Friday November 16, 2007
NEWS
Thursday November 15, 2007
Woolworths faces attack over 'green' products
The retailer will come under renewed attack at its AGM for selling paper products that allegedly mislead consumers about their green credentials.
Chain reaction: 15 protesters arrested
Greenpeace members arrested after chaining themselves to a NSW power station.
Howard harassed by three bears
It's a modern day version of the three bears, only this time they're polar bears.
Greenhouse gases: we are among worst polluters
New research shows Australia's power stations are the world's highest per capita producers of carbon dioxide.
Climate change to take just years
Australians will begin to see the stark effects of climate change within the next few years, a leading scientist has warned.
Pests not just in the central ibisness district
Lake Gillawarna near Bankstown has become home to 1500 white ibis, a haven from a decade of drought.
Wednesday November 14, 2007
Sydney breathes a little easier
Sydney air is cleaner than at any time in the past 15 years, says the NSW Government.
Third of all species 'at risk'
Almost one-third of the world's species will face extinction if greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise.
London councils may soon have it in the bag
The British capital could become the world's largest plastic bag-free city within 18 months.
Little fish gallop back into the wild
Floating in a tank the 30 seahorses that had been bred in captivity looked like a tangle of black seaweed.
Surprise - cleaner sewerage, more flies
Stoneflies have made a comeback after a State Government project to clean the Blue Mountains sewerage system.
Harnessing the power of the stars
The energy rating system for appliances could be a real tool for cutting greenhouse emissions if it was better regulated, writes Judy Friedlander.
The gas is always greener
Almost 600,000 businesses and households are paying more for power generated from renewable sources.
Law meets lore for the sake of the land
A new program is helping Aboriginal groups demystify their environmental legal rights, writes Sue White.
A chilling omen or a freak event?
Explorer Damien Gildea ponders the significance of an unusual polar discovery.
Nations wary of sowing oceans to capture carbon
The body that controls dumping at sea rejects plans to help fix climate change by sowing the oceans with fertilisers.
Tuesday November 13, 2007
Seahorses released to help save their species
Thirty tiny seahorses have the survival of their species riding on their backs.
Black Sea spill: '30,000 birds killed'
Authorities say more than 30,000 birds were killed by oil that leaked after a heavy storm broke a tanker apart near the Black Sea.
Russia tackles oil spill
Oil spilt from a sunken tanker coated birds in a black sludge after a storm in the Black Sea.
Region may take years to recover from tanker disaster
Russia and Ukraine are facing environmental catastrophe after a tanker carrying 4000 tonnes of oil split in half in heavy seas off the Crimean peninsula.
Monday November 12, 2007
Howard swings in from the trees
The Prime Minister pledges $500,000 over the next four years to save orang-utans in Indonesian forests.
Dirty coal makes for a green fight
Peter Garrett was among thousands of Sydneysiders who marched to express their concerns about global warming.
White-out: UN chief visits vanishing world of Antarctica
With prehistoric Antarctic ice sheets melting beneath his feet, the United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, called for urgent political action to tackle global warming.
Saturday November 10, 2007
80,000 to descend on Sydney
The city will hold a public rally calling for tough opposition on climate change.
Friday November 9, 2007
All that rain's been bloomin' useless
Sydney has had more rain in the past eight days than it usually gets in all of November, but it has barely lifted dam levels.
Carbon offsets to be sold on flights
Travellers flying on Virgin Atlantic will soon be offered carbon offsets alongside alcohol and perfume in front of their fellow passengers in an effort to shame them into buying them.
Thursday November 8, 2007
Sydney gets month's worth of rain in just eight days
Sydney's recent rainy weather has delivered the average monthly rainfall for November in just eight days.
Garrett, Turnbull deny compromising principles
Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull says he has never had to compromise his principles in order to pursue his political career.
Japanese bra aims to give waste the chop
Women with environmental concerns may one day be able to wear a bra that can be used to carry their own personal chopsticks to cut down on waste.
Farmers fear coal mining
Mining companies are being encouraged to look for coal under some of NSW's richest farming land.
Wednesday November 7, 2007
White lion program a roaring success
A NSW zoo has revealed a world first ... breeding a pride of five male white lions.
Outrage as timber baron walks free
An Indonesian timber baron has walked away from illegal logging charges, prompting an outcry from environmentalists.
Climate change is public health issue - US
Climate change should be treated as a public health issue, health and ecology experts say.
Fit for a powerful role
Too many people are downplaying the contribution renewable sources can make, supporters say. Wendy Frew reports.
Save the krill
The slaughter in the water is an act of madness, Ross Fyfe writes in a letter to the Herald.
Peeing on lettuces makes them grow
The lettuce is a demanding little vegetable.
Tuesday November 6, 2007
Riverbed damage findings next year
NSW will not pre-empt the findings of an expert panel into mining that has damaged a river system south of Sydney.
Monday November 5, 2007
Farmers reluctant to take cash and quit the land
Drought-stricken farmers are opting to stay on the land, with just a handful taking up the latest Federal Government exit grant.
Gorilla slaughter sparks campaign
If the people of Congo save the mountain gorilla, might the gorilla return the favour?
Ecologists fear huge rise in krill catch
Industrial fishing companies are gearing up for the rush to exploit a great untapped seafood resource, Antarctic krill.
Cloncurry so hot it doesn't need coal
It's hot in Cloncurry. Bloody hot. Hot enough to power the homes for all the outback town's 4828 residents with heat from the sun.
Mines blamed for threat to water supply
Unrestricted underground coal mining south of Sydney is cracking riverbeds, draining swamps and putting the city's water supply at risk.
Sunday November 4, 2007
Protesters blockade coal ships
Protesters in kayaks and canoes yesterday blocked the Newcastle shipping channel over the expansion of the coal export industry.
'Very useful' rain over Sydney's catchments
Sydney's water supply has received a welcomed top-up with "very useful" rains falling in catchment areas.
New York set to tax carbon emissions
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg proposed a national "pollution pricing" plan that would tax companies directly for the greenhouse gases they release.
New reefs to foster fish stocks
Three giant man-made reefs will be built off the NSW coast to boost fish stocks for recreational fishing.
Saturday November 3, 2007
Fuelled up and belching, but parties look the other way
Neither the Federal Government nor the Labor Party has committed to mandatory fuel-efficiency targets for car manufacturers.
Too many bloomin' plants
Their squawking and squabbling over nectar dribbling from grevillea blooms is as symbolic of Sydney as the harbour and its bridge.
Nuclear option on back burner
With Howard trailing in the polls, the Liberals have not pushed a domestic nuclear power industry agenda.
Main parties bid to be green
But both continue to support the country's dirtiest industry.
Are Kyoto cuts emmission impossible?
Australia's position on climate change faces a massive shift as the parties slug out the feasibility of a real commitment.
Friday November 2, 2007
Panel dashes hopes of nuclear fuel plan
The US has been advised to dump an ambitious nuclear energy plan that involved countries such as Australia.
Thursday November 1, 2007
Clean coal a furphy: Dr Karl
Celebrity physicist Karl Kruszelnicki has described clean coal as a "complete furphy".
State planners eye off delicate bushland
A delicate tract of land on the northern beaches is being investigated for development by the State Government.
Wednesday October 31, 2007
Prince questioned over shooting of birds
Police have questioned Prince Harry over the shooting of two threatened birds of prey near a royal estate in Norfolk.
Rudd's renewable 2020 vision
Kevin Rudd unveils a plan to require 20 per cent of Australian electricity to be generated from renewable sources such as solar or wind by 2020.
All set for for the next new thing
The number of electronics repairers is shrinking in the face of a glut of cheap appliances. Steve Dow examines our throwaway mentality.
Hollywood wives go to Washington
Celebrity packs a punch in the US capital, and a group of women are using it to force action on climate change, writes Alex Williams.
Actions speak louder than words in Britain
Climate change initiatives in Britain could include a target to cut pollution by as much as 80 per cent by 2050.
Coming to grips with a mother's guilt trip
Even environmentally aware mothers cannot stop driving, writes Meg Mason.
Switch on to cool lighting
Those old light bulbs waste a lot of energy producing heat. Rebecca Blackburn explains the alternatives now available.
Always on a count of the endangered species
Deryk Engel has stalked and trapped animals, all for a good cause, writes Peter Vincent.
Special of the modern day - all organic menu
Restaurants and cafes are catering to a growing demand for chemical-free produce, writes Sue White.
Tuesday October 30, 2007
Sydney anti-mill protester cut off
AGM of funds manager Perpetual turns into a forum for demonstrators.
Rival may seek damages over desal plant
The NSW Government is exposed to a multimillion-dollar damages claim from its decision to pursue plans for a $1.85b desalination plant.
Green team unveils $200m reef plan
Kevin Rudd announces a $200 million plan to work with farmers to protect the Great Barrier Reef.
Garrett backtracks on Kyoto
Peter Garrett was forced to clarify Labor's approach to securing a post-Kyoto global climate pact last night.
Monday October 29, 2007
Wetlands in extreme crisis
South Australia's wetlands are in extreme crisis, with their future threatened by irrigation and inaction.
Rudd promises $200m for Reef
Labor plans to protect Australia's famous attraction.
Air hazard warning as fires retreat
Firefighters tighten their grip on California's wildfires as officials expressed concern at the health hazards posed by vast plumes of smoke shrouding the region.
Greenland finds benefits in global warming
Now that the climate is warming, southern Greenland might eventually be full of vegetable farms and viable forests.
Always a moral to Clooney's story
George Clooney is on a political and an environmetal mission, writes Paul Sheehan.
Scales tipped against bold fish
The mix of neurotic and outgoing characters in Finding Nemo might be closer to real life than anyone could have guessed.
Sunday October 28, 2007
Turnbull denies Kyoto leak
PM dodges questions about whether he believes his Environment Minister deliberately leaked information.
Turnbull and PM at loggerheads on Kyoto
The Government deeply embarrassed that Turnbull proposed Australia should ratify the Kyoto Protocol.
Powers that be feel the heat as NSW keeps cool
Air-conditioning is expected to push household power demand to new highs this summer, raising questions about NSW's green credentials.
Saturday October 27, 2007
Playing with fire, now nature hits back
The southern Californian bush fires have reignited arguments about global climate change, Gerard Wright reports.
Humpbacks wave hello - every tail tells a story
Yolanda, one of the great Australian humpback mothers, has waved her tail through Hervey Bay again.
Snails hang on, and she tops the comp
As the salinity of water - a possible consequence of climate change - decreases, so does snails' staying power, a year 10 student found.
Friday October 26, 2007
Population pressure takes Earth to its limits
The most authoritative scientific report on the planet's health has found water, land, air, plants, animals and fish stocks are all in "inexorable decline".
Some primates face extinction
Mankind's closest relatives are teetering on the brink of their first extinctions in more than a century.
Call for environment and congestion taxes
The State Government has opened the door for new taxes, including environment and traffic congestion charges.
Ban on herbicide unlikely
The Tasmanian Cancer Council is investigating whether atrazine, the second-most used agricultural chemical in the country, has pushed up cancer rates.
Thursday October 25, 2007
Dutch win solar car race
The Nuon team has won the 3000-kilometre World Solar Challenge from Darwin to Adelaide.
Kyoto should be scrapped: scientists
A leading British scientist says Australia has copped unnecessary international condemnation for not signing up to Kyoto.
Pell out of touch on climate - bishop
Catholic Archbishop George Pell is out of step within his church and the global Christian community on global warming, a leading Anglican environmentalist says.
Electric ideas empty the tank
Japnese car-makers have led the way on environmentally friendly vehicles but they're about to shift the pollution debate onto electricity providers.
Wednesday October 24, 2007
Japanese accused of hiding tuna worth more than $8b
A scandal involving billions of dollars worth of southern bluefin tuna illegally caught by the Japanese is worsening.
Multifunction energy meter
Do you really know how much energy your appliances use? For example, which uses more: the toaster or the computer?
A dirty business, and someone has to clean it up
Mechanics and car owners are changing their habits to help the environment, writes Sue White.
Attack of hives led to an organic path
A farmer's chemical habit stopped seven years ago when he suffered shocking hives after spraying his cotton crop.
Urban Farmer
The Bible says there is a season for everything. But does it have an answer to Tim Elliott's bonsai lettuces?
Bosses beyond the cubicle
Employers are working out ways to encourage and help their staff to be green at home as well as at work, writes Judy Adamson.
Made with a long future in mind
Paul Charlwood turned his design focus to products that are made to have little impact on the environment, writes Peter Vincent.
Dining with garbage gourmets
A growing subculture of people have reduced their spending habits to live off consumer waste, writes Erika Hayasaki.
A duty to indulge, and pass on the tales of a golden era
Tongue firmly in cheek, Charles Purcell says the planet is stuffed so we might as well enjoy the party as the ship goes down.
More than just huff and puff
Councils were the first tier of government to get passionate about climate change and, writes Mari Gibson, that fire is producing results.
Fears oil decline could spark social unrest
A report warns that extreme shortages of fossil fuels will lead to wars and social breakdown.
Can't live without the bugs
Creepy-crawlies - we depend on them but they get ignored, reports Tim Elliott.
Browning of the planet there for all to see
ClimateCam, the world's first greenhouse gas speedometer, displays electricity consumption information in Newcastle.
Tuesday October 23, 2007
'Cows' arrested at GE food protest
Greenpeace activists, two dressed as cows, arrested during a protest at the headquarters of milk giant Murray Goulburn.
No change in my stance on nuclear power: Turnbull
Environment Minister denies any about-turn over the Government's nuclear energy policy.
Pulp mill construction to start in January: Gunns
The timber magnate behind a $1.7 billion pulp mill in northern Tasmania says construction should begin early next year.
Bangkok could sink this century
The Thai capital is one of 13 of the world's largest 20 cities at risk of being swamped as sea levels rise in coming decades, experts say.
Turnbull denies going soft on nuclear energy
Environment Minister denies the Government is softening its support for nuclear energy to avoid it becoming an election issue.
China diverts river water to Olympics rowing site
Beijing diverts water from a river north-east of the city to replenish its Olympics rowing and canoeing venue, which has run dry.
CO2 rising more rapidly than expected: study
The ability of the land and oceans to soak up the greenhouse gas has been declining for decades.
Libs snub nukes for power
Malcolm Turnbull tries to nullify nuclear debate by saying nuclear power stations may never be built.
Monday October 22, 2007
Garrett queries nuclear power about-face
Reactors are certain under a re-elected Howard government, despite a Government statement that Australia may never turn to nuclear energy, Garrett says.
$174m for water saving measures
Schools are among the beneficiaries of a $174 million plan to better manage and save water, the Federal Government says.
Fears that seas soak up less greenhouse gas
The oceans' ability to act as a "carbon sink" soaking up greenhouse gases appears to be decreasing.
Saturday October 20, 2007
Desire and green cure
With the help of the green movement you can now indulge in a frenzy of consumerism.
Bird and bug a deadly threat to gums
The last stands of Sydney's blue gum high forest could soon be gone if scientists can't find a way to combat the spread of an insidious insect infestation.
Friday October 19, 2007
Fake fins eye saving sharks
A Japanese company is launching fake shark fins in China - made of pork.
Parasite found in Sydney water supply
A canal supplying 20 per cent of Sydney's water supply to the Prospect Reservoir closed after cryptosporidium is found.
Different strokes: nothing compares to an artist's eye
In an age of sophisticated digital cameras, why do botanists still need artists to draw plants?
Thursday October 18, 2007
Environmental group's bid to protect grey nurse fails
An environmental group fails in a legal bid to force the NSW Government to impose 18 no-fishing zones as part of efforts protect the grey nurse shark.
Consumers would pay more for clean energy
Citizens of large developing countries are keener than Australians to pay more for green energy.
Wednesday October 17, 2007
Australia against dolphin exports
Australia has called for Solomon Islands to stop exporting dolphins.
Gore rules out presidential bid
Nobel Peace Prize winner scotches speculation he'll run.
British explorer to measure depth of Arctic ice cap
The first man to reach the North Pole solo has announced plans to lead an expedition to measure the thickness of the Arctic ice caps.
Pentagon offers a ray of hope in energy debate
The debate over whether nuclear, solar, wind or clean coal is the energy of the future now has a new player: space.
Read the label before you slip, slop, slap
Looking good can come at an environmental cost. Science graduate and former model Tanya Ha lifts the lid on the beauty business.
Good life out of town: frogs, surf and heavy gloves
Rachael Mogan cheerfully shares some of the fragrant chores that are part of her sea change idyll.
Planes, trains or cars?
But how do aircraft compare with probably the most notorious environmental villain of all time - the car?
News Wrap
Reflective dishes may be the answer to make solar energy competitive with conventional sources of power.
To spray or not to spray - that is no longer a question
Environmentally friendly options for termite control begin with common sense, writes Sue White.
The art of imagining a greener future
Promoting sustainability is more than just facts and figures for one educator, writes Peter Vincent.
Green tape will make polluters measure up
From July, many companies will be obliged by law to go public with their footprints, writes Thea O'Connor.
On the smell of an oily rag
There is no shortage of off-beat ideas at the World Solar Challenge. Steve Dow reports.
Tuesday October 16, 2007
Kylie ambassador for Penguin Foundation
Pop star is backing the welfare of Victorian penguins after being named an ambassador of the Phillip Island Penguin Foundation.
Clean energy bonanza for farmers: CSIRO
Farmers could be almost $3 billion a year richer if they invested in clean energy measures such as wind and carbon farming.
Gammy back may halt toads' leap
Cane toads on the invasion's Northern Territory front line are developing severe arthritis, resulting in gross malformations of their spines.
Monday October 15, 2007
PM promises climate change policy
Prime Minister John Howard says he'll soon release a climate change policy that both cuts emissions and protects jobs.
Wind power to push up water bills: Iemma
Powering Sydney's desalination plant with wind power has already been factored into a water bill increase for Sydney households.
Hail caesars, do something
The hailstorm that hit Lismore on Tuesday was the week's talking point, writes Simon Webster.
Climate change threatens the fight to end poverty
It is clear that climate change threatens the achievement of goals so vital to human wellbeing and the elimination of poverty, writes Rajendra Pachauri.
Fort Denison rescue plan to halt erosion
After standing guard over the harbour for 150 years, Fort Denison is to undergo a $1.5 million renovation to protect it against an invasion from the sea.
Climate change making Mont Blanc even higher
Western Europe's highest mountain, Mont Blanc, is taller than ever due to snow piled atop its summit, in what experts meeting in France have described as a climate change-related phenomenon.
Light rail opportunity left idling on the track
A freight line in Sydney's inner west is soon to lie idle, but the NSW Government will not commit to allowing light rail to use it.
Sunday October 14, 2007
Climate change the biggest election issue: Greenpeace
Climate change is the biggest issue facing Australia at this election, environmental activist group Greenpeace says.
Bid to save threatened shark species
Divers are being urged to take part in the Great Australian Shark Count.
Gore gets a cold shoulder
One of the world's foremost meteorologists has called the theory that helped Al Gore share the Nobel Peace Prize "ridiculous".
First casualty of peace prize
Since AL Gore was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize you might have been wondering what global warming had to do with peace, writes Miranda Devine.
Saturday October 13, 2007
China forced to move 4m to safety
China is planning to move another 4 million people away from the controversial Three Gorges dam reservoir to prevent an environmental disaster.
Green fuel gets a black name
The race for clean energy may be doing more harm than good, writes Marian Wilkinson.
Nobel peace prize goes to Gore and UN climate panel
Former US vice-president Al Gore and the UN panel on climate change share the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for raising awareness of the threat of global warming.
Maybe the PM will now get the message
Al Gore's call for John Howard to ratify the Kyoto Protocol will now resonate throughout the election campaign.
Friday October 12, 2007
Al Gore joint winner of Nobel Peace Prize
Former US vice-president Al Gore and the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change today won the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.
COLUMNISTS
A moral to Clooney's story
George Clooney is on a political and an environmetal mission, writes Paul Sheehan.
- Michelle Gratton: Turnbull, PM at odds on Kyoto
- Richard Glover: Desire and green cure
- Simon Webster: Hail caesars, do something
- Rajendra Pachauri: Climate change threatens fight to end poverty
- Miranda Devine: First casualty of peace prize