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NZ’s chance to influence the wind of change

NZ’s chance to influence the wind of change
stuff.co.nz The Dominion Post | Monday, 26 January 2009 New Zealand needs to sign up to a new international energy agency that focuses on renewable sources, writes Gerry Coates. ……………….The answer is to use more of the array of so-called renewable resources, as distinct from exhaustible resources like oil, gas and coal. They are called renewable because the sun as well as geothermal energy can provide us directly or indirectly with continuously renewed energy. Renewable energy can increase our energy security, because it is universally available, and, because often it can be captured locally, it is less reliant on an electricity grid or pipelines.

The two international energy agencies are the International Energy Agency, which is highly focused on fossil fuels oil, gas and coal; and the International Atomic Energy Agency, solely focused on the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. The idea of an international agency solely focused on renewable energy has been around since 1981, and the German Parliament revived it in 2004 as the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena).

International support has been strong, particularly from Europe and a Founding Conference takes place in Bonn today ……………………………….There is now a strong case for it to be represented alongside the 51 worldwide governments that attended the final preparatory conference.

NZ’s chance to influence the wind of change – Opinion: views on the news on Stuff.co.nz

Tags: nuclear, antinuclear, radioactive, uranium

January 26, 2009 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | ENERGY