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Airbus: Never mind the length feel the width

Crikey, 28 May 2015

The trenches around the battle lines between Airbus and Boeing have been dug, well, wider, by the European planemakers’ chief operating officer commercial John Leahy. At a briefing in Toulouse today he said Airbus could match the higher density (read less legroom) being offered by Boeing in jam-them-in-tight versions of their respective airliners, but wouldn’t compromise on shoulder room by sticking to an extra inch or 2.5 cms width per seat no matter what.

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Infrastructure Australia Infrastructure Audit Report

Infrastructure Australia, May 2015

The Australian Infrastructure Audit takes a strategic approach to assessing our nation's infrastructure needs. It examines the drivers of future infrastructure demand, particularly population and economic growth.

The Audit provides a top-down assessment of the value-add, or Direct Economic Contribution of infrastructure; considers the future demand for infrastructure over the next 15 years, and delivers an evidence base for further gap analysis, long term planning and future investment priorities.

• Australian Infrastructure Audit report—Executive Summary http://www.infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/policy-publications/publications/files/Australian-Infrastructure-Audit-Executive-Summary.pdf
• Australian Infrastructure Audit report—Key Findings http://www.infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/policy-publications/publications/files/Australian-Infrastructure-Audit-Key-Findings.pdf
• Infrastructure Audit report—Volume 1 http://www.infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/policy-publications/publications/files/Australian-Infrastructure-Audit-Volume-1.pdf
• Australian Infrastructure Audit report—Volume 2 http://www.infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/policy-publications/publications/files/Australian-Infrastructure-Audit-Volume-2.pdf

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City of Stirlingӳ Oil Risk Strategy

A new link to the City of Stirling’s Oil
Risk Strategy has been created:

http://www.stirling.wa.gov.au/Council/Sustainability/Pages/Energy-and-emissions.aspx

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Kingdom built on oil foresees fossil fuel phase-out this century

Financial Times, 21 May 2015

Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest crude exporter, could phase out the use of fossil fuels by the middle of this century, Ali al-Naimi, the kingdom’s oil minister, said on Thursday. The statement represents a stunning admission by a nation whose wealth, power and outsize influence in the world are predicated on its vast reserves of crude oil.

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Where to for cycling in Australia with the benefit of the Dutch Experience

AITM, 20 May 2015

A special AITPM newsletter on reflections of cycling in Australia – what is needed and what can be done.

http://www.aitpm.com.au/ArticleDocuments/276/Where%20to%20for%20cycling%20in%20Australia%20May%202015.pdf.aspx

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Oil price will bounce back soon: BHP

Business News, 18 May 2015

Oil prices could soon spike higher because of a lack of new discoveries, BHP Billiton's petroleum boss says. Just as the US shale industry's growth by 3 million barrels a day in the past four years had been staggering, to which BHP is a significant contributor, so too had the decline in new oil discoveries, Tim Cutt says.

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Apartment standards: is this sham consultation?

Crikey, 18 May 2015

The Victorian government say it wants to start a serious discussion with the community on design standards for apartments. But it’s not telling the full story; it looks like it’s doing a bit of “design-washing”.

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Anti-ME airline claims by US majors grow louder, what if they win?

Crikey, 16 May 2015

Let’s consider the possible consequences if the major US airlines, American, Delta and United, succeed in restricting if not reversing the expansion of the major middle east carriers Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways. Casualty number one could be the Boeing 777-X, since 225 out of the 286 officially confirmed orders for the next iteration of the hugely successful 777 family are from those leading Gulf zone carriers.

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The accelerating decline of French nuclear power

Greenworld, 14 May 2015

For most people with any interest in energy issues, France is synonymous with nuclear power. With 78% of its electricity generated by the atom, it is by far the most nuclear-dependent country in the world. It’s state-owned flagship Electricite de France is the world’s largest nuclear utility. State-owned Areva is one of the largest nuclear reactor manufacturers in the world. Rather, France, whose nuclear industry is in speedy and accelerating decline, today exemplifies the failure of nuclear power. Moreover, a closer look at France reveals where the world is headed: to a clean and surprisingly affordable nuclear-free and carbon-free energy system.

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Amtrak crash: Video shows train speeding up before derailment

CNN, 15 May 2015

Investigators are learning more about the speeding Amtrak train that derailed in Philadelphia, killing eight and sending over 200 to the hospital, but the jury is still out on the big questions. Why did the train accelerate as it approached a curve? Did the engineer cause the train to speed up, or was there a mechanical failure? Was there something about the track that caused the crash?

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