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, …
The succulent Patagonian toothfish is the bone of contention in the war between poachers and fishing patrols in Australia. Long-range, high-tech trawlers are being used by poachers to illegally catch us $200 million worth of this fish from sub-Antarctic seas. The fish is marketed in the us as Chilean sea …
it is a downpour that has left most parts of central and eastern Europe submerged in misery. Over the past few weeks, unprecedented and severe storms have triggered floods in the region, claiming more than 112 lives, rendering thousands homeless and causing damage worth more than us $21.5 billion. Authorities …
By being home to the world's first solar tower, Australia is scaling new heights in its quest for tapping renewable energy resources. The one-kilometre-high structure would generate electricity to cater to a population of more than 0.2 million people. It will heat air at its base through the use of …
The speed of light has slowed down since the Big Bang, a team of Sydney researchers has conjectured. If true, the findings rock the very foundations of some of our most sacred scientific laws. The discovery was made by Paul Davies from Macquarie University and Tamara Davis and Charles Lineweaver …
In a major blow to the us biotech industry, the European parliament recently approved one of the world’s most stringent regulations on labelling of genetically modified organisms (gmo). The parliament has also decided to retain the ongoing moratorium on the import of numerous gm products till the regulation comes into …
This user guide is intended to help manufacturers and other users identify, interpret and apply information relevant to flavourings and flavour enhancers contained in the new Code. The guide explains: how the new Code differs from previous regulations with regard to flavourings and flavour enhancers; and where and how flavourings …
Pollen from genetically modified (gm) crops can travel at least three kilometres to contaminate neighbouring crops, according to a study. The study, by researchers from Australia-based University of Adelaide, followed the spread of genes from a new herbicide-resistant variety of GM oilseed rape introduced in Australia two years ago. It …
Shy and wandering, the world's largest flying bird, the Albatross, is endangered. Worldwide, there are currently 150 breeding populations of albatross. Eighteen of them are in Australia. Quite a number of albatrosses fall victim to longline fishing in Australia's southern oceans, when they become hooked on baits attached to the …
the Australian government is being bombarded with criticism for deciding to hand back a 3.2 lakh hectare (ha) site to its traditional aboriginal owners despite fresh evidence surfacing that the land is still toxic from nuclear tests conducted 40 years ago. Maralinga, the tract in question, is located in the …
the World Food Summit, convened by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (fao) and held in Rome from June 10-13, failed to secure an enhanced commitment to its goal of reducing the number of hungry people from 800 million to 400 million by 2015. What it could just do was to …
There were quite a few adherents to the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture at the World Food Summit. The treaty defines plant genetic resources as any genetic material of plant origin of actual or potential value for food and agriculture. India ratified the pact along …
There is disappointment down under over the us farm bill which has recently become a law. The us bill will provide new subsidies for domestic farmers over the next decade. It raises subsidy rates for soyabean, wheat, corn, cotton and barley. Australian trade minister Mark Vaile says that a dithering …
rainwater harvesting can also cleanse water. Storage of treated wastewater and storm runoff in underground aquifers purges it of disease-causing organisms. This allows the water to be recycled for irrigating parks, gardens, ovals and farms. This was revealed in a study recently conducted by Australia-based Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research …
an epidemic of coral bleaching has adversely affected Australia's Great Barrier Reef for the second time in four years. This was revealed during a survey recently carried out by the Australian Institute of Marine Science. The epidemic is also fast spreading to the islands of the South Pacific. Coral bleaching …
new Zealand's four unique frog species are under threat. A notorious toxic fungus called chytrid, blamed for decimating amphibian populations around the world has been found in the country. The four native frog species are living fossil frogs, believed to be more than 200 million years old, morphologically older than …
community concern for animals and clean waterways have helped to make Sydney a haven for native animals like koalas and sharks. Koalas have made their home in a forest in suburban Sydney. Other colonies of koalas have also been found on the outskirts of this sprawling city of late. Recently, …
salt is destroying Australia's waterways and agricultural zones, says a recent study conducted by a committee of more than 100 scientists, government agencies and private sector groups. The report highlights the growing damage to the nation's coral reefs, vegetation loss and increased greenhouse gas emissions. One major cause is the …
the Montreal Protocol may be doing wonders for healing the ozone layer over the poles, but it seems to have overlooked the problem in other places. According to a recent study, northern mid latitude stratospheric ozone levels will not recover to pre-1980 levels due to increasing levels of nitrous oxide …
