Sustainably Mobile in Style

At the Clean Energy Expo Asia, a fair chunk of the exhibition floorspace was dedicated to a "Sustainable Mobility Showcase" - very understated name for some rather interesting vehicles including the Tesla Roadster, which would be a very cool way to be "sustainably mobile".

The Roadster body is a carbon fibre creation and the design sets the bar for other cars to achieve, strength and low weight at the same time. This is a premium fully electric sports vehicle which manages up to about 400km range, depending on how you like to drive - to conserve or impress! But I think it would impress at any speed, and if you need to make a statement, then the Tesla Roadster does that and adds the exclamation mark!

I was delighted to finally see a Roadster in the flesh - and I certainly would like to see more "Sustainably Mobile" Roadsters on our Aussie roads.

Pic by Mary at Clean Energy Expo Asia 2010

Small Door, Opening to Asia Pacific

At the same time as Australia and the US are both facing internal opposition to supporting legislation for more Clean Energy uptake, countries like Singapore have ambitious plans to take up the challenge.

At the recent Clean Energy Expo Asia conference and exhibition held in Singapore, I was impressed with the level of commitment for Singapore to become a hub city for showcasing and promoting renewable energy - and one that addresses the issues of energy security and dependance on oil. The conference was developed in partnership with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore (SEAS) and there was emphasis on collaboration with key groups in the Asia Pacific Region to achieve outcomes not just for Singapore but for the whole region.

Ministerial support was evident with Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister for the Environment and Resouces at the opening ceremony. Dr Ibrahim spoke about the projected job creation of 7,000 jobs by 2015 for Singapore, and how Singapore is planning to attract companies to become a "living laboratory" for sustainable urban solutions.

Over past few decades, I have observed that Singapore undertakes projects with a high degree of focus and determination, so I for one will be watching with great interest to see how Singapore develops their Clean Energy hub. One Australian company that I spoke to at the exhibition saw Singapore as a stepping stone to the Asian markets, and for Aussie technology this may well be a very welcome door to the important Asian markets.

My pic at Clean Energy Expo Asia exhibition opening 2 Nov 2010