Eco globe recycling needs boost

The Age

In a sign that low-energy, Mercury filled fluorescent light-bulbs are going to landfill rather than being recycled, Australia’s only licensed Mercury recycling plant, in the Melbourne industrial suburb of Campbellfield, may be forced to close it’s doors only months after being commissioned. Peter Bitto, National sales manager of CMA EcoCycle, the company that runs the plant, says that the company needs 10% of Australia’s fluorescent globes to stay in business, but is only receiving about 2% - meaning the other 8% of the mercury filled globes are going to council landfills. The low energy globes, which replace the more traditional incandescent globes, contain about 4 milligrams each of mercury. When mercury enters the food chain, it becomes the highly toxic methylmercury which can have detrimental health effects. Mr Bitto is calling on Environment Ministers around the country for better regulation and national co-ordination of the disposal of the globes.

posted by Vinnie on November 3, 2008 at 9:37 pm · filed under

Uranium mining expansion looks imminent

The Age

Federal Resources Minister Martin Ferguson, an enthusiastic supporter of the Uranium Industry, has confirmed he recently held discussions about the future of Australia’s Uranium Industry with the Premier and the Mining Minister of Uranium rich Western Australia. The current WA Liberal Government has signaled it’s intent to allow Uranium mining in WA after the former Premier, Labor’s Alan Carpenter, defied recent changes to national Labor Party policy leaving the door open to expanding the industry in Australia.

Talking to The AGE, Mr Ferguson said

“I will work with the West Australian Government to expand the uranium industry,”

Mr Ferguson also heads off to India this week for talks on tourism and energy. India, with Australia’s help, has recently secured the support and co-operation of the US to develop nuclear power and uranium imports, despite it not being a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation treaty. Mr Ferguson denies that uranium exports to the country will be on the agenda.

posted by Vinnie on November 3, 2008 at 8:58 pm · filed under

Environment more important that the economy

The Age

The Federal Environment Minister, Peter Garrett, has stated that the environment is a bigger and more important concern than the economy, even given the financial crisis that the world is currently suffering. He further clarified that he considers the economy to be a subset of the environment, rather than the converse view more usually adopted by industry and government. Opposition arguments to the proposed carbon-trading scheme, set to be introduced in 2010, usually centre on the possible economic penalties that might be incurred by such a scheme.

posted by steve on November 3, 2008 at 12:57 pm · filed under

Queensland to bear the brunt of climate change targets

ABC News

A report by Access Economics predicts that Queensland will be the hardest hit state in Australia as a result of the implementation of climate change targets. The report predicts a slowing of economic growth, increases in electricity prices and drops in revenue for coal-fired and gas-fired electricity generating stations. The Queensland Treasurer, Andrew Fraser, believes the state is prepared for the challenge, stating that it is the environmental as well as the economic future that is at stake.

posted by steve on November 3, 2008 at 12:36 pm · filed under

Warning on over-exploitation of natural resources

Guardian

Human beings are using 30% more resources than our planet can replenish every year, according to the latest Living Planet Report. The report paints a bleak picture for the environment over coming decades if unsustainable trends continue, including increasing deforestation and barren lands, ballooning air and water pollution, and loss of biodiversity, particularly among marine species.

WWF and the other conservation groups responsible for the report believe we are running up an ecological debt of $4-4.5 trillion US dollars annually, based on estimates of the economic value furnished by healthy ecosystems.

posted by seamas on November 2, 2008 at 6:46 pm · filed under

Electric cars in Australia by 2012

The Sydney Morning Herald

Macquarie Capital, AGL and Better Place have signed an agreement to have the infrastructure for an electric car industry up and running by 2012 in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.   The project will provide between 200,000 and 250,000 charge stations where electric cars can be recharged in all sorts of places around the city including homes, businesses and car parks.   This huge infrastructure project will create more Green jobs as well as being a necessary step in allowing Australians to move toward owning electric cars.

posted by kirsty on October 26, 2008 at 12:43 pm · filed under

Subsidies planned for worst polluters

Sydney Morning Herald

The Australian Conservation Foundation has released a report estimating that the Federal Government could be paying $3 billion in carbon emissions permits to the richest and worst-polluting companies operating in Australia. The aluminium, coal, steel and cement industries are areas predicted to benefit from the government’s plan to protect key industries by giving them 30 per cent of their permits for free. The Government fears that without such a move, these industries will move production to countries without carbon trading schemes in order to lower their costs.

posted by steve on October 20, 2008 at 8:25 am · filed under

Garnaut: economic crisis is the best time for ETS

ABC News

Garnaut is sticking by his recommendations that Australia’s Emission Trading Scheme should begin in 2010, despite the financial and economic crisis.  In fact, he is saying this is the best time for an ETS as the structural change associated with the implementation will spur economic growth.   The investment required in low emission technology and transport will be easier to manage after an economic downturn and the jobs that will become available in these low emission industries will help tackle the expected drop in employment.

posted by kirsty on October 19, 2008 at 3:03 pm · filed under

Antarctic food chain at risk

The Age

The Australian Antarctic Division has presented evidence that increased levels of carbon in the atmosphere will affect acidity and carbon levels in the world’s oceans which will in turn impact on Antarctic Krill, leading to severe problems further up the food chain. An investigation by University of Tasmania’s Lili Hale found that when exposed to the levels of carbon predicted for the year 2100, captive bred krill hatched with deformities and listlessness which may prevent the creature from reaching maturity, therefore hampering the breeding of krill. As krill is integral in the Antarctic food chain, the impact on animals relying on krill, including penguins and whales, could be catastrophic

posted by Vinnie on October 14, 2008 at 2:08 pm · filed under

Business supports 2010 for Emissions Trading

The Australian

Despite Federal Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull using the global financial crisis and the business communities’ view as his arguments to delay the introduction of the Federal Government’s Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) to 2012, the Business Council of Australia (BCA) has indicated that it wants the Federal Government to continue along the path of introducing the CPRS, albeit watered down, in 2010, to ensure business certainty. Maria Tarrant from the Business Council of Australia, speaking  to The Australian, said “It is critically important for business to know exactly what the Government is planning”. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd reiterated yesterday that 2010 is still the date the government is aiming to have the scheme introduced.

posted by Vinnie on October 13, 2008 at 6:56 pm · filed under