Archive for June, 2008
ABC News
Following a 12-day cull of kangaroos on Maria Island in which 400 animals were killed to reduce their population, there has been a call by a Tasmanian veterinary pathologist for reviews in the way in which the cull is carried out. Many of the culled kangaroos had been shot in the body instead of the head, which could have resulted in a slow and painful death, and some of the dead kangaroos still had live joeys in their pouches. Both these findings show breaches in State and national guidelines.
posted by steve on June 30, 2008 at 7:37 pm · filed under 
ABC News
The Federal Environment Minister, Peter Garrett, has been called upon by the Nature Conservation Council of NSW to stop the export of shark fins from Australia. In the past 13 months Australia has exported 133,000 kg of frozen shark fin, which equates to the slaughter of 10,000 sharks. There is too little information on shark populations at the present time to predict the effect of this cull on the different shark species specifically and on marine biodiversity in general.
posted by steve on June 30, 2008 at 7:24 pm · filed under 
The Sydney Morning Herald
Producing meat uses energy, emits large quantities of greenhouse gases and competes with the impoverished for plant material. The chicken, of all the animals we produce, requires the least energy, produces the least greenhouse gases and needs less than two kilograms of grain to make one kilogram of body weight, compared with at least seven kilograms for beef. With increasing populations and the effects of climate change it is becoming less sustainable to eat meat, so, it is expected the chicken, being the most sustainable of the meats, will experience a global boom in production.
posted by kirsty on June 30, 2008 at 1:47 pm · filed under 
ABC
China, like many developing countries, will feel the full force of climate change without having the appropriate measures to reduce their emissions and implement safeguards from climate change. China is calling on developed countries to increase efforts to reduce emissions as well as assisting developing countries by providing financial support and technology.
China’s president, Mr Hu, supports the suggestion that mitigating climate change is in China’s best interests and is recommending measures to reduce emissions within his country, but, points out developing countries are 200 years behind the West in terms of industrialisation.
posted by kirsty on June 29, 2008 at 8:54 pm · filed under 
ABC
The Victorian government is trialling a plastic bag levy of between 10 and 25 cents, aiming to phase out plastic bags over the next two years. Six retail stores are currently involved, however, there are hopes that virtually all supermarkets will willingly participate to reduce the number of plastic bags. The trial will hopefully eliminate retailers’ fears that consumers will move their business to shops with free plastic bags.
posted by kirsty on June 29, 2008 at 8:08 pm · filed under 
Minister for Climate Change and Water
A new greenhouse emissions reporting system will commence on Tuesday, 1st of July requiring organisations to measure, monitor and report their emissions to the federal government by October next year. Minister for Climate Change and Water , Penny Wong, said the new reporting regime is an important step towards the creation of an emissions trading scheme, as well helping to more precisely measure our greenhouse outputs.
posted by patrick on June 27, 2008 at 12:58 pm · filed under 
Environment Victoria
An alliance of more than 40 community organisations is campaigning for the Brumby government to rethink its solar energy tariff policy before the legislation is introduced into parliament. Environment Victoria Campaigns Director Mark Wakeham said the government is ignoring the successful introduction of more a more effective feed-in tariff in other countries, describing the policy as a ‘huge missed opportunity’. The group placed a quarter-page advertisement in Monday’s Age pointing out the legislation’s defects.
posted by patrick on June 27, 2008 at 12:44 pm · filed under
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