Eminent Border residents call for stronger action on climate change

MEDIA RELEASE 13.11.13 What brings together an international sports star, an archdeacon, a wine guru and a financial CEO?  Basketballer Lauren Jackson, Archdeacon Peter McLeod-Miller, John Brown of Brown Brothers and WAW Credit Union’s Peter Challis, together with fifty other eminent people from the Border region have signed a joint statement calling for all levels…

‘Changing Gears’ author talk at Albury Library

When: 1.30-2.30pm Sunday 27 October 2013 Where: Albury Library Museum, Kiewa Street, Albury Meet Greg Foyster and Sophie Chishkovsky as they cycle into town to talk about the new book Changing Gears: A Pedal-Powered Detour from the Rat Race. Changing Gears is a high-spirited adventure book charting Greg Foyster’s remarkable, life-transforming cycling challenge he undertook…

The critical decade report

Last week the government released its latest report from the Climate Commission – “The Critical Decade – climate science, risks and responses.” http://climatecommission.gov.au/report/the-critical-decade/ (UPDATE: due to the abolition of he Climate Commission by the Abbot Government, their website is no longer available – copies of the report can still be found online at http://apo.org.au/research/critical-decade-2013-climate-change-science-risks-and-responses.) A useful summary…

Media release – Impacts of extreme weather on Border

IMPACTS OF EXTREME WEATHER ON BORDER – MEDIA RELEASE – 22.2.13 [Submitted by Lizette Salmon] Pigs unable to breed and thousands of local chickens dying; these are just two of the more unusual local consequences of this summer’s extreme heat.  “Bushfires, drought, crop losses and heat-related illnesses were consequences of climate change we anticipated in…

Stealing the dirt

Some comments on the Mining Tax from David Macilwain… In a collision of parallel universes – that of the ordinary taxpayer and that of the extraordinary non-taxpayer – the revelation of the new Mining Tax’s pitiful returns coincided with the concealment of Rio Tinto’s extraordinary tax-free profit.  The returns to the people’s fund from rattling…

Economic literacy for environmental advocates – notes from presentation by Richard Denniss (The Australia Institute)

MISLEADING ‘ECONOMIC’ ARGUMENTS We shouldn’t spend more money on renewables etc because Australia has a large deficit Politicians often refuse to spend more $ on pro-environmental actions, arguing it’s too costly and will increase the public deficit, BUT: We have the third lowest debt in the world. Many Australians go into debt to buy a…