Habitat Australia articles from April 2003

Habitat Australia archives from April 2003

Reactor reaction. (green views).(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2003... Thanks for the Habitat, as usual it is very interesting. I have passed it on to my nephew in Hawaii, who is an architect. May I point out that the postcard enclosed is not quite what I expect from our distinguished organisation. The caption...

The future of building is green. (green views).(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2003... I would like to congratulate ACF on the 60L Green Building. It is so encouraging to see such a beautiful building, which uses all the principles of sustainability. This type of building should now become standard practice for all new...

Saving the world. (green views).(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2003... To: The Australia Conservation Foundation Vic 3065 Dear Sir/Mam would really like to help you but I can't because I am only in grad three but I am going to help you save the world. If I did help you I would help you get rid of those...

Weed rather not mention it. (green views).(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2003... In October 2002's Habitat there is an article about butterflies. Lovely pictures, excellent descriptions, but... the article actually recommends camphor laurel and lantana to attract butterflies! Where I live (Blue Mountains) lantana is a...

Zero population policy? (green views).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... When will the ACF develop and promote an ecologically sustainable population policy? While the work of environment groups is undoubtedly important, it all seems pointless if Australia's population level is allowed to continue to increase. ...

No "Environment" in PM's site. (green views).(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2003... I have just been looking at the website of The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (www.dpmc.gov.au) and I was amazed to find that in the Functional Index there is no classification of "Environment". Maybe this is something you might...

Those darn dunnarts! (green views).(rodent infestation)
April 1, 2003... A note in reply to the article "The Rat Pack" by Trevor Blake. For many years we have had problems with the common dunnart Sminthopsis murina. They seemed to be all over our house causing problems by nesting in our camping equipment and...

Sydney Branch calendar. (green views).
April 1, 2003... The ACF Sydney Branch meets every second Tuesday of the month at 29-35 Shepherd Street, Chippendale, 10 minutes walk from Central Station. Meetings begin in the First Floor Meeting Room at 6pm and topics include environmental news, campaigns...

Membership milestones. (green views).
April 1, 2003... ACF wishes to congratulate and sincerely thank the following people who, in the months of December 2002, January, February and March 2003, reached the milestones of 30 and 25 years of membership. 30 years Mr R Boyd, Armidale, NSW Mr G...

Protecting whales, dolphins and porpoises. (green views).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... WDCS, the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, is the global voice for the protection of whales, dolphins, porpoises and their environment and is pleased to be working in partnership with ACF to advance the protection of marine mammals in...

A word from the executive director. (green views).(environmental dangers)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... While much of the world is focused on immediate 'security' issues of weapons of mass destruction and terrorism, it is worth reflecting on issues just as devastating (if not more so) that affect us over time. Climate change, the death of...

Crunch time for Australia's Oceans. (Marine Campaign).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... In March, ACF and over 20 of Australia's leading conservation groups and marine scientists launched an important report, Oceans Eleven, detailing what Australia's Oceans Policy must deliver if it is to be successful. ACF has presented this...

Good news for coastal management. (Marine Campaign).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Over 20 years ago, the Commonwealth signed an agreement with the states ceding control from the low water mark to three nautical miles out to sea. The Offshore Constitutional Agreement (OCS) has resulted in divided management focused on the...

Solar future under a cloud. (Climate Change Campaign).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... The federal government's hugely successful solar photovoltaic rebate program (PVRP)is hanging in the balance. The $31 million Australian Greenhouse Office (AGO) program, which gives rebates on solar energy systems to householders and owner's of...

Free Trade, environmental protection. (Corporate Responsibility).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... The proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Australia and the United States presents real challenges and opportunities for environmental protection in both countries. ACF has raised a number of key concerns about the FTA including: ...

Illegal land clearing is not the issue! (Land Clearing Campaign).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Don't be fooled by the Queensland Government's get tough rhetoric on illegal land clearing. Over 1.13 million hectares of bushland were bulldozed in Queensland between 1999 and 2001 and 94.6 per cent of it was legally permitted by the...

War is not the answer. (Peace Campaign).(Iraq)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... ACF is opposed to the looming war against Iraq and deplores the loss of human life and the disastrous environmental and social impacts that would result from such a war. It urges the Australian Government to avoid war and to pursue all...

Dumps: (dis)order of Australia. (Anti-Nuclear Campaign).(nuclear waste)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Opposition is continuing to grow over the federal government's move to impose a national radioactive waste dump near Woomera in northern South Australia. Increasing numbers of regional communities and local governments are voicing concern and...

Deadline for nominations. (Peter Rawlinson Award for Conservation).
April 1, 2003... Nominations are now being invited for the inaugural ACF Peter Rawlinson Conservation Award. The Award acknowledges the work of individuals and groups in working for the conservation of the environment. Winners receive $3000 and a commemorative...

Safety of Sydney reactor under question. (Anti-Nuclear Campaign).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... The federal government is pushing ahead with the construction of a new reactor in suburban Sydney despite serious and unresolved safety and waste management issues and continuing questions over the viability of the project's builders. Six...

Salt works. (Salinity Campaign).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Most Australians are still unaware of the threat posed by a rising tide of salt to Australia's biodiversity--our native plants and animals. How far-reaching are it's effects? What is being done about it and what can we do? ACF, together with...

Get on board: do you think you have more to offer ACF? Would you like to be part of our governing body? Peter Garrett explains what it takes.(Australian Conservation Foundation)
April 1, 2003... I HAVE BEEN ACF PRESIDENT on two separate occasions, spanning almost six years, and I have watched the organisation grow and change during this time. One constant, however, has been the crucial role the ACF Council plays in our ability to...

Natural appeal: the man who so masterfully delivers the marvels of nature to our lounge rooms celebrates 50 years in broadcasting.(Sir David Attenborough )
April 1, 2003... IF YOU WERE BORN in the second half of the twentieth century, you've probably never known a time when Sir David Attenborough wasn't whispering at you from some television set, his voice lowered so as not to disturb the pride of lions lying just...

Cool change: can environmental issues be made groovy?(United Nations Environment Programme )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... SUSTAINABLE LIVING is about to undergo an image make over that will transform it from ho-hum to cool. Spearheading the campaign is the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), which believes that persuading more people to embrace...

ecoSelect timber--it just doesn't stack up: a current television advertisement raises an eyebrow or two.
April 1, 2003... ONE RECENT SUNDAY MORNING I was dozing in front of the television when suddenly one of the commercials attracted my attention. It featured an angelic cellist playing amongst some impressively large trees in a lush forest that was last logged in...

Making peace with fire: indigenous approaches to managing fire and landscapes may hold the key to dealing with our fiery continent.
April 1, 2003... PARTICIPANTS AT THE recent ANU Fire Forum titled "Australia Burning--the Future of Fire" focused their attention on the need to move from an approach based on fighting fire, to recognising and planning for the reality of living in a fire-prone...

Thinking beyond the farm gate: ACF is working with farmers, scientists and corporations to explore ways of enabling landholders to more effectively work with catchment authorities to restore Australia's rural landscapes to health.(Australian Conservation Foundation)
April 1, 2003... JIM MACDONALD AND HIS FAMILY run a successful grain growing and grazing property on the Liverpool Plains in northern New South Wales. They have worked passionately to implement a sophisticated and independently audited environmental management...

Storm warning for the business sector: are Australian businesses prepared for the risky impacts of climate change?
April 1, 2003... THE ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL and financial costs of climate change are becoming more apparent. Increasingly nations are taking action to reduce their contribution to this global environmental problem, as well as to minimise their exposure to major...

Best by design: now that ACF has proudly settled into its pioneering new headquarters, we take a look at a some particularly remarkable sustainable buildings beyond our shores.(Australian Conservation Foundation)
April 1, 2003... 60L IS A LANDMARK IN AUSTRALIA as the first commercial office building to be so green on all fronts. Whereas the Sydney Water head office, when built, will collect water and reuse it, and the Australian Taxation Office in Canberra will be more...

Desire for fire: how is it that the devastation of a wildfire can also trigger the flowering of a beguilingly beautiful orchid?
April 1, 2003... WHEN WE THINK OF FIRE, we often picture scenes of devastation; burnt-out homes and blackened, bare landscapes. But fire also brings life to many species and many plants have adapted to use periodic fires as a reproductive tool. Take, for...

Little suckers: sticky fingers aren't the only curious quality of geckoes.
April 1, 2003... SOME OF YOU MAY BE sharing your house or garden with a charming gecko or two. It's worth getting to understand the habits of these harmless creatures so that you may all live in harmony. In the complex order of lizards there are five main...

Animal rescue: Irina De Loche and a team of dedicated volunteers encountered heartbreaking scenes in the aftermath of the recent bushfires. (ACF Member Profile).(Australian Conservation Foundation member searches for signs of life )
April 1, 2003... IT'S DARK and Irina De Loche is aware of the danger around her by the splintering crash of huge trees falling behind her and the knowledge her next step could be into what was once a tree base, but is now a pit of smouldering coals. Armed with...

Waterwise House & Garden.(Book Review)
April 1, 2003... Allan Windust Landlinks Press RRP $29.95 Waterwise House & Garden covers all aspects of household water saving and recycling. Windust shows us that a beautiful and water-conserving garden is simply a matter of good plant selection, soil...

Growth Fetish.(Book Review)
April 1, 2003... Clive Hamilton Allen & Unwin RRP $24.95 Clive Hamilton's latest offering argues that the capitalist world's obsession with free market economic growth is compounding the social and environmental crisis it has brought us to. Growth Fetish...

Victoria's Box-Ironbark Country: A Field Guide *.(Book Review)
April 1, 2003... Malcolm Calder and Jane Calder Victorian National Parks Association RRP $29.95 * previously published 1994 as The Forgotten Forests Only 17 per cent of Victoria's original box-ironbark region remains intact and it shelters an...

Greeniology--How to Live Well, Be Green and Make a Difference.(Book Review)
April 1, 2003... Tanya Ha Allen & Unwin RRP $29.95 The latest in a long line of guides to making your lifestyle more environmentally friendly. What makes this one from Planet Ark's Tanya Ha different is her focus on contemporary Australia. A working...

Water column. (consuming Choices).(reducing rates of water consumption)
April 1, 2003... If climate change means we're going to suffer from droughts more often, why don't we get serious about water tanks and sewerage recycling ? Chris Herring, NSW In Australia's seventh consecutive year of drought there is no doubt that,...