Guest essay by Eric Worrall
The Aussie government has slashed $500 million from the domestic ARENA renewable energy budget, instead of $1.3 billion – but the government has also just given away $300 million to “climate affected” Pacific Islanders.
The budget cut;
Australian Renewable Energy Agency handed lifeline after threat of closure
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency has escaped closure with the government agreeing to restore $800 million of funding.
The agency, which provides financial grants for 40 per cent of the CSIRO’s energy research, was set to be stripped of $1.3 billion as part of the government’s Omnibus Savings Bill.
The Coalition also planned to merge its funding role with the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, which expects to see a financial return on money it invests in research.
But a compromise was reached on Monday night to limit the cuts to $500 million after criticism from the opposition, academics and workplace unions.
…
The big giveaway;
Climate change on PM’s agenda in Micronesia
Australia will chip in an extra $80 million in disaster relief for Pacific island nations vulnerable to climate change.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced a $300 million package over four years at the Pacific Island Forum at Pohnpei in Micronesia on Friday.
Mr Turnbull said the cash will be used on engineering projects to protect against flooding from cyclones, early warning systems and rain water catchment tanks.
‘Adaptation and resilience is very much a local issue,’ Mr Turnbull said.
…
I guess the price of making an economically worthless living off the fantasies of politicians, is your budget can be stripped and reallocated, any time the boss wants to do some international virtue signalling.
Lawmakers probe tax incentives received by renewables concerns:
http://news.morningstar.com/all/dow-jones/washington-wire/201609158556/lawmakers-probe-tax-incentives-received-by-solar-energy-firms.aspx
Note NRG and SunEdison from above link.
http://www.pressherald.com/2016/09/15/as-plan-for-maine-wind-fought-new-owner-arriving/
“clean-energy”
sigh
Um; Please Sir,
But isn’t Rapa Nui in Polynesia, and NOT in Micronesia ??
G
And by the way;
What the hell interests does Australia have in Micronesia anyway.
I would think they should focus more on their sphere of interest, which is Melanesia, not Micronesia or Polynesia.
G
george,
“I would think they should focus more on their sphere of interest, which is Melanesia, not Micronesia or Polynesia.”
CO2 travels, so the idea that Australians would be responsible for any particular area because of their CO2 emissions is nonsensical to me. I suggest you not play along with global “collectivist” ideological mind-traps at all . . unless you want to be driven insane ; )
it seems for some stupid reason Aus funds n supports a shitload of the pacific islands
to a HUGE degree.. food medicine transport schooling
you name it
they have the hands out demanding more than asking us to support them
wtf? we do is beyond me to explain
they do naff all for us, except lob in for “study” and work” opporunities
doesnt do US aus mainlanders much good, pretty much like the Kiwi expats, who lob in work, claim benefits and rack off maybe? later having done rather nicely.
“Mr Turnbull said the cash will be used on engineering projects to protect against flooding from cyclones, early warning systems and rain water catchment tanks.”
Well, climate is generally slightly warmer and sea level is slowly rising. So giving money to practical means of adapting seems a lot better than paying to scaremongering scroungers at CSIRO.
Since, as far as they are concerned, the science is settled, I guess they are a waste of money now. Good to see it going somewhere where it can help people.
The ads are bad enough. But ads with audio that can’t be blocked are worse.
B I N G O !
…What ads ?
Off-topic but in direct reply – Open Source browser extension AdBlockPlus is free and works well with Firefox and is available for IE, Chrome, Safari, Android, etc. I highly recommend it as I have no more auto-running audio or video ads, and far fewer 3rd party tracking cookies created on my computer (I sometimes accidentally click an ad link).
I have switched to the Opera Browser and it has a built in ad-blocker..
Then to add a bit more protection, I also use one of the flash blockers. That allows you to set rules for any site on allowing flash to run on the page.
NoScript is possibly more important. Most ads appear to be called by a script of some form or other. NoScript allows the selective permission of such few scripts as are needed to make a page work to one’s satisfaction. for example, this page has apparently 5 embedded scripts. When all scripts are permitted then another 6 appear. As far as scripts on pages go this is a small number.
As a shot-gun approach turn off scripting in the browser set-up
Is it just me, or does anybody else think that renewable energy sources should be supported strictly with renewable revenues?
What? And end the renewable debate forever?
tadchem, great comment. Wish we could slip that into all renewable funding scams.
I like the foreboding picture of moai. Lawmakers need to take heed and understand that the warmista cult they cultivated and nurtured now requires more every year or there will be serious consequences. If lawmakers fail to distribute more mana through increasingly larger monuments such as windmill fams they run the risk of faith being lost in increasing mana though larger enviro projects. This could lead to the collapse the entire warmista cult, which in retaliation could resort to toppling those previously-built windmills over.
80% of the Pacific islands have grown in size during this alarmist crap! – I am not as forgiving as the author, I don’t think the money handed to these poor climate oppressed people is in anyway a goodwill or PR move – it has graft written all over it..
I read an article yesterday, which I’m too lazy to find again, that 4 recent studies indicated there was not observable change in sea levels due to climate change.
The Climate cargo cult lives.
“Mr Turnbull said the cash will be used on engineering projects to protect against flooding from cyclones, early warning systems and rain water catchment tanks.”
of course, none of this has to do with “climate change.” It has to do with the fact that they live on coralline islands in a region that gets hit by typhoons while also needing to conserved what little rainwater they can.
This is a welfare program, in which funds are supposed to go toward making life better, with no exigent threat from sea level rise and such.
These seem to be practical projects that will protect against the next big storm when it comes, as it surely will.
And this wouldn’t be “welfare” so much as “public works”. That’s what the government is supposed to be doing.
Australia often offers ‘free’ post cyclone relief with supplies flown in, cleanup and rebuilding teams, etc. If these payments ahead of cyclones reduce post cyclone costs then they are not so bad. Don’t get personally too hardened ani non -humanitarian.
Geoff
Its more than welfare, the CIA has told Turnbull to piull up his socks because the Chinese have been building cyclone proof basketball courts for the Micronesians.
To get things in perspective, the Alliance demands we buy their Hornet strike fighter at $160 million each and its only a lemon.
Well I’m not sure it matters what budget gets cut…
Solar PV is well on the way to being the dominant power supply in Australia, given falling costs, mass marketing of domestic batteries and it being a very sunny country, on the whole.
Here’s a set of links that tell you just some of the stuff going on… (you don’t have to read it – please don’t bother to tell me you aren’t because of the site I’m linking to, etc)
https://cleantechnica.com/2016/06/21/residential-rooftop-solar-storage-will-change-grid-says-aemo/
“rooftop solar PV will effectively remove the traditional afternoon demand peak in summer and push the peaks into the evening, after the sun sets. Winter peaks – due to heating – will likely overtake summer peaks, while the lowest point of use will shift from late into the night, to the middle of the day.
In some states, such as South Australia, that is already happening because of their large penetration of rooftop solar.”
https://cleantechnica.com/2016/09/15/quarter-australian-businesses-generate-electricity-solar-pv/
“An increase in interest and uptake of solar by Australia’s commercial sector has been supported by the results of a new survey, with nearly one-quarter of businesses claiming to have already tapped rooftop solar as a measure to cut electricity costs and be more environmentally responsible.”
https://cleantechnica.com/2015/03/27/west-australia-energy-minister-concedes-solar-is-the-way-to-go/
https://cleantechnica.com/2016/06/16/gold-mine-recycled-as-australias-largest-pumped-hydro-storage/
https://cleantechnica.com/2016/04/19/utility-to-take-part-of-melbourne-suburb-off-grid-with-solar-storage/
https://cleantechnica.com/2016/08/29/conergy-build-world-first-islanding-solar-storage-project/
Are you totally delusional? Or just paid to make a fool of yourself?
As always, any propaganda that matches what you are paid to believe gets trotted out without question.
Much of the time it doesn’t actually support your position, but the headline sounds like it does.
I think Griff posts to get out affirmation soundbites in an attempt to sell the message. The impression, from seeing his style and message repeated so often, is that he doesn’t care if it is refuted or even if his links fail to back him up. It’s all about the soundbites and headlines. I thought he was a true believer, now I conclude he’s a paid salesman.
Except after sunset.
If Solar power can truly ever cut the mustard, then it certainly should indeed be able to when the sun is shining in a hot sunny climate that needs air conditioning power in the afternoon.
That is the best case. Whether it can do that without large government subsidies is still debatable.
What is not debatable is that in worse climates, or after dark, or in winter, or, god forbid, all three, solar power still sucks. To the back teeth.
Australian energy subsidies,
Coal $130m, Solar $2002M, Wind $388.
http://www.minerals.org.au/file_upload/files/media_releases/Electricity_production_subsidies_in_Australia_FINAL.pdf
The underlying data from the Various State and Federal Budget Bills. See Appendix.
Wind $388M
I see the stupidity of solar in Australia every day as I go to work on the train. I have seen installations that face east, west and south where they should face north. Of course, these private and commercial installations are subsidized by people like me who rent an apartment and are not allowed to install solar. Solar for power generation is very inefficient. Solar water heating on the other hand is proven technology and has been available in Australia for decades. Again, as I rent I am not allowed to install any of this technology. So Griff, as usual you are talking rubbish again.
BTW, some crazy person in Queensland has spent AU$80,000 on installing 6 Tesla batteries, read here:
http://www.news.com.au/technology/innovation/inventions/man-makes-mini-battery-power-station-in-his-home-after-buying-six-tesla-powerwalls/news-story/4a09a5ed7a87515a276af68b6a1296c6
To me, the numbers quoted don’t quite add up.
Looks like Easter Island will still get a head.
not sure it matters, given the massive roll out of solar in Australia… for example:
https://cleantechnica.com/2016/06/21/residential-rooftop-solar-storage-will-change-grid-says-aemo/
“rooftop solar PV will effectively remove the traditional afternoon demand peak in summer and push the peaks into the evening, after the sun sets. Winter peaks – due to heating – will likely overtake summer peaks, while the lowest point of use will shift from late into the night, to the middle of the day.
In some states, such as South Australia, that is already happening because of their large penetration of rooftop solar.”
https://cleantechnica.com/2016/09/15/quarter-australian-businesses-generate-electricity-solar-pv/
“An increase in interest and uptake of solar by Australia’s commercial sector has been supported by the results of a new survey, with nearly one-quarter of businesses claiming to have already tapped rooftop solar as a measure to cut electricity costs and be more environmentally responsible.”
https://cleantechnica.com/2015/03/27/west-australia-energy-minister-concedes-solar-is-the-way-to-go/
https://cleantechnica.com/2016/06/16/gold-mine-recycled-as-australias-largest-pumped-hydro-storage/
https://cleantechnica.com/2016/04/19/utility-to-take-part-of-melbourne-suburb-off-grid-with-solar-storage/
https://cleantechnica.com/2016/08/29/conergy-build-world-first-islanding-solar-storage-project/
A lie doesn’t become the truth, just because you keep repeating it.
@Griff: All you link to is in a state of collapse now from intermittency and trying to survive on other States’ grids. At least one of our NZ energy firms has been sucking on that teat, but we know it is ending badly. What you see is the normal hype from them as the ship starts to sink. I give it two years Max..
Griff is merely advertising again. Griff, you’re on the wrong channel here, people reading this site tend to think for themselves and are not afraid to do their own research. They know what’s working and what’s failing. Green energy everywhere for anything larger than a lone farmhouse fails miserably.
” .. rooftop solar PV will effectively remove the traditional afternoon demand peak in summer and push the peaks into the evening … ”
You’re not from around here are you Griff. Nor are all those evangelists at cleantechnica.
This is a big country. Eg “Big as Texas” means “2½ times smaller than Queensland.” Two States in Australia are in a crisis situation due to over-enthusiastic promotion of renewables. Here in the north especially, the power lines are very long. The peaks are early morning and late afternoon. Even though there might be 650 W/m2 coming down in daylight hours, the spinning reserve still needs to be maintained. Solar panels will not spin turbines. Heating loads are fairly trivial. Cooling loads are not.
I suggest you go to Joanne Nova’s site and look for posts by Tony from Oz. That might help you to understand the realities of power generation. Here’s an example:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/90071372/submission-for-queensland-50-renewable-target-by-2030.pdf
Once in a while reality does bite. Maybe not in climate science or political science but it does happen in budget land.
There is a very serious issue of an apparent attempt to bury the Antarctic Law Dome 18O isotope ice core reconstruction due to its politically incorrect Holocene reconstruction (most of Holocene several degrees warmer than now) is reported on Climate Audit. Steve MacIntyre reports persistent denial of access to data by Australian custodians of this data (preschool creche staffed by peedofi1es). Recent palaeo reviews e.g. the sinister Gergis inexplicably air-brush out Law Dome.
https://climateaudit.org/2016/08/03/gergis-and-law-dome
It seems the eventual goal is to wait till those who know of the Law Dome series to die off, then kill it.
I second that.
This is so easy to investigate yourself.
Simply email one of the Law Dome authors and ask for the info, or for a link to access it.
See if you get the same putoffs and runarounds that I did.
I failed to complain to the Federal Minister. Should have.
Geoff
Go on, do it. Be hands on practical instead of hypothetical from a safe distance.
Geoff
Can you direct me to the authors and the paper?
I think that if you do not know that much, you might not be a person able to make a valid inquiry.
Nothing stops you searching Law Dome on Climate Audit blog to come up to speed.
Geoff
“international virtue signalling”
I actually though things like flood prevention were good activities for cyclone-prone areas, not virtue signalling at all.
Catching rain on an island is a sure way to induce saltwater intrusion. Better to slice up the fancy water factories in AU and give a piece to each island.
And to think taxes on my hard earned money pay for all of this
“I guess the price of making an economically worthless living off the fantasies of politicians, is your budget can be stripped and reallocated, any time the boss wants to do some international virtue signalling.”
Regardless of whether commas are a renewable resource or not, there should not be any in the above sentence.
Nobody is protesting louder than those who have been feeding at the trough.