Senate urges Garrett to consider alternatives to Mary Dam

National Indigenous Times

Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown has marshaled the Senate to urge Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett to consider all viable alternatives to a plan to dam Queensland’s Mary River. Senator Bown says the Traveston Crossing dam project threatens Australian lungfish and the Mary River turtle.

posted by seamas on September 27, 2008 at 10:07 pm · filed under

Oil condensate subsidy voted down in Senate

The Australian Greens

The taxpayer funded excise exemption for oil condensate has been voted out in the Australian Senate, a development The Australian Greens hope will send a signal to the fossil fuel industry. Greens Senator Christine Milne said “Condensate, a form of oil, currently benefits from a $2.1 billion taxpayer subsidy through its excise exemption. The Greens today voted to end the subsidy and make the polluting industry pay its way.’

posted by patrick on September 26, 2008 at 9:14 pm · filed under

New battery to boost low-emissions transport

CSIRO

An agreement for the global licensing and distribution of a highly efficient, CSIRO-invented battery designed for use in the automotive industry has been signed with Japanese and US manufacturers. It is hoped that the new battery technology will lead to greater viability and commercialisation in the hybrid electric vehicle industry worldwide.

posted by patrick on September 25, 2008 at 7:22 pm · filed under

Climate Change bill introduced to Parliament

Minister for Climate Change and Water

The Water Amendment Bill 2008, laying the groundwork for a long-term plan addressing environmental, economic and social needs in the Murray-Darling Basin was introduced to the House of Representatives today by the Minister for Climate Change and Water, Senator Penny Wong. Reforms implemented by the bill include :

• transferring the current powers and functions of the Murray-Darling Basin Commission to the new Murray-Darling Basin Authority.
• strengthening the role of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission by extending the application of the water market rules and water charge rules.
• enabling the Basin Plan to provide arrangements for meeting the critical human needs of the more than one million people relying on the River Murray for drinking water.

posted by patrick on September 25, 2008 at 7:06 pm · filed under

Food stocks too expensive for biofuels

ABC News

As news of a Darwin biodiesel plant going into voluntary administration and the economic hardship of many others hits, Dr Tom Beer from CSIRO has said that the production of biofuels from food stocks is no longer economically viable in Australia due to rising production costs. If the industry is to survive, he says, alternatives to food stocks must be used.

posted by megan on September 23, 2008 at 7:03 pm · filed under

New, affordable zero-emissions house to be built

CSIRO

In a first for Australia, a new type of house – one that is affordable and produces zero-emissions – is about to be built in the community of Laurimar north of Melbourne. Project leader, Dr Greg Foliente, said the aim was to construct a house that does not release any greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, to be achieved firstly by minimising energy consumption. The house, due for completion by late 2009, will be occupied by tenants for a year, during which energy use and greenhouse gas emissions will be monitored to measure the project’s success.

posted by anna on September 23, 2008 at 12:55 am · filed under

Greenpeace questions Government’s “clean coal” plans

ABC News

While the Federal Government has announced plans for a Carbon Capture and Storage Institute and two Queensland trials of “clean coal” power stations in 2009, Greenpeace has warned that this is unproven technology that will take years to perfect. They further express concerns over the risk that captured carbon dioxide could escape into the environment, effectively negating any benefits of sequestration.

posted by steve on September 22, 2008 at 6:44 pm · filed under