Ecos articles from September 2004

Ecos archives from September 2004

Forward thinking.(Editorial)(Editorial)
September 1, 2004... This issue contains some heavier reading in our two Focus topics but we hope you'll agree that it is both informative and relevant as everyone contemplates another opportunity to choose government leaders. Infrastructure (page 10) and...

Revealing the wealth of our oceans.
September 1, 2004... A new national collaborative research program aims to position Australia as an international leader in the delivery of economic, social and environmental wealth based on initiatives in understanding our ocean systems and processes. Seventy...

Your own Landsat view of landscape changes.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Thanks to rapid improvements in computer technology and some first class science, Australians can now openly access Landsat satellite imagery which details changes to the landscape over the past 30 years. Australia 1972-2002: A Thirty Year...

A landmark power station over-rule.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... An historic precedent may have been set for energy industry planning following an appeal decision to reject a proposed Hunter Valley power station because of greenhouse gas concerns. Project developers, National Power, have withdrawn an...

Ancient aquaculture site is now a heritage treasure.(Budj Bim landscape at Lake Condah)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Dating back thousands of years, the Budj Bim landscape at Lake Condah in Victoria's south-west shows evidence of a large, settled Aboriginal community systematically farming eels for food and trade in what is considered to be one of Australia's...

The nation called to poll ... the pests.
September 1, 2004... After the hugely successful first stage of WildWatch earlier this year had people all around Australia reporting on the beasts just outside their window, the ABC is harnessing the combined power of the people and technology again this time to...

Sustainability reporting is up, but behind international rates.(State of Sustainability Reporting 2004 survey)
September 1, 2004... The number of top Australian companies reporting on their sustainability achievements has doubled in 12 months according to the Australian Government's State of Sustainability Reporting 2004 survey. However, compared to international trends,...

DiCom's biological process profits from garbage.(Organic Resources Technology Limited)(hybrid DiCom)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... The inner Perth suburb of Shenton Park is set to boast a leading edge municipal waste processing facility that by 2005 could be transforming 55 000 tonnes of garbage per annum to yield green electricity and compost--both lucrative end products....

Living proof: Apo Island's journey from ruin to modest riches; a bold local marine experiment begun in the early 1970s has transformed life on a small Philippine island and become an inspirational model across the globe for the simple logic of sustainable existence.(Apo Island)
September 1, 2004... On the far side of the island of Negros, in the coastal village of Caliling, where legend says giants roamed in olden times, fisher folk are now chasing the dream that first inspired the residents of neighbouring Apo Island, decades ago. To...

Heavy duty: the crucial role of infrastructure planning in Australia's move toward sustainability.(Progress)
September 1, 2004... National infrastructure has a direct bearing on the sustainability of the nation and our region, immediately determining industrial and economic activity, urban development and community dynamics. Today, the huge resource demands, the large...

A race to faster change.(Progress; sustainable development)
September 1, 2004... The Sustainable Living Foundation, the Australia New Zealand Society for Ecological Economics, Green Innovations, and other interested bodies and individuals, are creating an international action competition called The Race to Sustainability to...

Cooling Tokyo's hotspots--naturally.(Progress)
September 1, 2004... It appears cities are really feeling the heat. Recently, NASA researchers published the results of a satellite-monitoring project in which the temperatures of large metropolises were monitored in relation to the surrounding countryside. They...

A return to Eden; can science save Iraq's ancient marshlands?(Profile)
September 1, 2004... Australian expertise is part of an international effort to assess and remediate the once magnificent Mesopotamian marshlands that were systematically devastated under Saddam Hussein's regime. Clare Peddie reports on the exciting findings of Dr...

A post-Kyoto plan gathers pace.(Progress; Kyoto protocol)
September 1, 2004... Australia is centre-stage in global efforts to design a new'post-Kyoto' plan to fight climate change. Spearheaded by national think tank The Australia Institute, the new initiative has drawn together some of the world's most influential climate...

Encouraging more sustainable practice--the easy way.(Comment)
September 1, 2004... Taking a lead from successful international schemes such as 'feebates' and Germany's best practice technology regulation, Australian governments could go further in implementing practical measures that create strong incentives for faster...

Accelerating Australian leadership.(Progress)
September 1, 2004... The transition to a more sustainable economy and community rides on industry buy-in. The National Business Leaders Forum on Sustainable Development and the newly launched Corporate Responsibility Index are rapidly changing the way Australia's...

A fundamental measure for progress.
September 1, 2004... The question of the degree of sustainability in our lives now and in the future is a difficult one to answer, since as yet, we have no way of actually measuring it. That problem is now being nailed down by a new, internationally significant...

Reconciliation re-invigorates solar development.(Progress)
September 1, 2004... Reconciliation and renewable energy technology have joined forces in a project that aims to build a better future for the Yolngu people of Dhuruputjpi in Arnhem Land. It is also encouraging new thinking on the challenges of renewable energy in...

One with Nineveh.(Book Review)
September 1, 2004... This latest book from Paul and Anne Ehrlich takes its title from Rudyard Kipling's famous 1897 poem Recessional ('Lo, all our pomp of yesterday / Is one with Nineveh and Tyre!'), written at the height of the British Empire. The poem alludes to...

The Interactive Social Atlas.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
September 1, 2004... If you want to know which Australian regions have the highest income, where the most men or women live, and, say, where the highest rates of labour force participation are, a new Interactive Social Atlas produced by the Bureau of Rural Sciences...

Working with Grassy Woodlands.(Book Review)
September 1, 2004... In eastern Australia, and particularly the cropping lands of the south-east, important grassy eucalypt woodlands have been under severe pressure from agricultural development. Land degradation and species decline are inherent problems. Managing...

A tracked green sawfish gives-up vital data.(Research)
September 1, 2004... Scientists have tagged and tracked a rare green sawfish for the first time in Australian waters, giving hope that gathering more knowledge of the threatened species will greatly assist conservation efforts to prevent its extinction. ...

Ant security guards for tropical fruits.(Research)
September 1, 2004... Green ants are inherently aggressive by nature and this is proving advantageous to cashew and mango growers. They are now using the native ants to defend their high-value crops against a range of damaging insects, and saving good money by...

Salt water wheat from wild barley.(Research)
September 1, 2004... A cereal crop that can grow profitably on Australia's salt-affected land? What are the chances? They are looking better now that a tough wild barley has something to do with it. Funded by the Grains Research and Development Corporation, Dr...

Closing in on feral pigs.(Research)
September 1, 2004... Feral pigs are close to outnumbering Australians, and the damage caused by them is estimated to be in the vicinity of $107 million per year in production losses and control costs. Pigs impact agriculture and the environment through livestock...

Events Calendar.(Calendar)
September 1, 2004... International Engineering Management Conference 2004: Innovation and Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Development Singapore, 18-21 October. www.iemc2004.org Sustainable Innovation 04: Creating and Developing Sustainable and Responsible New...