http://ecomedia.org.au/press eco media is bubbling with the latest environment news, events and media releases. Mon, 15 Mar 2010 21:35:07 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Solid sustainability reporting, reduced 'per production unit' greenhouse gas emissions and fewer oil spills have helped keep BP at the top of the green rankings for oil companies this year. http://ecomedia.org.au/press/2010/03/16/bp-cements-greenest-oil-company-ranking/ An inquiry into Australia's worst ever offshore oil spill has begun and already found that incorrect volumes of cement used in part of the casing of the well may have contributed to the spill in the Timor Sea in August 2009. The inquiry has heard that the drilling company failed ... http://ecomedia.org.au/press/2010/03/16/timor-sea-oil-spill-inquiry-uncovers-multiple-failures/ The Australian Conservation Foundation plans to buy about 200 million litres of water to help the Murray-Darling Basin's Hattah Lakes wetlands. It is calling on public support for the purchase and hopes to send the Federal Government a strong message about the will to protect the health of Australia's rivers ... http://ecomedia.org.au/press/2010/03/15/acf-to-buy-water-for-victorian-wetlands/ A group of Australia’s leading water scientists has released an independent statement setting out what the Murray-Darling Basin Plan must achieve to secure a sustainable future for the severely degraded ecological assets of the Basin. http://ecomedia.org.au/press/2010/03/12/scientists-set-benchmark-for-basin-plan/ Australian agriculture needs to urgently adapt to climate change according to a CSIRO book launched this month titled "Adapting Agriculture to Climate Change: Preparing Australian Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry for the Future." The book covers numerous types of agriculture, aquaculture and forestry practices, proposing options for how practitioners can adapt. http://ecomedia.org.au/press/2010/03/08/australian-agriculture-must-adapt-to-climate-change/ Dr Ken Henry, head of the national Treasury, says experts from the government and other sectors are undervaluing the importance of the environment and biodiversity for future generations, for example the potential to develop "new or improved food crops, medicines and industrial products from our biological diversity." http://ecomedia.org.au/press/2010/03/07/treasury-boss-believes-environment-is-chronically-undervalued/ A population of yellow-spotted bell frogs, a species believed extinct for over 30 years, has been discovered in the Southern Tablelands region of NSW. A small number of the tadpoles and frogs have been moved to Taronga Zoo, with plans for breeding a back-up population and reintroducing them into the ... http://ecomedia.org.au/press/2010/03/05/extinct-frog-rediscovered/ Environmental groups have condemned a deal that locks in the use of brown coal to power the Alcoa aluminium smelter until 2036. According to Environment Victoria's Mark Wakeham, Alcoa should be pursuing opportunities to incorporate renewable energy sources in its electricity supply if it is serious about providing jobs in ... http://ecomedia.org.au/press/2010/03/04/environment-groups-condemn-alcoa-deal/ The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has been placed under scrutiny and will undergo independent review following a mistake found in a 2007 report. UN member states are calling for a fully independent board of scientists, which should bring out a report by August. The review will also decide ... http://ecomedia.org.au/press/2010/02/28/ipcc-to-undergo-independent-review/ The Auditor General has agreed to immediately commence an audit into the mismanagement of the Green Loans Scheme, following referral of the issues to him by Australian Greens Deputy Leader, Senator Christine Milne. http://ecomedia.org.au/press/2010/02/26/auditor-general-to-investigate-green-loans-debacle/