Beyond Zero Emissions Advocacy Project
This is a repost from the Australian Atrium (Project Management) website and is aimed at Australian ZM members.
This is a proposal regarding the Beyond Zero Emissions renewable energy proposal. Beyond Zero Emissions is a group of engineers and scientists who have created a proposal to convert Australia’s energy supply to 100% renewable energy within 10 years. It is primarily done using a mixture of wind power and concentrated solar thermal.
- You can find out more information on their website – http://www.beyondzeroemissions.org/
- Or read their proposal summary – http://media.beyondzeroemissions.org/ZCA2020_Stationary_Energy_Synopsis_…
The Beyond Zero Emissions cause is very much in line with the Zeitgeist Movements aims and principals. We will need their help to prevent humanity from facing environmental and energy crises, whilst they need our help in order for the proposal to get traction.
We are interested in helping promote and champion the BZE emissions scheme.
In order to help us develop new project ideas we are working on a output centric approach.
1. You start off by writing the press release you would like to see.
2. You then write the FAQ.
3. If it’s particularly complex you can even write a help manual. Only after you’ve gone through the above steps do you work backwards to find out what needs to be done/created and how.
Solar Concentrator Array
I will start with the Press Release we would like to see.
Press Release
Beyond Zero Emissions, in collaboration with the Australian Zeitgeist Movement have achieved what was once thought nearly impossible. The Australian Government along with many businesses and communities have agreed to implement the BZE plan to make Australia’s energy systems 100% renewable by 2023. The over the next year the government will reduce the subsidies given to the oil, coal and gas industries whilst ramping up investment and production of solar panels and wind turbines, whilst work is being done to prepare the ground for the Concentrated Solar Thermal power plants.
FAQ
- Who is Beyond Zero Emissions?
- What is the Zeitgeist Movement?Answer : A grass roots movement which wants to make a better world for humanity and the environment. They have connected the dots between the issues facing humanity and their causes and have a big picture understanding of what needs to be done to help humanity progress.
- What is Renewable Energy?
- What is Concentrated Solar Thermal?
- How has the Zeitgeist Movement helped Beyond Zero Emissions?Answer : *The Zeitgeist Movement has helped contact political party members, local businesses, scientists and engineers to explain in plain terms the BZE proposal and has helped championed the cause. They have also helped create a lot of media attention and provided a great platform for the BZE proposal and concepts to be spread from.
Here are 3 options depending on what happens with the Carbon Tax.
Q. Why was the BZE plan chosen over a carbon tax? If no carbon tax
A. There has been a variety of proposals on the table. After researching them the carbon tax was deemed to have lesser long term effectiveness in cutting carbon, with the Beyond Zero Emissions scheme of going to 100% renewable energy within 10 years being the most effective.
Q. Why did we stop the carbon tax in favour of the BZE scheme? If carbon tax cancelled
A. There was a lot of public dissatisfaction over the ineffectiveness of the carbon tax and its excessive costs. The carbon tax was not changing the behaviour of businesses, was giving the government a financial incentive to allow pollution and was hurting the tax payers pockets. At the same time carbon emissions have increase over the year(s) since the tax’s introduction.
Q. How does the BZE proposal get affected by the carbon tax? If there was still carbon tax
A. The carbon tax is being changed to a a feed-in tar to help fund the BZE plan and help increase investment and innovation in renewable energy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feed-in_tariff | http://www.energymatters.com.au/government-rebates/feedintariff.php
Other FAQs
Q. How did the Zeitgeist Movement get the political parties involved in advocating the BZE plan?
A. The ZM members in Australia organised multiple appointments with their local members of parliament and senators. During these direct conversations they took the AIDAS approach : Attention, Interest, Desire, Action, Satisfaction.
Initially the first emails and meetings were about raising awareness that there are better alternatives to the Carbon Tax such as BZE which would likely help them get re-elected, are far better for Australia (and humanity) and is based on science and existing technology which will actually reduce emissions, instead of relying on humans making undefined behaviour changes.
The second interactions revolved around the BZE proposal once the politicians had been given time to learn more about the BZE proposal, such as read the synopsis – http://media.beyondzeroemissions.org/ZCA2020_Stationary_Energy_Synopsis_…
The conversation revolved around Q&A and increasing their understanding.
The conversations and interactions afterwards focused on increasing the network of politicians which support the proposal, how the government can help and what bottlenecks needed to be overcome in order for the BZE proposal to be passed by parliament.
External pressure was also used by getting International ZM chapters to put pressure on Australian governments and businesses, usually in the form of media attention.
Q. How did the Zeitgeist Movement get local businesses on board?
A. The ZM used a combination of direct conversation with local businesses as well as a renewable energy supporter tick of approval system. Previous green energy ticks of approval focused more on being carbon neutral than on renewable energy. Computer companies and Internet Services Providers were some of the first to get their primary energy from renewable energy (most data centres backup generators are diesel powered). Companies with the renewable energy tick of approval become preferred company’s for Geisters and many other organisations.
Q. How did the Easy Green default choice affect things?
A. By changing the default on the energy signup form to be renewable energy a vastly higher percentage of Australian businesses and home owners started paying for renewable energy (at a slight increase in the cost). This lead to energy companies also wanting the BZE plan to be implemented to deal with the demand. To find out more check out http://www.vimeo.com/12601766 and http://www.tacsi.org.au/our-projects/challenge/phase-1-finding-those-bol…
Q. What Zeitgeist events did Beyond Zero Emissions have a presence at?
A. BZE held public presentations at the Zeitgeist Media Festival on Sept 11 the later during Zday the following year. They also attended local chapter conferences. The local chapter conferences and presentations were held in South Australia, Brisbane and Sydney (Possibly in Melbourne and Canberra?).
In case you skipped ahead, the above press release and FAQ are what we would LIKE to see once the project is over, it has not yet happened.
This is a well thought out plan. The zero carbon concept is something I have been trying to promote for six years in Australia, expecially concentrated solar thermal. These people need support, it is the best plan in existence, and your group could do a lot to support it. So the question is, willl you implement this? What else can you do to bring together large groups to support this. Do you have any pull with GreenPeace or other large activist groups? Please, this is the most important thing on the table today, because it could effectively disable the nuclear energies argument that nuclear is the “ONLY VIABLE” solution. It MUST be done and needs to start now!