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The Generator news service publishes articles on sustainable development, agriculture and energy as well as observations on current affairs. The news service is used on the weekly radio show, The Generator, as well as by a number of monthly and quarterly magazines. A podcast of the Generator news is also available.
As well as Giovanni’s articles it picks up the most pertinent articles from a range of other news services. You can publish the news feed on your website using RSS, free of charge.
 

  • Irrigators plan to save twice Melbourne’s water

    Three projects identified by VFF: "On 3 October the Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) responded to the food bowl committee’s report. Firstly, it endorsed savings of at least 225 gigalitres. Secondly, it said that any savings in excess of 225 gigalitres …should be shared equally between farmers and the environment… In recent talks with the government, the VFF identified three projects that could provide up to 250 gigalitres of water savings in the Goulburn Murray irrigation district for future investments.

    One million dollars to be invested: "What we have is a project which is about investing $1 billion in modernising irrigation infrastructure…paid for by $600 million from the state government through the budget, plus $300 million from Melbourne Water plus $100 million locally — and it is about securing those savings and splitting them three ways," said Brumby.

    Reference: John Brumby, Premier of Victoria, Legislative Assembly, Victoria, 9 October 2007.

    Erisk Net, 8/11/2007

  • Chinese farmers fight officials for fossils

    Irate residents responded by forming a "dinosaur fossil protection team" that took money donations and organized a patrol against officials who tried to enter the village in this poor, often restless farm region.

    "If government staff were discovered approaching the village, they would let off two blasts as a signal to swiftly call all the residents to the village entrance," the report said.

    The report did not say why the villagers wanted to control the dinosaur remains. But China’s regular finds of rare fossils, sometimes smuggled out of the country to be sold for big sums, can offer a windfall to struggling farmers who see them as their own property.

    In March this year, the Shaping villagers wielding hoes and other farm tools seized vehicles of officials who tried to enter. In another clash the following month they pushed a police vehicle into a gully and beat and seized officials, the report said.

    After an hour of confrontation, police took away ringleaders and ended the clash, the report said. The seven now face trial for using violence and threats to obstruct official duties.

  • Post Carbon Professionals – Accredited Training in Byron Bay

    The Permaforest Trust – Centre for Sustainability Education, in partnership with National Environment Centre campus of the Riverina Institute of TAFE, is now offering accredited, specialist sustainability training for transition to a low carbon future from its Byron Bay campus in northern NSW, Australia.

    Learn permaculture skills, relocalisation strategies and systems thinking to proactively meet the challenges of peak oil, climate change and other limits to growth in positive and strategic ways.

    Permaforesttrust’s accredited Certificate 4 and Diploma courses start in March 2008 and include permaculture theory and practice, energy descent planning, community climate change strategies, relocalisation and bioregional planning, food security, community gardens and post carbon transition.

    For more information contact Permaforesttrust at:

    info@permaforesttrust.org.au, www.permaforesttrust.org.au, Ph: (02) 6689 7579

  • Antarctic melt blows climate models

    Antarctica already contributing to rising sea levels: Recent accurate satellite measurements of gravity fields over Antarctica showed that Antarctica was already contributing to sea-level rise, which was not thought to be the case at the time of the 2001 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report and was not included in the sea-level projections in the latest IPCC report in 2007. The upshot was that the WAIS, and indeed the whole Antarctic Ice Sheet, might be contributing to sea-level rise earlier than expected. At what point this process became irreversible due to the accelerated disintegration effects already mentioned for the WAIS was uncertain, but a 3-4°C global warming might well take it beyond the tipping point.

    Many major cities would be flooded: The disintegration of the WAIS would mean a sea-level rise of 5-6 metres with huge impacts on Australia. The combined effect of the melting of Greenland and rapid disintegration of part, or all of, the Antarctic ice sheet would result in unprecedented damage and disruption to civilisation. Most of the major and historic coastal cities of the world would be almost totally destroyed, or, given huge expenditure over centuries, turned into walled cities not unlike New Orleans before hurricane Katrina. We would no longer be concerned about the sinking of Venice, but of London, Lisbon, New York, Shanghai, Bangkok, Calcutta, Lagos and dozens of other major cities that lay at the roots of our civilisation. Extensive low-lying areas of several major Australian cities such as Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane would be affected.

    Reference: "Dangerous Aspiration: Beyond 3ºC Warming in Australia". A report commissioned by WWF-Australia, published September 2007; written and researched by Dr A. Barrie Pittock, PSM, former leader of the CSIRO Climate Impacts Group and author of "Climate change: Turning up the Heat". Copyright WWF – Australia, all rights reserved. Contact: WWF – Australia Head Office, Level 13, 235 Jones St, Ultimo, NSW 2007. Phone: +612 9281 5515 Fax: +612 8281 1060 Website: http://www.wwf.org.au

    Erisk Net, 25/10/2007, p. 18

  • Companies calculate cost of carbon tax

    Compensation available: However, the net cost of emissions trading for these companies was likely to be far less. Not only would they be able to pass some costs to customers, but also these companies would all be likely to be able to claim compensation. Under the federal government’s proposed emissions trading scheme, companies operating in trade-exposed industries would be allowed to claim free permits to offset the cost of carbon price. But the details of these arrangements were still being discussed with industry, wrote Breusch.

    Many companies listed by CDP: While the Carbon Disclosure Project listed only those companies that responded to its requests, that included 74 per cent of the S&P/ASX 50 and all but one company in the S&P/ASX 20. Responding to the CDP, BlueScope had said it was too early to estimate the likely cost of emissions trading.

    The Australian Financial Review, 24/10/2007, p. 7

  • Western Australia plans for water efficiency

    Plumbing designed to keep options open: "Stage 2, the next phase to be introduced next year, will require the plumbing of new homes be done to ensure that they can be connected to an approved alternative water supply at a later date. An alternative water supply might be a water tank, a bore, or pipes for recycled water.

    Garden lovers need alternative supply…: "New homes with a high water demand for landscaping will need an approved alternative water supply for appropriate non-potable use.

    …big water users too: "New homes with a high water demand for internal use will also need an approved alternative water supply for appropriate non-potable use.

    Good guide for existing homes: "While codes will be mandatory for all new homes approved from September 2007, owners of existing homes can also use the ratings tools under 5 Star Plus to find out how to make savings around their existing homes.

    Easy retrofitting: "The great part about the initiatives in this phase of the building codes is that they are things that, in many cases, can be retrofitted into our homes. People can change their taps, update their hot water systems and look to the new standards as a way of improving the energy efficiency in their home.

    Building costs to go up: "Will it cost more to build a house? This is one of the questions that has been floating around in this debate. It is viable to introduce these as universal standards because best change comes slowly. When we look at how we want to change things, we must inspire a little bit of new momentum and thinking on an issue that builds up over a number of years.

    Aim to challenge status quo: "From there, in this case, we can inspire builders and providers to begin implementing it, who then begin to build up a culture in the industry until a critical mass is reached, at which stage we can make everyone comply and try to force those who have not been self-motivated to introduce those standards.

    Little red tape: "The great thing also about 5 Star Plus is that it has not resulted in more red tape. The benefits to the consumer of 5 Star Plus are considerable because they will result in lower water and energy bills.

    75pc reduction of hot water bill: "For example, by changing from an electric hot water system to a solar hot water system and using an efficiently controlled booster, the hot water bill in Perth will reduce by about 75 per cent. That will add up to thousands of dollars over the lifetime of the system and offset the initial extra expense considerably.

    Reference: Legislative Council of Western Australia, Thursday 6 September 2007 – Clerk of the Legislative Council and Clerk of the Parliaments – Building Sustainability Index – 5 Star Plus Scheme.

    Erisk Net, 22/10/2007