Saving Planet Earth articles

The Saving Planet Earth magazine series sets the scene for the environmental problems affecting the world we live in.

In-depth articles, detailed graphics and stunning photographs will help students learn what global warming is, how it affects life on Earth, alternative energy sources and what we need to do to ensure a sustainable future.

The Herald Sun, on the other hand, shows students how all that information translates to “real life” situations affecting every facet of our lives.

Students reading through the newspaper on any given day will find environment and environment-related news, business and feature articles – including the latest research and studies, how global warming is playing a big role in the lead-up to the federal election and alternative energy as a new boom industry – to opinion and social commentary pieces by experts and journalists. They’ll even find cartoons that put a comic spin on a serious situation.


Monday October 15

What noise annoys – page 7
A new report released by the Environment Protection Agency has found that while noise has not increased, more Victorians are affected by neighbourhood noise than 20 years ago.

Cracks in the march of the toads – page 14
Back problems – from hopping – are slowing down cane toads in their relentless march across Australia. Professor Rick Shine has been studying these rather beastly beasts and their travel itineraries. His findings will be published in the Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences online journal this week.

Election ’07 (eight-page liftout): Key issues – page 74-75
Climate change
John Howard says he will tackle climate change, but not at the expense of Australian jobs. Labor will ratify the Kyoto Protocol will commit Australia to binding emissions targets and will create a carbon trading scheme by 2010.

Election ’07: Australia’s key match-ups – page 77
Environment
The Federal Government’s Minister for Environment and Water Resources Malcolm Turnbull has been responsible for administering the Government’s plans to save the Murray-Darling and address climate change. Peter Garrett found fame as lead singer of rock band Midnight Oil, but is now Labor’s environment, heritage and arts spokesman.

Tuesday October 16

People power – Learn, page 55
Schools are leading the way in harnessing people power as evidenced by the popularity of the RACV’s Energy Breakthrough Challenge.

Polar Discovery – Learn, page 58
Thousands of scientists from 63 countries are working together to learn more about Earth’s Arctic and Antarctic polar regions as part of International Polar Year (March 2007-March 2009).

Your Say – page 18
Mark Knight’s cartoon of a carbon neutral Al Gore arriving to pick up his Nobel Peace Prize.

Your Say – page 19
A peace of the action – a letter from a reader wanting to know how raising awareness of global warming can translate into a Nobel Peace Price for Al Gore.

Wednesday October 17

Sleeping with fishes not so easy – page 7
Fish don’t have eyelids but they do sleep and some – like many humans – even suffer from insomnia.

Election ’07: Major parties found wanting on green agenda – page 10
The Australian Conservation Foundation will today release its election scorecard rating Australia’s major political parties on the environment, water and climate change. The scorecard is at www.acfonline.org.au/scorecard

LPG price hits new heights – page 23
The price of LPG has gone up, but it’s still cheaper than petrol.

Carbon bonanza for farms – page 23
A CSIRO report says farmers could share in almost $3 billion a year by “growing” wind and solar power, bioelectricity and biofuels. Carbon farming could also boost their profits.

Your Say – page 24
Government tax relief a cynical con (second letter)
A grandparent would rather money be spent on the issues of global warming and water management than given back to the public in tax cuts.

Pride of Australia 2007 Winners: Our unsung heroes – page 31
Environment – Ninon Phillips
The former nursing sister’s sprawling Hawthorn house is almost completely devoted to caring for animals, with cages and incubators dotted throughout it. In 1991, Ninon created Wildlife in a Secure Environment (WISE) – a non-profit group with a large property near Yea for the rehabilitation of native animals.

Outrage at wild dolphin export deal – page 36
The Solomon Islands Government has approved a controversial export deal which will see a shipment of 28 live dolphins caught in the wild flown to Dubai. Each dolphin is said to be worth thousands of dollars.

Giant dinosaur find – page 38
Brazilian and Argentine paleontologist have discovered the largely complete fossil of a new species of dinosaur that roamed what is now northern Patagonia about 80 million years ago. The futalognkosaurus dukei, a herbivore, measured an estimated 32-32m from heat to tail and was as tall as four-storey building.

Fun & Games – page 62
Snake Tales cartoon

Guide – pages 16, 18 (TV programs with an environmental theme)
Sunday October 21 – Incredible Journeys with Steve Leonard: Wild Goose Chase (ABC, 7.30pm); Volcano Hunt (SBS, 8.30pm); Australia Revisited (Channel 7, 8.30pm).
Tuesday October 23 – Apes in Danger: Orangutan (ABC, 8pm).

Thursday October 18

Recycled water boost – page 11
One million litres of recycled water will be made available to councils for use on suburban sports grounds and gardens.

Saving water and money – page 22
Is the Victorian Government’s plan to build a desalination plant a good one? The plant will produce 150 gigalitres of drinking water each year, but there are better ways of saving this amount of water.

Gore still cold on running – page 39
Environmental activist and former US vice president Al Gore has ruled out entering the 2008 presidential race, despite increased speculation after he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last week.

Telstra hits green button – page 81
Telstra has released a report saying telco networks could cut Australia’s greenhouse gases by 5 per cent by 2015, leading to $6.6 billion in annual cost savings for businesses and households. The study was conducted by climate change experts Climate Risk and reviewed by World Wildlife Fund boss Greg Bourne.

Fully Frank – page 83
The future’s coming fast – Ray Hammond, one of Europe’s foremost futurologists, includes energy and the climate crisis in his six key drivers for the future.
Logo more than green – The Clean Energy Council has a new logo – it’s green – and is doing its best to keep clean energy and energy efficiency central to the federal election campaign.

The Sustainable Home (ad feature) – pages 89-92
This four-page ad feature focuses on the Save Water Save Energy Expo, which is on from October 19-21 at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre. For more information: www.savewatersaveenergyexpo.com.au

Friday October 19

City life suits the high fliers – page 5
Peregrine falcons – a pair and their three fluffy chicks – have returned to Melbourne city and now call a window ledge 36 floors above Collins St home.
For more information: www.unisolve.com.au/vpp/

Geelong ready to splash out – page 11
Barwon Water has eased stage 4 water restrictions allowing Geelong residents to water their gardens and top up their pools for the first time in almost a year.

Catch this fishy tale – page 21
Not all fish live in water. Scientists have discovered the mangrove killifish, or rivulus marmoratus poey, can temporarily alter its biological make-up so it can spend several months of every year out of water living in rotten mangrove branches and trunks. It is also the only known vertebrate that doesn’t need a mate to breed.

Mad ideas crack me up – pages 34-35
Columnist Andrew Bolt says not a month goes by without even more crackpot schemes to save a planet that shows no sign of sickness – and we are the ones who suffer.

Girls go for green – page 41
A poll by energy company AGL has found women are more likely to make eco-friendly decisions, even if that meant spending more money.

Dolphins up and away – page 49
Twenty eight live dolphins captured in the wild are being flown from the Solomon Islands to a Dubai marine park – despite protests from environmental groups and threats to boycott Solomons tuna.

Climate change spins out new investment strategies – page 81
Terry McCrann, Australia’s leading business commentator, says companies and investors are realising climate change is an economic and business issue as well as a social and political one.

Fully Frank – page 83
Riding the warming wave – Deutsche asset management argues there will be plenty of money to be made picking the right global warming investment strategy and has identified 400 global stocks that will ride the wave.

Climate change to set pace for investing – page 85
Climate change is an economic forge that will drive a wave of investment opportunities and financial product innovation.

Monday October 22

Students put their best foot forward – page 16
Students at Manchester Primary School achieved a 100 per cent success rate at last year’s Walktober Walk to School day and were one of 12 schools sharing the Golden Runner trophy. This year, they are determined to defend their title. More than 36,500 children took part in 2006’s inaugural Walktober Walk to School event.
For more information and fast facts: www.walktober.com.au

Election ’07– page 19
Water, climate keys – Polling shows the water crisis and climate change are among the main issues concerning voters. Multi-billion-dollar local responses to the water crisis will spark heated debate in key federal seas.
$28b export loss fear – Farmers fear John Howard’s Murray-Darling Basin takeover plan could wipe $28 billion from Australia’s export economy.

Tuesday October 23

Election ’07 – page 13
Nukes on the back burner – Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull has softened his stance on the nuclear issue by predicting this form of energy might never eventuate in Australia.
Angry farmers want water fix – Murray-Darling Basin farmers have been urged to grill local election candidates on their party’s solutions for fixing the system’s water crisis. See also: The Herald Sun’s online special report: The Big Dry at www.heraldsun.com.au – click on Special Reports (next to Learn on tool bar)

Prickly pair may hold the key to survival – page 15
An echidna born at Perth Zoo may help save a separate endangered species of echidna found only in Papua New Guinea and Irian Jaya.

Going green means forever – page 19
Bernard Salt says the green “eco-friendly” bag might not be as eco-friendly as we think it to be as it is made from polypropylene – a byproduct of oil refining – which is not biodegradable. He thinks we’d be better off using biodegradable plastic bags – which break down within 12 months.

Confessions of an eco-worrier – page 19
Susie O’Brien has read Green is the New Black, the new book by British style guru Tamsin Blanchard, and says we need to look at how cheap fashion could be costing us the earth. Blanchard’s book challenges us to shop ethically be coming aware of the social and environmental implication of what we buy.

Air poison rise stuns analysts – page 24
Economic growth has made carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increase much faster than expected as trees and oceans struggle to absorb the greenhouse gas, research has found.
For more information: British Antarctic Survey at www.antarctica.ac.uk and Global Carbon Project at www.globalcarbonproject.org

Wonder World – Learn, page 50
Earth is the only planet in our solar system known to support life. Climate change is making us appreciate that even more. This Learn poster will help you explore our precious planet and learn more about it.
See also: ttn activities – Learn, page 40

Don’t forget to watch: Apes in Danger: Orangutan – ABC, 8pm.

Wednesday October 24

Coal-burning power world’s biggest test – page 31
Lighting the Way: Toward a Sustainable Future, a study by 15 scientists from 13 nations, has found the proliferation of coal-burning power plants around the world may pose “the single greatest challenge” to averting climate change. The study was commissioned by the governments of Brazil and China and is the product of two years of workshops organised by the Amsterdam-based InterAcademy Council.
For more information: www.interacademycouncil.net

Big dry hits miner – page 37
Newcrest Mining is seeking additional water supplies so it can push ahead with a series of planned expansions in NSW. The company was forced to find alternative water supplies for its Cadia mine earlier this year after lower-than-expected rainfall in the region.

BusinessTenders – page 53
Expression of Interest for Water Conservation Behavioural Change Project – South East Water, on behalf of the Department of Sustainability and Environment, the three metropolitan retail companies and three regional water corporations is seeking to establish the WaterSmart Behaviour Change Program in households and is calling for Expressions of Interest.

Connect – pages 4-5
Global warming – Owners of big-screen TVs can breathe a little easier after Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull pulled the plug on a recommendation to have the energy-guzzling units banned by next year.
www.sustainability.vic.gov.au – to find out just much energy is consumed by appliances in schools, homes and offices. Also learn how to become a Waste Wise School.

Thursday October 25

Farmers get $100m in drought aid – page 2
Victorian Premier John Brumby has announced a $100 million package for drought-stricken farmers. The money will be spent on water rebates and drought employment programs for environmental work.

Big dry drains grower spirits – page 31
Crippling drought conditions and paltry water allocations have forced citrus and grape grower John Argiro to cut more than 40ha of grapes vines back to nothing. They have been sacrificed to save another 80ha of citrus trees and vines.

Tourism’s turning a new leaf – page 83
Tourist operators are embracing the environmental cause, saying they are motivated to help themselves and the environment. The Hotel and Motel Accommodation Association (HMAA) survey found 85 per cent of Victorian businesses said environmental sustainability was important to them. The HMAA survey follows the Sensis Environment Report, released last month, which indicated small and medium enterprises are taking action to cut the impact they have on the environment.
For more information: www.about.sensis.com.au See “Latest News” – Sep 28 Businesses respond to Australia’s environmental call to action

Friday October 26

Desal plant for greens – page 21
Buckley Park Bowling Club is installing a desalination plant as a permanent solution to its water woes. The plant, which will be installed before Christmas, will provide 15,000 litres of water to be used on the lawn bowls clubs greens.

Kyoto sunset – page 34
The Kyoto Agreement has become the holy grail of the climate debate, with the Prime Minister suffering politically for his stubborn refusal to sign it, says the Herald Sun’s Editorial.

All about preaching instead of teaching – pages 34-35
Columnist Andrew Bolt points out what he feels are shortcomings in Professor Roger Short’s lecture, which revolved around the theme of global warming, to a Melbourne University zoology class a few days ago.

* * *

Other environment-related topics making the news:

The Climate Institute has launched what it is calling a “Pollute-o-Meter”, which will use leading risk analysts, climate risk, and energy statisticians, energy strategies, to assess the impact of the climate policies announced by each of the major parties.
Go to: www.climateinstitute.org.au to download the Pollute-o-Meter

The United Nations released the findings of its environment report – Global Environment Outlook: environment for development (GEO-4) on October 25.
For more information: www.un.org/news/ Search “environment” which brings up several headlines. Headlines of interest:
UN report finds environmental progress inadequate, urges stepped-up action
UN environment agency hails plans for “green” 2008 Beijing Olympic Games

Australian vehicles covered 209 billion km last year - Vehicles registered in Australia travelled 209 billion kilometres in the 12 months ended 31 October 2006, according to figures released on October 19 by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The average distance covered by the 14.4 million registered vehicles in Australia was 14,600 km, with Queensland vehicles travelling the furthest - 15,600 kilometres on average. Tasmanian vehicles travelled the least of all states and territories, covering 13,500 kilometres on average.
For more information: www.abs.gov.au Scroll to bottom of page and click on Media Releases then click on October 2007


Acid oceans warning – On Wednesday October 17, the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies released a report that waters around the Great Barrier Reef are becoming acidic at a higher-than-expected rate. This rising acidity could have potentially devastating consequences for coral reefs and the marine organisms that inhabit them.
For more information: www.coralcoe.org.au

Explorers to chart Arctic ice melt – Three British polar explorers aim set on trek from Alaska to the North Pole early next year to establish when Arctic summer sea ice will finally vanish. Pen Hadow, Ann Daniels and Martin Hartley plan to walk, swim and ski 2000km over some of the toughest terrain in the world at -50C towing an ice-penetrating impulse radar.
See: news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7036058.stm

Originally published as Saving Planet Earth articles