World Environment Day 2012

Today (June 5th) is World Environment Day and the theme for 2012 is ‘Green Economy: Does it include you?’

World Environment Day was established by the United Nations General Assembly to mark the opening of the 1972 Stockholm Conference. This year marks the 40th anniversary for World Environment Day, since the creation of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) in 1972.

The host country for 2012 is Brazil and world leaders will meet at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) from 20-22 June 2012, twenty years after the historic Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro which was held in 1992. It is described as a Conference at the highest possible level, including Heads of State and Government or other representatives.

Part of a ‘Green Economy’ is looking at energy supply and working towards a way to transition to renewable energy and supporting clean, sustainable energy sources. 2012 has also been declared as International Year of Sustainable Energy for All by the United Nations General Assembly.

Yesterday, we posted comments from Prof. Barry Brook, Director of Climate Science at the Environment Institute, who believes Australia will go nuclear by 2030.

At the Environment Institute and the Institute for Mineral and Energy Resources (IMER), the Centre for Energy Technology (CET) is also doing research into different options for bringing in sustainable and renewable systems.

In the video below, Professor Gus Nathan, Director of the CET, outlines the research being done here at the University of Adelaide and how the CET are developing hybrid models for energy.

Congratulations to Prof. Gus Nathan

The Environment Institute would like to extend our Congratulations to the Centre for Energy Technology Director, Professor Graham (Gus) Nathan, who has been awarded a Discovery Outstanding Researcher Awards (DORA).

Graham (Gus) Nathan

Gus was one of only 26 people in the nation to receive this award, 2 other recipients, Dr Adrienne Paton and Associate Professor Samer Akkach were also from The University of Adelaide.

We Congratulate all three researchers on this outstanding achievement!

Projecting future fuel production – peak oil, coal and natural gas

Listen to Prof Kjell Aleklett (Uppsala University, Sweden) speak about future fuel production.

The Centre for Energy Technology (CET) and Institute for Mineral and Energy Resources (IMER) were pleased to host a seminar by Professor Kjell Aleklett entitled ‘Projecting Future Fuel Production – Peak Oil, Peak Coal, Peak Natural Gas, and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) emissions scenarios’ on 9 December.

Professor Aleklett heads the Global Energy Systems group at Uppsala University in Sweden.  His crucial research, published in March, is a critical review of the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) forecasts of steady growth in oil production until at least 2030.

 

New CET Publication

Adam Langman and Gus Nathan from the CET recently published a paper in Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science.

The title of the paper is ‘Influence of a combustion-driven oscillation on global mixing in the flame from a refinery flare’.

An assessment of the influence of strong combustion-driven oscillations on mixing rates and visible radiation in the flame from a full-scale refinery flare is reported.  The analysis reveals a consistent picture that the combustion-driven oscillations do not result in a significant change to the global mixing rate, but do increase the visible radiation. This is in contrast to previous investigations, using externally forced jets, where forcing at the preferred mode has been found to increase mixing rates and reduce radiation.

View full article and watch supplementary video

Mining

Podcast from Energy Futures – Stephen Grano talks about future impacts on mining.

The ninth seminar in the Energy Futures series “Impacts for Mining, Infrastructure and Transport Sectors” was held last Wednesday evening at the University of Adelaide.  The event was convened by Dr Jordan Parham with guest speakers Prof Stephen Grano (IMER, UofA), Russell Synnot (Australian Airports Association) and George Giannakodakis (Infraplan).

Individual presentations are also available on the Environment Institute’s website.

This seminar series is being hosted by the Centre for Energy Technology and the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences. Click here to view the full programme.

Energy Futures Seminar 5 – Podcasts Now Available

Presentations from yesterday’s Energy Futures seminar on living with fossil fuels are now available HERE

Each presentation is also available as an individual podcast, click here.

The fifth seminar in the Energy Futures series “Living with Fossil Fuels – The Elephant in the Room” was held last evening at the University of Adelaide.  The event was convened by A/Prof Peter Ashman with guest speakers A/Prof Bassam Dally, Dr Philip Kwong and Dr Philip van Eyk (all from the School of Chemical Engineering, UofA). This seminar reviewed the role of fossil fuels in the near future and the available technology that will aid us to live with fossil fuels while mitigating the impact on the environment.

This seminar series is being hosted by the Centre for Energy Technology and the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences.

Click here to read more about next week’s seminar titled ‘Carbon Sequestration’, or click here to view the full programme.

Energy Futures Seminar 3 – Podcasts Now Available

Yesterday’s Energy Futures seminar on biomass and biofuels is now available – listen to the PODCAST

Presentations are also available as individual podcasts here.

The third seminar in the Energy Futures series “Biomass and Biofuels” was held last evening at the University of Adelaide. The three guest speakers were: A/Prof. Peter Ashman (School of Chemical Engineering, UofA), Dr David Lewis (School of Chemical Engineering, UofA) and Gerald Barker (SQC).

This seminar explored the feedstocks and processes that are commonly used to produce biofuels and to convert biomass into useful energy.  It examined the opportunities for biomass and biofuels in a carbon-constrained world and the challenges that must be overcome.  The seminar highlighted specific work at the University of Adelaide for the production of biofuels from marine microalgae and gave an industry perspective of this work.

This seminar series is being hosted by the Centre for Energy Technology and the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences.  Click here to view the programme.

Glimpse into the Future of Energy

Two new public seminar series starting in July will offer insight into how developments in clean, cost-effective energy technology will shape our future.

Run by the University of Adelaide’s Centre for Energy Technology, the free public seminars will focus on different aspects of energy.

“Thinking Critically About Sustainable Energy” – organised in conjunction with the Royal Institution of Australia – is a six-part seminar series that will bring together top energy experts to provide information and tools for the public to be able to critically assess future energy sources.

Public participation in this series is strongly encouraged, with time for questions from the audience.

The first seminar in this series, on the future of fossil fuels, will be held on Wednesday 7 July.

The other public seminar series, “Energy Futures” – organised in conjunction with the University’s School of Earth and Environmental Sciences – is a twelve-part series that will look at a range of clean energy technology options for the future.

The first of these seminars, on climate change, will be held on Wednesday 28 July.

“Our two new seminar series will give the public the opportunity to learn about the wide variety of new clean energy technology options, including those being developed at the University of Adelaide ” said the Director of the Centre for Energy Technology, Professor Gus Nathan.

“Research into clean and efficient energy technologies is needed to deliver a clean energy future that addresses climate change and reduces the cost of energy.

“Both seminar series will feature members of the Centre who are internationally recognised for their research in such fields as the combustion of fossil fuels, bio-fuels, solar, geothermal, wind and wave energy, and energy efficiency.  The seminars will also feature speakers from leading companies and organisations in the energy field.

“These public seminars aim to help the community to critically assess how each of these developments in energy technology may address our future energy needs,” Professor Nathan said.

The Centre for Energy Technology is part of the Environment Institute and the Institute for Mineral and Energy Resources at the University of Adelaide.

Thinking Critically About Sustainable Energy

When: 6:00pm-7:30pm 7 July–3 November

Where: The Science Exchange, Exchange Place, Adelaide

Cost: free – all welcome.  Registration required at www.riaus.org.au.

Energy Futures

When: 5.00pm–7.00pm each Wednesday from 28 July–15 September and 6–27 October

Where: Horace Lamb Lecture Theatre, North Terrace Campus, University of Adelaide

Cost: free – all welcome.  No registration necessary

For more information about either series please email: environment@adelaide.edu.au or visit: http://www.adelaide.edu.au/environment/cet

Laser Diagnostics in Combustion Scholarship

The internationally renowned Centre for Energy Technology is seeking a keen and enthusiastic engineering scientist to undertake postgraduate research in the field of laser diagnostics in combustion. In the context of global warming, diminishing fossil fuel resources and increasing energy prices optimisation of combustion is increasingly important. You will earn a Masters or PhD degree for your world leading research investigating the coupling of soot and temperature in flames, which will advance fundamental knowledge for finding solutions to practical problems. By seeking to improve both combustion efficiency and a reduction in emissions you will advance your career by building on your strong academic background and developing your experimental and research skills.

For further information (including scholarship details) contact Professor Graham (Gus) Nathan, Director of the Centre for Energy Technology, via email (graham.nathan@adelaide.edu.au) or telephone 08 8303 5822. In addition to a generous stipend, you may also be eligible for the Ricoh Clean Energy supplementary scholarship valued at $5,000 per annum.

Roy Ramage and Jordan Parham discuss renewable energy in councils

Listen to Jordan Parham and Roy Ramage discuss the Research and Development program with the Centre for Energy Technology and the City of Victor Harbor.

The podcast starts with a explanation by Jordan Parham, the Research and Development Manager for the Centre for Energy technology, about the R&D program with the City of Victor Harbor. It follows with a discussion between Roy Ramage, the Economic Development Officer for the City of Victor Harbor, and Jordan about how the council intends to implement the Centre’s research.