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Great Barrier Reef inquiry: officials refuse to answer questions over $444m grant
Departmental officials repeatedly claim cabinet and budget confidentiality when asked about the grant process
Australia’s environment department head has told an inquiry it is wrong to assume that no due diligence was undertaken before a record $444m grant was offered to a private foundation for Great Barrier Reef projects.
But the chair of a Senate inquiry examining the controversial grant to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation says he is “convinced now that there has been no long-term work into this proposal”.
Continue reading...Gina Rinehart-backed Lakes Oil loses bid to have Victorian fracking ban overturned
The Victorian company had planned to explore for conventional gas as well as coal seam gas
A company part-owned by Australian mining magnate Gina Rinehart has failed to have the Victorian government’s fracking ban overturned or to be awarded $2.7bn in damages.
Between 2002 and 2013 two subsidiaries of Lakes Oil, of which Rinehart is the second-largest shareholder, obtained four exploration permits and two retention leases under Victoria’s Petroleum Act 1998. A retention lease grants the right to any petroleum discovered during the permit period.
Continue reading...Grass trees aren't a grass (and they're not trees)
'Privatizing the coast': are wealthy Californians seizing public beaches?
As some try to seal off stretches of coastline for private use, the state wants to tackle a growing divide between rich and poor
Privates Beach is named not for its exclusivity but for its permissive stance on nude sunbathing. This small patch of paradise on the California coastline is adored by locals, and anyone is welcome to enjoy the clean and quiet spot. If, that is, they have a key costing $100 a year.
A 9ft iron gate blocks the path to a beach staircase, set among expensive hillside homes in the tony surf town of Santa Cruz, south of San Francisco. Yet by California law, all the beaches along its 840 alluring miles of coastline belong to the people, and the state is cracking down at Privates and elsewhere in a push to mitigate a growing divide between rich and poor.
Continue reading...A photographic exploration of the cryosphere
When Records Melt is an exhibition by Project Pressure premiering at Unseen Amsterdam of artists’ interpretations of the cryosphere: the part of the planet’s surface where water is frozen into solid form
Continue reading...Taylor incurs wrath of community solar groups, including in his own electorate
Federal energy minister upsets two separate solar groups in one week, including the developers of a 1.8MW community-based PV project in his Hume electorate.
The post Taylor incurs wrath of community solar groups, including in his own electorate appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Revealed: True cost of Tesla big battery, and its government contract
Neoen prospectus reveals capital cost, government contract details and first half revenue of Tesla big battery in South Australia, as well as some key wind and solar pricing contracts.
The post Revealed: True cost of Tesla big battery, and its government contract appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Neoen cites risk of class action against wind farms over South Australia blackout
French-owned renewable energy developer Neoen cites risk that wind farms in South Australia could face class action suit over state-wide blackout in September, 2016.
The post Neoen cites risk of class action against wind farms over South Australia blackout appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Coalition exposes its ignorance in anti-renewable stance
Angus Taylor is a disaster for Australian households and business struggling under skyrocketing power prices because of the Liberals’ energy and climate policy paralysis.
The post Coalition exposes its ignorance in anti-renewable stance appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Cost over-runs and delays hit more solar projects and contractors
Neoen says it has received more than $22 million in damages from delays to three NSW solar farms, and also has a claim over the Degrussa solar and storage project in WA.
The post Cost over-runs and delays hit more solar projects and contractors appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Australia could launch legal challenge to Japan's 'scientific' whaling hunts
After a ‘win for whales’ at the IWC, government is urged to do more but refuses to send ship to monitor Japan’s actions
The environment minister, Melissa Price, has not ruled out taking legal action to challenge Japan’s so-called “scientific” whaling hunts.
An international law expert says prospects for a legal case against Japan’s whaling program, which is carried out under an International Whaling Commission clause that allows for scientific whaling, have strengthened after the recent IWC meeting in Brazil, and would get even stronger if Japan followed through on its threat to leave the commission.
Continue reading...Genex secures development approval for Kidston pumped hydro
Genex gets all clear to add 250MW pumped hydro storage to solar – and perhaps wind – at old Kidston gold mine in north Qld.
The post Genex secures development approval for Kidston pumped hydro appeared first on RenewEconomy.
There are no winners from Australia’s costly energy chaos
Investment in energy generation does not need new subsidies, but it does need certainty. Yet, a small group of vindictive politicians would prefer to block all action on climate change and get revenge on Malcolm Turnbull, rather than reduce power prices.
The post There are no winners from Australia’s costly energy chaos appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Sustainability at the Solar Farm succeeds again
The Sunshine Coast Solar Farm has been recognised once again, taking out the Environmental and Sustainability Award at the Australian Regional Development Conference Awards 2018.
The post Sustainability at the Solar Farm succeeds again appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Solar + flow battery to power Barrier Reef research station
University of Queensland-run research hub to be more than 80% solar powered, via 500kW PV and 600kWh vanadium flow battery system.
The post Solar + flow battery to power Barrier Reef research station appeared first on RenewEconomy.
All the plastic you can and cannot recycle
CP Daily: Thursday September 20, 2018
Poland lodges request for EU to investigate ETS price hike, says some other states agree
US EPA data reveals 11 RFS waiver applications submitted for 2018
NA Markets: RGGI allowances hit new highs as WCI cools
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