Archive for August, 2008

SA recycling refund increasing to 10 centsLink to full story

ABC News

Starting on Monday, the refund received for depositing a beverage can or bottle at a South Australian recycling depot will double from five to ten cents. The South Australian Government is not worried about consumers stockpiling containers in wait of the increase or crossing the border to profit from the refund, saying these issues have been taken into consideration. South Australian Environment Minister Jay Weatherill said there has been some stockpiling as expected, but that people will now gain the benefit of that recycling. 

Sustainable House Day (Sep 14)Link to full story

September 13, 2008toSeptember 14, 2008

Sustainable House Day is a chance to visit sustainable schools and offices on Saturday 13, and sustainable houses on Sunday 14 September. The sustainable living tips on display around the country are designed to inform and motivate people to adopt more sustainable approaches to living.

Waste in a Changing Climate Summit (Adelaide, Sep 11)Link to full story

CCSA

September 11, 2008
10:00 amto4:00 pm

The Conservation Council of South Australia (CCSA) is holding a summit on waste and how we deal with it. The waste summit forms part of the CCSA’s blueprint for environmental action in South Australia, analysing environmental policy in six areas, all in the context of a changing climate.

The Waste in a Changing Climate Summit will be held at Enterprise House, 136 Greenhill Rd, Unley, on Thursday 11th September 2008, 10am – 4pm.

Don’t compensate big polluters : GreenpeaceLink to full story

Greenpeace

Greenpeace Australia has warned Resources and Energy Minister Martin Ferguson, who meets with Business Council of Australia representatives in Canberra today, that any calls for compensation under the emissions trading scheme must be resisted. Greenpeace climate and energy campaigner Trish Harrup said that if the worst polluters given exemptions we will never succeed in reducing carbon emissions to safe levels.

New coal power station a $50m a year liabilityLink to full story

Environment Victoria

Advice from the Environment Defenders Office has called into question the viability of the new HRL power station due to commence construction in the LaTrobe Valley. According to Environment Victoria Campaigns Director Mark Wakeham, the power station will not be eligible for any of the carbon tax exemptions outlined in the federal government’s ETS Green Paper. The EDO’s opinion is based on the projected annual emission of 2.5 million tonnes of C02 into the atmosphere from the brown coal powered station.

WA announcement on clean energy welcomedLink to full story

ACF

The ACF, along with the Conservation Council of WA, has warmly welcomed the recent announcement by the WA government of a proposal to ban uranium mining and increase support for baseload renewable energy production. “The proposed solar feed-in tariff and support for baseload renewable energy will cut carbon pollution and begin to build a sustainable energy economy for the state. ” said Piers Verstegen, director of the Conservation Council of WA.

Styx protests frustrate Forestry TasmaniaLink to full story

News.com.au

Anti-logging protests in Tasmania’s Styx Valley intensified dramatically in recent days, prompting Forestry Tasmania to threaten legal action to recover money from lost timber production. Both contractors and activists have reportedly left the coupe in the Styx River catchment after the protests successfully brought logging to a halt. Forest Defenders had chained themselves to loggers’ equipment and scaled ancient eucalypts to protect the trees.

Protected areas can’t save Indian Ocean coralLink to full story

Reuters

A Bristish study of 66 sites in the Indian Ocean has confirmed that protection from overfishing is not enough to save or revive coral reefs, which are collapsing due to warmer temperatures. American scientists today called for dramatic reductions in greenhouse gas emissions to save coral reef ecosystems from rising ocean temperatures and acidity.

The most serious impacts of global warming appear to be tied to the planet’s oceans. Australian researchers recently linked surface temperatures in the Indian Ocean to rainfall patterns and drought across Australia, Africa, Indonesia and New Zealand.

A promise to ban unrnium minining in WALink to full story

ABC News

Western Australia’s Premier, Alan Carpenter, has promised that if Labor is re-elected there will be new legislation introduced before the years end to guarantee uranium is not mined in WA. On top of this he has promised $7 million in incentives for new renewable energy technologies.

Go green by eating your greensLink to full story

Sydney Morning Herald

Beef and dairy consumption are responsible for a significant proportion of an average household’s greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing beef consumption by one 150 gram serving per week would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 300 kg and water usage by 10,000 litres. Proponents of vegetarianism believe that in addition to the numerous health benefits to be enjoyed by eating a vegetarian diet, there are many environmental advantages to be gained.

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