Indonesian palm oil firm’s broken rainforest pledge exposed

The Guardian

New evidence shows Indonesia’s largest palm and pulp group is breaking its environmental commitments by bulldozing rainforest and destroyed endangered orang-utan habitats in Kalimantan.

posted by patrick on July 30, 2010 at 2:29 pm · filed under

Vic solar guarantee shows way for federal parties

ACF

The Victorian Government guarantee that 5% of the state’s electricity will come from large-scale solar power by 2020 provides a model that parties contesting this year’s federal election should match or beat, the Australian Conservation Foundation said today.

posted by patrick on July 23, 2010 at 11:42 am · filed under

Green Loans reviews released

Minister for Climate Change

The federal Minister for Climate Change, Penny Wong has released three separate reports into the government’s Green Loans Program. The reports, all of which contain significant criticisms of the management and regulation of the program, are:

• The Independent Inquiry into the Green Loans Program – a review of procurement processes and contractual arrangements, undertaken by Ms Patricia Faulkner AO;
• The Review of the Green Loans Program produced by Resolution Consulting Services, and;
• The Internal Audit Review of the Procurement Practices in the Green Loans Program produced by Protiviti.

posted by patrick on July 8, 2010 at 5:20 pm · filed under

Green Loans Senate inquiry hears of serious failures

Australian Parliament Hansard

A Senate inquiry into the defunct Green Loans Program has heard that a litany of failures in communication and appropriate consultation that lead to the mismanagement, rorting and ultimate failure of the initiative.

posted by patrick on July 1, 2010 at 4:33 pm · filed under

Top scientist says politicians have ‘heads in the sand’ over oil

The Guardian

Britain’s former chief scientist has attacked politicians and industry experts who he believes have their “heads in the sand” over dwindling oil supplies. Sir David King said governments, including the UK’s, were too eager to believe the optimistic predictions of economists who tell them that “oil will be squeezed out of the ground pretty much forever”.

posted by patrick on June 11, 2010 at 3:33 pm · filed under

Remote-access meters can cut your energy costs

CSIRO

A new web-based smart metering system has been developed by CSIRO to enable householders, small businesses and electricity retailers to remotely control energy use over a broadband Internet connection.

posted by patrick on May 28, 2010 at 1:10 pm · filed under

ACF: Budget does not deliver on climate and environment

ACF

The Australian Conservation Foundation welcomed the Renewable Energy Future Fund and money for water buy back but said the budget did not deliver the scale of action needed on climate and the environment.

posted by patrick on May 13, 2010 at 4:14 pm · filed under