Newswire

By Paddy Manning

After an interview with Australian solar energy pioneer David Mills in October, this column previewed a Stanford University study showing that renewable sources - principally wind and solar - could meet all of our energy needs. Its co-author, Mark Jacobson - the university's professor of civil and environmental engineering and director of its atmosphere and energy program - appeared by videoconference at last weekend's Sustainable Living Festival in Melbourne.

He spoke about the findings of his study, which was the cover story in November's Scientific American magazine, which has generated plenty of debate in the United States (and some here, too).

Jacobson and Mark Delucchi, a research scientist at the University of California, compared available world renewable energy resources - wind, water, solar - with maximum forecast energy demand, including transport, of about 16.9 terawatts (1 terawatt equals a trillion watts) in 2030. Today's demand is 12.5 terawatts.

SUSTAINABILITY groups are rallying around an environmental alliance's ambitious 10-year plan for community-led action on climate change.

The Sustainable Living Foundation's Luke Taylor said yesterday's launch of Transition Decade, a campaign co-ordinated by the by The Sustainable Living Foundation, Friends of the Earth Australia, Beyond Zero Emissions and the Climate Emergency Network, came at a time when community groups needed a clear way forward.

"A lot of people are pretty depressed about current progress on climate action.  We need a clear platform and unity around key messages," he said.

No wonder Australia is lagging behind Spain and China with renewable energy, writes Matthew Wright.

Renewable energy is the fastest growing power source in the world, and already generates baseload electricity on the scale of utilities. Large solar thermal plants with heat storage can dispatch power around the clock every day of the week regardless of whether the sun is shining, and make handsome profits during demand peaks.

26,400 turbines to wean Britain off its carbon habit

By Michael Savage, Political Correspondent

Revolutionary plans for a massive expansion of offshore wind farms have been unveiled in a £100bn project designed to usher in a new era of green energy for Britain.

A quarter of the country's electricity needs would be met through wind power by 2020 under the strategy, with the construction of 6,400 turbines within nine sites dotted around the coast. The programme amounts to the biggest energy supply shake-up since the discovery of the North Sea oil and gas fields more than 40 years ago.