Kookaburra

Whacky weather

It was a big 24 hours of weather in Melbourne. Biggest 24 hour period of rain since records began in the 1850s. No damage here (home) but major disruption to roads. We've heard of several people having trees down on their houses. Violent weather in Sydney as well.

Stormchasers.au.com has photos of the deluge -- 2nd & 3rd February 2005 - Lows and flooding rains, Melbourne

Hard to say we're not seeing climate change.

NationMaster.com: Nifty statistics and mapping site...

NationMaster.com: Nifty statistics and mapping site for international comparisons (eg, total crimes per capita, or CO2 emissions per $ GDP). [source: Ken Novak's Weblog]

Finally, the world's drinking glass is more than half full

CS Monitor: For the first time, more than half the globe's people have drinking water piped into their homes.

Moon gas may solve Earth's energy crisis

A potential gas source found on the moon's surface could hold the key to meeting future energy demands as the earth's fossil fuels dry up in the coming decades, scientists say. [Source: ABC News Online] -- though of course this will do nothing to reduce greenhouse emissions.

Bass Strait island may lead the way on renewable energy.

Cape Barren Island in Bass Strait may become fully reliant on renewable energy under a bid to use wind and hydrogen to power the island.

The Tasmanian Government is proposing to build a wind turbine on the island that would provide electricity and create hydrogen from water to be stored for future thermal power generation. [More at ABC News Online]

Future Forests for a CarbonNeutral world

Future Forests for a CarbonNeutral world

Future Forests is a UK-based company with a global vision: to protect the earth's climate.


We recognise that to some degree we all contribute to global warming - but also that we can all do something to slow it down. That's why we make it quick and easy for people and companies to find out how much carbon dioxide they produce; to provide them with straightforward ways of reducing those emissions, and interesting options for 'neutralising' what can't be reduced. Those options include forestry, and investments into climate friendly technology.

An Australian equivalent is GreenFleet

Greenfleet is a not for profit organisation. Our program provides a simple way to reduce your car's impact on the environment. For a fee of $40 (tax deductible), Greenfleet will plant and maintain 17 native trees on your behalf. As they grow, these trees will absorb the greenhouse gases that the average car produces in one year (based on 4.3 tonnes of CO2).

Science shows that 17 mixed species trees will not only absorb a car's greenhouse emissions, but will also help tackle salinity, improve water quality and provide essential habitat for native species.

So far, Greenfleet has planted over 1.7 million trees on behalf of Australian motorists and fleets. These native forests will not be harvested and will create an investment in rural Australia for future generations.

Car and Driver reviews Ford Hybrid SUV

Ford Escape Hybrid 4WD : December 2004 - between 19% to 47% improvement in mileage compared to V6 petrol model.

Highs: Best fuel economy we've measured in a sport-ute, hybrid status hasn't compromised any of the Escape's usefulness.
Lows: Not the bargain the Toyota Prius is, lethargic, 10 percent heavier than a V-6 Escape.
The Verdict: Proof that hybrid technology works for sport-utility vehicles. Just don't expect 50 mpg.

Think tank wants SUV warning labels

Gas-guzzling sport utility vehicles (SUVs), the increasingly popular all-terrain cars, should be forced to sport labels just like cigarette packs announcing their terrible health and environmental impact, a British think tank said.

Just like smokers in the European Union (EU) buy tobacco marked with "Smoking Kills" and other dire warnings, New Economics Foundation (NEF) offered its own slogans for super-stickers which they said should be slapped onto the hoods and sides of cars.

"Global warming kills", "Climate change can seriously damage your health" or even "Driving seriously harms you and others around you" were among the list of warnings proposed by the London-based think tank. [Read the whole article at ABC News Online ]

Green Power: Clean energy alternatives that reduce Greenhouse Gases

Most Australians don’t realise that over 90% of their electricity is generated by burning coal. This creates greenhouse gas pollution that contributes to global warming and climate change.
You can ask your electricity supplier instead to source the energy you use from renewable sources such as wind, solar and hydro-power. Choosing a clean energy alternative makes it easy for everyone to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions at home and work. [More info: Green Power ]

We're in the process of lining up our Green Energy supply for our new house (we're moving to the outskirts of Melbourne). We're currently enjoying Country Energy's - Countrygreen option which means that for less than $1/day extra on our bill we force our energy supplier to source an equivalent amount of electricity from 'green' sources. It's worked well, though their bills still show that I am responsible for tonnes of greenhouses gases per year when I am not.

It's easy to switch to green energy. See this list of Australian suppliers -- Green Power: Suppliers It's also the simplest way you can personally fulfil our Kyoto Protocol obligations even if the Australian and US Governments refuse to do so. BTW - The Kyoto Protocol is all set to come into force now Russia has ratified the agreement [See BBC News item]

An electric car that's faster than a Porsche 911

This radical eight-wheeled, 600kW rocket from Japan is proof that electric cars can be fast and fun.

Called Eliica, short for Electric Lithium-Ion battery Car, it boasts a neck-snapping 0-100kmh time of just four seconds and a 0-160kmh time of seven seconds, which means the Eliica accelerates faster than a Porsche 911 Turbo.

Read more at the Sydney Morning Herald's Car News