, a national plan with 14 concrete actions to facilitate the development of rechargeable electric and hybrid vehicles.

Thanks to the mobilization of all stakeholders, this plan is showing major progress, especially in 3 areas: deployment of charging infrastructures, support toward demand and incentive toward vehicle purchase.

1. Commitment from regional councils toward the deployment of public charging infrastructures

for electric and hybrid vehicles

The massive and rapid market commercialization of low carbon vehicles in less than 9 months requires on the ground deployment of public charging infrastructures. The project of the « Grenelle 2 » law which will be examined by the National Assembly next month, planned to transfer this competency to regional councils and their departments or working groups.

Meanwhile, the charter signed today 13 April, allows anticipating the following:

• The French State commits to develop operational recommendations for the deployment of public

charging infrastructures, which will be gathered in a Green Book to be published in October 2010. It will also define the financing arrangements planned within the framework of the Great Loan set up to support local governments.

• These « pilot » local governments commit to implement from 2010 the deployment of public charging

infrastructures. These « pilot » councils are : Bordeaux, Grenoble, Rennes, Nice, Angoulême, Aix-en-

Provence region, Orléans, Paris, Rouen, Strasbourg, Le Havre and the greater Nancy.

• The car manufacturers Renault and PSA (Peugeot-Citroen) commit towards the commercialization of 60 000 electric vehicles in France in 2011-2012, targeting especially the councils which develop a sufficient charging infrastructure network.

2. Launch of the first large grouped order for 50,000 electric vehicles.

Jean-Louis BORLOO announced the legal creation of the consortium which will place the order of 50,000 electric vehicles with a range of at least 150km.

It is about guaranteeing French car manufacturers with a demand sufficient to allow them to launch the production of electric vehicles, safely and at industrial scale.

This consortium is lead by the French post, La Poste, and gathers 20 private and public organisations in transport, construction, water, environment and large fleet owners: ADP (Paris Airports), Air France, AREVA, Bouygues, EDF, ERDF, Eiffage, France Télécom, GDF-Suez, Suez Environnement, GRT Gaz, GRDF, La Poste, RATP (Paris transports), SAUR, SNCF, SPIE, UGAP (Public purchasing group), Vinci and Veolia.

The tender procedure will start on April 23 by a competitive dialog with car manufacturers in order to allow the emergence of the best proposals.

The Ministers have also confirmed today the super-bonus of 5000 euros for the purchase of electric vehicles until 2012.

This legislation will provide a 5000 euros incentive to anyone who purchases a vehicle with CO2 emission lower or equal to 60 g/km.

For consumers, this is the guarantee that electric vehicles will cost them the same as conventional vehicles.

It should be noted that hybrid vehicles with emissions lower or equal to 135 g/CO2/km benefit from a 2000 bonus as well as LPG or LNG vehicles.

Contact info@rblconsulting.com.au to purchase a copy of the complete translation of the signed Charter (6p) and the full Press file (16p) providing more details about the French government’s EV strategy and financial commitment, vehicle types, batteries plants, charging infrastructures, and stakeholders. Or visit his website.

Source: www.rblconsulting.com.au

Green Groups Back Tax Plan; Green Loan Assessors Still Waiting

Key green groups, who have long endorsed the stalled trading scheme, joined a broad coalition yesterday of green groups, unions and welfare bodies that is calling on the government to adopt the tax proposed by the Greens. Meanwhile the Rudd government’s green loans scheme remains dysfunctional with hundreds of home sustainability assessors reporting that they are battling to survive due to delays in being paid.

Tom Arup reports for The Land (14 April 2010):

KEY supporters of the government’s climate-change policies are backing an alternative proposal for a two-year carbon tax to break a deadlock on the emissions trading scheme.

Key green groups, who have long endorsed the stalled trading scheme, joined a broad coalition yesterday of green groups, unions and welfare bodies that is calling on the government to adopt the tax proposed by the Greens.

The proposal, which has been lifted from the government’s Garnaut review into climate change, would tax greenhouse gases at $23 a tonne for two years and would use part of the money raised to compensate households and trade-exposed industries for cost increases.

The tax would be a precursor to an emissions trading scheme which caps the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by industry and requires companies to buy permits for each tonne of carbon that they want to emit.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, the coalition called on the government to act on climate change before the next federal election.

Source: www.theland.farmonline.com.au

Adam Morton in The Age (16 April 2010):

April 16, 2010

THE Rudd government’s green loans scheme remains dysfunctional with hundreds of home sustainability assessors reporting that they are battling to survive due to delays in being paid.

Despite assurances that extra staff would ensure deadlines were met, an industry survey this month found 93 per cent of assessors were waiting more than the promised month to be paid. A third said it took more than two months; nearly one in 10 more than three months.

The Association of Building Sustainability Assessors said it got daily complaints about unpaid invoices and an unresponsive federal bureaucracy. Many of its members were battling debt, having taken out loans to set up green businesses.

Paul Barbieri, an assessor based in Cockatoo in Melbourne’s outer south-east, said he had been living on credit while waiting for the government to honour invoices worth $12,000. A former earth-mover, he said he had not been paid for work since Christmas.

”When I pull up the bowser to fill my truck with diesel, it costs a couple of hundred dollars and I’m hoping there is enough in the bankcard to cover it,” he said. ”I believe in the program and the things it will achieve, but I wouldn’t be part of it if I had my time over again.”

ABSA chairman Wayne Floyd said acute financial stress was common. ”Reading the member reports, we’ve advised some people to seek help from [depression support service] beyondblue,” he said.

Mr Floyd said there was no sign the green loans program had been run more effectively since responsibility for it was stripped from Environment Minister Peter Garrett and handed to Climate Change Minister Penny Wong in February.

Promised before the 2007 election, the scheme offered households a free environmental assessment and interest-free loans up to $10,000 to improve energy and water efficiency.

An ABSA submission to a Senate inquiry into the program said many faults had not been resolved since its introduction last July.

Some changes in February were welcome, but others had created new issues. An estimated 10,000 people have taken approved training programs, but the government limited the number of contracts to 5000 and introduced a personal cap of five assessments a week. It means the best-paid assessors can earn only $1000 a week.

The government also abolished the $10,000 loans and announced 600,000 extra sustainability assessments.

The association survey found 75 per cent of assessors believed the five-job weekly limit meant it was no longer viable to set up a sustainability business.

A Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency spokeswoman acknowledged some payments had not been fast enough, but said others had been held up due to incorrect invoices being submitted.

Acting Greens leader Christine Milne said an excellent scheme would crash if the rate of payment was not fixed.

Opposition climate action spokesman Greg Hunt said there had been no progress in fixing the program.

Source: www.theage.com.au

Severe Energy Crunch Looming as Oil Supplies Run Down

Peak Oil is not some myth. It is a very simple equation based on supply and demand related to a very finite resource. And it could arrive sooner rather than later. The US Military says: “By 2012, surplus oil production capacity could entirely disappear, and as early as 2015, the shortfall in output could reach nearly 10 million barrels a day.”

Paul Syvret in the Courier-Mail (16 April 2010):

RISING oil prices pose a grave threat to global economic recovery, according to some economists.

Thus it was sobering this week to read that the US military has warned the world faces a “severe energy crunch” and looming oil shortages.

According to a Joint Operating Environment report from the US Joint Forces Command, “a severe energy crunch is inevitable without a massive expansion of production and refining capacity”.

The report says the central problem for the coming decade “will not be a lack of petroleum reserves, but rather a shortage of drilling platforms, engineers and refining capacity”.

And it warns: “Even were a concerted effort begun today to repair that shortage, it would be 10 years before production could catch up with expected demand.”

More ominously, the military predicts a “Peak Oil” scenario – where demand outstrips the world’s supply capacity – as soon as 2012.

“By 2012, surplus oil production capacity could entirely disappear, and as early as 2015, the shortfall in output could reach nearly 10 million barrels a day.”

Current oil demand is about 86 million barrels a day.

The repercussions of Peak Oil have potentially grave consequences both economically and militarily.

On the military front the USFC notes that already Chinese “civilians” are in the Sudan guarding oil pipelines to protect supply, and that this “could portend a future in which other states intervene in Africa to protect scarce resources”.

“The implications for future conflict are ominous, if energy supplies cannot keep up with demand and should states see the need to militarily secure dwindling energy resources,” the report says.

“While it is difficult to predict precisely what economic, political and strategic effects such a shortfall might produce, it surely would reduce the prospects for growth in the developing and developed worlds.

“Such an economic slowdown would exacerbate other unresolved tensions, push fragile and failing states further down the path toward collapse, and perhaps have serious economic impact on both China and India. At best, it would lead to periods of harsh economic adjustment.”

Energy will be king in the coming decades, and we must exploit our (bountiful) resources wisely, while preparing ourselves for much higher prices and potentially lower domestic economic activity (aside from coal and LNG exports).

Peak Oil is not some myth. It is a very simple equation based on supply and demand related to a very finite resource.

And it could arrive sooner rather than later.

Source: www.news.com.au

Lucky Last – In the footprints of immigrants

What is a sustainable population for Australia?  Where are our people coming from? Once here, migrants add to the nation’s population – and to the economy – which, inescapably increases the burden on Australia’s environment. Graham Readfearn reports on the question of population on the ABC Environment portal (15 April 2010):

How many more migrants can Australia handle?

Migration contributes massively to Australia’s population, but the environmental impacts aren’t as simple as they seem.

WHEN migrants arrive in Australia they bring with them hopes for a new life which for some might even stretch to a four-burner barbecue and backyard pool. For others the hope might be for a steady income, a life free from repression or simply better weather.

Whatever their motivation, once here migrants add to the nation’s population which, inescapably increases the burden on Australia’s environment.

Latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show that between September 2008 and 2009, 450,000 new people called Australia home, tipping the country’s population over the 22 million mark.

Some 66 per cent of those new people came via boats and planes. But will these migrants bring with them habits that are any better for Australia’s environment or the nation’s contribution to global emissions of greenhouse gases?

“It’s a very complicated issue,” says Charles Berger, director of strategic ideas at the Australian Conservation Foundation which wants population growth to be acknowledged as an official “threatening process” by the Federal Government.

“The profile of individuals that might be coming to Australia isn’t the same as the average profile of the country they’re coming from. It might not be the rural Indian villager coming to Australia, but the accountant from New Delhi who is already leading a more carbon intensive life. But once folks do come here, they are immediately plugged into our electricity system which for the most part is using coal-fired power unless they choose renewable energy.”

Official United Nations estimates say by late next year the world’s population will reach seven billion. By 2050, it is predicted to be above nine billion.

Almost all of the globe’s population increase will be seen in poorer countries where people have ecological and carbon footprints far smaller than in Australia.

One detailed study from WWF suggested that each person on the planet needs an average of 2.7 hectares of good land to produce what we consume and absorb our waste.

In 2005, this demand on the planet’s resources was outstripping supply by 30 per cent as the planet only had 2.1 hectares of productive land available per person.

Migrants to Australia will become part of an average ecological footprint which stands at 7.8 global hectares, one of the highest in the world.

And the UN points out that by 2050 there will be 2.4 million people each year migrating from a poorer country to join those consumption-driven lifestyles in developed countries.

How full is full?

Barney Foran, a research fellow at Charles Sturt University, has a long history of studying the connections between populations, the environment and the economy.

“We should be aiming to stabilise our population,” he says. “Even at 30 million we could feed and water those people but with current systems of farming, city infrastructure, waste management, transport and increasing greenhouse gas emissions, we are back in the 1950s in terms of the technical standards of much of our infrastructure.”

He says that even if Australia reached 30 million, this would still be “grossly unsustainable” given current patterns of consumption and lifestyles.

So where are the migrants, the driving force for Australia’s current population boom, coming from? While the most visible arrivals to Australia are no doubt those arriving by boat seeking refugee status, they’re a tiny proportion of arrivals.

ABS analysis last year showed only 13,000 of the 206,000 permanent visas granted to migrants were given for humanitarian reasons, the rest came mainly as skilled workers or to join family members.

The contribution of natural births is also minimal. Women of child-bearing age in Australia are having an average of 1.97 babies each – a rate just below the 2.1 level required to keep the equilibrium between births and deaths.

According to projections from the Australian Treasury, even if migration levels dropped, as they are expected to, there will be 35.9 million in the lucky country by 2050.

The country contributing most to Australia’s net migration is China, which added 28,700 people to Australia’s population in 2007/08. New Zealand lost 27,400 to Australia, followed by 24,000 souls from the United Kingdom and 23,900 from India.

All these imports would leave behind a country with much lower carbon footprints than Australia’s which, according to the International Energy Agency, stands at 18.75 tonnes just from burning fossil fuels for energy and transport.

When 28,700 migrants arrive from China, they swap their average ecological footprint of 2.1 hectares per person for a far more damaging scenario.

According to analysis from Dr Bob Birrell, of Monash University’s Centre for Population and Urban Research, rising population will be responsible for 83 per cent of the total growth of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions by 2020.

Dr Birrell was a member of the Hawke Government’s National Population Council which disbanded in the mid-1990s after recommending, among other things, that the Government should establish a ministerial portfolio for population.

He says: “The stated environmental aspirations of our Government are totally in conflict with its economic and population aspirations.

“It is not so much a question of how many people Australia could carry, but rather what is a sensible number in terms of balancing people and nature.”

Dr Birrell believes Australia should aim for a stable population of around 26 million which is “still too high” but given current trends, “is the best we could hope for”.

Yet there is research to suggest that the global impact of people migrating from a low-carbon lifestyle to one of high consumption is further compounded with each generation.

In the journal Global Environmental Change, a study last year found a child born in the United States (a country with near identical per capita emissions to Australia) would be responsible for 9441 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions when you also take into account that child’s expected descendants.

However, under the same rules, a child born in India would be responsible for 171 tonnes or 1384 tonnes for a child born in China.

Barney Foran points out that as the world’s environmental resources are now interconnected through world trade, “all affluent people have to radically change their footprints, whether or not they’re in Mumbai or Sydney”.

Environmental refugees

Environmental degradation and worsening climate change isn’t just a potential effect of population growth, it could also be a cause of mass migrations around the globe.

Former Australian Government climate change advisor Professor Ross Garnaut warned in his report that Australia would “not be immune from the consequences of climate-induced migration” in the Asia-Pacific region.

Low-lying Pacific nations such as Kiribati, Tuvalu and PNG’s Carteret Islands are among those who fear that rising sea-levels are putting their future in doubt.

Other more populated countries, in particular Bangladesh, Egypt, China and India, could generate millions of climate refugees.

Two new documentary films, Climate Refugees and Sun Come Up are highlighting the concerns of many campaigners and communities.

http://www.abc.net.au/environment/articles/2010/04/15/2874088.htm

Addicted to change or business as usual?

There’s a business focus this week along with giving added attention to some startling innovations from home and abroad. Always interested in seeing what good uses carbon can be put to, we find it could have a role, in the form of graphene, to make solar cells cheaper and more effective. Then there’s big battery research for the electricity grid and electrifying plants that matter. Could there really be a clean and environmentally friendly nuclear fusion power over the horizon? And what’s the role of black carbon – or soot – in dirtying up the atmosphere and contributing to climate change? CleanTech business comes into its own and is growing in importance globally, but what is holding it back in Australia? Glacier melting is not something we can ignore any longer. Bad news from Peru and the US. Business has definitely decided not to wait for Government to act (or not) and is going it alone – and collectively – to deal with climate change, emissions and clean energy. Dr Tony Haymet, in profile, is a setting a fine example by bringing business and research institutions closer together, while the University of Queensland gives global change and the environment a strong focus for its centenary. Time Magazine gives European energy innovations the space they deserve, while Greenpeace gets stuck into Koch Industries for secretly funding the climate denial machine. Lucky Last we have some wise words on the fossil fuel addicts. Who’s hooked?  Ken Hickson

Profile: Dr Tony Haymet

Director of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and best known for robotic exploration on the surface of Mars, Australian-born and educated Dr Tony Haymet told his Brisbane audience this week of his work on climate change and ocean acidification, as well as highlighted the opportunities for Queensland and Australian laboratories to expand their research collaboration in these areas. He is also a key champion for the clean-tech industry and is co-founder of CleanTECH San Diego.

As this issue of Express goes to press (Wednesday 14 April), Tony Haymet is due to speak at the University of Queensland, in a lecture given in association with The Global Change Institute.

In his address, Dr Tony Haymet, Director of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) is expected to introduce and describe all kinds of robots, in air as well as sea.

He will draw an analogy with the robotic exploration of the surface of mars and other planets. Throughout his presentation Dr Haymet will reference some of his Institute’s work on climate change and ocean acidification.

He will also highlight the opportunities for Queensland and Australian laboratories to expand their research collaboration in these areas and will present a picture of some exciting career opportunities for students considering research or practical careers in this relatively unexplored world.

Tony Haymet has been Director of Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Vice Chancellor for Marine Sciences, and Dean of the Graduate School of Marine Sciences at University of California, San Diego, since September 2006. He is co-founder of CleanTECH San Diego, a business organization devoted to the solution of the climate change problem, and currently serves as Vice-Chair.

He is elected to the board of the Consortium for Ocean Leadership (COL), Partnership for the Observation of the Global Ocean POGO, and appointed to many boards and advisory committees, including the National Institute of Standards and Technology Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology. Dr. Haymet is a highly distinguished researcher who has published more than 165 peer-reviewed articles and numerous Op-Ed pieces in leading newspapers around the world.

He was formerly Chief of Marine and Atmospheric Science and then the Science and Policy Director at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) in Australia. Dr. Haymet is a tenured Professor of Oceanography at Scripps, and of Chemistry & Biochemistry at UCSD. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago and a Doctor and Bachelor of Science (Honours) from the University of Sydney.

To gain further insight into the interests and views of Tony Haymet, we searched through relevant material on the Scripps website. Here’s what we came up with:

Quote from Tony Haymet on desalination and water conservation:

When someone in the audience asked about current prospects for desalination technology, Australian-born Tony Haymet, who is director of Scripps Oceanography, stepped to the microphone to explain that desalination remains very expensive. Haymet said desalination is more than four times the cost of conventional water treatment. In Australia, where much of the population lives in a coastal climate similar to San Diego, Haymet said a prolonged dry spell led to a concerted effort to reduce excessive water use. The results are dramatic. Haymet said urban Australia has reduced its daily water consumption by 77 percent, from 130 gallons per person to 30 gallons per person. In contrast, the Scripps director says average daily water use in California today exceeds 300 gallons per person. So there’s room for improvement. Haymet noted, however, that Australia calculates its urban water use separately from agricultural use, but California includes both agricultural and urban water use in calculating 300 gallons per capita. So it would be useful to distinguish how much water goes to California’s cities and how much goes to the “Cadillac Desert.”

Quote from the San Diego Business Journal:
In just a little more than two years a local business organization called CleanTECH San Diego has, and is working to mirror the region’s high-tech and science success. CleanTECH San Diego has not only delivered, but has attached itself to some key players from industry, government, and academia, such as Tony Haymet, vice chairman of the organization and director of Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego

Tony Haymet, director of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography:California’s continued leadership in business-oriented solutions to global warming, and the international perception of our leadership, will be great for our San Diego clean-tech businesses.

Here’s a report on Tony Haymet’s participation at the World Economic Forum:

Scripps Director Provides Key Scientific Perspective at Davos World Economic Forum

Fisheries, ocean acidification, and the Great Pacific Garbage Patch among issues presented by Tony Haymet at global gathering

Scripps Institution of Oceanography/ University of California, San Diego

With the world’s fragile economies beginning to recover from the global economic crisis, all eyes were fixed on the Swiss city of Davos in late January for the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum.  

The five-day meeting gathered more than 2,500 of the world’s experts in banking and finance, as well as global political leaders and a select number of scientists and educators.  

Among them was Tony Haymet, director of Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego, who provided scientific insights in areas where Scripps’ cutting-edge research contributes knowledge to topics around the planet.  

“The World Economic Forum at Davos is a focal point for the greatest minds in business and government, and I was pleased to have been invited to share information about Scripps’ scientific contributions that are imperative for understanding many global issues,” said Haymet. “I’m also very grateful to a great donor family friend of Scripps, who wishes to remain anonymous, for funding my participation at the meeting.”

Formal sessions in which Haymet discussed recent Scripps research:

The state of the world’s fisheries. Based on the work of Scripps scientists Tony Koslow, David Checkley, George Sugihara, and NOAA’s Southwest Fisheries Science Center researchers, Haymet offered important perspectives about Scripps research on the health of the world’s fisheries, which supply a significant percentage of the planet’s human food supply.

He also relayed information about overfishing and fish species that have been overexploited and a few others that are rebounding. In addition to Haymet, the panel at this session included Abdoulaye Wade, the president of Senegal; Brian Baird, U.S. Congressman from the State of Washington’s 3rd District; Pascal Lamy, director-general of the World Trade Organization; Lucy Neville-Rolfe, executive director, corporate and legal affairs, of the UK supermarket chain Tesco; and Philippe Sands, a Queen’s Counsel and distinguished professor of law from University College London.

Ocean acidification. As society loads carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, the oceans are taking up a certain portion of it. Building on the research of Scripps scientists Andrew Dickson, Victoria Fabry, Uwe Send, Jennifer Smith, Stuart Sandin, and others, Haymet described how the extra carbon absorbed by oceans at their surface converts to an acid form. The change in chemistry robs organisms such as corals and sea creatures that form shells of calcium carbonate, one of the main ingredients they need to develop. This could inhibit the proper growth of marine invertebrates and disrupt the ecosystems in which they reside.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch. During a key multimedia “studio” session at the World Economic Forum, Haymet described and illustrated Scripps students’ recent voyage to the North Pacific Ocean Gyre, a location where plastic and other human-produced debris is accumulating. The findings from the expedition, led by student Miriam Goldstein, will help inform communities and world leaders about the scope and impacts of the problem, as well as policy responses.

Global viruses. In addition to their role in global pandemics, viruses also play fundamental parts in the functioning of the ocean environment. Haymet described research by Scripps marine microbiologist Farooq Azam and others that has revealed how marine microbes—at the micrometer scale—help structure the ocean’s ecosystems and response to global change.

Geoengineering. Haymet discussed prospects for a variety of mitigation strategies that involve manipulating the environment. Numerous Scripps scientists and Haymet have warned about the unknown consequences of such ideas, which range from seeding the oceans with iron to inducing greater carbon dioxide uptake to sequestering carbon in seafloor chambers.

Equally valuable were informal meetings with members of Congress, international leaders, and conservationists, especially on the fallout from the recent climate meetings in Copenhagen.  Haymet also renewed Scripps’ friendship with director James Cameron, a member of the Scripps Advisory Council, who packed the local Davos theatre near midnight for advertised 3-D clips of his smash hit movie “Avatar,” followed by much longer—and more interesting—new 3-D undersea footage from his expeditions.  

Haymet also spent a day with the German Wissenschaftsrat (Council of Science and Humanities) chaired by Hilbert von Löhneysen  who invited large vessel operators to discuss the future of the German, European, and global blue water fleets, and the need for large multipurpose vessels, some ice capable. 

Source: www.sio.ucsd.edu

Is Australia Missing CleanTech Revolution?

Australian CleanTech Index performed so poorly over the second half of 2009 when global clean-tech indices were outperforming the general market. With only a few large clean-tech companies and without this depth to the sector, it is difficult for momentum to be built at a policy or investment level. Meanwhile the “Climate Champions” program, designed to improve communication between farmers and the research community to deal with increased climatic variability, is underway in Australia.

Australia missing out on clean-tech revolution

GREENCHIP: Giles Parkinson in The Australian (12 April 2010):

ONE swallow does not make a summer unless, perhaps, you are in the Australian clean-tech sector. For the first time in longer than most will care to remember, the Australian CleanTech Index managed to outperform its mainstream rivals in March, posting a 7.3 per cent gain, compared with a 7 per cent rise for the S&P/ASX200.

But this heroic effort could not disguise the sector’s chronic underperformance against the broad index over the course of this fiscal year (down 9.5 per cent compared with a 25.6 per cent gain) and the year before.

Part of the problem, says John O’Brien, managing director of Australian CleanTech, is that the index is dominated by just a few companies. The lack of depth is a weakness, not just for the index, but for the local industry.

Unless the company is in water, waste or wind, it is probably not generating serious revenue. There are many reasons, including the poor performance of the listed sector, to fear that the clean-tech revolution is passing Australia by.

Arkx, a fund that specialises in international clean-tech stocks, has recorded an 8.03 per cent gain for March, taking its 12-month cumulative gains to 81.3 per cent, with the NEX, an international benchmark, rising 37 per cent over the same period.

The strength in the international clean-tech sector markets simply reflects global trends in clean tech and clean energy, and Arkx has many seriously big companies to invest in.

US-based Pew Charitable Trusts last month predicted that global clean energy investment was expected to jump 25 per cent this year to $US200 billion ($214bn), led by China, Britain, Germany and Spain, and said that last year the amount of installed renewable energy capacity reached 250GW, enough to power 6 per cent of the globe’s households.

Other data highlights the gap between what is happening here and overseas. The Australian Venture Capital Association estimates just $25 million was invested in Australia in clean-tech venture companies last year. Data released this month by Deloitte and the US-based Cleantech Group showed a record $US1.9bn in technology venture investments in North America, Europe, China and India in the March quarter alone, a rise of 29 per cent from the previous quarter and 83 per cent from the same period a year ago.

The most attractive sectors are “smart mobility” (electric cars and grids) and resource efficiency. Also notable was the sharp increase in new investment from utilities and corporations. The established industrial giants are starting to make that transition.

The Australian Cleantech Review, launched last week, highlighted the low level of investment in the Australian clean-tech sector, which is still regarded as a niche or speculative investment opportunity, in comparison to the enormous growth driven by regulatory measures in Europe, a voracious appetite from the US venture capital industry, and massive green stimulus packages in China and Korea.

“Australia appears to be lagging on all of these fronts,” the report says. “The government stimulus is fragmented and small, the regulatory measures are providing some assistance and the venture capital industry is under-funded. This might explain why the Australian CleanTech Index performed so poorly over the second half of 2009 when global clean-tech indices were outperforming the general market. There are only a few large clean-tech companies in Australia and without this depth to the sector, it is difficult for momentum to be built at a policy or investment level.”

Source: www.theaustralian.com.au

Choosing our climate champions

Matthew Cawood in Stock and Land (10 April 2010):

HUMAN-induced climate change or not, climate variability is a reality of Australian agriculture and one of the biggest risk factors for agricultural businesses.

The “Climate Champions” program, which kicked off last week, is designed to improve communication between farmers and the research community about the knowledge needed to deal with increased climatic variability.

Thirty farmers from around Australia have been selected as the program’s “champions”, and will act as the interface between the research and farming communities.

Chair of the Managing Climate Variability program, Ian McClelland, says the strategy reflects the fact that most farmers gain new knowledge and adopt new practices through interaction with their peers.

“The knowledge and lessons learnt from experimenting with various climate adaptation practices is trusted much more when it comes from another farmer,” Mr McClelland said.

“We expect that Climate Champions will help raise awareness and discussion within farming communities about new innovations for managing variable climatic conditions such as frost, extreme heat and low rainfall.”

The program is supported by the Managing Climate Variability program, the Grains Research & Development Corporation, and Meat and Livestock Australia.

Yass Valley superfine woolgrower John Ive, pictured, who has developed his own soil moisture predictive tools for his farm, is one of the program’s champions.

Mr Ive and wife Robyn have won a shelf-full of awards for land management.

Managing climate risk means protecting the health of the natural resource base on which future profitability depends, Mr Ive said, while at the same time ensuring ongoing economic survival.

Source: www.theland.com.au

Talks & Research Focus on Global Change & the Environment

The need for new thinking in almost every aspect of our lives becomes ever more important as global populations expand and resources dwindle.   So a day of talks by high profile speakers on Sunday 18 April has been organised to coincide with the centenary of the University of Queensland, while UQ’s newly established Global Change Institute has received A$1.4 million in ARC funding to attract the best young minds to tackle climate change.

Climate science goes super at UQ

UQ’s newly established Global Change Institute has received $1.4 million in ARC funding to attract the best young minds to tackle climate change.

The funding is part of the Australian Government’s $27.2 million Super Science Fellowships scheme aimed at attracting and retaining outstanding early-career researchers in three key areas: space science and astronomy; marine and climate sciences; and future industries research—biotechnology and nanotechnology.

GCI Director Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg said the Fellowships would be part of two GCI multidisciplinary projects with researchers from business, economics and science looking at the impacts of rising sea levels due to climate change

“This funding will allow us to employ five new post-doctoral researchers who are in the early stages of their research careers and have them work on large projects with international significance,” Professor Hoegh-Guldberg said.

The two projects are:

• Treading water in a changing climate: The vulnerability of Australia’s tropical islands to sea level rise, led by Professor Hoegh-Guldberg in collaboration with colleagues at UQ and the University of Wollongong. This project will directly benefit the people and businesses associated with 1174 tropical islands found in Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait waters. By bringing together a multi-disciplinary team and training young Australian researchers, this project will establish an integrated research program that will outline the challenges, and develop the solutions, that will be needed for Australians to cope with rising sea levels; and

• Adapting to the impacts of sea level rise as a result of rapid climate change, led by Professor Hugh Possingham. Rapid sea level rise has been identified as a major threat to coastal Australia, where most of the Australian population lives. By building capacity and answering many urgent and difficult questions related to the legal, environmental and planning ramifications of sea level rise, this project will prepare communities and policymakers for the difficult times ahead.

Each Super Science Fellowship will be held by an early-career researcher from Australia or overseas, for three-years tenure with funding of more than $90,000 a year. One hundred Super Science Fellowships have been awarded to 20 eligible institutions around Australia, with 50 to commence in 2010 and 50 in 2011.

The GCI fosters discovery and targeted problem solving by creating, applying and transferring knowledge for innovative integrated solutions to the challenges facing our changing planet. It provides for collaborative research, learning, engagement and advocacy in major global change issues of climate, population and technology across key areas in environment, water, energy, health, food and business change.

Global Change and the Environment Program

UQ is leading the way with research in all areas of Global Change, and as we celebrate the past 100 years, find out what is making a positive difference and how you can influence the next 100 years.

Location: Abel Smith Lecture Theatre (Building 23) on Sunday 18 April at University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane

The need for new thinking in almost every aspect of our lives becomes ever more important as global populations expand and resources dwindle.   Water supply to our cities, ecological sustainability, and Australia’s export future are just some of the issues which loom large within our rapidly changing world.  How we solve these problems will ultimately come down to our technological base and our willingness to face up to the scientific and economic realities of our changing world.  The question is, Is Australia ready to meet these challenges?

Source: www.uq.edu.au/centenary/