#9 Up Your Jumper! Futureworld

G’day how’s it? For #9 we’re in Warrawong, at Futureworld. I spoke with Meryl about the centre. Meryl spoke of the renewable technologies it showcases, including local innovations and the educational value of the centre. Have a listen.

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Maldives vows to be first carbon-neutral nation

Here’s an article I came across on ABC News Online,

The Maldives will shift entirely to renewable energy over the next decade to become the first carbon-neutral nation and fight climate change that threatens the low-lying archipelago’s existence, the president has said.

President Mohamed Nasheed said the Indian Ocean islands would swap fossil fuels for wind and solar power, and buy and destroy EU carbon credits to offset emissions from tourists flying to visit its luxury vacation resorts.

“Climate change threatens us all. Countries need to pull together to de-carbonise the world economy,” Mr Nasheed said.

“We know cutting greenhouse gas emissions is possible and the Maldives is willing to play its part.”

The $US1.1 billion ($1.7 billion) plan would require 155 wind turbines supplying 1.5 megawatts each and a half a square kilometre of solar panels to meet the needs of the islands’ 385,000 people.

“We aim to become carbon-neutral in a decade,” he said.

Read the full article here

I know you can’t compare it directly, but $1.7 billion to create a new power supply to offset the population equivalent of Canberra, doesn’t seem so much, or out of reach.

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Low Carbon Economy possible?

I’m currently in Wollongong, and managed to turn up right at the beginning of Sustainability Week, being put on by a few groups from around the area.  I went along to talk by Dr Barney Foran, titled “A low carbon economy based on renewable energy: the only way to go!”. He was a physical economics modeler (first I’d heard of it) amongst other things, and had used this to model what Australia could like by 2050 if we went down the line of transferring our society to being powered by a majority renewable power supply. 80% supply mix of wind, solar and biomass. According to his modeling, a transition of this scale wouldn’t be the end of living, as we know it. Quite the opposite, it would allow us to maintain a high standard of living and strong economy. I’ll post the recording of the talk once its up online.

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