Ecos articles from June 2008

Ecos archives from June 2008

On the sunny side.(Editorial)(Editorial)
June 1, 2008... Since the last issue we've had a highly anticipated new budget, but it was one that was only moderately well received in the media for its allocations to environment and sustainability matters. The fact is that after just six months, there...

Budget's green side draws a mixed response.
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The introduction of a rebate means-test for households planning to install rooftop solar power panels emerged as one of the more controversial decisions taken by the Australian Government in its 2008-09 Budget. ...

Progress in mercury recycling.(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Metals recycling business CMA EcoCycle has opened Australia's first EPA--licensed mercury recovery and distillation plant in Melbourne. The $10 million plant has the capacity to recover and process the mercury, aluminium and glass from...

Clean electricity from solar windows.(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A Queensland University of Technology researcher is developing a transparent solar power cell to be used in place of windows and skylights in homes and offices. The solar cells contain titanium dioxide coated in a...

Office retrofits a climate-friendlier option.(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Twenty-five commercial property groups that collectively manage 75 per cent of Australia's leased corporate office space have responded to a Total Environment Centre (TEC) invitation to learn how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by...

Conservationists to buy Borneo rainforest.(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... The Orangutan Fund International (OFI), established by primatologist Dr Birute Galdikas, reports that the provincial government of Central Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo) has proposed a five-year plan to convert four million hectares of tropical...

Medical fallout from extinctions.(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... The loss of animal and plant species may also deprive humankind of future antibiotics, painkillers, anti-cancer drugs and other medicines according to a new book, Sustaining Life. Medical experts from around the world contributed to the...

Increased funds for reserves welcomed.(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... WWF-Australia welcomed the Australian Government's recent announcement to increase the National Reserve System's budget from $8 million to $36 million a year over five years. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WWF has been calling for a government...

Budget incentives to save water.(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... As part of its 2008-2009 budget, the Australian Government has announced a $1.5 billion urban water plan that includes rebates on domestic rainwater tank or greywater system installations. Rebates of up to $500 each will be available for 500...

GM Holden leads GM supply-chain greening.(GM Holden Ltd.)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... GM Holden--GM's Australian subsidiary--is partnering with the World Environment Center (WEC) to make its automotive supply chain more sustainable. Seventeen suppliers of GM Holden have signed up to the WEC's 'Greening the Supply Chain'...

'Incentives' effective in boosting rooftop solar?(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Following South Australia's introduction of a feed-in tariff scheme for rooftop photovoltaic cell installations, the Queensland Government is introducing a scheme under which households and businesses will be paid a premium rate for any excess...

Call to reconsider perceptions of recycled water.(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Modern treatment plants in Australia have demonstrated their capacity to safely remove most contaminants from recycled water, so it may be time for Australians to reassess the prospect of supplementing drinking water supplies with highly...

Tourism to alleviate Pacific poverty.(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Australian tourists invest more money in the Pacific Islands than the Australian Government through its aid programs, according to the Foundation of the Peoples of the South Pacific International (FSPI)....

Sustainability news on plastics.(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... CSIRO researchers are investigating how oilseed plants could function as 'biofactories' to synthesise oils for the manufacture of plastics, paints, cosmetics and other products. The oils are currently sourced from petrochemicals. ...

DIY generation: the coal-fired electricity grid is hugely inefficient. Distributed electricity networks, on the other hand, are coming, linking each home or building as a lean power station, and helping to curb Australia's greenhouse emissions.(Do It Yourself)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Australia's standard but generous housing design has traditionally tended to encourage high-energy use because space has been a luxury and electricity has always been so frivolously cheap. But with power bills...

A new voice for the Cape: both environmental organisations and the indigenous Australians who call Cape York home are fighting to preserve it. But with a disagreement simmering on how to protect the region's rivers, can a new foundation led by young Aboriginal leaders from the area help find the middle ground?
June 1, 2008... The huge area of land in Australia's north-east rivals the Amazon as one of the last truly wild places on Earth. Cape York Peninsula is filled with rainforests, wetlands, pristine rivers, savannah grasslands and immense biodiversity....

Jump-starting environmental monitoring: there has been a critical decline in Australia's capability to monitor environmental changes. Experts say there is now a need for a new, national approach to form the basis of our ability to crucially adapt to immediate climate change impacts, while also opening opportunities for better, innovative science.(Focus)
June 1, 2008... The world is changing as global warming modifies terrestrial and marine environments at a rate unprecedented since the end of the last glacial period 11 500 years ago. Ecosystems are in flux, and species are under threat. As the custodian...

Green roofs turn cities upside down: as urban density increases, green roof and wall technology is evolving fast. It provides a way to replace vegetation lost on the ground as well as a host of energy, water management and aesthetic benefits.
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Imagine flying into an Australian city where instead of the traditional sprawl of rooftops, buildings are covered by a blanket of green. Such a scenario may be some way off but green roofs are appearing on commercial...

National business leaders debate urgent climate risk adjustments.(Progress)(9th National Business Leaders Forum on Sustainable Development)
June 1, 2008... Over 200 heads of industry and sustainability-focused organisations met at Parliament House in Canberra on the 19th and 20th of May to push forward discussion on how business and government can urgently re-calibrate to the evolving risks--and...

Thoughts on a broader national sustainability agenda: with the dust settled on the national election, and more recently the 2020 summit, Ecos asked five commentators for their top priorities in terms of a national sustainability agenda.(Focus)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Energy, transport in cities, water and addressing climate change were some of the priorities that emerged and, repeatedly, the need to treat these issues in an integrated way rather than as separate problems. ...

Why Victoria's autumn rainfall declined.(Research)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Fluctuations in sea-surface temperatures to the north of Australia and changes in atmospheric circulation patterns over the subtropical Indian Ocean have been identified as key factors leading to a significant...

Importance of 'ecosystem services' for sustainable development: ecosystem services are the foundation of sustainable development; without them we'd have no food, shelter or wilderness 'escapes'. As Drs Anna Straton and Leonie Pearson explain, we need to better understand them, and how they contribute to our well-being, in order to achieve more sustainable progress.
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 'Ecosystem services' is the term given to the goods and services provided by natural and modified ecosystems that benefit, sustain and support the well-being of people. They include production of food and medicines,...

Ocean-climate links revealed.(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... An analysis of thousands of datasets to test the link between climate change and changes in biological and physical systems around the world has concluded that man-made global warming is a more significant influence than natural climatic...

Beyond C[O.sub.2] and methane.(impact of nitrous oxide)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Research from the UK's University of East Anglia has highlighted the need for more understanding about the impact of the lesser known atmospheric gases. Professor David Richardson has issued a warning about the growing impact of nitrous...

'Tipping point' may come earlier.(controling greenhouse emission )(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Professor Tim Flannery recently issued a warning about the 'extremely urgent' need for action to stem greenhouse gas emissions. He says climate change is happening so quickly, the world needs to prepare to take 'radical emergency measures'...

New forestry for conservation.
June 1, 2008... Australian forestry science is assisting in a new and tactical approach to saving precious Malaysian rainforest. Can a vast monoculture of acacia plantation really be at the forefront of biodiversity protection? That's the question...

Authoritative take on the warming debate.(The Hot Topic: How to Tackle Global Warming and Still Keep the Lights On )(Book review)
June 1, 2008... The Hot Topic How to Tackle Global Warming and Still Keep the Lights On Gabrielle Walker and Sir David King Bloomsbury, London 2008, Paperback ISBN: 9780747593959--AU$29.95 Availability: Good bookshops or order online...

Knowledge is empowering.(Australian Development Gateway )(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Thanks to AusAID, people working in Asia Pacific countries in areas such as poverty reduction or sustainable development can access a wealth of valuable information via the Australian Development Gateway. The intricate web of organisations...

A measure and planner for biodiversity in plantation forests.
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Researchers have developed a system for quantifying the potential biodiversity benefits of tree plantations based upon intended management practices and geographic location of the plantation. All forests, be they...

Redefining our agricultural future.(Research)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Global agricultural practices must change if we are to reduce hunger, poverty and environmental degradation, say a set of comprehensive international reports released by the International Assessment of Agricultural...

Events calendar.(Calendar)
June 1, 2008... Clean Energy Australia Sydney, 17-19 June www.terrapinn.com/2008/clean_au/ Green Roofs Conference Brisbane, 18-20 June http://greenroofs.wordpress.com/coming-events [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Responsibility to the...