IN THIS ISSUE :

The fate of the CPRS
Gross solar meter installation
Home Sustainability Assessements

The Fate Of The CPRS

The last few weeks have been eventful for those of us who are concerned about climate change, and want to see action to preserve a safe climate for the planet. Here is a quick update on what's been happening, and what you can do about it.

At the beginning on the month, Kevin Rudd announced that the CPRS (Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme) would be delayed until 2013. Whilst most of us are aware that this scheme would not have been an effective or fair way to reduce emissions Government's, we certainly don't want action on climate change delayed for another three years! The Australian Chief Scientist Penny Sackett has publically criticised the delay, saying "We are not acting with sufficient speed to reduce the large degree of risk that climate change poses to our health, our environment and our livelihoods." Labor MPs around Australia have been inundated with phone calls and letters criticising the failure to take quick action. Five MPs have come forward to warn that the government's current position on climate change cannot be sold to the electorate, and that a carbon tax is needed.

You can add your voice to this issue by making a phone call or sending an email or letter (a template letter is attached) to your local federal MP, Climate Change Minister Penny Wong and/or Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. If you've never done it before, now is the time to give it a go! Leaving a phone message takes only a few minutes, and is a very easy way to register your opinion.

The budget, released yesterday, includes $652 million for a Renewable Energy Future Fund over the next four years, using money saved by scrapping the CPRS. This is a step in the right direction, but unfortunately we are in a climate emergency, with only 10 years to make cuts of 25-40%. A few renewable energy flagships are no substitute for the widespread roll-out of renewable, especially when new coal-fired power stations are still being built, including two in NSW alone that will increase the state's emissions by 15%!

In the last few weeks we have also seen the credibility of climate deniers seriously undermined. Last week, 255 scientists, including 11 Nobel laureates, signed an open letter in the prestigious journal Science, defending climate science and attacking the ‘dogma' of climate sceptics. The letter challenges those who deny human-caused climate change to come up with an ''honest effort to provide an alternative theory that credibly satisfies the evidence''.
Meanwhile the latest scientific studies from the University of NSW have found that without efforts to cut emissions, in 300 years time the Earth could be 10 - 12°C hotter, with half the Earth too hot for humans to live there at all.

So what can we do about all of this locally? CAN is currently planning a town meeting to take place in late July, which will provide an opportunity for people around the Hunter to come together and discuss the need for a transition away from coal, and the opportunities that renewables could represent for the region. We are hoping that from this meeting, we can form a working group on community-owned renewable energy, after being very inspired by the Hepburn Wind Farm. It's clear that a similar project in the Hunter would be a positive way to tackle climate change whilst benefiting the local community.

CAN welcomes all our supporters to come along to our meetings, held on the first Wednesday of each month, at Hamilton Public School. At meetings we usually discuss what is happening on the climate change front, as well as planning for upcoming events and activities. You can participate as much or as little as you feel comfortable with. Feel free to call us or email us with any questions or suggestions.

Gross Solar Meters for Existing PV Systems
It's time to make arrangements to get your home's solar PV system ready for the gross feed in tariff.Under the NSW Solar Bonus Scheme, only customers with gross metering arrangements are eligible for the 60 cent/kwH (noting that some energy retailers are offering 66c / kwH) gross feed-in tariff after the transition period expires on the 1st of July.
We suggest householders with existing solar PV systems and net meters organise this gross meter for their home in coming weeks, as there is likely to be further delays in the installation of these meters, and you never know when the scheme will reach its limit of 'subscribers'.The meter is free, but residents must arrange and pay for the electrician to install the meter. 
The first step is to get a qualified electrician on board who will inspect your meter box, put a purchase order in for the right meter with Energy Australia, and do the installation. They should also look after all the required paperwork. So check they will do all of this when you're seeking quotes for your home. 
Gross meters must be installed by an accredited level 2 service provider (electrician).  The Department of Fair Trading (DFT) provides this list of level 2, category 4 accredited service providers(electricians). http://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/pdfs/Consumers/ASP_list_level2.pdf

You can also call the DFT on 02 9895 0008 (if you don"t want to trawl through the 55 pages of electricians listed by suburb).

A range of websites suggest that the installation should cost somewhere in the range of $200 - $400 (incl gst) if the meter box is close to the solar power inverter. (Although no CAN people have heard of anyone securing a $200 quote to date!). Additional costs may arise if the meter box is located further away. 
For more information:http://www.energyaustralia.com.au/State/NSW/Residential/Products-and-services/Solar-power/NSW-Solar-Bonus-Scheme-Questions-and-Answers.aspx#Q11

Home Sustainability Assessments
There has been a lot of change recently in Government environmental programs. The program formerly known as Green Loans is now being rebranded as Home Sustainability Assessments and is still available and free of charge.
The programs objective is to assist households to install improvements that will result in more efficient use of energy and water.
If you want further details go to: http://climateaction.org.au/home-sustainability-assessments