A radically new Australian design called the Eco Whisper Turbine has been developed with increased efficiency and reduced noise in mind. Rated at a 20kW capacity, the turbine is 23 metres high with 30 blades extending out from a 6.5 metre radius from the hub.
The debate over water reform has received less scrutiny of late with the drought broken in much of the country and national attention turning to matters such as the carbon tax debate, the bankrupted Malaysian refugee solution and of course the coverage of the footy finals.
A key report released yesterday by the Australian Government’s Climate Commission has served a grim warning to coastal regions of Western Australia about the effects of climate change.
The current famine in southern Somalia should have come as no surprise. Aid agencies have been warning of the consequences of the worst drought to hit East Africa in thirty years. Republished from The Conversation.
The recently appointed panel to determine how grassroots aid funding will be spent in New Zealand is being criticised as poorly qualified and politically driven.
NSW Premier Kristina Keneally has called Pauline Hanson "a racist" after the announcement of the controversial former One Nation leader's decision to contest a seat in the NSW Upper House.
Victoria’s alcohol and drugs treatment services are failing to keep pace with the growing substance abuse epidemic after a decade of neglect, a report released by the auditor-general has revealed.
The Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) has said uneven indexation increases to pensions aimed at meeting increases in the cost of living will see more than 300,000 unemployed slip further into poverty.
Queenslanders have already lost homes and livelihoods to floodwaters, now they could be faced with huge impacts to biodiversity in beautiful Moreton Bay.
The NSW Government's decision to end its support for the Hunter's unpopular Tillegra dam has been described as a major victory for the community by the NSW Greens.
A major study has found the Asian region, along with that of the Middle East and North Africa, as being most at risk from water stress. The study found key Asian economies of China, India as also being vulnerable to water shortages.
By Rich Bowden: The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) has announced VicSuper as the winner of its annual Sustainability Reporting Awards, held in Sydney yesterday. The event recognises “…excellence in environmental, social and sustainability financial reporting,” according to a ACCA statement released to coincide with the awards. It said that nominated companies are judged, “…on...
An OECD report has said Indonesia must reform its government spending to better achieve important Millennium Development Goals such as improvements in sanitation and water supply.
Proposed LNG development and dredging around Gladstone, in Queensland, would be disastrous for the region's marine life, including putting at risk of extinction Australia’s only native dolphin – the rare snubfin dolphin.
The Australian Human Rights Commission today released its 2010 Christmas Island immigration detention report which recommends an end to mandatory detention and offshore processing on the islands.
The NSW Greens and the Labor state government have announced the result of negotiations to reform election funding and donations reform package in NSW.
The Philippines-based Manila Water Corp's purchase of Australian water company United Utilities Australia (UUA) will result in closer co-operation in water management and more sharing of knowledge between the two nations, according to Australian Ambassador Rod Smith.
By Rich Bowden: The Australian government-owned science organisation CSIRO has described the future of solar technology in the country as having a “global impact” after announcing the installation of 450 solar mirrors, or heliostats. CSIRO will begin the rollout for Australia’s largest solar-thermal tower system at the CSIRO National Solar Energy Centre in Newcastle,...
A study has found population increase to be four times more important than the effects of climate change on water availability.
By Rich Bowden: The Pacific nation of Fiji’s water crisis continues this week with the water supply of a small island reaching critical levels, according to local reports. The Fiji Times has reported that over 100 families on Druadrua Island, off Vanua Levu, the second largest island of the country, have been identified by...
The banning of the toxic chemical endosulfan has been welcomed by the Greens though action on the pesticide should have occurred much earlier, according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye.
Scientists in California have reported a significant increase in freshwater flow into the world’s oceans per year claiming it to be a result of more extreme and frequent storms caused by the shift in the world’s weather patterns.
Fijian authorities are blaming the El Nino weather pattern for the water crisis that has emerged in the country's Western Division.
Aid agency Oxfam Australia yesterday welcomed Australian foreign minister Kevin Rudd's proposal to give 0.15 per cent of Australia’s gross national income to least developed countries, saying the move would benefit "the poorest of the poor."
Kevin Rennie, writing in Global Voices, finds the distraction of the footy finals season and the negotiations over the first federal hung parliament in Australia in seventy years as the reason the mainstream media in the country has delivered scant attention to the real reasons behind the UN Millennium Development Goals Summit in New...
NSW Greens MP John Kaye has claimed Premier Kristina Keneally has failed in her attempt to implement meaningful campaign funding reform, describing the premier's announcement yesterday as a "lost opportunity."
World Water Week attendees in Stockholm, Sweden have heard that increased urbanisation is hampering global attempts to reach overall UN goals on increasing the number of people with access to safe drinking water.
BHP Billiton chief Marius Kloppers has called on the Gillard Government to introduce a tax on carbon ahead of international agreements to protect Australia's economic interests.
Indonesian companies tend to avoid directing their corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds to water and sanitation projects, preferring instead to provide finance for more short term programs, a recent Indonesian conference has heard.
Newly installed Minister for Climate Change, Greg Combet, has said one of his main priorities will be to work towards a price on carbon.
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon addressed a UN health conference in Melbourne by videolink which concluded yesterday saying countries were falling short of some of their health goals with women's and children's health the main focus.
A UN human rights committee has said discrimination against Aborigines is "embedded" in Australian society, criticising what it describes as the unacceptable level of social disadvantage experienced by Indigenous people in the country.
NSW Greens MP Dr John Kaye has warned that probable domination of the state's Upper House by conservatives at the next election will do nothing to fix the state's problems.
Melbourne youth workers are calling on the Brumby government to release a long-overdue policy framework that would bolster supports for vulnerable young people
As we approach polling day on Saturday 21st August, one of the most watched seats will be the bellwether seat of Eden-Monaro. However with 48 hours of campaigning still to go, have the Liberals conceded the iconic seat?
An integrated water management system, though essential to protect developing nations facing climate change, is but one part of a wider “climate proofing” system, a report released by the UK-based sustainable development NGO Forum for the Future has said.
Greens' communications spokesperson, Senator Scott Ludlam, has launched a more comprehensive approach to cyber safety, as an alternative to the Government's contentious internet filter.
An Australian study has found family financial pressures increase the likelihood of physical abuse on women.
While water activists and environmentalists have hailed the recent decision by the UN General Assembly to grant access to safe water and adequate sanitation as a human right, Australia and New Zealand followed the United States, Canada and the UK in abstaining from the vote.
By Rich Bowden: Rich Bowden talks to Major-General Michael Keating, chair of the Australian Republican Movement (ARM), about the growing support amongst Australians for a republic, how the ARM is raising the profile of the debate and the Major-General’s personal reasons for supporting an Australian Head of State. Rich Bowden: The republic debate appears to...
An opinion poll carried out by Auspoll on behalf of the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) and WWF-Australia has found overwhelming support for more government spending on the environment, according to a WWF media release.
NSW Senate candidate Cheryl Kernot has revealed she and her running mate have lodged a split preference ticket similar to that which used to be practiced by the Australian Democrats.
The announcement yesterday by Opposition Leader Tony Abbott that a Coalition Government would end the current protection policy of Australia's waters highlights a lack of leadership over marine parks, according to environment group WWF-Australia.
Key environmental groups have greeted Prime Minister Julia Gillard announcement of a "citizen's assembly" on climate change a cool response.
An American water distributor company believes it can resolve many of the world's water shortages by shipping water from where it is plentiful, to destinations in Asia and the Middle East via an Indian distribution point.
A Galaxy poll conducted for WWF-Australia has shown support for an emissions trading scheme continue to grow in the Queensland marginal seats of Brisbane, Bowman, Petrie and Ryan.
The release of a list containing more than 80 of Australia's most dangerous pesticides, many of which are banned overseas, has raised questions of the effectiveness of Australia's regulatory system.
The Philippines-based Asian Development Bank (ADB) $US100 million loan to China’s Wuhan Province to help finance the Wuhan Urban Environmental Improvement Project is expected to act as a template for the country and the region, bank officials have said.
ADB Assistant Chief Economist Juzhong Zhuang, editor of a new book on inequality and inclusive growth in Asia, says rising growth rates in Asia have masked rising inequality, leading to two faces of Asia - one shining and the other suffering.
MP3 and transcript of Julia Gillard's controversial 'Moving Forward' speech at the Lowy Institute yesterday is available from the institute's website here. Stay tuned at theangle.org for more discussion of the asylum seeker policies proposed by all parties in the lead up to the next federal election.
A study conducted by the University of Melbourne has found professional women with young families are leaving the workforce at an alarming rate.
Refugee advocates have expressed concern over Prime Minister Julia Gillard's tough new approach to asylum seekers as the country prepares for a federal election as early as August.
A conference focusing on countries' adaptability to climate change has been described as a "turning point" for climate change science.
The Australian Government has signalled its intention to assist the development of its near neighbours' water infrastructure funding a multi-million dollar program to improve people's access to an adequate water supply and sanitation facilities.
WWF Australia has called on the country's pesticide regulator to follow the lead of the United States and ban the controversial toxic pesticide endosulfan.
Asian and Pacific countries are amongst the beneficiaries as Australia's Parliamentary Secretary for International Development Assistance, Mr Bob McMullan, announced earlier in the month his government would provide grants for 44 clean drinking water and sanitation projects throughout the world.
The Australian Government has announced that it will release $47.3 million to the CSIRO to fund renewable energy solutions for a radio observatory.
The findings of a key report of the effect of climate change on vulnerable has been challenged at climate change talks in Germany.
The Australian Greens have given their support to a legal action brought by traditional landowners around Muckaty Station in the Northern Territory over the siting of a proposed radioactive waste dump, saying the federal Government had acted incorrectly in its attempts to resolve the matter.
The latest Newspoll published by The Australian has seen further improvement in the Greens primary vote at the expense of the major parties.
The sixth annual poll by the Sydney-based think tank the Lowy Institute has surveyed Australian's on foreign policy, giving the Government a mediocre score and uncovering some shock findings on China.
Paul Bateson, of the Blue Mountains-based sustainability consultants EcoSTEPS, recently took time out from a tourism-focused sustainability meeting in Samoa to present the country's prime minister with a Socceroos shirt.
Tony Abbott's unveiling of the Coalition refugee policy today, where he promises a rerun of the Howard-era "Pacific Solution" for processing of asylum seekers, has caused yet another rift with party moderates.
The Australian Greens have called for better water monitoring methods to be implemented in the wake of allegations that contamination of creek systems has occurred near the Ranger Uranium Mine in the Northern Territory.
The Federal Opposition has criticised the resignation of former prime minister Malcolm Fraser's from the party after it was revealed he considered the Liberals had lurched too far to the right.
Environmental group the Conservation Council of WA has criticised the State Government for its lack of support for the environment in its second state budget.
A consortium led by Japanese company the Mitsubishi Corporation has successfully acquired Australian water company United Utilities Australia Pty Ltd (UUA) for $A225 million, making it the first Japanese public-private partnership of its kind for the purchase of an overseas utility.
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has been lambasted by Government frontbenchers after a disastrous interview on Australian television last night during which he let slip that his statements are not always the "Gospel Truth."
The expected war over the Government's proposed resources tax took a new turn with the release of the Australian Workers Union's It’s time to put something back video.
The Australian Greens have said Treasurer Wayne Swan's third budget shows the Rudd Government has turned its back on key environmental reforms, including a tax on carbon.
A new report issued by specialist insurance group Lloyds, along with environmental organisation WWF, has warned global businesses of the consequences of corporate inaction in fighting the growing global water scarcity crisis.
Australia ranks in the top ten of the world's worst environmental performers, according to a new study.
Queensland's Crime and Misconduct Commission report into the investigation following the 2004 death in custody of Palm Island's Cameron Doomadgee (Mulrunji), will criticise the conduct of senior police involved in the investigation, newspaper reports have revealed.
Developing economies in the Australasian/Pacific region will be affected if a push from the world's richest nations to raise water prices is successful.
A UN-sponsored report has listed nine recommendations for world Governments and NGOs to reach Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on sanitation.
The Australian Greens have said they will pursue tax recommendations made by Treasury head Ken Henry in a comprehensive review released in Canberra on Sunday.
The Australian Greens have welcomed Federal Government plans to shelve its controversial internet censorship plan, recommending further that the policy be junked altogether.
The decision by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd earlier this week to shelve plans for an emissions trading scheme has drawn ire from environmental groups who say it will harm the nation's economy.
Developing countries, including those in the Asia Pacific region, require increased funding and community cooperation to ensure schools have access to clean water and adequate sanitation facilities, according to a new UNICEF report.
The Australian Government's decision to end restrictions on uranium to Russia will damage its credibility as a country dedicated to ending nuclear proliferation, the Australian Greens have said.
Marine sanctuaries should be considered an "important tool" in marine resource management and used as part of an integrated approach to marine planning and implementation, a Western Australian Department of the Environment report has stated.
A report released today by a public policy think tank, has criticised the Federal Government's proposed ETS scheme, describing it as a waste of taxpayers' money.
Environmental NGO WWF has called on Federal Agriculture Minister Tony Burke and State ministers to fix the country's national pesticides authority when they meet at a conference in Darwin tomorrow.
Government science organisation Geoscience Australia has said it is unclear if mining near the town of Kalgoorlie was responsible for yesterday's magnitude 5.0 earthquake.
The Victorian and NSW premiers have agreed to the Commonwealth health care reform package after another day of tight negotiations in Canberra. The announcement leaves WA as the sole holdout against the deal.
The Greens have described the Federal Government's decision to reopen the Howard-era Curtin detention centre as a backward step in asylum seeker policy, saying the disused WA Air Force base had been described as a "living hell hole," during its use under a previous Government.
Tasmanian Greens leader Nick McKim has turned down an offer from Premier David Bartlett to serve in his Labor ministry.
An international health expert has said the Australian diet has changed for the worse over the last twenty years and now rivals the American diet as one of the worst in the world.
The Conservation Council of Western Australia has called on the Commonwealth Government to act to save what remains of the state's wetlands.
A growing population and increasing industrialisation have been listed as the chief threats to water supply in the Asia Pacific, according to a UN-sponsored report released last month.
Australian scientists have been at the centre of a clean nuclear energy discovery that has the potential to deliver sustainable energy from nuclear power.
Caretaker premier David Bartlett has been asked by Governor Peter Underwood to form a Government as accusations fly of double-dealing in Tasmania.
Tasmanian Greens Leader Nick McKim has been rebuffed as he seeks to bring stability to a confused political situation by promising to back Labor should it attempt to form a minority Government.
Newly-appointed Population Minister Tony Burke says the fresh portfolio is more than a debate about immigration levels, calling on Australians to remain "calm" on the issue.
Up to 30,000 people are expected to attend the 23rd National Sikh Games in Brisbane this weekend, an event organisers hope will contribute to repairing strained relations between Australia and India.
Rio Tinto has moved to repair damages with China by terminating the employment contracts with the four Shanghai-based employees convicted this week on charges of receiving bribes and committing commercial espionage.
Water data management in Australia has received a boost with the unveiling of a new information transfer format.
Rising sea temperatures have caused coral bleaching at the world's southernmost coral reef at Lord Howe Island, say a team of Australian researchers.
A report released earlier this week by technology giant Siemens has called for an $83 billion investment from business and governments over the next ten years to ensure Australia's water and renewable energy future.
A new climatic index developed by Australian and Chinese researchers will help scientists understand why southwestern Western Australia has experienced such a decline in rainfall over the past 40 years.
