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Sheets are transparent: Scientists have developed what they say is a brighter and more efficient alternative: wafer-thin light panels that could cover an entire ceiling, wall, table or even curtain. The sheets are clear, but when connected to electricity they flood a room with light.

Night into day? This means they could one day be installed as windows or skylights which appear normal in the day but then mimic the effect of natural light after dark.

Lighting consumes 20pc of power bills: Figures show more than 20 per cent of the electricity we use in buildings goes on lighting. The invention, called an Organic Light-Emitting Device, is the culmination of a 13-year research program.

The Courier Mail, 15/4/2006, p. 3

For more information on Organic Light-Emitting Device, simply search Google using `Organic Light-Emitting Device’ as your search phrase. 

Source: Erisk Net  

Small threat to world supply: Chad’s oil exports – 160,000 barrels a day – are small by international standards and have a high sulphur content, reducing their value. But president Idriss Deby appears to be gambling that any threat to the world oil supply, no matter how small, will bring attention to his plight and free up funds he needs to finance his government.

$US125m in oil royalties frozen: In January, the World Bank froze an account with $US125 million ($A171 million) in oil royalties in London, Nasser said. It also cut $A169 million in assistance after Chad changed an oil revenue law passed in 1999 as a condition for the World Bank’s support for the pipeline.

Living standards law changed: Nasser said the World Bank must either release the funds or the operators of the pipeline must compensate the Chadian Government. The law required two-thirds of oil revenues to go toward improving living standards in one of the world’s poorest countries. It also required 10 per cent of proceeds to go into a savings fund to be used when Chad’s oil reserves are exhausted.

$A420m earned so far: An Exxon Mobil-led consortium exported 133 million barrels of oil from Chad between October 2003 and December 2005, according to World Bank statistics. Chad, which receives a 12.5 per cent royalty on each barrel exported, earned $A420 million, the bank said. The consortium invested $A5.7 billion in the pipeline.

Lost royalties demanded: Nasser said the pipeline would continue to operate if the consortium paid the royalties frozen in London and paid future revenues directly to Chad’s treasury.

The Canberra Times, 17/4/2006, p. 9

Source: Erisk Net  

Risks poorly weighed: "I do not believe Australia has given adequate consideration to the risks we give to our neighbours when we sell them our uranium," he said. "Or the risks we leave for our own kids."

Radioactive residue a long term concern: The more we export, the more pressure we will be under to store the resultant radioactive waste. Be in no doubt, the boomerang will come back.

A nuclear accident is no easy fix: An accident at a nuclear reactor is not akin to a fire in a warehouse. And accidents do happen. Twenty years on, people still debate the death toll from the Chernobyl disaster. What isn’t in dispute is the social impact of the, explosion at a civilian nuclear power plant. About 220,000 people from Belarus, the Russian Federation and the Ukraine were permanently relocated.

Chernobyl "just" a 10 per cent disaster: Henry visited Chernobyl in 2003. "I was shocked to learn the carnage caused by the explosion came from just 10 per cent of the reactor’s radioactivity; 90 per cent remains inside the flimsy sarcophagus."

Chernobyl tale of woe still not finished: Of course, the accident site is a complete no-go zone for humans. The authorities send in robots to "hose down" hot spots and lessen the chances of a chain reaction. No accident at any other type of electricity generating plant has ever left such a mark.

Reference: Dr Don Henry is the executive director of the Australian Conservation Foundation.

The Canberra Times, 4/4/2006, p. 11

Source: Erisk Net  

Howard denies having greasy ministers: Amid demands from Senator Joyce’s Coalition colleagues that he back up his allegations with proof, the Prime Minister answered with a blunt "no" when asked yesterday if key people in his government were being "greased up" by oil companies.

Qld Nats leader wary of Joyce talk: Queensland Nationals’ president Bruce Scott said Senator Joyce had to put up or shut up. "If he has evidence, he has to bring it forward," he said.

Joyce on grand ethanol drive: Senator Joyce is pushing for ethanol to be mixed with all fuel, arguing it will help cut petrol prices and kick start the ethanol industry.

Oil lobby power "too great": In a statement yesterday, Senator Joyce played down his comments, claiming he was not insinuating unethical or criminal conduct by ministers or oil executives. "However, the senator does stand by his comments that the oil lobby’s power is too great," the statement said.

The Courier Mail, 22/4/2006, p. 7

Source: Erisk Net  

Children will judge Howard’s "pseudo-science": "The government presumably is still anchored to its close association with the Bush administration that is mired in pseudo-science sponsored by vested interests – as described in your article by John Quiggin, ‘War on science’ (April 7). Our children’s generation are unlikely to judge the Bush administration and Howard government as kindly as current voters.

Unnecessary coal to provide 40% of energy in 2050: "Also you report the chief executives of BP Australia, Westpac, Insurance Australia, Origin Energy and the Australian Conservation Foundation, among others, as saying there is no need for nuclear energy. Indeed one wonders if there is any need for coal and gas, which were projected to still supply more than 40 per cent of the nation’s electricity needs by 2050.

CSIRO is 30 years and 98 pc ahead of industry: "I say this because of recent small reports in other Australian media that the CSIRO has the technology to power all Australia’s electricity needs in 2020, with all energy coming from the sun. And construction would have this in place only 14 years from now and 30 years before the taskforce of industry and ACF have their environmentally friendly blueprint that only sees an increase in solar power from 0.2 per cent now to 2.2 per cent by 2050."

The Australian Financial Review, 20/4/2006, p. 58

Source: Erisk Net  

Army called in Serbia: The Serbian Government announced emergency measures on 14 April as thousands of army troops were helping to stack sandbags along the river, which burst its banks in several areas, flooding parts of Belgrade and northern regions in Serbia.

Snow melt and rain combine: Spring melting of snow, together with heavy rains, has led to floods throughout southeastern Europe in the past few weeks.

All Bulgarian river communities on alert: The Danube, the second-largest river in Europe after the Volga, reached a record high of 9.4m in the northwestern Bulgarian city of Vidin, prompting authorities to declare a state of emergency and prepare the city of 50,000 for a possible mass evacuation. Authorities declared a crisis in all 22 communities along the country’s 450km stretch of the river.

Romania makes ready: And in Romania, more than 3000 police, military and civilian workers monitored dams, with dozens of communities ready to evacuate in case of flooding.

Nuclear power plant monitored: In the Bulgarian town of Kozlodui, the Danube reached 8.5m and submerged the port. Workers at the nearby nuclear power plant were inspecting dikes, but the civil defence agency said the plant’s safety was not threatened.

The Australian, 15-16/4/2006, p. 13

Source: Erisk Net