The federal government has passed a law preventing Australian companies from relying on data from animal testing for ingredients to be used solely in cosmetics. More than 500,000 animals – mainly rabbits,
Emissions trading fazes many, but there is much to be done at a local level. IT MAY not have been the first sign, but last week brought one of the more obvious indications yet of an affliction we will see plenty of over coming years: climate-change fatigue.
Energy Resources of Australia (ERA) has reported a strong rise in first half profit, after the price of uranium rose. The world's fourth largest uranium producer said output for the six months ended June was lower than for the same period last year. But net profit still grew to $38.95 million, from $5.67 million. Earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) totalled $54.4 million, up from $12.4 million at the end of the calendar 2007 first half. Drummed uranium oxide production fell 6% to 2,357 tonnes while uranium oxide sold fell 21% to 1,746 tonnes.
FORMER treasurer Peter Costello has thrown his weight strongly behind Brendan Nelson's move to toughen the Coalition's policy on emissions trading. Will you start reducing your power consumption to prepare for emissions trading? Click here to vote. The change would link a scheme's start to commitments to action by major emitters China and India. Mr Costello will not be at the Coalition parties meeting that considers the future of the policy next week because he is going on leave.
Rio Tinto says it plans to double Australian thermal coal output by 2015 as it ramps up production at its Hunter Valley operations and removes infrastructure constraints. The mining giant, which is fending off a takeover proposal by BHP Billiton, also plans to aggressively increase production at its Rossing uranium mine in Namibia. Rio Tinto wants to increase coal production to meet global demand, particularly from China, which is shifting to become a large net importer rather than exporter of thermal coal.
The energy industry has warned that an effective emissions trading scheme could drive up the price of energy by almost a quarter in inflation-adjusted dollars by 2020. Higher retail prices would be driven by changes to the energy sector. Cutting carbon emissions 10% by 2020 would push up the cost of emissions permits to $45 per tonne of carbon dioxide, adjusted for inflation, according to a report commissioned by the Energy Supply Association of Australia.
MILLIONS of Zimbabweans face starvation after the widespread failure of the latest harvest brought on by the Government's mishandling of land redistribution, and shortages in the shops caused by hyperinflation. The United Nations said hundreds of thousands of people required food aid immediately because they had harvested little or nothing in recent weeks. It has warned that up to 5 million will need help in coming months
BRITISH leader Gordon Brown has warned Iran it must freeze sensitive nuclear work or face more sanctions, in the first address by a British prime minister to the Israeli Parliament. Mr Brown also attacked Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's "abhorrent" threats against Israel and declared that Britain stood alongside the Jewish state. "Iran now has a clear choice to make: suspend its nuclear program and accept our offer of negotiations or face growing isolation and the collective response of not just one nation but of all nations round the world," Mr Brown said.
The famous tribute to 18th century philosopher Voltaire - "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it" - is as apt today as ever before. Freedom of expression is one of the principles that underpin the health of liberal democracies the world over. It is also normal and indeed essential for scientific research to be subjected to scrutiny and to be challenged. That is why there is cause for concern about aspects of the current debate about climate change.
The proposed framework for tackling climate change is robust and balanced. Modifications to the universality and simplicity of the emissions trading regime are only proposed where there are overwhelming arguments for doing so. Coal-based electricity generators get differential treatment because their future investment decisions are central to tackling climate change. If the value of their existing assets is virtually eliminated overnight, their capacity to make those investments in low emission technologies will be crippled.
THE unseemly haste associated with the implementation of Australia's emission trading scheme seems to be driven more by political aspirations and the pseudo-science of special interest groups than sound environmental concern. On a recent visit to Australia, Jeffrey Sachs, distinguished professor of sustainability from Columbia University, pointed out the futility of a highly politicised debate on emissions trading. He said that the science, technology and economics of any optimal new "clean" energy policy should be properly simulated, studied and understood by all national stakeholders.
