Date      Sunday, 28 December 2008 First U.S. offshore wind farm project moves forward from reuters A plan to build the United States' first offshore wind farm took another step forward on Tuesday, after the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection approved its proposed undersea cables to transmit power to the mainland.< Sunday, 28 December 2008 Ancient water source vital for Australia from reuters An ancient underground water basin the size of Libya holds the key to Australia avoiding a water crisis as climate change bites the drought-hit nation. Australia's Great Artesian Basin is one of the largest artesian groundwater basins in the world, covering 1.7 Saturday, 20 December 2008 World's first solar ship from AFP THE world's first cargo ship partly propelled by solar power took to the seas on Friday in Japan, aiming to cut fuel costs and carbon emissions when automakers ship off their exports. Auriga Leader, a freighter developed by shipping line Nippon Yusen K.K Saturday, 20 December 2008 Carbon plan fuels meltdown from fairfax THE national climate change adviser, Ross Garnaut, has damned the Rudd Government's carbon policy as a threat to the environment, the national budget and global prosperity. Professor Garnaut has called on the Government to make urgent changes to the policy that the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, announced this week.< Saturday, 20 December 2008 Coal Should Be Warming Concern: Scientists from reuters Researchers and officials concerned about global warming have focused on oil usage, but scientists on Wednesday said liquefied coal could have a greater affect on global climate change. Global warming scenarios are based on oil reserves, but those reserves will have less impact on global climate than the extent to which liquefied coal replaces oil and gas, scientists said at a meeting of the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco.< Monday, 8 December 2008 Mugabe must go - so say religious leaders from CNN Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe must resign or be sent to The Hague for the "gross violations" he has committed, Archbishop Desmond Tutu has said. The Nobel Prize winner also told Dutch television that Mr Mugabe should be removed by force if he refuses to go.< Monday, 8 December 2008 4000 kids under 10 on mood drugs from The Australian UNPUBLISHED figures show that nearly 4000 children under the age of 10 were prescribed anti-depressants last financial year, including 553 children under five and 48 babies. The commonwealth Department of Health statistics give an alarming, although most likely conservative, age-by-age breakdown of the national use of anti-depressants.< Monday, 8 December 2008 Northrop Urges Obama: Boost Climate-Change Tech from Reuters Northrop Grumman Corp, a top Pentagon supplier, urged President-elect Barack Obama on Friday to lead a drive harnessing technology, much of it developed for national defense, to cope with global climate change.< Monday, 24 November 2008 Toxic beaches should shut during storms - environment groups from Environment Society of Australia Environmental groups are calling on local governments to shut beaches after storms like those seen in Brisbane in the last week due to storm water pollution. “Trillions of litres of polluted water is washing past our doorways straight onto our beaches – poisoning marine life and us in these storms”, says Sunirmalya Symons from the Friends of the Baffle Basin.< Monday, 24 November 2008 Obama climate pledge "very positive": U.N. official from Reuters Barack Obama's pledge to work to reduce emissions sharply by 2020 is a "huge signal" of encouragement to countries negotiating a new climate pact, the head of the U.N. Climate Change Secretariat said on Wednesday.< Monday, 24 November 2008 San Francisco Plans To Be Electric Car Capital from Reuters San Francisco Bay Area cities promised to build the electric car capital of the United States, announcing a plan Thursday to work with start-up Better Place to put battery-powered autos on the road in 2012.< Tuesday, 18 November 2008 Baffled by dam plans in near pristine river from Environment Society of Australia Baffle Creek is one of the last remaining near pristine river systems in SE Qld and as such should be a candidate for 'Wild Rivers' legislative protection. Yet a dam on this beautiful river is being considered to supply Gladstone industry with water.< Monday, 17 November 2008 Research without death: $6m whale plan from Fairfax THE Federal Government will spend $6 million on a whale research program which it hopes will debunk Japan's claims that whales need to be killed in order to be studied. "Modern-day research uses genetic and molecular techniques, as well as satellite tags, acoustic methods and aerial surveys, rather than grenade-tipped harpoons," the Minister for the Environment, Peter Garrett, said.< Monday, 17 November 2008 Marches send message against global warming from Fairfax Thousands of protesters took part in Walk Against Warming in Sydney on Saturday, demanding the Federal Government set strict emission targets when it designs its Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme. The scheme is due for release by the end of the year and will set emission targets for the nation's main polluting industries.< Monday, 17 November 2008 Air New Zealand to trial biofuel weed from The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) Air New Zealand will make its first commercial flight using biofuels next month as it looks to cut fuel consumption and carbon emissions, the national carrier said on Wednesday. The flight on Dec. Wednesday, 29 October 2008 Cycling for Sustainability from sydney indymedia Cycling for Sustainability is currently preparing for its forthcoming five-week bicycle tour, which will see 17 tour members pedal from Brisbane to Newcastle (15 November – 22 December 2008) visiting schools to engage youth and raise awareness about environmental sustainability and social justice issues.< Wednesday, 29 October 2008 Walk against Woodchips from sydney indymedia Keri James and daughter Clover (6) have embarked on an epic 'Walk Against woodchips' from Canberra to Tasmania. They will draw community attention to the continuing destructive practice of woodchipping native forests as they pass the Eden woodchip mill on their way to the Gunns proposed pulp mill site in the Tamar valley (Tasmania). Wednesday, 29 October 2008 Australia's Stern review warns of runaway global warming from UK Guardian - David Adam Carbon emissions are rising so fast that the world has no chance of hitting climate targets, says Australian economist Carbon pollution levels are rising so fast that the world has no realistic chance of hitting ambitious climate targets set by Britain and the G8, an influential report to the Australian government has warned.< Friday, 24 October 2008 Mass use of electric cars four years away from Fairfax Within just four years, most Australians will be able to drive an electric car and recharge it at special plug-in points at home, the office or shopping centres. The mass use of electric cars moved a giant step closer to reality today, as power company AGL and finance group Macquarie Capital signed an agreement with international group Better Place to provide infrastructure to support the environmentally friendly vehicles.< Friday, 24 October 2008 US To Boost Geothermal Energy Use On Federal Lands from Reuters The US Interior Department said on Wednesday it would make more than 190 million acres of federal lands in 11 western states and Alaska available to energy companies to develop geothermal energy resources for generating electricity.< Sunday, 12 October 2008 Federal oppn to 'fight' Mary River dam from Fairfax The federal opposition says it will take on the fight to stop the controversial Traveston Crossing Dam proposed on the Mary River, near Gympie in south-east Queensland. Opposition climate change, environment and water spokesman Greg Hunt Saturday said the proposed dam was one of the "worst sites in Australia".< Sunday, 12 October 2008 US Focus on Climate Could Ease Financial Crisis from Reuters If the United States focused on curbing climate change as soon as a new president took office -- or sooner -- it could help pull the world from the financial brink, environmental policy experts told Reuters.< Sunday, 12 October 2008 Green Building Council unveils rating tool from fairfax AMID the fanfare of Ross Garnaut's report on a national response to climate change, the Green Building Council of Australia has unveiled a rating tool for the commercial property sector. It is called the green star industrial pilot and is the first such system that assesses the environmental attributes of new and refurbished industrial facilities.< Sunday, 12 October 2008 Uni students urged to share eco ideas from fairfax Australian university students with ideas about sustainable energy solutions are being urged to share their earth-saving suggestions with the United Nations. The students with the best plans to tackle climate change will represent Australia at next year's Bayer Eco-Minds Forum in Auckland, New Zealand.< Tuesday, 7 October 2008 Indian farmers should go organic: Prince Charles from The Financial Express With a view to mitigate the ongoing climate change Prince Charles of UK appealed the Indian farmers to join the global organic club. Delivering the Albert Howard lecture to the Indian audience through video-conferencing, he said that worldwide organic farming has proved to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to the extent of 35%, both directly and indirectly.< Tuesday, 7 October 2008 Climate Change Threatens Australian Fisheries from Reuters Climate change threatens Australia's A$2.1 billion (US$1.6 billion) commercial fishing and aquaculture industry, but may create new wild fisheries as tropical marine species move south as sea temperatures rise.< Tuesday, 7 October 2008 Conservation congress kicks off with dire warning on biodiversity from Fairfax The world must act quickly if it is to brake an unprecedented die off of the Earth's animal and plant life that could have dire consequences for humans as well, top conservationists warned on Sunday. "There is a clear sense of urgency," Valli Moosa, president of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and a former environment minister from South Africa, told the opening session of the World Conservation Congress here.< Sunday, 28 September 2008 Cuddle power nurtures little minds from fairfax PARENTS need to be reminded to kiss, cuddle and talk to their babies to help prevent children growing up with developmental delays and emotional disorders, the NSW Government said. A handout being distributed through child and maternal health services warns infants who are rarely spoken to, receive limited physical affection and have little opportunity to play and explore their environment may not fully develop the brain connections and pathways needed to learn.< Sunday, 28 September 2008 The fineprint on the headstone from ABC News (Australia) Can you imagine what would happen if Australian scientists discovered 100 new species of whales and dolphins in our seas? The wires would be buzzing with the news. It's not whales and dolphins that have been under the scrutiny of the scientists, but those more ancient and mysterious ocean predators, sharks and their close relatives, rays. Sunday, 28 September 2008 Robert F. Kennedy Jr. - Palin's Big Oil infatuation from Robert F. Kennedy Jr. I was water-skiing with my children in a light drizzle off Hyannis, Mass., last month when a sudden, fierce storm plunged us into a melee of towering waves, raking rain, painful hail and midday darkness broken by blinding flashes of lightning. Monday, 22 September 2008 How Qld could save 350,000 mega litres of water every year from Sunirmalya Symons - Enviro Society of Australia Every year the average Brisbane house receives about 200 thousand litres of rain every year, most of which is piped to the ocean in storm runoff. Over 200 thousand litres is then pumped to the same house from central dams sometimes hundreds of kilometres away, only to be used and over 150,000 litres of sewage is once more pumped out to the ocean.< Wednesday, 17 September 2008 Old Growth Forests Are Valuable Carbon Sinks from Nature Contrary to 40 years of conventional wisdom, a new analysis published in the journal Nature suggests that old growth forests are usually "carbon sinks" - they continue to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and mitigate climate change for centuries.< Wednesday, 17 September 2008 Sorting the hot air from carbon offsets from Fairfax WHEN you have changed all the light bulbs, turned off all the appliances, sold the car, bought a bicycle and transferred to GreenPower, it may seem hard to reduce that carbon footprint even further. This is where carbon offsets come in. Wednesday, 17 September 2008 Throw out the chemicals - an interview with Deni Hines from Fairfax Carla Grossetti talks to the entertainer Deni Hines about her passions and guilts. Advertisement Q. Deni, as a committed environmentalist, what are you most passionate about protecting when it comes to the planet? A. Wednesday, 10 September 2008 Choosing a more ethical way to eat from Fairfax Some think vegetarianism a lifestyle choice but one author says there are good environmental reasons for it, writes Sherrill Nixon. At 16 Angela Crocombe chose to stop eating red meat because she was an animal lover. Wednesday, 10 September 2008 New Incident at French Nuclear Plant from Reuters A security incident has occurred at a French nuclear site already under scrutiny because of a series of safety scares over the summer, France's ASN nuclear safety authority said on Monday. ASN said two fuel units became snagged in a reactor at Tricastin in southern France on Monday morning when site workers were attempting to remove them during maintenance work.< Wednesday, 10 September 2008 Australia Troops Bring Toad Pest to East Timor - NGO from Fairfax Australia's military was accused on Tuesday of opening the gates to an invasion force of cane toad pests when it led international peacekeepers into East Timor to end a pro-Indonesia militia slaughter there in 1999.< Saturday, 30 August 2008 Putin accuses U.S. of orchestrating Georgian war from CNN Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has accused the United States of orchestrating the conflict in Georgia to benefit one of its presidential election candidates. In an interview in the Black Sea city of Sochi on Thursday, Putin said the U.S Wednesday, 27 August 2008 Bligh says no to north Qld shale project from Fairfax Queensland premier Anna Bligh has killed off a controversial $14 billion shale oil project in north Queensland. Ms Bligh cited the need to put the environment first as she quashed plans to start bulk sampling and exploration of the McFarlane deposit, 15km south of Proserpine.< Wednesday, 27 August 2008 Volunteers knock on 1 millions doors for peace from World Peace Society of Australia On September 20, peace activists in the US will mobilize to knock on a million doors in communities across the country. Our mission is to ask our friends and neighbors to contact Congress to bring about a swift and responsible end to U.S Wednesday, 27 August 2008 Technology That Outthinks Us: A Partner or a Master? from NY Times In Vernor Vinges version of Southern California in 2025, there is a school named Fairmont High with the motto, Trying hard not to become obsolete. It may not sound inspiring, but to the many fans of Dr. Wednesday, 20 August 2008 Solar scientist wins Eureka's top gong from Fairfax Nail polish and pizza ovens will help provide cheap, clean energy to the world's poor if Nicole Kuepper has her way. The young PhD student's MacGuyver-like efforts to create a revolutionary solar cell using everyday items has won two Australian Museum Eureka Prizes - the nation's top science awards.< Wednesday, 20 August 2008 Beijing Enjoys Best Air in Decade, Vows to Banish Smog from Reuters Olympic host Beijing enjoyed its cleanest air in 10 years this month and will adopt strict new measures to ensure its notorious smog does not return, a top environment official said on Tuesday. Over the past 18 days, air quality in the capital ranged between excellent and fairly good on China's index, Du Shaozhong, deputy director of the Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau, told reporters.< Wednesday, 20 August 2008 Google Puts US$10 Mln into New Geothermal Technology from Reuters Google Inc Tuesday said it would invest more than US$10 million in an emerging geothermal energy technology as part of its effort to lower the cost of electricity from renewable sources. Google's philanthropic arm, Google.o Thursday, 14 August 2008 China ventures into carbon capture with Australia from CSIRO China and Australia will test a post-combustion capture (PCC) pilot plant in Beijing as part of a plan to cut carbon dioxide emissions from thermal power stations. The plant, officially announced last week (31 July), is a collaboration between the China HuaNeng Group, the country's largest power producer, and Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO).< Thursday, 14 August 2008 Students Clean Creek from fairfax FOUR year 7 students from Liverpool Boys High School are taking their environmental message all the way to their local council. John Huynh, Ahmad Alrifai, Noureddine Chamma and Haany El-Hajje, all 12, have created a multimedia presentation documenting the pollution and litter in their local creek.< Friday, 1 August 2008 Staff Urged to Dress Down, Stay Cool as UN Heats Up from reuters The United Nations is encouraging its New York staff to trade wool business suits for cooler attire this summer so the organization can slash air conditioning costs and help the environment. "There is going to be a relaxing of the dress protocols and people are being encouraged to wear lighter clothing," said US architect Michael Adlerstein, who is overseeing a US$1.8 Sunday, 27 July 2008 India seeks price band to regulate oil prices from the Hindu India has urged oil-producing and consuming countries to evolve a mechanism that would regulate oil prices, by allowing them to fluctuate within a fixed range. Speaking at a meeting of oil-producing and consuming countries in Saudi Arabia’s port city of Jeddah, Finance Minister P. Saturday, 26 July 2008 California Is First State to Ban Trans Fats from New York Times California became the first state in the nation to place a ban on trans fats in restaurants and retail baked goods Friday when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill to phase out their use over the next few years. Friday, 25 July 2008 Microloans Pay Off for Planet, Investors from Worldwatch Institute The number of "microborrowers" worldwide-people participating in the rapidly growing field of microfinance-increased by 17 percent in 2006, benefiting both communities and the environment, according to the latest Vital Signs Update released by the Worldwatch Institute.< Tuesday, 22 July 2008 New solar thermal plant buoys Spanish investors from reuters Spain's Industry Minister Miguel Sebastian buoyed hopes in the country's solar power industry on Monday just days after announcing a dramatic cut in subsidies. Madrid last week announced plans to cut by almost 90 percent its subsidies for solar photovoltaic (PV) power after a stampede for support left Madrid with a multi-billion euro liability.< Tuesday, 22 July 2008 Plan to bury climate-warming carbon unveiled from reuters The United States unveiled plans on Tuesday to bury climate-warming carbon dioxide emissions deep underground to keep the greenhouse gas from further heating up the atmosphere. The burial process, known as carbon capture and storage or geologic sequestration, has long been part of the Bush administration's strategy to combat climate change without imposing any economy-wide limit on carbon emissions.< Wednesday, 16 July 2008 Antarctic Ice Shelf Collapse 'Imminent' from the independent UK Scientists are warning that an Antarctic ice shelf the size of Northern Ireland is on the verge of disintegration, even though it is now the middle of the southern hemisphere's winter. The European Space Agency says new satellite pictures show that the Wilkins shelf – the largest to be threatened so far – is "hanging by its last thread". Wednesday, 16 July 2008 Australia Considers First New Coal Port for 25 Yrs from reuters Australia, the world's biggest per-head greenhouse-gas polluter, is considering its first new coal export port for 25 years, despite official efforts to curb coal-fired carbon emissions to fight climate warming. Wednesday, 16 July 2008 Blackstone to Fund 1 Bln Euro German Wind Farm from reuters Blackstone Group LP will invest in a 1 billion euro (US$1.6 billion) project to build and manage a German offshore wind farm capable of powering half a million homes, the US-based private equity firm said. Wednesday, 16 July 2008 Chrysler Aims to Have Electric Cars in 3-5 Years from reuters Chrysler LLC is planning to launch all-electric vehicles in the next three to five years, the latest automaker to join the race to produce cars with fuel-saving technologies. Chrysler's new Envi unit, which was created last September, is developing vehicles that are intended to run on battery power alone for about 40 miles (64 km), Chrysler spokesman Nick Cappa said on Monday.

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