When I tell people what I do for a living (often a quick and easy way to engineer a change of subject), I sometimes get the feeling they think I work in a very niche sector, something that only specialists would understand.
But of course, as all of our energy-literate readers will understand, that's far from the case.
Energy – and everything that goes with it – touches all of our lives pretty much constantly. From the ability to live and work in air-conditioned homes and offices, to being able to drive off for a weekend in the country (whether that's in an EV or an ICE car), the energy debate is all around us.
This has been particularly in evidence for me in the last fortnight or so with some news-worthy moments at both ends of the spectrum.
At the end of last month we had the momentous news that Santos had loaded its first LNG cargo from their long-delayed Barossa gas project.
The inaugural cargo was loaded to the Kool Blizzard tanker at Darwin LNG which, having departed on January 25, is now about halfway to Japan's Sakai terminal.
The achievement cannot be understated, with the millions of man hours behind it, the countless livelihoods which have depended on the project, not to mention the revenue to come, just some of the defining elements of this mammoth – and at times controversial – project.
The same can be said for Chevron's Gorgon which this week shipped outs its 2000th LNG cargo, with the Maran Gas Chios tanker having departed Barrow Island on Tuesday.
Again, a massive achievement for the company and the thousands of people who have worked on the project over the years.
And then - as if to throw those two mega-projects into sharp relief and show how energy issues affect also the average joe on the street, ENB reported on Wednesday how schoolchildren in the ACT will no longer be having their lessons or educational opportunities sponsored by fossil fuel companies.
The move's been taken by the ACT government to ban such financial support as it tries to ensure our childrens' views on the fossil fuels industry are not potentially "greenwashed," leaving them to make up their own minds as their critical faculties develop with maturity.
That kind of debate mirrors the issue of whether we accept fossil fuels firms supporting major cultural institutions such as museums and galleries.
Interestingly, while fossil fuels sponsorship is perhaps being increasingly seen as unwelcome in schools, this morning ACCIONA Energía announced a partnership with Wyndham Tech School in Victoria, which will see more than 2,300 students from 16 schools being given an "exciting insight into working in the booming renewable energy sector."
Here's a thought - perhaps we could just leave corporate dollars of all colours out of our kids' education?
Yours,
Russell Yeo
Editor Energy News Bulletin
To get the best analysis and insight of what's happening in APAC's energy sector, sign up for a free trial.
OPINION
Opinion: Energy really is all around...
From the editor
Credits: ENB
When I tell people what I do for a living (often a quick and easy way to engineer a change of subject), I sometimes get the feeling they think I work in a very niche sector, something that only specialists would understand.
But of course, as all of our energy-literate readers will understand, that's far from the case.
Energy – and everything that goes with it – touches all of our lives pretty much constantly. From the ability to live and work in air-conditioned homes and offices, to being able to drive off for a weekend in the country (whether that's in an EV or an ICE car), the energy debate is all around us.
This has been particularly in evidence for me in the last fortnight or so with some news-worthy moments at both ends of the spectrum.
At the end of last month we had the momentous news that Santos had loaded its first LNG cargo from their long-delayed Barossa gas project.
The inaugural cargo was loaded to the Kool Blizzard tanker at Darwin LNG which, having departed on January 25, is now about halfway to Japan's Sakai terminal.
The achievement cannot be understated, with the millions of man hours behind it, the countless livelihoods which have depended on the project, not to mention the revenue to come, just some of the defining elements of this mammoth – and at times controversial – project.
The same can be said for Chevron's Gorgon which this week shipped outs its 2000th LNG cargo, with the Maran Gas Chios tanker having departed Barrow Island on Tuesday.
Again, a massive achievement for the company and the thousands of people who have worked on the project over the years.
And then - as if to throw those two mega-projects into sharp relief and show how energy issues affect also the average joe on the street, ENB reported on Wednesday how schoolchildren in the ACT will no longer be having their lessons or educational opportunities sponsored by fossil fuel companies.
The move's been taken by the ACT government to ban such financial support as it tries to ensure our childrens' views on the fossil fuels industry are not potentially "greenwashed," leaving them to make up their own minds as their critical faculties develop with maturity.
That kind of debate mirrors the issue of whether we accept fossil fuels firms supporting major cultural institutions such as museums and galleries.
Interestingly, while fossil fuels sponsorship is perhaps being increasingly seen as unwelcome in schools, this morning ACCIONA Energía announced a partnership with Wyndham Tech School in Victoria, which will see more than 2,300 students from 16 schools being given an "exciting insight into working in the booming renewable energy sector."
Here's a thought - perhaps we could just leave corporate dollars of all colours out of our kids' education?
Yours,
Russell Yeo
Editor Energy News Bulletin
To get the best analysis and insight of what's happening in APAC's energy sector, sign up for a free trial.
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