VCE Environmental Science

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Although scientists have not agreed as to whether we have reached ‘peak oil’ or not, it is clear that fossil fuels are unsustainable – we cannot use oil, coal and gas indefinately – they are finite resources. Governments and industry are spending millions of dollars investigating renewable energy sources, including:

• wind energy
• solar (passive and photovoltaic)
• hydroelectricity
• geothermal energy
• biomass (including ethanol, biodiesel, bagasse, biogas and others)
• tidal and wave power

Check out the links on the Energy page for more information about fossil fuels and renewable energy. When I am away on Wednesday morning, watch the Clickview videos about renewable energy. Draw up a table listing the advantages and disadvantages of fossil fuels (oil, coal and gas) and the renewable energy sources listed above.

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Professor Ross Garnaut has warned that the Great Barrier Reef, Kakadu’s wetland system and the Murray-Darling Basin are all at risk from the warmer, drier temperatures and rising sea-levels caused by climate change. Professor Garnaut released his draft review of the social and economic effects of a carbon emissions scheme yesterday. “The risk can be substantially reduced by strong and early action by all major ecomonies”, he said in a speech to the National Press Club.

On the same day, Origin Energy has finally committed to building a $640 million gas-fired power plant at Mortlake. The 1,000 MW facility will be built in stages and, when completed, will produce enough electricity to power up to 1.5 million homes. Energy and Resources Minister, Peter Batchelor, claims that the gas-fired plant will emit 70% less greenhouse gases than a brown coal fired plant.

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Are you looking for a case study of where wind power is used in Victoria? Although it is still being established, the wind power development at Daylesford is particularly interesting as it is community owned. Read the article from the Age Newspaper (July 2nd, 2008) and consider the extent that this development meets the goals of Ecologically Sustainable Development.

Hepburn Renewable Energy Association

Sustainability Victoria: Myths and facts about wind power.

Sinclair Knight Mertz: Wind farms help Australian Greenhouse targets

Department of Primary Industries: Wind Projects in Victoria (current and proposed)