Energy White Paper 2014 –
Issues Paper submission template
Details of person making the submission
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Tanyia
Surname
Maxted
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State
WA
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t.maxted@iinet.net.au
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Submissions may be published on the Department of Industry website.
If you do not wish to have your submission made public, please tick the box.
Issues for comment are listed against each of the Chapter Headings. In making your submission, you
are welcome to make comment against some or all of issues in the fields provided. A field for general
comments is provided at the end of the template.
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1. The Security of Energy Supplies
The Government seeks comment on:

ways community expectations can be better understood and reflected in reliability standards;

the value of developing fuel reserves to meet Australia’s international oil security obligations, and augment
domestic security;

ways to increase new gas sources to meet demand and measures to enhance transparency in market
conditions; and

issues relating to the regulation of energy infrastructure.
Please provide any comments on The Security of Energy Supplies below:
The Australian public is becoming more aware of and educated about the seriousness of manmade
climate change - the biggest threat we now face as a nation - and the fact that it is being caused by the
ongoing burning of polluting fossil fuels.
While the public needs and wants a reliable supply of energy, it does not want this to be at the cost of
its environment, drinking water supplies, climate and ultimately its own health.
Given the proven and extensive international science now published on global warming, we know that
burning more and higher levels of fossil fuels will raise global temperatures beyond safe levels and
cause catastrophic weather events here in Australia and around the world.
Therefore a carbon-intensive energy mix which contributes to climate change is no longer acceptable to
the public, and no new fossil fuel sources should be developed.
Instead, the Abbott Government must protect the public from the serious threat of climate change and
transition the economy away from current reliance on fossil fuels to one based safely and solely on
renewables - a low-carbon and ultimately zero emission economy.
Australians are already switching onto and becoming more educated about the benefits of climatefriendly renewable energy, along with the ethical investment returns offered by solar and wind and new
renewables technogies such as wave, geothermal and solar thermal energy.
Please refer to the General Comments section for my full set of points.
2. Regulatory Reform and Role of Government
The Government seeks comment on:

priority issues, barriers or gaps within the COAG energy market reform agenda;

possible approaches and impacts of review of tariff structures including fixed network costs, further time-ofuse based electricity tariffs and the use of smart meters;

possible measures to promote greater price transparency in gas markets; and

areas where further privatisation of government-owned assets would contribute to more effective regulatory
frameworks and better outcomes for consumers.
Please provide any comments on Regulatory Reform and Role of Government below:
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Consumers must be encouraged to shift away from polluting fossil fuels to renewables as a matter of
urgency given the clear and present danger posed to Australia by global warming.
They, and citizens who have already invested in and taken responsible, ethical measures to help reduce
carbon emissions by using renewable energy, should not be penalised for doing the right thing.
The Australian Government needs to significantly increase the uptake of renewable energies and
products by all sectors and customers, and particularly increase large scale renewables ventures such
as wave energy capture, geothermal heating, solar thermal desalination, and solar, solar thermal and
wind farms.
Increasing Australia's use of and investment in renewable energies and infrastructure must be a priority
if Australia is to significantly reduce its carbon emissions in line with urgent global efforts to prevent
dangerous climate change while mitigation is still possible.
No new fossil fuel resources should be brought online in order to best protect the Australian public
from global warming.
See my full points outlined in the General Comments section.
3. Growth and Investment
The Government seeks comment on:

commercial or market initiatives that could enhance growth and investment in the energy and resources
sectors;

areas where approvals processes could be further streamlined while maintaining proper environmental and
social safeguards;

further ways that regulatory burdens could be reduced while maintaining appropriate levels of disclosure and
transparency in energy markets; and

the impacts of variable land access policy and ways the community could be better informed and engaged on
development in the energy sector.
Please provide any comments on Growth and Investment below:
Renewable energy sources are now the only safe alternatives to the current unsustainable carbonintensive fossil fuel energy mix putting Australia's future at risk given the extensive science on
dangerous climate change.
Fossil fuel use must be phased out by the Government as a matter of urgency due to the serious risks
their emissions pose to Australian citizens by continuing to add to global warming.
Environmental and social safeguards must be retained and strengthened to protect the Australian
public. Australian citizens are already being put at risk from the climate pollution caused by burning
fossil fuels.
The Government needs to better inform the public of the threat of global warming and the damage being
done by fossil fuel use, engage citizens in the most effective and fast ways to mitigate and adapt to
climate change, and educate them about the benefits and opportunities with renewable energy.
In addition to their unacceptable levels of emissions, unconventional gas also comes with high risks of
water and land contamination and public health impacts. The Government and fracking companies
must disclose the full 300+ chemicals used in fracking. This industry poses too many risks and is a
significant contributor to dangerous climate change.
The Abbott Government needs to provide strong and stable regulatory frameworks to transition
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Australia to low carbon energy production which must result in zero carbon emissions by 2050 in line
with international mitigation efforts.
4. Trade and International Relations
The Government seeks comment on:

how to grow the export of value-added energy products and services;

ways to remove unnecessary barriers to continued foreign investment in Australia’s energy sector;

ways to strengthen support for access to export markets; and

ways to support business to maximise export opportunities for Australia's energy commodities, products,
technologies and services, including the value of Australia’s participation in the variety of international forums.
Please provide any comments on Trade and International Relations below:
Unless Australia drastically alters its energy mix to shift away from fossil fuel use, joins with and
encourages international efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change, the impacts of extreme
weather events and sea level rises will likely severely disrupt the Australian economy.
Therefore only clean, safe renewables and associated technologies, products and businesses and R&D
should be encouraged and promoted by the Abbott Government in order to protect both the public, and
the economy from global warming.
Institutions such as the World Bank, UN, IMF and IAE etc are urging countries to rapidly shift from
carbon-intensive industries to triple their investments in renewables in order to prevent catastrophic
climate impacts. An increasing number of international institutions are also calling for widespread
divestment from fossil fuels by institutional and private investors.
There are already successful Australian ventures in renewables attracting international interest and
investment such as the CEFC-funded expansion of Sundrop Farms in South Australia, which combines
solar thermal desalination with the growing of horticultural crops in the desert. In Western Australia
Carnegie Wave Energy is developing wave-generated energy technology for global application with
both government and public funds.
For my full set of points see the General Comments section.
5. Workforce Productivity
The Government seeks comment on:

the nature of any current skills shortages being experienced and how these could be addressed by and with
industry;

the capacity of industry and education sector-led programs to meet long-term training and skills development
needs of the energy and resources sectors; and
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
specific long-term training and skills development needs for alternative transport fuel, renewable energy,
energy management and other clean energy industries.
Please provide any comments on Workforce Productivity below:
The Government needs to focus on transitioning traditional energy workers and professionals from the
fossil fuel industries into sustainable, renewable energy technologies and related training courses to
better prepare Australia to deal with the challenges ahead with climate change.
Global warming will also create the need for new jobs in research and development, disaster
preparedness and response, creation and maintenance of early warning systems, creation and staffing of
extensive public information and service systems, mapping and analysis of extreme weather events and
of new emerging patterns and trends as our climate continues to alter.
Much of Australia's current bushfire emergency response relies upon volunteers, however the increased
incidence of these events will require massive increases in staffing and training to save lives and
minimise losses to property and infrastructure.
Damage to energy infrastructure will increase with extreme events caused by climate change, and energy
supply providers will need to increase staffing and ability to respond to the increasing number and
intensity of these emergencies. Renewable energy offers greater resilience such as uninterrupted power
supply systems.
Both climate adaptation and mitigation will create new jobs, industries, opportunities and training needs.
For my full points, see the General Comments section.
6. Driving Energy Productivity
The Government seeks comment on:

the current suite of energy efficiency measures, ways these could be enhanced to provide greater energy
efficiency or possible new measures that would enhance energy productivity;

the use of demand-side participation measures to encourage energy productivity and reduce peak energy
use; and

measures to increase energy use efficiency in the transport sector.
Please provide any comments on Driving Energy Productivity below:
The Government must protect the Australian public from the predicted serious impacts of manmade
climate change by adopting and mandating strict high environmental standards and low to zero
emissions targets across all sectors.
The Government must effectively and quickly transition the current carbon-intensive Australian economy
to a low carbon and ultimately zero emission economy by removing fossil fuels from the nation's energy
mix if further dangerous global warming is to be avoided.
Transport must be shifted to hybrid and 100% electric vehicles as a matter of urgency - see my full
comments in the Alternative Technology section. EVs charged during the day on solar are able to make
use of the corresponding excess solar peak, and EVs charged overnight can make use of excess wind
energy.
For my full points, see the General Comments section.
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7. Alternative and Emerging Energy Sources and Technology
The Government seeks comment on:

ways to encourage a lower emissions energy supply that avoids market distortion or causes increased energy
prices;

the need to review existing network tariff structures in the face of rapidly growing deployment of grid-backedup distributed energy systems, to ensure proper distribution of costs;

additional cost-effective means, beyond current mandatory targets and grants, to encourage further
development of renewable and other alternative energy sources and their effective integration within the wider
energy market;

how the uptake of high efficiency low emissions intensity electricity generation can be progressed;

any barriers to increased uptake of LPG in private and commercial vehicles and CNG and LNG in the heavy
vehicle fleet; and

any barriers to the increased uptake of electric vehicles and advanced biofuels.
Please provide any comments on Alternative and Emerging Energy Sources and Technology below:
Given the dominance in our energy mix of highly subsidised, polluting fossil fuels whose emissions are
known to cause manmade dangerous climate change, the market is currently distorted - from a high
risk perspective - by unsustainable, carbon-intensive coal, oil and gas.
Such a polluting mix can no longer be afforded by Australia given the proven science and expert
warnings on global warming urging rapid divestment from fossil fuels and a rapid transition to a lowcarbon, and then zero emission economy by 2050.
The World Bank, IMF, IEA are among leading institutions sounding the alarm to prevent continued high
carbon emissions creating catastrophic climate change. The Australian Government needs to heed the
warnings and urgently phase out fossil fuels from our energy sector.
For my full points see the extensive General Comments section.
Any review of tariffs at state and/or federal level should not penalise or jeopardise continued growth in
the uptake of renewable energies, nor in any way disadvantage consumers who have been early
adopters or discourage new customers.
The current review of the RET is impeding growth of renewables and the Government should instead
increase Australia’s target to give sustainable business the confidence boost required for it to grow to
meet our biggest emerging challenge – climate change.
RE TRANSPORT:
The Government must mandate low-to-zero emissions standards on all new vehicles. Australia needs to
introduce strict emissions standards in line with places like California to halve pollution via hybrids,
and to ideally encourage further reductions via plug-in hybrids and zero emission via 100% electric
cars.
Consumers must be provided with detailed fuel, servicing and insurance cost savings information on
such vehicles, and a greater variety of makes and models encouraged into the Australian market.
Consumers currently view electric vehicles as being much more expensive than petrol and diesel cars
because there are no easy comparisons to show the long term savings, and breakeven points. This is
especially so for electric cars which can be charged during the day on solar (or anytime with battery
storage), thus halving the payback on solar while enabling such cars to be driven cheaply on sunshine.
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If consumers were aware of the total 5-10 years of petrol savings, lower servicing charges and
insurance premiums, etc, they would more readily consider electric cars as cost-effective options.
There are new makes and models coming onto the market in 2014-2015, along with availability of
electric motorbikes and scooters. Nissan also makes an electric van.
Better support from governments in the way of reducing upfront government fees, providing more
standard charge points and better consumer education of ecocars would help to increase uptake.
Taxpayer money currently unfairly subsidises polluting fossil fuels and thus polluting cars. The
Government's Fuelwatch scheme professes to save motorists up to $1000 a year, however, the petrol
savings from an EV charged on solar is closer to three times this amount.
As well as more EV charging infrastructure within metropolitan areas and beyond - such as a planned
electric highway to Margaret River from Perth, consumers need to be told of the wider environmental,
social and cost benefits of EVs, and the true full costs of polluting petrol and diesel cars.
Greater uptake of EVs in domestic and business sectors (for example taxis and deliveries) would save
governments money by not causing toxic air pollution and resulting/contributing to respiratory
illnesses, asthma and heart attacks, etc. The benefits of EVs go far beyond zero emissions and
motorists driving them should be acknowledged for their preventative health contributions to the public
and economy.
Many countries are increasing extent of EV charging infrastructure and encouraging the uptake of EVs
including the US, China, Scotland and the UK. Australia needs to adopt successful measures already in
use by such countries to reduce emissions.
I personally drive a Nissan LEAF 2013 zero emission electric car (charged via solar). There is also the
Mitsubishi i-Miev full electric car available, along with private conversions to electric offered by some
businesses. In 2014 the new BMW i-3 electric enters the Australian market, along with the new
Mitsubishi PHEV plug-in hybrid. Hybrids already on the market include the Holden Volt plug-in, several
Toyota Prius models, Honda Civic, Honda CR-Z, Toyota Camry and Lexus models.
Given the clear and present danger that climate change presents, CNG, LNG and LPG should not be
developed for use in vehicles given their emissions, and the fact that more efficient electric and hybrid
cars are in development around the world.
General Comments
Any further comments?
MAJOR FLAWS, WRONG ASSUMPTIONS MADE IN ENERGY ISSUES PAPER
There are several major flaws and wrong assumptions made in the Abbott Government’s Energy Issues
Paper, and it must be redrafted to correct these. Points are outlined below.
There’s no mention in the Issues Paper of the most urgent and pressing issue facing Australia, and
indeed the rest of the world: manmade climate change (also known as global warming).
Our current reliance upon polluting fossil fuels as our main energy source and large export market when emissions from those pollutants have been scientifically proven to cause dangerous climate
change (already claiming and risking lives and disruption to economies) – is unsustainable and not in
the Australian public’s best interests.
How then to rapidly shift Australia from its current carbon-intensive economy to the low-carbon and
eventual zero emission economy required in order to prevent dangerous climatic change impacts to the
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public and economy is the country’s biggest emerging challenge.
Without addressing global warming - which will affect every Australian, major city and region - the
Government’s Energy Policy will be quickly outdated and made redundant as the impacts of global
warming gather speed and intensity, and trade, investment and economic circumstances alter.
The Issues Paper needs to be redrafted to reflect the urgent need for climate change adaptation
measures which must now be developed and adopted throughout Australia.
It needs to reflect the urgent requirement to take drastic climate mitigation measures, while it is still
possible, to significantly reduce our carbon emissions and therefore the resulting level of dangerous
extreme weather events.
It needs to reflect the scale of actions required to avoid/minimise disastrous impacts upon Australians
and the economy which the continued production, use and export of polluting fossil fuels will otherwise
have due to their emissions’ known ability to alter the global climate.
The Issues Paper wrongly assumes that all fossil fuel reserves in Australia should be fast-tracked into
production, yet this is clearly not in the public interest given the established science on manmade
climate change and the predicted serious risks if fossil fuels continue to be burnt at current levels, let
alone at planned increased levels.
International efforts to instead fast-track the winding back of global carbon emissions, encourage the
divestment of funds away from fossil fuel investments and move economies into renewable energy
alternatives are gathering momentum, led by world leaders from the UN, World Bank and IMF, etc.
The International Energy Agency states in its 2013 World Energy Outlook Report: “No more than onethird of proven reserves of fossil fuels can be consumed prior to 2050 if the world is to achieve the 2 °C
goal”. The UN’s Climate Chief has called on global financial institutions to triple their investments in
clean energy to reach $1 trillion a year in order to help avert climate catastrophe.
A carbon bubble looms, with warnings from institutions including Bloomberg Finance, HSBC, Citi,
Goldman Sachs, IEA, World Bank etc that investments in carbon-intensive companies and industries
increasingly risk becoming standed assets. This is due to the dwindling global carbon budget - the
rapidly falling total amount of fossil fuels which could ever be ‘safely’ burnt given the high and growing
levels of CO2 causing the climate to dangerously overheat.
The formerly Government-funded Climate Commission in its 2013 Critical Decade report, and the IEA in
its World Energy Outlook Special Report 2013: Redrawing the Energy-Climate Map, were among many
international scientific organisations, reports and papers to warn that 80% of fossil fuel reserves need
to remain in the ground if the world is to have any chance of keeping global temperatures to a ‘safe’ +2
degree maximum rise.
Unfortunately at even a near +1 degree global temperature rise so far we are already experiencing
record high temperatures; incidences, length and intensity of heatwaves and bushfires around southern
Australia; record floods and coastal storm damage in the UK; record floods in parts of Asia and Europe;
a mega drought deepening across California and several US states with high numbers of winter
bushfires; and record polar vortex deep freezes across most of the US.
As more countries are affected by the impacts of global warming and start to cut emissions further to
avoid even worse events as a result, global trade and investment and indeed the whole global economy
will alter significantly. Former New York Major Mike Bloomberg has now been appointed to assist UN
efforts to convince cities to move faster towards low carbon economies to prevent major losses, and
the IMF has just issued a grave warning that countries and economies ignore the growing risks of
inaction at their peril.
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The Abbott Government is clearly out of step with increasing international moves to put a price on
carbon, cap pollution and set large targets for emissions reductions and renewable energy. As a result
our nation is being left behind in the research and development, manufacture and deployment of
renewable energy technologies – opportunities that other nations are starting to realise offer vast
potential and good returns on investment.
The Energy Issues Paper and any resulting Government Policy from it would mean that Australians
miss out on lucrative renewable energy opportunities domestically, and internationally.
The Government’s Issues Paper wrongly assumes that it is in the public interest that all barriers be
removed to the fast-tracking of fossil fuel extraction, production, use and export.
This is clearly not the case given the vast international body of scientific evidence and expert warnings
on global warming, and given that the impacts of climate change are now being experienced and can be
seen around the world in real time.
It is not in the Australian public’s interest for its Government to facilitate the creation of further
unsustainable levels of pollution, nor encourage profiting from pollution at the expense of its own
citizens’ health and wellbeing.
Also see all points raised above.
There is growing public concern over perceived conflict of interest re the Government’s policies on
energy and on climate inaction with one of its Coalition parties reportedly being funded by vested
interests who stand to benefit from these policies. It has been reported in the nation’s media that the
National Party, which is part of the Coalition LNP Government, has received recent record high amounts
of non-publicly disclosed funding from the very fossil fuel industries the Government is now proposing
to support in fast-tracking new fossil fuel supplies, and in removing barriers to achieve this. (CSG
Santos and oil giants revealed as major donors to National Party, Sydney Morning Herald, February 7,
2014.)
If this is indeed the case, as reported, then there would appear to be a conflict of interest, and so the
Government’s position and proposed policies must be open to further question, full scrutiny and indeed
need to be fully reviewed.
Farmers are among those raising concerns about some of these fossil fuel industries and practices to
the Government due to risks to productive agricultural areas. There are energy and climate-related
Parliamentary and Senate inquiries, EPA appeals and draft legislation processes underway, Victoria has
a moratorium on fracking in place, yet the Government is actively pushing ahead regardless in advance,
ignoring the climate and environmental science to pursue every avenue possible to fast-track these
polluting industries and activities and remove any barriers, right across Australia. The public deserves
to know why, and to be able to challenge and halt such detrimental actions to the public interest.
The Energy Issues Paper wrongly assumes that Australia’s energy mix must remain heavily reliant upon
polluting fossil fuels.
Extensive, peer-reviewed international science instead warns us that continued burning of these known
pollutants leads us to catastrophic climate change within decades. The Paper also leads Australia in the
opposite direction from its international peers and trading partners who are increasingly taking decisive
action on climate mitigation and adaptation.
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For example, the EU has set a 27% target on renewables by 2030, a 25% target on energy efficiency and
a 40% target on 1990 levels for carbon emission reductions. Scotland will go 100% renewable by 2020,
South Korea 30%, and China is introducing carbon pollution restrictions across its provinces and
investing heavily in solar and wind. India has just committed to build the world’s largest solar
installation, and Denmark has already run 55% of its electricity from windpower for an entire month.
Manmade climate change will severely impact the ability to use fossil fuels as more communities and
nations recognise the science and implications, and realise that the unsustainable pollutants causing
the problem must remain in the ground. The looming global carbon bubble and dwindling carbon
budget will reduce and eventually stop the financing of these industries, and their ability to operate.
Divestment campaigns are gathering pace internationally, and fossil fuel companies are rapidly losing
their social licence to operate.
Also see all other points above.
The Issues Paper wrongly assumes that renewables should only form a limited part of the energy mix,
not ‘distort’ the market nor raise prices. It wrongly assumes that renewables should only be used to
offset the continued use of fossil fuels.
Renewables are now the only sustainable, ethical, socially-just and future-viable energy mix capable of
moving Australia forward to the necessary low carbon and eventual zero emission economy required if
we are to mitigate and adapt to dangerous climate change. Fossil fuels should be completely removed
from the mix for the safety of the Australian public.
A new study funded by ARENA by the Australian Solar Thermal Energy Association and based on
industry information, found that 24 hour-a-day solar thermal power integration with the National
Electricity Market is already both cost-effective and a viable alternative.
Renewable energy has been found to be cheaper than fossil fuels (Bloomberg New Energy Finance) and
renewable sources helped to provide a buffer for peak use and prevent shutdowns of the electricity grid
during recent heatwaves in southern Australia. The RET has also been shown to be reducing wholesale
electricity prices.
Fossil fuels are heavily subsidised by the Australian taxpayer, yet this contradicts the Government’s
own policy not to give handouts to nor financially sponsor business in this country. In addition, the
downstream public health costs of burning fossil fuels via the effects of direct exposure to air pollution
and impacts of climate change are growing, and cannot be justified.
The Government must cease using taxpayer funds to financially support this polluting industry, and
mandate an end to carbon emissions via staged high targets – the current proposed 5% reduction in
emissions by 2020 is completely inadequate, and ‘Direct Action’ Plan is incapable of achieving even
that. (See link at end to my submission to the Senate Inquiry re the DAP/Emissions Reduction Fund.)
Climate change will likely raise the costs of energy if business as usual continues as Australians are
forced to run airconditioners for longer periods due to increasing temperatures and heatwaves, and
infrastructure is damaged and destroyed by extreme weather events.
The Issues Paper does not account for, nor mention the serious high risks associated with alternative
fuels such as uranium and unconventional gas – risks on top of their high emissions contributing to
climate change.
A Parliamentary Inquiry is underway in Western Australia into fracking for unconventional gas, and
expert concerns have been raised by government organisations such as the Water Corporation,
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doctors, public health and environmental organisations due to risks to public and agricultural water
supplies and fragile aquifers. Victoria wisely currently has a moratorium on fracking, and there is
growing unrest from communities and farmers affected by fracking in New South Wales and
Queensland.
There is a growing body of evidence of contamination and public health impacts from both of these
alternative fuels and their development in Australia is therefore not in the public interest. Given our
similar issues with dwindling ground and freshwater supplies across many states, the US examples of
fracking competing with agriculture and rural communities for dwindling water supplies should ring
alarm bells.
Scientists at the University of Wollongong have catalogued over 300 chemicals used in the fracking
process, and there must be full public disclosure made by the Government and the fracking companies
of all the chemicals used and their doses, and the likely consequences of pumping them into Australian
waters.
No new gas, uranium or fossil fuel exploration, mining or export must be sanctioned by the Government
in order to protect the Australian public from the scientifically predicted impacts of climate change.
It is beyond comprehension that the Abbott Government seeks to restrict clean, cost-effective
renewable energies in Australia, yet is fast-tracking polluting, heavily subsidised energies in their place.
The urgency of mitigating and adapting to the growing threat of climate change means Australia cannot
afford to continue, let alone encourage further climate pollution - given that such pollution endangers
the lives and livelihoods of Australians, based on scientific evidence and expert warnings.
Australia’s overall emissions are not being reduced to meet the biggest emerging challenge faced by
the nation, and the Energy Issues Paper must be rewritten to drastically change this situation. The
National GHG Inventory found that overall emissions have only been reduced by just over 0.3% over the
past 12 months despite current working legislation, the Clean Energy Package, effectively reducing
emissions from electricity by 7.6 per cent since it was introduced – the equivalent of about 14.8 million
tonnes.
The Clean Energy Council reports that the RET is having a moderating, rather than inflationary, impact
on electricity prices by bringing down the cost of wholesale energy. Its analysis has found that the RET
was responsible for reducing 22.5m tonnes of carbon dioxide between 2001 and 2012, as well as driving
$18.5bn in investment into renewable energy, such as solar and wind.
The RET must be retained and raised to encourage uptake and business confidence in renewables. The
Clean Energy Package, CEFC and Climate Change Authority must be retained. Low to zero emissions
must be mandated immediately for cars, buildings, houses, power plants, agriculture…across all
sectors if we are to slow global warming. Australia has too much at stake for the Government to ignore
the science, ignore international warnings and trends and instead continue taking our nation’s energy
policy in the opposite, backwards, direction.
REFERENCES INCLUDE:
IMF Chief warns of merciless climate change, Climasphere, 2014:
https://www.climasphere.org/#!article/imf-chief-lagarde-warns-of-merciless-climate-chang
World Bank Chief calls for doubling of green bonds, urgent action on climate, World Bank:
http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2014/01/23/davos-world-bank-president-carbon-pricing
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Unsubsidised renewable energy now cheaper than fossil fuels, Bloomberg New Energy Finance, 2013:
http://about.bnef.com/press-releases/renewable-energy-now-cheaper-than-new-fossil-fuels-in-australia/
World Bank reports on global warming, increased support for climate mitigation and adaptation:
http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2012/11/18/Climate-change-report-warns-dramaticallywarmer-world-this-century
Wasted Capital & Standed Assets, Carbon Tracker and the Grantham Institute, 2013:
http://www.carbontracker.org/wastedcapital
IEA World Energy Outlook Special Report 2013: Redrawing the Energy-Climate Map:
https://www.iea.org/publications/freepublications/publication/name,38764,en.html
UN climate chief calls for tripling of clean energy investment to $1 trillion a year to avert climate
catastrophe: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jan/14/un-climate-chief-tripling-cleanenergy-investment-christiana-figueres
My Submission (no.43) to Senate Inquiry on the Abbott Government’s ‘Direct Action’ Plan and the
Abbott Government’s failure to systemically address climate change:
http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Environment_and_Communications
/Direct_Action_Plan/Submissions (Contains substantial references to new scientific research urging
action on the climate crisis.)
Solar thermal now a cost-effective alternative finds ARENA-funded study, Business Spectactor, 2014:
http://www.businessspectator.com.au/news/2014/2/6/solar-energy/solar-thermal-cost-effectivealternative
NASA: electric cars can dramatically help reduce federal CO2 emissions, travel costs, Transport
Evolved, 2014: http://transportevolved.com/2014/02/05/nasa-electric-cars-can-dramatically-help-reducefederal-co2-emissions-travelcosts/?utm_content=bufferc79ae&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffe
r
Conflict of interest? CSG Santos and oil giants revealed as major donors to National Party, Sydney
Morning Herald, 2014: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/csg-santos-and-oil-giantsrevealed-as-major-donors-to-national-party-20140206-324o3.html
Big fall in electricity sector emissions since carbon tax, Peter Hannam, Sydney Morning Herald,
February, 2014 http://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/big-fall-in-electricity-sectoremissions-since-carbon-tax-20140205-320a6.html
India to build world’s largest solar plant (4000mw), Nature, 2014: www.nature.com/news/india-to-buildworld-s-largest-solar-plant-1.14647
Denmark first to produce 55% of electricity via wind for one month, Climate Spectator, 2014:
http://www.businessspectator.com.au/news/2014/2/5/wind-power/danish-turbines-produce-goodsmonth?utm_source=exact
Submissions to Senate Inquiry re ‘Direct Action’ Plan/Government’s failure to address climate change
by The Climate Institute (no.2), Clean Energy Council (no.16), Sustainable Energy Now (no.34), Climate
Change Authority (no.51), Clean Energy Finance Corporation (no.75), Australian Solar Thermal Energy
Association (no.76), Sustainable Energy Association (no.90):
http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Environment_and_Communications
/Direct_Action_Plan/Submissions
Nuclear power not the low emissions solution claimed, Sustainable Energy Solutions for Climate & The
Conversation, 2014: http://theconversation.com/sure-lets-debate-nuclear-power-just-dont-call-it-lowemission-21566
Examining the feasibility of converting New York State’s all-purpose energy infrastructure to one using
wind, water, and sunlight
Mark Z. Jacobsona, Robert W. Howarth, Mark A. Delucchi, Stan R. Scobie, Jannette M. Barthe, Michael
J. Dvoraka, Megan Klevzea, Hind Katkhudaa, Brian Mirandaa, Navid A. Chowdhurya, Rick Jones, Larsen
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Planoa, Anthony R. Ingraffea. (Atmosphere/Energy Program, Department of Civil and Environmental
Engineering, Stanford University, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University,
Institute of Transportation Studies, U.C, PSE Healthy Energy, NY, Pepacton Institute LLC, School of
Civil and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University)
http://www.stanford.edu/group/efmh/jacobson/Articles/I/NewYorkWWSEnPolicy.pdf
CSIRO Climate Response: Climate Science and Solutions for Australia: https://blogs.csiro.au/climateresponse/
Four degrees of Global Warming: Australia in a Hot World, Christoff, CSIRO scientists et al, 2014:
https://blogs.csiro.au/climate-response/stories/four-degrees-of-global-warming-australia-in-a-hot-world/
Sundrop Farms supported by CEFC to expand solar-thermal desalination operation growing
horticultural crops in the desert:
www.sundropfarms.com.auhttp://www.cleanenergyfinancecorp.com.au/media/media-releases/files/cefcsupports-world-leading-application-of-solar-technology.aspx
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