Nourishing the environmental debate

Monthly Archives: August 2010

Organic farmers try to get a bite of the apple

August 27, 2010 – 10:26 am

With the balance of power firmly in the lands of three country Independents, regional issues are back on the national agenda. “The people of rural Australia have put some of us here. They expect a return for having done that. As far as I’m concerned, they will get a return,” said Queensland independent Bob Katter at Wednesday’s National Press Club address. But will organic farming — traditionally seen a alternative movement and now gaining a more mainstream presence — benefit from the rural attention or suffer in favour of conventional farming practises?

By Amber Jamieson | Posted in Farmers Say, Food Security | Comments (5)

Australia’s second climate change election

August 23, 2010 – 1:55 am

When Kevin Rudd won the 2007 election in a landslide, it was heralded as the world’s first climate change election. Three years later, having squandered their mandate, the ALP went to Saturday’s election having tried to bury the issue. With little clear difference between the offerings of the two major parties, and neither pushing their [...]

By John Hepburn | Posted in Global Warming, Greens | Comments (31)

The tide turns back towards Labor on marine parks

August 19, 2010 – 12:56 pm

Dr Margi Prideaux writes: The past 12 years of conservation of our seas has been an interesting and unexpected journey. Despite the common assumption by the Australian body politic that the Liberals are poorer on environmental issues than Labor a close examination of marine protection during the Howard years compared with the last term of [...]

By Crikey | Posted in Marine issues, Water | Comments (6)

Best climate change campaign of the election

August 17, 2010 – 7:43 pm

This election, there’s been a horrifying lack of action on climate change. But the Australian Youth Climate Coalition’s Elephant in the room is keeping climate change alive as an election issue and showing Tony and Julia that young people (and elephants) demand stronger policies to cut carbon pollution. Check out these hilarious videos below (make [...]

By Anna Rose | Posted in Elephants, Global Warming, Youth | Comments (4)

Labor’s pledge to ban “dirty” power stations: fact or fiction?

August 13, 2010 – 12:23 am

By Matthew Knott Amid all the hoo-hah about Julia Gillard’s proposed citizens assembly on climate change and the cash for clunkers scheme, her idea of implementing “tough new emissions standards” for coal fired power stations has received little scrutiny. When Labor announced its climate change election policies last month, most media outlets breathlessly reported Gillard’s promise of [...]

By Matthew Knott | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (31)

Extreme weather around the globe: manifestations of runaway climate change

August 10, 2010 – 11:02 am

This year is shaping up as the warmest in the instrumental record, as recorded by the National Climate Data Centre (NCDC — the worlds largest active archive of weather data), writes Dr Andrew Glikson.

By Crikey | Posted in carbongate, Global Warming | Comments (106)

Aussie Solar Research Slashed

August 3, 2010 – 10:06 am

I received an email a couple of days ago from one of Australia’s most respected young solar energy scientists, Nicole Keuper, with some devastating news: the world renowned Australian Research Council Photovoltaics Centre of Excellence, based at the University of New South Wales, has had its funding slashed by the Australian Research Council. It will [...]

By Anna Rose | Posted in Global Warming, Uncategorized | Comments (18)