This white paper examines the current challenges for clean energy infrastructure and identifies solutions that industrial clusters, transport and logistics industries, and the wider clean energy value chain can jointly explore in order to accelerate its deployment. Thirteen new industrial clusters from Australia, Brazil, Colombia, India, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, …
A three-year moratorium has been put on the use of genetically modified organisms (gmos) in the state of Victoria in Australia. The need for comprehensive inquiry and public debate on the contentious issue has spawned the decision, taken by the Municipal Association of Victoria (mav)
Scientists from the Geoscience Australia expedition have discovered an uncharted 120-square kilometre (sq km) coral reef in Queensland's Gulf of Carpentaria. The reef is so far said to have escaped notice because of its remote location and due to the fact that a large portion of it lies about 20 …
If the battle over failed farm trade talks in the World Trade Organisation (wto) wasn't enough, Brussels and Canberra look likely to clash again as eu members begin discussions on whether to allow imports of Australian wine treated with oak chips. Oak chips accelerate the process of flavouring the wine, …
Australian researchers have developed a unique technique to check the rapid growth of mouse population. The government-backed Cooperative Research Centre (crc) for Biological Control of Pest Animals has produced a genetically modified herpes virus that makes sexually prolific female mice infertile by blocking sperm from entering their eggs. "We know …
Individuals and companies in western Australia could soon be asked to cough up US $0.25 million and US $1.25 million, respectively, for concealing or not reporting the discovery of contaminated sites. The state's legislative assembly has decided to debate such stringent laws following the discovery of 30 dumped cement-filled drums …
the more virulent the pathogen, the less fertile it is, Australian scientists have discovered, showing that there is often a genetic trade-off between ferocity and fecundity in fungi that infect plants. Virulence is the ability of a pathogen, such as a fungus, to attack a host plant successfully. Fungi have …
The Aboriginal people of Australia have been around for at least 50,000 years, overcoming the most adverse conditions. During this period they have developed a unique lifestyle that lays stress on living in harmony with nature. They believe that things past and present are interrelated, as well as the weather, …
india's Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (csir) has joined hands with eight similar organisations to form the Global Research Alliance (gra) in New Delhi on January 21. Its main objective is to establish itself in the research consultancy megamarket. gra signifies the culmination of an agreement reached in Pretoria …
Parched koalas are roaming Australian towns in search of water. A long-drawn drought, that has been stretching for more than 11 months, has forced the koalas to abandon their babies and eucalyptus trees in the forest and head for household backyards, to drink water from taps and sprinklers. The lack …
With a severe drought hitting the region, it seems residents of southern Australia are willing to go to any length for relief. Hundreds of women in Victoria state are planning to bare themselves to the heavens to ensure more rain in this drought-ravaged region. Taking their inspiration from a Nepalese …
Researchers at the Australian National University have discovered that the mountain brushtail possum actually consists of two distinct species. An article in the latest edition of the Australian Journal of Zoology proposes that the northern mountain brushtails, found in the forests of Queensland and New South Wales, are a separate …
an informal round of World Trade Organisation (wto) talks was held in Sydney, Australia on November 14 and 15, 2002. A select group of 25 countries including Brazil, China, India, Senegal, the eu and the us attended the talks. The issue of developing countries' access to inexpensive medicines, enabling them …
Australia's Great Barrier Reef is facing a different kind of danger. Runoffs from the sugarcane fields along the 2,000-kilometre-long coastal strip that runs parallel to the reef are said to increase soil acidity in the area, a problem serious enough to rival the better-known blight of dryland salinity. Highlighting this, …
with sea temperatures increasing, the world's coral reefs are once again facing threat as shown by intensive bleaching. Data from a new information system, called ReefBase, shows that 2002 is the second worst year for coral bleaching after 1998, when a very strong episode of the El Ni
Despite the fact that Sydney lies in a seismic zone, Australia's nuclear watchdog has given the clearance for a new reactor at a suburb near the city. The construction of the us $171-million replacement research reactor had been put on hold after excavation work at the site uncovered a geological …
For the first time in two decades, Australia is reeling under a water crunch. Restrictions on water use have been imposed on Melbourne residents. Environment minister Sherryl Garbutt has directed the people to use watering systems sparingly during the day and reduce washing their cars with hoses. Empty pools and …
A new enemy may be threatening Australia's Great Barrier Reef. A condition scientists are calling white syndrome was found on 33 of 48 reefs surveyed in the national marine park, said Australian Institute of Marine Science ecologist Cathie Page. The syndrome, which leaves white marks where it has killed living …
ANTI-MCDONALD'S DAY . October 16, 2002 October 16, 2002 is UN World Food Day. It is also the 18th annual worldwide Anti-McDonald's Day. A day of protest against the promotion of junk food, the unethical targeting of children, exploitation of workers, animal cruelty, environment damage and the global domination of …
