As the world meets in Madrid for the COP25, the federal government claims that Australia is on track to meet its emission reduction targets. PM Morrison has claimed numerous times that we’ll “meet Paris in a canter”. Officially, our target is a modest 26% reduction from 2005 levels. Certainly not impressive (when say, compared with the UK’s target of 57% …
Victoria: Lead on Community Energy – Community Groups Brief
While the Federal Government ignores the climate crisis, communities around the country are getting on with the transition to renewables. But without federal energy or climate policy many community energy projects may never come to fruition. That’s why we’re joining with Community Power Agency, the Coalition for Community Energy and Friends of the Earth to call on the Victorian Government …
Climate Change, the Ocean and the Surf Coast
At its recent New York session held last month, the IPCC released its latest special report, the Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate. The report focuses on how ocean (and ice) are likely to be impacted by a changing climate. It notes that those with the highest risks are often those with the lowest ability to respond, …
Climate Change, Land, Food and the Surf Coast.
Last week, the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (the ‘IPCC’) released its latest special report on Climate Change and Land Land use, along with energy production and transport is one of the three biggest contributors to greenhouse gases; in order to avoid catastrophic climate change, we must transform all these sectors rapidly. The report highlights that agriculture now uses …
Grassroots Action at it’s Best
Damien Cole is a committee member of the Surf Coast Energy Group. He is also one of those rare breed of people that lives and breathes his principles. A strong connection to country, to people and to nature is how I would sum up Damo. Add the important ingredients of ‘at home in front of a crowd’, an excellent communicator, …
Repair Café Surf Coast Running Strong
SCEG members Jo Murray and Sue Guinness are the co-founders and organisers for the Repair Café Surf Coast. Repair Cafe Surf Coast is a monthly pop-up event where volunteers help visitors from the community to repair broken and worn-out items. It provides the opportunity for skilled, knowledgeable community members to share their skills and help others within our community who …
Solar Solutions for Renters
The Surf Coast Energy Group is exploring opportunities for a solar garden in the Surf Coast Shire. A solar garden is a large solar PV system in which individual panels are owned by electricity consumers. The electricity generated by the solar panels is credited to the owner’s household electricity bill, even though the panels are located elsewhere. While any electricity …
Spring Creek and our Future
The local community have been working hard to save Spring Creek since 2008. Since then there has been massive development at Armstrong Creek (now a northern suburb of Torquay) all of which is already having an enormous impact on Torquay infrastructure and the natural environment. Consider this, in 2015 the population of Torquay was about 15,000. By 2040 it is …
Renewable Energy Hub
We heard it hot of the press at yesterday’s forums. With Libby Coker for Corangamite and Mark Butler MP. Richard Marles MP.