This week Nigel Scullion, Senator for NT and the Federal Minister for Indigenous Affairs re-opened the controversy over safari hunting when he opined that safari hunting of crocodiles in the Northern Territory could be taking place within a year. As fast bowler Glen McGrath found out to his detriment when…
UNESCO, the UN agency charged with environment conservation, has completed its investigations and hearings into the health and management of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) World Heritage Area and released its “Draft Decision”. The Report does not recommend including the GBR on the list of “World Heritage in Danger”. Instead…
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I have a question: what is the point of difference, if there is one, between an environmental professional/consultant and a sustainability professional/consultant? The reason I am asking is because the terms seem to be used interchangeably. Even government departments have changed back and forth between ‘environment’ and ‘sustainable’ in their titles. Wikipedia…
I was recently asked aout the potential environmental risk to marine turtles and sea snakes from seismic surveys. I have to admit to not knowing much about sea snakes (if any readers kinow of work in this area please drop me a comment), but I have spent a considerable amount…
Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) is, in its simplest form, meeting the needs and aspirations of the present without compromising the ability to meet those of the future (World Commission on Environment and Development (1987), ‘Our Common Future’, also commonly known as ‘The Brundtland Report’). It requires that actions to protect…
Yesterday I was listening to discussion on the radio about a planned artificial reef near Geographe Bay in the south west of Western Australia. Information on the artificial reef plan can be found at the Fisheries department web site [http://www.fish.wa.gov.au/docs/media/index.php?0000&mr=846]. The commentators were arguing about the costs and benefits of…
The last couple of blogs have been on policy mechanisms for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Solar power is often touted as a fundamental part of the solution to reducing emissions and there has been a lot of angst about the profitability of solar power companies. One concern is that the…
Last Friday the lead article in the Financial Review referred to tensions between the Gillard government and the Greens fuelled by the government’s energy blue print (to be released later this year), which will back the dominance of LNG and coal seam gas (CSG). In essence the government sees development…
Yesterday the Senate passed the 18 Clean Energy Bills for control of greenhouse gas emissions, more commonly known as the carbon tax laws. The Gillard government after initially promising not to introduce a carbon tax was corralled down the road to taxation by minority members of the governing coalition. Is…
Ten days ago the UN released the World Population Prospects 2010 Revision. According to projections presented in the report sometime today, the world population will pass the 7 billion person milestone. By 2024 the number of people living is predicted to reach 8 billion and by 2042 9 billion. Much…
