Archive for June, 2007
The Australian Conservation Foundation has issued a media release applauding opposition leader Kevin Rudd’s proposal to introduce subsidies for rainwater tanks and greywater systems. Currently less than 6 percent of urban houses in the eastern states have rain tanks installed, meaning that much urban rainfall goes to waste. The Foundation also commended plans by the Government to establish a desalination plant in Geelong.
posted by nick on June 28, 2007 at 8:21 am · filed under 
The West Australian government is helping to fund trials of a modular wind turbine small enough to be installed on the roof of a suburban home. The device’s inventor, Fremantle man Graeme Attey, believes that it would be possible to power an entire house by using one of the turbines in conjunction with a solar panel.
posted by nick on June 28, 2007 at 8:15 am · filed under 
The World Heritage Committee (of UNESCO) is sending a team of  international experts to Tasmania to assess damage and threats to World Heritage areas. Areas such as the Weld Valley, with its old growth forests, were explicitly mentioned.
posted by jennifer on June 27, 2007 at 2:48 pm · filed under 
The NSW coal industry will raise 20 cents for every tonne of coal produced in the next decade to put in an industry fund that will contribute $400 million to government research into clean coal production.
posted by jennifer on June 27, 2007 at 2:45 pm · filed under 
The EU has included aviation emissions in its Emissions Trading Scheme. However, because emission allowances will be based on the number of passengers in certain years, there are fears that airlines may encourage passengers to secure emissions allowances, rather than cutting emissions.
posted by jennifer on June 27, 2007 at 2:37 pm · filed under
Numerous environmental organisations have banded together to petition the UNESCO World Heritage Committee to list the Blue Mountains as ‘in danger’. There are concerns about the potential dangers of bushfires to World Heritage listed eucalypt forests.
posted by jennifer on June 27, 2007 at 2:28 pm · filed under
Power stations in the Latrobe Valley are exploring desalination as a means of providing water for cooling, as well as looking at dry cooling and other options. Some plants were forced into buying water over the Internet as the drought cut the amount of water available for their use.
posted by jennifer on June 27, 2007 at 2:05 pm · filed under
Biofuel company, Energetix, is trialling fuels produced from canola and animal tallow in Victoria’s La Trobe Valley power station. The trials use technology developed in the US and results are described as ‘encouraging’.
posted by ecomedia on June 26, 2007 at 10:42 pm · filed under
A scheme to reward Australians for handing in recyclable goods could reduce levels of household toxic waste, according to John Lawson from the Australian Council of Recyclers. A deposit refund scheme like the one used in SA for returnable bottles could be applied to toxic items such as lead acid car batteries to reduce waste.
posted by ecomedia on June 26, 2007 at 7:04 pm · filed under
After closing the books on the notion of ’safari’ crocodile hunting in the NT, the government is considering a plan to allow aboriginal hunters a marginal freedom on the matter. The antecedant of this is aimed at both the burgeoning crocodile population and native tenure.
posted by Karl on June 25, 2007 at 9:28 pm · filed under 
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