Thought you might enjoy this video of a flash mob style dance organised by the climate change group Power Shift. Hundreds of Australian youths lined up to perform in a stunt that’s likely to grab some attention.
If you want to discover more about Power Shift then you can do so from their website.
Australia has set aside a budget of A$4.65billion to spend on a clean energy initiative and Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has announced that A$1.4billion of that is to be spent on what will be the world’s largest solar power station. This 1000-megawatt plant will be three times larger than the current biggest, which is in California.
Applications for tender will be open later in the year with the successful bids being known in the early part of 2010. The project will eventually lead to a network of solar power stations that takes in Australia’s sunniest spots as well as the current national grid.
Australia currently gets around 85% of its energy from coal, so this new move is being seen as a positive step towards a greener future.
Mr Rudd said: “Why are we doing this? We are doing it in order to support a clean energy future for Australia, we’re doing it to boost economic activity now and we’re doing it also to provide jobs and much needed opportunities for business as well.”
Australia is also set to become a full member of the International Renewable Energy Agency. IRENA currently has more than 80 countries signed up and the organisation is set to hold its first meeting in June.
This news comes in the same week that Pennsylvania governors announced that anyone in the state installing solar technologies will be rewarded with 45% off the price.
Earth hour happened this weekend – where people from around the world were invited to switch off their lights for one hour – and some of the pictures from the event are phenomenal. Below are some of the best – I’ve tried to give credit to the sources but if I’ve missed anything please let me know.Â
and Sydney:
When the temperature turns cold in the winter months inhabitants of the Northern Hemisphere often look south to enjoy warmer climes; however, come 1 December, 3.6million hectares of Australia will be closed off to tourists for the first time because it’s just too hot for them.
The Simpson Desert – which covers parts of Northern Territory, South Australia and Queensland – will be off limit from 1 December to 15 March after a risk assessment showed how dangerous it would be for people attempting to cross. Temperatures are expected to reach 58C (139 Fahrenheit) with the sand heating up to around 95C (203 Fahrenheit) – hot enough to burn through the soles of most shoes.
The popularity of the desert has grown recently, but a lot of tourists are ill prepared for the journey. Many hire a vehicle but the desert, which has no defined roads, is not the place for people without any off-road experience to begin learning.
Environment Department regional operations director in South Australia, Trevor Naismith, said: “Most People that cross the desert during summer are from overseas, and many do not have the driving experience for such a crossing, or a properly equipped vehicle with radio communications and recovery gear in case of an emergency.”
“At a time when there are very few vehicles in the desert to provide assistance in a timely manner, this is potentially a fatal situation, especially for the inexperienced, ill-prepared visitor.”
People unaccustomed to the heat need to drink around 15 litres of water a day to cope with the sweltering heat and with no shade or shelter can perish within hours of becoming stranded.
Anyone caught crossing the desert by park rangers will be fined up to AU$1000 (around £433).
Picture from ABC News
environment
australia, climate, power shift
1