Climate News Update

October 16th, 2006

The extent of the drought in rural Australia has created a surge of public debate on climate change & nuclear energy. The sharp divide between the Labor and Liberal/National coalition has emerged in this context, and we can imagine that this will be now a key issue for next year's federal election.

Beazley blueprint to tackle emissions. Kim Beazley has pledged to cut the nation's greenhouse gas emissions by 60 per cent by 2050, establish a national greenhouse emissions-trading scheme and sign up to the Kyoto Protocol if Labor wins next year's federal election. Australian

Global warming intensifying drought patterns: CSIRO. The CSIRO says the drought can mostly be attributed to Australia's normal weather patterns but says global warming has intensified it. ABC News

Drought areas blaming climate change. People in drought-struck areas were beginning to worry that climate change was the cause of their predicament, Nationals Senator Barnaby Joyce said today. News Interactive

Australia pumps cash into drought-hit farms. The Australian government Monday announced a new multi-million dollar relief package for farmers facing a crippling drought which is threatening the country's economic growth. Agence France-Presse

Nuclear Australia 'a decade away.' Australia could have its first nuclear power plant within a decade as part of the Federal Government's push to find alternative energy sources. Australian Associated Press

World needs 20 times as many nuclear plants to avoid greenhouse catastrophe, advocate says. The world needs 20 times more nuclear power plants to avert an environmental apocalypse that could kill billions of people due to global warming blamed on growing greenhouse gas emissions, a top nuclear advocate said Monday. Associated Press

Clocks tick for CO2 trade in energy business. The Kyoto pact has spurred billions of euros in greenhouse trade between companies in Europe and through a program that allows rich countries to pick up credits for investing in clean projects in developing countries. Reuters