Climate & Energy Justice
National Convention Centre Canberra on Friday 19 August
The fossil fuel sector has mounted an aggressive attack on South Australia’s renewable energy leadership in recent weeks.These interests are trying to undermine renewable energy’s reputation and destabilise states who are taking leadership, such as the ACT, SA, and Victoria.The coordinated attack on renewable energy is an attempt to pressure state and federal energy ministers into a pro-gas agenda at the upcoming COAG Energy Council meeting in Canberra on Friday August 19.What's the antidote to the smear campaign of fossil fuel backers?... THE COMMUNITY!
Climate & Energy Justice
Wandoan mega mine and the Fitzroy Delta
The announcement by the Queensland Government's Minister for the Environment Stephen Miles to make the Fitzroy Delta a declared fish habitat marks the end to the Balaclava Island Coal Export Terminal proposed by then Xstrata (Glencore). At the height of Australia's coal boom, the pristine waters of the Fitzroy Delta and Balaclava Island's wetland were proposed for development to support coal exports.
Friends of the Earth welcomes the decision by Minister Stephen Miles to protect the Fitzroy Delta, and the waters of Keppel Bay, which are home to the Snubfin Dolphin, and looks forward to the finalisation of the regions planning to protect the area from future development.
Climate & Energy Justice
Energy Minister right on renewables and climate, wrong on gas
New federal energy and environment minister Josh Frydenberg has indicated a significant shift in energy policy for the Coalition. Minister Frydenberg has said that more renewable energy will be required with the decline of coal.
The minister has also called for more gas supplies and suppliers and for gas moratoria to be removed.
Friends of the Earth are encouraged by the positive rhetoric on renewable energy but urge the new minister to support bans on risky onshore gasfield development.
“Mr Frydenberg correctly notes that renewables are not to blame for recent high electricity prices in South Australia” said Cam Walker of Friends of the Earth Australia.
Climate & Energy Justice
Fuelling the fire: new coal technologies spell disaster for climate
A new report by Friends of the Earth International demonstrates how Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) and Coal Chemical technologies threaten to destabilise the earth’s climate and irreversibly damage local environments.
The report, launched today, comes in the wake of UCG being banned in Queensland, Australia. There is interest in and development of UCG in Europe, Russia, Canada, the US, China and India. It is currently under moratorium in Scotland.
Climate & Energy Justice
Renewable energy jobs boom on the horizon as Andrews govt announces Vic Renewable Energy Targets
VICTORIA, 15 JUNE 2016: A renewable energy boom is on the horizon for Victoria as the Andrews government today announces state Renewable Energy Targets (VRET). The long-awaited announcement comes after a two-and-a-half year community campaign to grow renewables.
"The Andrews government's announcement of Victorian Renewable Energy Targets is a big win for communities who want a pathway to 100 percent," said Leigh Ewbank, Friends of the Earth spokesperson.
"These targets will make Victoria the national leader when it comes to renewable energy, which is good newsfor manufacturing, regional communities, and our climate."
Climate & Energy Justice
Climate change impacts on central Victoria
In the lead-up to the Bendigo in a Warming Future forum, which will be held in Bendigo on June 15, a fieldtrip hosted by local ecologists highlighted the impacts of climate change which are already being felt in northern Victoria.
Warning on local climate
Climate change is already taking its toll locally. During a field trip to Bell Swamp and Mount Alexander on Friday, local ecologists pointed out examples of the impact on the region’s ecology.
Examining a large group of dead Grey Box at Bell Swamp, located to the north west of Maldon, Damien Cook, ecologist with Rakali Consulting said, “trees die all the time and it's a natural occurrence, but so many dying at once indicates environmental change. These trees were aged between 300 and 500 years and had lived through countless floods and droughts. They’ve died as a consequence of recent extreme weather events – the millennium drought followed by the massive flood of 2011”.
Climate & Energy Justice
Calls for international moratorium on underground coal gasification following immediate ban in Queensland, Australia
APRIL 18, 2016: Responding to the breaking news that the State Government of Queensland in Australia has just implemented an immediate ban on all underground coal gasification in that State, Chloe Aldenhoven, Coal and Gas Spokesperson for Friends of the Earth (FoE) Australia said:
"These kind of radical and dangerous mining techniques show the desperation of a fossil fuel industry going into decline.
“We need an international moratorium on this madman technology before it inflicts any more damage on people and the environment."
“As they anticipate the inevitable transition to renewable energy, mining companies are inflicting increasingly reckless and environmentally damaging mining techniques on communities.
Climate & Energy Justice
We’re on the move – are you?
Speaking tour on the climate change precipitated relocation of atoll peoples in Papua New Guinea, and the implications for climate justice in an Australian context
The visiting speakers will be:
Ursula Rakova, director of Tulele Peisa, the Carteret Islands relocation program in Bougainville
Pais Taehu, Chairman of the Coalition of the Atolls – Temarai Association – comprising the four atoll groups within the Bougainville political boundary
The tour, scheduled from 9 to 22 April, will include speaking events in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.
Climate & Energy Justice
Tassie Forest Fires - a climate wake up call
Fires have raged across Tasmania since lightning strikes ignited more than 100 spot fires on January 13. Since that time, about 14,000 hectares of World Heritage Area forests and other vegetation have been incinerated, with almost 100,000 hectares of land burnt in total.
Overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the fires, the Tasmanian Fire Service (TFS) initially – and understandably - concentrated on human assets like towns and infrastructure. As TFS workers fought a heroic campaign against fires that threatened communities, a series of wildfires burnt huge areas in the north-west and on the central plateau. It was the arrival of milder weather as well as additional fire-fighting crews from interstate in the second week, especially teams of remote area fire fighters, which allowed serious operations to occur to slow the fires in mountainous and forested regions.
Climate & Energy Justice
Let's ban onshore gas and grow renewables
Big energy companies have sought to "open up" Victoria to onshore gas drilling and fracking--putting prime farmland and water resources at risk. Regional communities around the state have said "no" to risky unconventional gas extraction. On the other side of the coin, the Federal government has sabotaged our renewable energy sector by cutting the national Renewable Energy Target by 20%. The federal government's attack on renewables has resulted in a 90% decrease in investment and 2,500 people losing their jobs.
In the first half of 2016, the Victorian government will need to decide whether to lift the current ban on onshore gas drilling. They will set the state Renewable Energy Targets for 2020 and 2025 (the VRETs).
The community has waited too long for the Parliament to resolve these issues.