Eco online: environmental news, features and opinion from the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia
Environmental news from Eco online, Sunshine Coast and Queensland environmental news, with indepth sections including interviews, sustainable business, eco adventures, green living and wildlife
The floods that have covered about two thirds of Queensland earlier in the year did at least five billion dollars in damage. And the fear and anguish experienced by those who lost their homes and businesses – or loved ones - is unmeasurable. It’s alarming to think that this might be just our first taste of dangerous climate change across the … [Read more...]
Carbon tax or not, Australia’s carbon emissions will keep rising, driven by rapid rates of population growth and increasing affluence. Most of the carbon is domestic but we also own the carbon that China and other manufacturers emit when they make stuff we purchase from our malls and big box stores. The ‘Bigger Australia’ much loved by … [Read more...]
Following the Brisbane floods in 1974, a protocol emerged from the State Government that saw local governments begin to use what is known as the Q100 or 100-year ARI (average recurrence interval) flood event. In essence, this means that the 100-year ARI flood is one with a probability of occurring once in every 100 years. The theory behind this … [Read more...]
Last Sunday I was relaxing at home when a neighbour dropped in for coffee. Our discussions usually cover a broad range of subjects and this time we ventured from politics, tsunamis, nuclear power and finally to our topic de jour -- climate change. I’m sure you would agree that good discussions are stimulating, perhaps even as stimulating as … [Read more...]
Many bush creatures need help as the built environment closes in on their habitats, sending some on the path to extinction unless we do something about it. Dr Sean FitzGibbon is man with a passion and a plan to save them. Aldwyn Altuney reports. This is not a time to be resting on our laurels when it comes to conserving wildlife around urban … [Read more...]
Earlier editions of the print version of Eco have highlighted the very significant social, economic and environmental values of Pumicestone Passage and identified various threats to those values. The Passage has values of international and national environmental significance under the Federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation … [Read more...]
The passion is palpable, so is the sense of frustration and underlying anger. Yet like a seam of silver there’s healthy gleam of humour occasionally exposed. To assay Dr Ben McNeil is an interesting task. He’s in the stop strata of the academic rocks of intelligence that deal with climate change research and he has an urgent job at … [Read more...]
Sustainability most simply means ensuring continued access to adequate nourishment. This is a common and vital need. It is not an ‘extreme greenie’ notion, nor should it be a shallow marketing tag. In essence it is the difference between basic comfort and desperation. Ultimately it is the difference between life and death. Its pursuit … [Read more...]
The mainstream media excites their readers and listeners with many things. Fall under their spell and you would almost be forgiven for thinking that the biggest threat from climate change, if you still believe the scientific facts as opposed to columnists’ opinions, will be upon the size of your wallet. Professor Roger Kitching reminds us of … [Read more...]
By Simon Baltais Southeast Queensland is one of Australia’s biological hotspots. It is an area where the sub-tropical and temperate regions known as the McPherson/MacLeay Overlap Zone are a region of diverse landscapes from mountain rainforest to open woodland and wallum wetlands to huge sand islands, mangroves forest, seagrass meadows and … [Read more...]
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