CarbonSignal

The Bellona Foundation is an NGO which advocates the use of carbon capture and sequestration as one strategy to address climate change.  They have launched a website which is dedicated to CCS technology, and includes tools that provide an overview of greenhouse gas sources and sequestration projects around the globe.

The interactive map presents a visual representatoin of the geographical spread and magnitude of CCS projects in comparison with greenhouse gas emission sources.

The site also contains a blog, a guide to the politics of CCS, and an overview of the diverse range of opinions on CCS technology with backlinks to notable individuals and organisations.

The Bellona CCS website is a handy source of information for both CCS supporters and detractors alike.

In July the rubber hits the road for the world’s cheapest car - the Tata Nano.  The car will sell for less than $3,000 AUD and demand is so strong they have decided that the first 100,000 customers will be chosen by lottery.

The Nano represents a massive change in personal transport.  Chairman Ratan Tata says,

“We are at the gates offering a new form of transportation to the people of India, and later I hope other markets as well.”

Tata is planning to deploy the Nano to North American and European markets.  Current production capacity is 60,000 units per year, but by the end of 2009 a new production facility will bring capacity up to 250,000 units per year.

Tata is not the only game in town.  According to Reuters, “Volkswagen, Toyota, Honda and Fiat are eyeing the segment, and the venture of Renault/Nissan with Bajaj is on track to launch a $2,500 car in 2011.”

Providing the developing world with access to the level of personal transportation freedom that the wealthier nations have enjoyed for decades seems like an inherently good thing.  But does this utlimately serve the greater good?

The developing world leapfrogged the wealthy nations in telecommunications by putting up cell phone towers instead of laying copper landlines.  Some say they should aim to leapfrog the wealthy nations on transport as well, by finding a way to skip over the inefficient vehicles and infrastructure that have become essential in car-dependent industrialised economies.

Could the emergence of low-cost cars undermine any potential leapfrogging that might otherwise occur?

HAC is collaborating with SEMF and Sparke Helmore to launch a new course:

Carbon 2010:  Is your business ready for climate change?

The Australian Government’s Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) will put a price on carbon emissions. The effects will be felt throughout the economy, and the impact on energy-intensive sectors will be significant.

The National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting System (NGERS) requires large energy users to report their energy consumption, energy production and greenhouse gas emissions on an annual basis, beginning with the 2008/09 financial year.

Organisations must understand the emerging legislation, control the cost of compliance, determine if they can pass the cost of carbon through to their customers, and determine how carbon costs might be passed up through their supply chain. Each organisation will need to factor a carbon price into their business plans and develop a portfolio of options to minimise the marginal cost of abatement.

This course will prepare you for the changes ahead, explaining obligations under the NGERS and the CPRS, the mechanics of a “cap-and-trade” scheme, and the tools you can use to evaluate and minimize the impact on your business.

The first course runs on April 8th and places are limited.  Download the brochure and registration form here.

The Victorian Minster for Energy and Resources, Peter Batchelor, has announced that Melbourne will be the first State to host the prestigious All-Energy Expo.  The conference has been held in Aberdeen, Scotland since 2001, and has become Europe’s largest renewable exhibition.  According to the press release, last year’s event attracted over 5,000 participants.

“The Brumby Government will be the principal sponsor of the event which will bring together investors, researchers, academics, industry and government representatives from here and overseas to discuss and view the latest clean energy technology.

“It will be the biggest of its kind in Australia and will focus on clean and sustainable sources of energy.”

The conference will be held on October 7-8 of this year, and will be free to attend.

The US will provide $2.4 billion for the development of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.  The objective is to put a million clean vehicles on the road by 2015.  Obama says he wants the US to regain its position as a global technology leader.

“The nation that leads on energy will be the nation that leads the world in the 21st century.”

The funds will be distributed through several channels:

• $1.5 billion will be offered to battery manufacturers
• $0.5 billion will go to companies that produce other components
• $0.4 billion will be spent on evaluation of plug in hybrids, and building the supporting infrastructure

The funding comes at a time when hybrid sales are suffering.  Before the economic downturn, people buying the Toyota Prius used to have to wait weeks or months for delivery.  At that time there was only a 2-day national supply of the Prius in the US.  Now, with petrol prices down and consumer confidence in the toilet, there is an 80 day supply of the Prius.

Will Obama’s cash injection be enough to spur the development of expensive hybrid technology in an ailing industry?

Scientists and engineers have been chasing cold fusion for decades.  When it comes to energy, fusion really is a silver bullet.  A holy grail.  The feedstocks for the process are abundant on earth, a massive amount of energy can be produced in a relatively small facility, and there are no greenhouse gas emissions.

Fusion is the nuclear process that occurs within the sun, and replicating this process on earth in no easy task.  Despite many years of effort and hundreds of millions of research dollars, we have not yet managed to build a working pilot-scale power plant.

A video update from PBS gives an excellent overview of the latest technology, and scientist’s opinions on how far away we really are.   View the video here.