Big energy savings waiting to be made from rethinking cultural values of housing; orientation and materials both potential contributors to savings, says WA Libera

Speaking on the National Environment Protection Council (Western Australia) Amendment Bill 2007 in the Western Australia Legislative Assembly on 9 September 2007, Liberals’ A.J. Simpson said that issues surrounding the environment must be looked at very hard.

Fed Senate Committee to report on Energy Efficiency Trading Scheme

The Senate Standing Committee on Economics was inquiring into the National Market Driven Energy Efficiency Target Bill 2007, reported The Australian (19/9/2007, p.2).

Western Australia 5 Star Plus scheme motion demands government provides audited cost benefit analysis, identifies costs to taxpayers and other regimes examined

An amendment to delete part of a motion moved by Ray Halligan critical of Western Australia’s 5 Star Plus scheme was passed in the Legislative Council on 19 September 2007.

5 Star Plus scheme: greener house to cost $8,000-$15,000 more than ‘normal house’, says WA Liberal MP

The application of the Building Sustainability Index was fraught with difficulties about who was to pay for and administer it, said Liberal MP Norman Moore, in the Legislative Council of Western Australia (5/9/2007).

Huge US coal-fired power generator AEP pays $US4.6 billion to reduce emissions, clean up environment

One of the United States’ largest power generators had agreed to end a years-long federal lawsuit by paying $US4.6 billion to reduce pollution that had eaten away at north-east mountain ranges and national landmarks, wrote Lara Jakes Jordan in The Australian Financial Review (10/10/2007, p.19).

Aus Federal Police confirm its officers trained 20 Burmese police in in­telligence gathering; Aidwatch seeks halt to co-operation

The Australian Federal Police confirmed three of its officers trained 20 Burmese police in in­telligence gathering, as the inter­national group Aidwatch warned that such co-operation should be curtailed amid the brutal sup­pression of democracy activists, wrote Craig Skehan in The Sydney Morning Herald (5/10/2007, p.6).

New ‘Meretec’ recycling-process recovers 100pc of zinc coating from galvanised steel: cuts pollution, water use, mining waste

The vast majority of steel used in the automotive, building and manufacturing industries was zinc coated (galvanised), to protect against corrosion, according to a statement by Southern Rocycling (28/9/2007).

Iron ore prices forecast to rise by between 20 per cent and 50 per cent after BHP abandons contract and goes for spot price, for new sales

Analysts predict iron ore prices to rise by between 20 per cent and 50 per cent — consensus estimates fall at about the 30 per cent mark. According to Michael Vaughan, in The Australian Financial Review, (4/10/2007), p. 15, BHP Billiton would be able to add more than $US500 million ($563 million) to its pretax profit by selling its additional iron ore production in 2007-08 on the spot market should it not convince customers to compensate it for the reduced freight costs of its iron ore.

SP AusNet’s subsidiaries remain on CreditWatch with negative implications

Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services said that its ratings on SP AusNet Group (SP AusNet; A/Watch Neg/–) and SP AusNet’s subsidiaries remain on CreditWatch with negative implications, where they were initially placed on March 30, 2007.

State and Fed Govt financial-reporting harmonised; AASB looks at more onerous standards for private companies, non-profits

The accounting standards-setter has agreed to harmonise Federal and State Government financial reporting and progressed talks with New Zealand to ensure the two countries’ standards were “as similar as possible”, wrote Patrick Durkin in The Australian Financial Review (8/10/2007, p.8).

Wednesday, 10 October: Seventh day of spikes in Qld with top price of $3407.42/MWh

Queensland recorded a top price of $3407.42/MWh in three spike intervals on Wednesday, 10 October, the seventh successive day of spikes in the region.

Indicators suggest a move in the spot price of uranium to $US90 a pound by early 2008; up to $US120 a pound by late 2008

John Wilson, managing director, Resource Capital Research, Warwick Grigor, managing director, Far East Capital, a Sydney-based private investment bank specialising in the resources sector, and Michael Angwin, executive director, Australian Uranium Association, answered questions about the price of uranium, reported The Australian Financial Review (10/10/2007, p. 34).

Spot iron ore $US110 a tonne compared with the Australian contract price of $US52 a tonne; crude oil continues to trade above $US80 a barrel: analysts predict contract price rises up to 40pc for iron ore in 2008-09

Spot iron ore [Indian spot at port India, free on board] was trading at more than $US110 a tonne, compared with the Australian contract price of $US52 a tonne, according to Stephen Wyatt in Shanghai, writing in The Australian Financial Review, (8/10/2007, p. 23).

Quite possible for an Australian prime minister to refuse to call an election, warns former federal attorney-general

According to Michael Lavarch, executive dean of the QUT Law Faculty and a former federal attorney-general, writing in The Australian Financial Review, (5/10/2007), p. 56, the prime minister only needs to go to the governor-general to get the house dissolved if he wants an election called before 15 November 2007.

Market report for Wednesday, 10 October: Storms, $10,000 prices, directions and $3407.42/MWh spike in Qld push average price up 35pc, with NSW, Vic, SA and Tas down 1-14pc to overall $31-43-$113.39/MWh range on lower demand

An eventful day in Queensland with continuing storms, $10,000 dispatch prices to be reviewed, directions to three participants over credible contingencies and a spike with a top price of $3407.42/MWh saw average price rise 35 per cent to $113.39/MWh. Average prices fell 1-14 per cent in NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania to a range of $31.43-$35.73/MWh.

Predictions for rise in wholesale electricity prices between 7 per cent and 30 per cent: carbon trading scheme needs to make renewable energy competitive

If Australia ratified the Kyoto Protocol, life would get tough for business after 2012, wrote John McCarthy, in The Courier Mail (29/9/2007, p.58).

Grow ivy, cucumber, passionfruit on walls of city buildings: leafy walls and roofs could lower temperatures by up to 11°C, depending on the city

The greenest cities should be, well, green. Leafy walls and roofs could help people turn down the air conditioning on hot days, saving huge amounts of energy. It could lower temperatures by up to 11°C, depending on the city. Eleftheria Alexandri and Phil Jones at the Welsh School of Architecture at the University of Cardiff, UK, used computer models to compare the impact of “greening” buildings in nine cities, including temperate London in the UK, humid Mumbai in India, and tropical Brasilia in Brazil, reported The Economist, 6/10/2007, p. 6

New networking tool to help create enviro-friendly, and profitable, commercial buildings

Better known as the plaything of Gener­ation Y, online social networking technology has been put to use by the commercial prop­erty sector, with the launch of a $1.5 million online encyclopedia and networking tool to help create environmentally friendly and profitable commercial buildings, reported The Sydney Morning Herald (29/9/2007, p.60).

Natural gas and renewable generation options, combined with demand side measures, to meet demand for electrical energy services at tenth to half greenhouse-intensity of a coal-fired power station using super-critical technology

In a submission to the Owen Inquiry into Electricity Supply in NSW, energy and environment consultant George Wilkenfeld said the rapid enhancement of demand side programs, the introduction of carbon pricing and strengthening the support for renewables and small-scale generation, along with increasing net imports from Victorian and Queensland, should delay the need for new baseload generation.

Energy Minister offers Queensland blackout free summers: Energex big brother plan to control robot aircon; and gen contracts ready for demand-spikes

Energy Minister Geoff Wilson claims Queensland will survive the summer without a drought-inspired blackout or load shedding. Wilson said a taskforce and a separate independent review had found electricity supply would be secure this summer. “The advice from the taskforce is there will be secure supplies for this summer,’ reported The Courier Mail, 21/9/2007, p. 11.

Greens leader wants plebiscites to allow local input on all major infrastructure decisions: pulp mills, desal, nuclear power plants and Queensland council mergers

Amendments to the Commonwealth Electoral Amendment (Democratic Plebiscites) Bill 2007 deserved support, said Greens leader Senator Bob Brown in the Federal Senate on 17 September 2007.

Vict Govt opts for PPP model to design, build and operate new desal plant by 2011

The Victorian Government opted for a public private partnership (PPP) model to design, build and operate the new desalination plant by 2011, reported The Australian (22/9/2007, p.41).

Seawater desalination costs over three Australian cities could vary from AUD $1.15 to $3.00 a cubic metre of product water (USD $0.95- 2.50)

Consultants to the Australian Prime Minister on water supply options for Australian cities noted that low cost water supply options depended on “favourable locations and situations” for the options, wrote the WWF’s Phil Dickie.

Proposed Vic enviro protection regs: large commercial and industrial energy, water users to develop Environment and Resource Efficiency Plan (EREP)

Notice was given in accordance with section ii of the Subordinate Legislation Act 1994 of the proposed making of the Environment Protection (Environment, and Resource Efficiency Plans) Regulations 2007, in The Age (21/9/2007, p.17).

Prof’s new idea – ventilation systems based on pine-cones and Zimbabwe termite mounds in

“It’s the same principle as the chimney effect, but a bit more controlled,” says Professor George Jeronimidis, director of the Centre for Biomimetics at the University of Reading.

South Australia’s lack of mandatory renewable energy targets; state “free-riding” on mandates in neighbouring jurisidictions

The 280-member Australian Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE) had poured scorn on Premier Mike Rann, accusing him of claiming credit for renewable energy investment in SA, despite other states and the Federal Government being responsible.

People’s response to environmental issues and business depends on their age and family circumstances

BP analysis revealed that people aged 18-29 want to be seen to be doing the right thing but are less likely to do much more than recycling, reported The Age (30/8/2007, p.B4).