Zero Waste Australia

With thousands of concertgoers nestled into the arms of Diamond Head, Jack Johnson painted Honolulu a vibrant shade of eco-green with his fifth annual Kokua Festival over the course of Earth Day weekend.

GLOBAL warming could have the same economic effect as the Great Depression if handled poorly, the Government's top climate change adviser says.

Professor Ross Garnaut has written an article saying that poor design or slowness in implementing climate change-easing policies could spell the end of what he calls the Platinum Age.

AGROFORESTRY and reforestation are the best option for providing carbon offsets in the initial phase of an emissions trading system, according to Australian researchers.

Soil carbon sequestration also holds potential, but more research is needed to gauge the impact of management practices on long-term changes in soil carbon, they say.

The research was presented to an agriculture, greenhouse gases and emissions trading conference on the Gold Coast. The Australian Farm Institute organised the conference.

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LABOR'S chief adviser on climate change policy believes the market will resolve most problems arising from the introduction of an emissions trading scheme, while power companies claim market forces are likely to cause the greatest disruption.

Presenting his blueprint for an emission trading scheme from 2010 to 800 business representatives yesterday, Ross Garnaut said he favoured a simple and transparent system with minimal intervention from government.

LONDON (Reuters) - Greenhouse gas emissions fell nearly two percent
in 2007, keeping the country on track to meet its targets under the
Kyoto Protocol, the government's environmental agency said on Thursday.

Provisional statistics published by the Department for Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) showed that total greenhouse gas
emissions dropped to 639.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent
in 2007, down from 652.3 million tonnes in 2006.

Premier Paul Lennon announced today, that respected international consultancy Parsons Brinckerhoff would be engaged to audit the Government's greenhouse emissions.

"While other state governments have audited some of their operations, Tasmania will be the first state to embark on a whole-of government audit of emissions.

"We are leading the way on climate change," Mr Lennon said

Parsons Brinckerhoff is one of the world's most highly regarded environmental, planning, engineering and project management firms.

Australian governments need to consider using all available water resource options, not just desalination technology, says a senior scientist with the Australian Water Association.

Dr Diane Wiesner will tell the Second International Salinity Forum's discussion on desalination on Monday that other options for satisfying increasing water demand should include stormwater reuse and wastewater treatment.

The compulsory use of biofuels to partially power every vehicle in Britain could cause higher levels of greenhouse gas emissions, the Government's top environment scientist warned.

Professor Robert Watson called for the move - designed to cut harmful carbon emissions - to be postponed while a review of the impact of biofuels is carried out.

The Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation (RTFO) is due to take effect from April 1, when biofuels will have to comprise at least 2.5% of fuel at the pumps.

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Seeby Woodhouse, founder of Orcon and New Zealand Entrepeneur of the Year 2004, hi-jacked St Patrick's Day last night for his own spin on Green. Mr Woodhouse launched his new business initiative, Green Carbon, at the Westin Hotel, sporting a shiny green tie which could no doubt become his trademark.

Green Carbon is one of New Zealand's first carbon credit companies. It aims to buy and sell internationally certified carbon credits, as well as targeting and assisting small businesses to become 'carbon neutral'.

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