Archive for April, 2008
The CSIRO and the Sydney Coastal Councils Group (SCCG) have released an assessment of the impacts of climate change on the city. The project utilised climate change projections and socio-economic data to generate maps of vulnerability to five impacts of climate change:
- extreme heat and health effects;
- sea level rise and coastal management;
- extreme rainfall and storm-water management;
- bushfires; and
- ecosystems and natural resources.
“The consequences of climate change in Sydney’s coastal region will be driven as much by socio-economic factors and decision making as by climate change hazards” says CSIRO research leader Dr Benjamin Preston.
posted by shaun on April 30, 2008 at 11:44 am · filed under 
Research by the Rodale Institute in the U.S. has proved that organic farming can mitigate climate change by sequesting CO2 in soil. The trial compared organic and conventional farming practices, examining impacts such as fertilizer production, nutrient losses and petroleum-based methods.
posted by shaun on April 30, 2008 at 11:11 am · filed under
Bush Heritage Australia today announced the acquisition of the 43,500 hectare Yourka Reserve on the western edge of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. The reserve is located within the Einasleigh Uplands, one of Australia’s 15 biodiversity hotspots. The red goshawk, Australia’s most threatened bird of prey, is one of at least 23 threatened species that have a greater chance of survival thanks to this new conservation reserve in far north Queensland.
posted by seamas on April 29, 2008 at 6:32 pm · filed under 
Over $3 billion has been committed to buying back Murray-Darling water rights by the Federal Government to increase the river’s environmental flows. This is part of a $12.9 billion plan, Water for the Future, that Water Minister Penny Wong is announcing today. The plan also includes $1 billion for urban water programs and $250 million to improve rain and grey water systems.
posted by kirsty on April 29, 2008 at 10:33 am · filed under 
Opposition Environment spokesman, Mr Greg Hunt, will today be arguing the case for increased use of household solar photo-voltaic cells with a “Feed-in Tariff” to boost short-term peak power generation, along with the use of solar concentrators, like the 154MW solar concentrator in Mildura, Vic, for base load energy generation. Speaking at the Climate Action Network Australia Conference in Sydney, he will be putting forward the Coalitions’ vision of a “Solar Continent” which will include major investment in solar as a mainstrem source of energy.
posted by Vinnie on April 28, 2008 at 3:57 pm · filed under
Dr Zhengrong Shi, who, in 2001 left Australia following a lack of government commitment to solar power, is again calling upon the federal government to impliment a national solar “Feed-in Tariff” on rooftop solar power. Dr Shi has predicted that through improved technology, decreasing silicone prices and an increase in economies of scale, the cost of rooftop solar power generation will halve by 2013. Feed-in Tariffs allow the consumer to sell extra energy produced back to suppliers at a price somewhere between the retail price of conventional power and the price of solar, and, according to Dr Shi, will generate demand for rooftop solar energy before the prices of retail and solar energy converge, within, he predicts, about five years.
posted by Vinnie on April 28, 2008 at 3:05 pm · filed under
The ACT Government is looking for replacement landfill site to replace the Mugga Lane facility, due to close in seven years’ time. The new site need not be as large as Mugga Lane, as the Government’s “No Waste 2010″ program is on-target to reduce the quantity of waste passing to landfill each year. A number of possible sites are under consideration, with the final decision depending on studies of city growth patterns and on the potential adverse environmental effects of each location.
posted by steve on April 28, 2008 at 12:25 pm · filed under 
Plans to build a water pipeline from the Burdekin Dam in northern Queensland to the drought-stricken south-east of Queensland have been scrapped due to the cost. A Government-funded study estimated the cost of such a project would be around $14 billion, quadrupling the cost of water for residents. Additional water-recycling measures are now being reconsidered for the south-east, and the possibility of a future desalination plant now looks more economically viable.
posted by steve on April 28, 2008 at 12:12 pm · filed under
An exotic aquarium fish, called platys, may become as infamous as the rabbit, the cane toad and the indian myna bird, as a small feral population has been found in natural watercourse near Newcastle. The platys could overwhelm native species, as it is known to be aggressive, breed rapidly, and to eat frog and fish spawn. The effects on the natural ecosystems could be catastrophic and irreversible.
posted by steve on April 28, 2008 at 11:54 am · filed under
Bureau of Statistics figures show that the fuel efficiency of Australian cars has remained virtually unimproved since 1963. The extra features now standard on most cars, such as air conditioning, electric windows, power-steering, entertainments systems and safety features, mean that the extra size and weight of today’s vehicles has virtually offset any improvements in engine efficiency that have been made in the last 45 years. Transport fuel use, currently accounting for 14 per cent of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions, is set to increase by 67 per cent of 1990’s levels by 2020 unless improved vehicle technology can stem the increase.
posted by steve on April 28, 2008 at 11:10 am · filed under
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