Article: Desert mission lifts green hope

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

Desert mission lifts green hope

Desert mission lifts green hope
Kate Dennehy | February 8, 2009 - 6:36AM

BRISBANE Lord Mayor Campbell Newman is tipped to return from a trade mission to the Middle East with new ideas about solar power and public transport.

Greens state MP Ronan Lee said he would watch with interest for the outcomes of Cr Newman's 10-day United Arab Emirates (UAE) visit.

The trip coincides with the signing of Brisbane's eighth sister city relationship, this one with the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi. The desert city aims to become the world's first carbon-neutral metropolis.

Mr Lee, the Member for Indooroopilly, said that if oil-rich Abu Dhabi could see the benefits of renewable energy and sustainability, coal-rich Queensland should follow its lead.

"It's a sad day when the oil producers of the Middle East can see the benefits of basing their economy on renewable energy but our leaders in Queensland can't," he said. "There are interesting parallels between Abu Dhabi, an oil-rich area that is trying to change to an economy based on solar energy and sustainability, and Brisbane, the capital of a coal-rich state that is not embracing solar energy to any great extent."

He said many lessons could be learned at the federal, state and local level about the urgent need to change from "an economy based on carbon pollution to one based on renewable energy."

The crown prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, last year unveiled plans for Masdar City, the world's first zero-carbon, zero-waste large-scale settlement, in the middle of a desert.

Expected to be home to 50,000 people by 2016, it will have no cars and will largely run on solar energy, with photovoltaic panels on every roof. Buildings will be five-storey, maximising the sunlight hitting the panels. The apartment blocks will be densely packed so narrow streets are shaded and all will be near a light-rail network.

Water will come from a desalination plant, also powered by solar energy, and waste will be recycled as another energy source.

Cr Newman has said

Brisbane and Abu Dhabi shared common features: "Both are undergoing rapid urban development, have extensive multicultural populations and are striving for global importance and best practice operations." He said Brisbane-based Thiess Services had signed a $467 million waste contract with the Abu Dhabi Government.
Source: The Sun-Herald

[ozbob]

I wonder if the Lord Mayor is going to return a light rail convert?

[mufreight]

Possibly he will check out their sewerage system as well so that he will be able to rectify the problems with the Indoorpilly poo tube subway, now that might be useful.

[curator49]

We can only hope he will come back a light rail convert.

Perhaps that fellow down the Gold Coast - what's his name? Clarke that its!! - should go over and have a look too. The Gold Coast has something in common - lots of sand. 

[Markus]

LOL  Very true Gold Coast

Me thinks the GC Lord Mayor still lives in the 1950's !