IUCN calls for short-term targets on climate change

IUCN

At the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Poznan, Poland, IUCN has asked governments to make short-term, not just long-term, commitments to lowering carbon emissions. Climate change is already having an effect on the environment, and with the first commitment period of the Kyoto protocol ending in 2012, IUCN says a fair, international agreement on climate change needs to be reached by 2009. IUCN also commented that one of the best ways to take action against climate change is to protect what already exists in nature – like forests, coral reefs and mangroves – as a valuable and cost-effective means of managing climate change.

posted by anna on November 23, 2008 at 3:20 pm · filed under

CSIRO creating trial market for natural resources

CSIRO

The CSIRO has created an online trial market, Australian Knowledge Exchange (AKX), which will attempt to predict future water supply.  Knowledge markets, such as AKX, may revolutionise natural resource management: they provide an incentive for people to reveal knowledge about the supply or demand of a natural resource, knowledge that is usually widely dispersed and difficult to aggregate.

The trial of AKX is asking for participants in NSW and Canberra, participants will receive play money and the person who most closely predicts dam levels will win a small monetary prize, website: http://akx.csiro.au/

posted by kirsty on November 23, 2008 at 2:28 pm · filed under

Report finds dog traps threatening wildlife

The Age

Every day thirty dog traps are set in Victoria by both farmers and the Department of Primary Industries, justified by the costs associated with losing livestock to wild dogs.  A recent report has found that not only are the snap-lock jaws of the traps inhumane, they are dangerous to many wildlife species.  The report identified thirty native species - including lyre birds, lizards, echidnas and kangaroos - that are captured by dog traps, as well as noting that for every 100 dogs, on average 58 wombats are caught in the traps.

posted by kirsty on November 23, 2008 at 2:15 pm · filed under

Rudd warning: don’t forget climate change

Radio Australia

PM Kevin Rudd warned leaders attending the APEC Summit that ignoring climate change will lead to worse financial hardships in the future. The current economic crisis has taken the focus off climate change as leaders develop strategies to brace the global economy.

posted by rochelle on November 22, 2008 at 6:10 pm · filed under

Fencing used to eliminate cane toads

ABC News

Fencing on the state border between Northern Territory and West Australia has effectively prevented 50,000 cane toads from crossing the border in October last month. This success has prompted an organization committed to eliminate cane toads to establish fences around hot spots Darwin, a move encouraged by Graeme Sawyer, Lord Mayor of Darwin.

posted by cecie on November 22, 2008 at 5:50 pm · filed under

Campaign to end whaling shifts to Japan

Greenpeace

The decision by Environment Minister Peter Garrett not to send customs vessel Oceanic Viking to the Southern Ocean for this year’s whale slaughter, following a  Japanese government decision not to send armed customs officials, signals a shift in the campaign from the high seas to Japan according to Greenpeace Australia Pacific CEO Steve Shallhorn. Mr Smallhorn said that the organisation will now focus it’s efforts on building opposition to the whale hunt from within Japan.

posted by patrick on November 21, 2008 at 2:51 pm · filed under

Indonesia hopes to plant 100 million trees

ABC News

An Indonesian forestry ministry spokesman has said the country will aim to plant 100 million trees this year and is gearing up for a busy December rainy season planting frenzy. Indonesia has one of the highest deforestation rates in the world, but, in 2007, the country managed to plant more than 100 million new trees, according to government reports.

posted by seamas on November 20, 2008 at 7:37 pm · filed under