Victorian Desalination plant more concerned over appearance than other environmental impacts

The Age

The Victorian Government is expected to set strict aesthetic guidelines on the appearance of the new desalination plant project at Wonthaggi, and bidders for the project are scrambling to hire the best architects in order to help secure the contract. The draft environment effects statement has been completed and will be released soon, showing the expected environmental impacts that the project will have, but it is believed that this will concentrate on visual amenity. Eight bidders are contending for this $3.1 million project, but this is expected to be shortlisted to three within a few weeks.

posted by steve on August 18, 2008 at 10:03 am · filed under

Cotton soaking up the Murray-Darling Basin

Sydney Morning Herald

A new report confirms that the cotton industry is the thirstiest crop in the Murray-Darling basin, consuming 20% of all water used in agriculture in the region, and in some areas accounting for up to 87% of the agricultural water used. Farmers choose to grow cotton as this is the most profitable crop, but with water allocations being reduced, 2007 saw the smallest cotton crop in 30 years. The Murray-Darling Basin holds 40% of Australian agriculture and in order to survive farmers will need to change to less water-intensive crops.

posted by steve on August 18, 2008 at 9:53 am · filed under

Australian Industry Group pressure Federal Government to abandon its renewable energy targets

ABC News

The Australian Industry Group are increasing their pressure on the Federal government to scrap its renewable targets of 20% by 2020, claiming it will make the cost of off-setting greenhouse gas emissions more expensive. Heather Ridout, head of the Australian Industry Group, claims that Australia can meet its reduction targets by carbon trading schemes alone. Critics point out that such a move could only ever be a short term solution, as in the medium to longer term it would render Australian industry less competitive in world markets.

posted by steve on August 18, 2008 at 9:40 am · filed under

$0.10 per plastic bag trial begins

ABC News

As of tomorrow, supermarket consumers from Fountain Gate, Wangarratta and Warrnambool will incur an additional fee for each plastic bag used during checkout for a 4 week waste management trial. Gavin Jennings, Environment Minister believes the trial will elicit a positive response from consumers and promote the use of reusable and recyclable shopping bags.

posted by cecie on August 17, 2008 at 7:33 pm · filed under

Plans to bury CO2 emissions approved

ABC News

A plans to bury carbon dioxide in the sea bed has been passed by a federal parliamentary committee as a way to decrease greenhouse gas emissions. It is believed that the law, if put into action, will be the first in the world. Committee chairman Dick Adams said evidence suggests that once stored, and the longer it is stored, the risk of problems is likely very low, but admitted there are risks when injecting the carbon dioxide. 

posted by anna on August 17, 2008 at 3:14 pm · filed under

Federal funding to establish Perth Solar City

Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts

Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett has announced $13.9 million in funding for Australia’s seventh Solar City in Perth, said today. The Minister expects more than 6,000 homes and businesses will take part in the Solar City trial, which aims to deliver carbon pollution reductions of more than 15,000 tonnes – equivalent to that generated by the energy demands of 3,200 homes.

posted by seamas on August 16, 2008 at 5:56 pm · filed under

Former sceptic Karoly becomes Victorian climate adviser

The Age

Former climate change sceptic, David Karoly, is now a climate adviser for Victorian Premier, John Brumby. Karoly says science journals, during the last decade, have consistently agreed that climate change is the result of human behaviour.

Karoly, also a research fellow at the University of Melbourne, maintains that many within the Liberal and National Party are selectively choosing to examine evidence which supports their pre-existing views on climate change instead of turning to leading science organisations.

posted by rochelle on August 16, 2008 at 10:43 am · filed under

ACF welcomes additional funds for water buyback

ACF

ACF Healthy Ecosystems Program Manager Paul Sinclair has cautiously welcomed an extra $50m allocated by the federal government to the purchase of water rights from irrigators in nothern NSW and Queensland, warning that the scheme’s success can only be judged on real rises in river levels and a positive impact on the Coorong and Lower Murray Lakes.

posted by patrick on August 15, 2008 at 5:02 pm · filed under

Forests are vital for a climate change solution

ANU E Press

Forest degradation and deforestation are internationally recognised as significant contributors to climate change. ANU have released the ‘Green Carbon‘ report which found that South-Eastern Australia’s native forests store up to twenty times more carbon than previously thought. They also found that native forests store significantly more carbon, and more reliably, than commercially logged forests.

This has great implications for future management of forests in Australia and around the world. Not only does cutting down native forests release carbon, but, allowing previously logged forests to grow to their full potential will remove carbon from the atmosphere. The study found that if previously logged forests in South-East Australia were left to grow, they would offset a quarter of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions for the next 100 years!

posted by kirsty on August 14, 2008 at 3:39 pm · filed under

$1m for small wind turbine testing centre

Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts

Federal Environment Minister, Peter Garrett today announced funding of $1.05 million to the Research Institute for Sustainable Energy at Murdoch University to build a national Small Wind Turbine Test Centre.
The Small Wind Turbine Test Centre will be funded under the Australian Government’s Renewable Remote Power Generation Program.

posted by patrick on August 14, 2008 at 12:02 pm · filed under