Overseas readers may not know this, but the eucalyptus tree has a such a high oil content that they virtually explode in the path of an approaching bushfire that has reached such an intensity it is crowning.
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The US has rejected any prospect of a deal on climate change at the G8 summit in Germany next month, according to a leaked document.
Despite Tony Blair’s declaration on Thursday that Washington would sign up to “at least the beginnings” of action to cut carbon emissions, a note attached to a draft document circulated by Germany says the US is “fundamentally opposed” to the proposals.
The note, written in red ink, says the deal “runs counter to our overall position and crosses multiple ‘red lines’ in terms of what we simply cannot agree to”. …
The tone is blunt, with whole pages of the draft crossed out and even the mildest statements about confirming previous agreements rejected. “The proposals within the sections titled ‘Fighting Climate Change’ and ‘Carbon Markets’ are fundamentally incompatible with the President’s approach to climate change,” says another red-ink comment.
clipped from www.seql.org Conserve Energy Reduce Toxicity If you have central air conditioning, do not close vents in unused rooms. Wrap your water heater in an insulated blanket.Turn down or shut off your water heater when you will be away for extended periods. Turn off unneeded lights even when leaving a room for a short time. Set your refrigerator temperature at 36 to 38 and your freezer at 0 to 5 . Purchase appliances and office equipment with the Energy Star Label; old refrigerators, for example, use up to 50 more electricity than newer models. Use an electric lawn- mower instead of a gas-powered one.Shut off electrical equipment in the evening when you leave work. Burn seasoned wood - it burns cleaner than green wood. Use solar power for home and water heating. Ignite charcoal barbecues with an electric probe or other alternative to lighter fluid. Shop with a canvas bag instead of using paper and plastic bags. Buy rechargeable batteries for devices used frequently. Compost your vegetable scraps. Create Less Trash |
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Professor Tony McMichael is the director of the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health at the Australian National University. |
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clipped from www.smh.com.au Convicted terrorist supporter David Hicks was "overjoyed" when he landed in Australia this morning after a 24-hour trip from thenotorious Guantanamo Bay prison to his home town of Adelaide, his lawyer says. Hicks was friendly and in good spirits but was more reflective than talkative. He spent long hours looking out the window at the outside world, something he has not been able to do for years and enjoyed getting on and off the plane - the first time, Mr McLeod said, he'd been able to walk in a straight line for more than 10 metres in years. clipped from www.smh.com.au Hicks' US military lawyer, Major Michael Mori, was also on hand at Guantanamo to farewell his most famous client. Flying back into his home town of Adelaide, Hicks remarked that he was pleased to see the city so green - he had heard tales of Australia's drought and feared conditions would be worse. Environmentalism is a newfound interest and one he hopes to nurture from his cell as he serves the remainder of his nine-month sentence. |
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About 155 million people are known to be displaced now by conflict, natural disaster and development projects. This figure could be augmented by as many as 850 million, as more people are expected to be affected by water shortages, sea level crises, deteriorating pasture land, conflicts and famine, the report says. |
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