Latest Green News & Views
(aggregate by Green Skills Australia)

(For the very latest news, visit http://twitter.com/greenskillsaust) 

How to pack waste-free lunches 
and graphics for a healthy school lunch alternative 

New battery could change the world
Renewable energy just got even more exciting 

5th Aust-NZ Climate Change & Business Conference (24-26 Aug 2009)
Melb/Syd, 100 speakers led by Penny Wong & her NZ counterpart, Dr Nick Smith 

Why not an Aussie Cash for Clunkers Program?
Please sign our 'Australian Cash for Clunkers' petition at  - THANKS!

The complete guide to going paperless 

US Geological Survey 
Glaciers are melting faster than anyone predicted just a few years ago

Inspirational treehouses
Check out these stunning treehouses from around the world -  (just click on treehouse near bottom of Beluga whale article)

Floating rubbish dump
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch has been ignored in the past because it is too big a problem, but it's now being studied 

@MakeMyOwnEnergy 
Would recommend this site - has solid articles on renewable energy sources - http://tr.im/uZaL

How to harvest wild rice 
Warning - this is not so easy!

How To Live (Comfortably) on $36/Month For Food 
And let's not forget that Aussie favourite, damper bread - http://tr.im/uYvG

9 steps to growing sunflowers

New standard means less waste
3 mobile phones in a house often meant 3 chargers, which was bad for the environment. Now 10 mobile companies have agreed on a standard micro usb.

When wind power is not so good
A small reduction in burps & farts worldwide is equivalent to millions of cars being taken off the road -  see also the links at the bottom of the article.

Fielding is entitled to query the science
Why have carbon emissions gone up, but the global temperature hasn't over the past 10-15 years?
The timeframe may be too small (http://tr.im/pDMN) & action on greenhouse gases may still be needed, but Fielding's question is valid...Scary for green organisations whose natural inclination is action, but valid nevertheless. A response can now be made by Fielding's detractors & assessed by all.

Why the flare up?
Senator Steve Fielding may not be popular right now amongst many Australian environmentalists for holding up the works while he investigates to what extent atmospheric carbon dioxide is causing global warming.
However, I’d suggest that it's simple responsibility for a politician to look at both/all sides to an issue without any preconceptions. The role of solar flares in temperature change should be investigated at a political level. Government scientists should present their case to Senator Fielding.
Steve Fielding appears to be genuinely searching for the facts on the matter. In fact, his self-funded trip to the USA is quite gutsy given the pressure to make a quick decision and given the multitude of voices saying "What could you possibly know or determine?" We have a similar responsibility to become informed before we form a position (or vote), no matter what our current level of knowledge is.
Of course, if solar flares are at some stage found to be the main cause of global warming, there may be no less impetus to reduce carbon emissions – after all, carbon emission reduction is at least partially within our power - but that is a separate debate. We should be progressing on reliable scientific facts as Steve Fielding is endeavouring to do.
The green movement may have been rather exclusive in the past, but we now have no choice but to be inclusive.

Still talking about water...
Today is the 1st of June, which marks the start of National Oceans Month in the USA

Talking about water...
Fraser Island once had the world's freshest water, but the island's lakes have been neglected for 12 years. Monitoring is urgently needed.

Dams looking better in Qld (28 May 2009)
There's been terrible flooding here in Queensland, but the dams are looking better. The 3 largest dams in south-east Qld are nearly at 75%

What will global warming look like? 
Australia, with drought, fires, heat waves, extinction, floods, mosquito-borne disease. 

News from yesterday's Green Marketing in a Changing Climate' conference (22 Apr)
One problem with wind turbines is noise. We met John Glass at conf yesterday. His turbine is silent & much more efficient.
Much can be done in retail. Impressed with Capalaba Good Guys (a Brisbane electrical store) at conf. yesterday - they've been blazing a trail for the co & ors.

Get an accurate picture of global energy flows
The highly influential 1997 article "Earth's Annual Global Mean Energy Budget" has recently been updated. The 2009 article "Earth's Global Energy Budget" promises to be just as useful.

Climate change early warning system
An interdisciplinary workshop is currently being conducted at the CCAMLR headquarters in Hobart, Tasmania, to address important issues in measuring, assessing and providing early-warning detection of climate change impacts on marine ecosystems and biodiversity, by measuring change in the Southern Ocean. A key focus will be to promote national and international collaboration and the aim is to develop a Southern Ocean Sentinel program. It will take ten years to refine, but an action plan will be presented at the end of the week.
Workshop dates: 20-24 April 2009

Ocean acidification link proven
Scientists from the ACE CRC have published the first field evidence of a link between ocean acidification and a decrease in the shell-making ability of some marine organisms. 
Source: Antarctic Climate & Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre (ACE CRC)
Published: 09 March 2009

Chinese Climate Experts criticize "wasteful and luxurious" lifestyles of rich nations
The Chinese experts asked a Canberra conference why China should take strong action on global warming when Australia's efforts were "insufficient".
Australia's environmental standards and public transport were described as poor and building and street lighting as not energy efficient. Australia's pledge to cut greenhouse emissions by five to 15 per cent by 2020 was also labelled as "insufficient."
Source: Yahoo (AAP)
Published: 15 April 2009

Sale of Innocent Drinks to Coca-Cola applauded
It was always going to be controversial, but some are seeing a silver lining in the sale of the eco business to the multinational.
Source: Real Business
Published: 7 April 2009

GM, Segway unveil new two-wheel vehicle

Segway is famous for its  two-wheeler and other inventions. Could this new two-wheeler solve the world's urban transportation problems (along with the financial problems of its partner in this venture, General Motors Corp)? 
Source: Yahoo (AAP)
Published: 7 April 2009