The Northern hemisphere may be suffering from one of its coldest winters on record, with deep snow falls and ice blizzards, but Australia has been gripped by its worst drought in a century. And the blistering heat which has scorched southern Australia proves the accuracy of warnings by scientists, according to the country’s Climate Change … Read More
Australia
Oz Bans Shale-Oil Mine
There might be a “mine it flat” mentality in Alberta concerning tar sands, but one provincial government has just adopted a different approach to unconventional oil resources. The only problem is that it is thousands of miles away in Australia. Australia’s Queensland state has banned shale-oil mining for 20 years, blocking a plan for a … Read More
Koalas at Risk from Climate Change
First it was the polar bear, now its the Koala. Both are threatened by climate change. The bears are threatened by the rising level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere because it saps nutrients from the eucalyptus leaves they feed on. According to Ian Hume, emeritus professor of biology at Sydney University, the amount of … Read More
And So Does Australia….
So the euphoria of a new Australian Prime Minister is short lived. New kid on the block, Kevin Rudd, may have signed up to Kyoto, but has ruled out endorsing proposed new short-term greenhouse gas emission targets of up to 40 per cent by 2020. Mr Rudd ruled out endorsing a draft proposal from conference … Read More
Greenpeace Accuses Australia of Undermining Bali Talks
Just days after new Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd took office and pledged radical different policies on climate, Greenpeace has accused Australia of undermining negotiations on emissions targets for developed countries at the current United Nations climate talks in Bali. Although, the European Union wants a 25 to 40 per cent band of emission reductions … Read More
From Ageing Rocker to Green Minister
How things are changing in Australia. Former Midnight Oil front man Peter Garrett has been appointed environment minister by Australian Prime Minister-elect Kevin Rudd. Rudd, who has not yet taken office, has targeted the environment one of his top three priorities, along with the Australian economy and its education system. Garrett, who had an international … Read More
Oz: New Prime Minister Will Ratify Kyoto
Australia’s prime minister-elect, Kevin Rudd, has moved swiftly on his election to make climate change a priority by holding meetings with government officials about signing Kyoto. His predecessor, John Howard, refused to sign it. Rudd has also confirmed he will attend the forthcoming UN climate summit in Bali and said he had already discussed Kyoto … Read More
Oz: Opposition Leader Says Climate is Top Priority
Australia’s opposition leader, Labour Party leader Kevin Rudd, who is the front-runner in this weekend’s elections, has said that climate change is his top priority. In his last major address of the six-week campaign, Kevin Rudd accused Prime Minister John Howard’s 11-year-old government of being tired, out-of-touch and ill-equipped to cope with a new generation … Read More
Power Stations: Oz Named the Worst Emitter
A study of the world’s power stations has shown the extent to which developed countries produce more carbon dioxide per head than emerging economies. Australians were found to be the world’s worst polluters per capita, producing five times as much carbon from generating power as China.
OZ: Howard Chased by Polar Bears
On the eve of Australia’s federal election, Prime minister John Howard was followed on his morning walk by polar bears protesting against the destruction of the polar ice caps. The Greenpeace-organised bears tailed Mr Howard on his walk around Canberra’s Lake Burley -Griffin to remind him of the urgency in dealing with climate change and … Read More