Environment
The meek will inherit the earth but not its mineral rights.
J. Paul Getty
It isn't pollution that is harming the environment. Its the impurities in our air and water that are doing it.
Dan Quayle
Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught, will we realise that we cannot eat money.
North American Cree Indian 19th Century
Salinity in the Murray- Darling Basin
Synopsis: Salinty is a problem all over Australia and in many other parts of the world.
Australia is the driest continent on earth and water is extremely precious. However, through ignorance, greed
and neglect we have been severely damaging the only great river system in our country. While this has been
recognised by governments and plans put in place, it is questionable whether we are serious enough
to make the hard economic choices that will avert a major catastrophe.
Green paper - coming
Links:
- Australian Conservation Foundation
- http://www.acfonline.org.au
- Save The Murray
- http://www.savethemurray.com/
- Murray Darling Basin Commission
-
http://www.mdbc.gov.au
Environmental Flows and Water Quality... :The Living Murray
http://www.mdbc.gov.au/naturalresources/e-flows/thelivingmurray.html - National Dryland Salinity Program
- http://www.ndsp.gov.au
- Directions for Managing Salinity in South Australia
- http://www.dwr.sa.gov.au/dis_papers/dir_manage.html
- CSIRO Division of Land and Water
- http://www.clw.csiro.au
- Monitoring the White Death - Australian Academy of Science
- http://www.science.org.au/nova/032/032key.htm
- A study guide
- http://www.web-and-flow.com/members/gblair/folder1/hunt.htm
- Trees for Life
- http://www.treesforlife.org
- Landcare Australia
- http://www.landcareaustralia.com.au
Plugging in the Sun
Synopsis: This topic could as easily been placed in the technology section. It is
really a good news story in the making, unlike most of the topics covered on this site, as
it shows how technology can be harnessed to provide minimal damage to the environment
by anyone, given the money!
For some time Australia, a land of abundant sunshine, dragged its heels in this area but
exciting developments are appearing as our research institutions catch up.
As the price of the technology comes down things can only improve. It also provides
an example of how people can become independent of large monopolistic power generation companies.
I hope to be collecting links to a whole number of sites promoting environment friendly
technologies.
Green paper - coming
Links:
- Solar House Day
- - visit examples of active and passive Solar House design.
- http://www.solarhouseday.com
- Plug&Power
- - solar panel modules to generate your own electricity are now becoming affordable
with government rebates of up to A$7,500.00
- http://www.pacsolar.com.au/
- Solar Systems
- - Sydney University research has produced a breakthrough in medium and large scale
solar electricity generation. It is being installed on the Pitjantjatjara Lands near Umuwa.
- Solar power adopted on the Pitjantjatjara Aboriginal Lands Solar Systems
- Sustainable Building
- - how sustainable building technology can save energy.
- http://www.westnet.com.au/jackhsmit/buildings.htm
