A new report from the Grattan Institute has underlined the failure of current policies to push Australia down the path of a clean energy future Giles Parkinson, editor of RenewEconomy, reports.
Energy
Crikey Says: Crikey says: our energy future
“The door is closing…I am very worried – if we don’t change direction now on how we use energy, we will end up beyond what scientists tell us is the minimum [for safety]. The door will be closed forever.”
Game on: energy regulators take on electricity networks
The Australian Energy Regulator has publicly conceded what has been known by many but rarely admitted — that Australian consumers are paying way more than they need to for their network and electricity distribution costs, writes Giles Parkinson.
Crikey Says: Australia can afford to have vision
As a nation we’ve never been better placed to tackle long term issues like health, our ageing population, transport, sustainability, communications, superannuation, climate change and the growing gap between rich and poor.
The long view: electricity consumers choose cheaper over green
Creating “certainty” is not the urgent issue for industry many believe. They might not realise it, but the urgency to create certainty rests with consumers, writes Ben Freund, CEO GoSwitch.com.au.
Energy ministers accused of gagging criticism on policy
A new directive issued by the Ministerial Council of Energy (MCE) last month will infringe on the independence of the Consumer Advocacy Panel, consumer groups have told Crikey.
interactive 
12 events that will change the world
From alien intelligence to fusion energy: a great interactive feature from Scientific American, exploring 12 world-changing events that could take place before 2050, how likely they are, and what they’ll mean for humanity.
Senator Milne: A few stings in the tail of the boring budget
Once again, the funds allocated to renewable energy, public transport and energy efficiency pale into insignificance next to the tens of billions to roads and the military writes Australian Greens Deputy Leader Senator Christine Milne.
graph pr0n 
Who’s spending the most on renewable energy?
GOOD compares countries’ expenditure and production of renewable energy, and how much of their total energy output that actually represents.
Energy prices will triple without a carbon price
Australians are being prepped for steep rises in energy costs. It’s partly the result of the proposed ETS, but that’s not quite the whole story, writes Giles Parkinson.
Samso: the self-sufficient island
The small Danish island of Samso is one of the first industralised places on Earth to become totally energy self-sufficient, powered by wind turbines, solar and straw-fired plants.
To those who say “beaudy nuke”: why should taxpayers suffer?
Why should taxpayers fund the most expensive and slowest energy option when so many alternatives are significantly cheaper and pose less financial risk?
A radioactive issue for the Coalition?
Why has Ian Macfarlane completely reversed his opinion on Carbon Capture and Storage — from such a strong advocate of the when in government to his recent denunciation on Four Corners? asks Michael James.
Buy our brown coal! Now cleaning up on eBay
Victoria’s 13 billion tonnes of unallocated brown coal are now listed as an eBay item, under the seller name “BrumbyGovt”. Bids are open for the next seven days. The starting price is $1,000,000, writes Greg Foyster.
Ban big-screen TVs?
The US state of California is poised to ban big screen TVs in order to cut energy usage and spare itself the cost of building a new power plant. Could this be the way forward for curbing Australia’s energy-guzzling ways?
Queensland farmers rise up to take on the miners
Queensland’s Surat Basin has the third largest energy resource in the world but farm groups are warning that mining areas risk catastrophic environmental damage to food-producing areas, reports Amanda Gearing.
A great energy-saving idea plucked from the air
The tale of how one UK company benefited from clean energy grants is instructive. Rather than try to create good energy (expensive and time-consuming) it found an inventive way to radically reduce demand.
Um, the nuclear ‘solution’ just melted
For all those who suggest that nuclear power is the only solution to climate change, writes Tim Hollo there’s a little spanner in the works - nukes don’t deal with the heat…
What Australia can learn from the demise of GM
Australia is as dependent on coal as General Motors was on the gas-guzzling SUV. Will we learn from their example and do away with this relic of the old industrial revolution? asks Ben McNeil.
China’s renewable energy source: human power
China may own the dubious title of being the world’s biggest greenhouse gas emitter, but it’s 1.3 billion citizens also provide much sustainable human power.
Smart energy meters added to every UK home by 2020
Every home in the UK must be fitted with a “smart meter” by 2020 to reduce energy use and pave the way for a low-carbon “smart grid”, under plans unveiled by the government.
Obama’s historic committment to science
Obama has announced he will ramp up research and development spending, create an advanced research agency for energy, and roll out new programs to improve science education in the US.
The coming global catastrophe: what will we tell the next generation?
A British Government advisor is predicting a global catastrophe by 2030 over diminishing food, water and energy supplies. What will you tell your children if he’s correct? asks Martin Flanagan.
Obama’s smalls to get an airing
The founder of Project Laundry List, an effort to get Americans to give up their clothes dryers, hopes the Obamas will hang out their laundry in the White House backyard.
