Carbon dioxide, and other
'greenhouse gases', pose an enormous threat to all plants and wildlife. Plants grown in
the presence of higher than normal levels of carbon dioxide contain less protein, which
contributes to higher mortalities among herbivores. This trend will continue up the food
chain with dire consequences for every animal on the planet.
One radical alternative to
petrol and diesel power is the use of recycled cooking oil. Marc and Izzy, two protesters
who visited Roxby Downs with the Keepers of Lake Eyre, were happy to show John the
'oil-powered' van in which they were travelling around Australia.
At first glance, the big
cities seem to be the culprits with regard to air pollution. Cars, industry and
electricity generation create the layer of smog that blankets most large cities. But in
the outback, each small town, station and indigenous community has to create their own
power, while in the city these things are done in bulk, at less cost. Furthermore, costs
of air-conditioning and refrigeration sky-rocket in the outback due to the searing summer
temperatures.
For the most part, this
power comes from diesel generators that are dirty, noisy and expensive to run and
contribute to 'greenhouse gases', the same as city power plants. Along with this comes the
enormous cost of transporting the fuel to these remote locations to run these generators.
All of these factors make the Australian Outback an excellent location to introduce
widespread use of renewable energy.
The most obvious source of
power in this region is the sun. We definitely have plenty of it! And of course, this
technology is being taken up in the area, with some of the most remote homelands in the Anangu-Pitjantjatjara
Lands now powered by the sun, and pastoral stations following suit.
"Already most
homesteads in the outback are installing inverter systems that charge batteries while
their generator operates for a few hours each day. Then when enjoying the serenity once
their generator shuts off, their batteries continue to power lights, refrigeration and the
Internet that they can use to research other power-saving initiatives."
In the township of Roxby
Downs, WMC built an 'environmental house', making use of solar power and design features
such as north-south orientation, high ceilings and woollen insulation. Add to this appliances
specifically chosen for their energy-effectiveness and you have a home that uses a meagre
seven kilowatts of power per day, returning enough power to the grid to fund the peak
summer usage of up to thirty kilowatts per day.
Another renewable energy
option is wind power, with plans in place for the world's largest commercial wind farm
near Elliston on South Australia's Eyre Peninsula.
"If more city
dwellers adopted the energy-saving innovations like the increasing number of outback
residents, Australia would be in a far better position to proudly claim that we have
accepted our responsibilities to address the greenhouse effect. On the other hand, while
society continues to rely on the easy option of burning fossil fuels for bulk power
generation and transport, we continue to shake the climatic tightrope for many of our
plant and animal species in the outback and beyond."
