Environment

Environmental go-ahead for WA uranium mine

21 May 2012 | Luke Forrestal

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Environmental go-ahead for WA uranium mine

WA’s Environmental Protection Authority on Monday recommended approval of what could become the state’s first uranium mine, the $300 million Wiluna project owned by Toro Energy.

Toro strides ahead on Wiluna uranium

21 May 2012 | LUKE FORRESTA

Toro Energy is in the box seat to develop Western Australia’s first uranium mine after the state Environmental Protection Authority recommended its $300 million Wiluna project for approval.

BP may bid on four Bight prospects

21 May 2012 | Perry Williams

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | BP may bid on four Bight prospects

Energy giant BP may bid on new exploration areas in the environmentally sensitive great Australian Bight.

National briefs

21 May 2012 |

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 4 | National briefs

The NSW government will scrap future premiers’ life entitlements, including air travel and office staff.

Dairies fear a carbon tax milking

21 May 2012 | Peter Roberts

PRINT: 19 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Dairies fear a milking

Major dairy companies are counting the extra costs that will fall on their shoulders as well as on those of dairy farming families under the carbon tax regime.

US wheat posts biggest weekly gain in 16 years

19 May 2012 |

US wheat surged on Friday to post its biggest weekly gain in 16 years, adding about 17 per cent to prices and notching an eight-month high as hot and dry weather stoked fears about production losses.

US tariff decision a mixed blessing for solar industry

19 May 2012 | Suzanne Goldenberg

PRINT: 19 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Tariff decision a mixed blessing for solar industry

The Obama administration imposed heavy tariffs on Chinese solar panels after finding China was flooding the market with government subsidised products.

Redbank disputes carbon costs

18 May 2012 | Angela Macdonald-Smith

Redbank Energy, the restructured rump of the old Alinta Energy, has fallen into dispute with NSW power distributor Ausgrid over the pass-through of carbon costs, with the outcome set to have a major impact on the financial viability of its sole power station.

US turns up heat in solar dispute with China

18 May 2012 |

The United States hit Chinese solar companies with punitive import tariffs of 30 per cent or more on Thursday, ruling they had dumped cut-price solar panels into the U.S. market.

Abbott rejects Combet's climate ‘egging’

18 May 2012 |

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has rejected claims he's "over-egged the pudding" with his warnings on the climate tax.

Apple to use only green power for main data centre

18 May 2012 |

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Apple to use only green power for main data centre

Apple plans to power its main data centre entirely with renewable energy by the end of this year, taking steps to address environmental concerns about the rapid expansion of high-consuming computer server farms.

Coles deal boosts bioplastics maker

18 May 2012 | Sue Mitchell

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Coles deal boosts bioplastics maker

Gordon Merchant’s bioplastics packaging company Plantic Technologies is anticipating a fivefold increase in sales and hopes to turn a profit for the first time in nine years after clinching a new supply contract with Coles.

Pension funds get nervous about CSG

18 May 2012 | Angela Macdonald-Smith

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Pension funds get nervous about CSG

Concern about growing investment risk in the coal seam gas and shale gas sector has driven some of Australia’s largest pension funds to join shareholder activist Regnan in a global initiative to raise operating standards in the industry.

China’s $US949m subsidy for fuel-saving cars

17 May 2012 |

The central government has allocated $US949 million to subsidise consumer purchases of fuel-saving cars in a bid to cut emissions in the world’s biggest car market.

Warming since 1950 unprecedented: study

17 May 2012 |

The rise in temperatures in and around Australia since 1950 has been unprecedented, a study shows.

Australia – a tough place to do business

17 May 2012 | James Chessell

PRINT: 17 May 2012 | PAGE 33 | A tough place to do business

This an edited transcript of a panel discussion to open The Institute of Chartered Accountants, NSW Business Forum 2012.

Japan confronts a nuclear void

17 May 2012 | Greg Earl

PRINT: 17 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Japan confronts a nuclear void

A battle over nuclear and renewable energy will determine Japan’s future but has also broader global implications.

Household carbon tax compo flows

16 May 2012 |

Household compensation to cushion the impact of the carbon price will start flowing to Australian families on Wednesday. An estimated 1.6 million families will have money delivered to their bank accounts.

Greenpeace protesters arrested at Apple HQ

16 May 2012 |

Two Greenpeace activists have been arrested after being pried from a giant iPod in front of Apple’s headquarters during a protest against using dirty energy to power data centres.

Tax cuts for environment

16 May 2012 | Alan Mitchell

PRINT: 16 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Tax cuts for environment

Christine Milne celebrates her role in stopping a cut in the company tax rate but complains about the decision to scrap green building subsidies.

Beach tips early first shale sales

16 May 2012 | Angela Macdonald-Smith and Perry Williams

APPEA | The Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association (APPEA) conference and exhibition continues was at the Adelaide Convention Centre.

National briefs

16 May 2012 |

PRINT: 16 May 2012 | PAGE 5 |

Consumer advocate Delia Rickard will take on the role of deputy chairman of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission for five years from June 4, following her formal appointment by the Governor-General.

Slash red tape or count steep cost

16 May 2012 | The Australian Financial Review

PRINT: 16 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Slash red tape or count the steep cost

Editorial | The Productivity Commission has reaffirmed the value of a nationwide effort to eliminate regulatory overlap but has made it clear that there needs to be greater effort by governments than we have seen so far.

Meat in the tax sandwich

16 May 2012 | Peter Roberts

PRINT: 16 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | Meat in the tax sandwich

Meat companies are weighing up whether to wear the multi-million-dollar cost of the carbon tax from July 1 or commit even larger investments to cut emissions from their feed lots and meat works.

Karoon tips July for farm-out deal

15 May 2012 | Angela Macdonald-Smith and Perry Williams

APPEA | Tuesday at the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association (APPEA) conference and exhibition at the Adelaide Convention Centre.

Don’t lose your cool over predictions

15 May 2012 | Mark Lawson

PRINT: 15 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Don’t lose your cool over dire climate predictions

Warnings of western Sydney copping the brunt of hotter summers might seem dire, but on closer inspection the latest report by the Climate Commission says nothing new.

National briefs

15 May 2012 |

PRINT: 15 May 2012 | PAGE 4 |

A $750 million contract has been awarded to a consortium of Abigroup, John Holland and Coleman Rail to build the next stage of Melbourne’s Regional Rail Link.

A hearing set for Gay

15 May 2012 | Carrie LaFrenz

PRINT: 15 May 2012 | PAGE 4 | A hearing set for Gay

A preliminary hearing has been set for five months time in the highly anticipated case of former Gunns chairman John Gay defending himself against insider trading charges brought by the corporate regulator.

Federal government opens up petroleum acreages

14 May 2012 |

The federal government has opened up 27 new offshore petroleum acreages across nine basins in Commonwealth waters off five states, according to Resources Minister Martin Ferguson.

Climate Commission appoints new member

14 May 2012 |

Award-winning scientist and engineer Professor Veena Sahajwalla has been appointed to the federal government's Climate Commission.

Incitec fertiliser business provides drag

14 May 2012 | Luke Forrestal

PRINT: 15 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Fazzino backs fertilisers despite fizzer

A poor performance in the fertiliser business has seen Incitec Pivot’s 2012 first-half result to March 31 fall by 13 per cent to $143.3 million.

Extinction rates cut down to size

14 May 2012 | Mark Lawson

PRINT: 14 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Extinction rates cut down to size

Whenever a relative or neighbour has the audacity to point out that my suburban garden could be better groomed, I lecture them about biodiversity.

Sydney Airport holds its ground

14 May 2012 | Andrew Cleary

PRINT: 14 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Sydney Airport holds its ground

Sydney Airport chief Kerrie Mather says she will defend the company’s first right of refusal to build and operate a second Sydney airport, including any conversion of the RAAF base in Richmond.

Focus on food workers

14 May 2012 |

PRINT: 14 May 2012 | PAGE 12 |

Australia’s Fair Work ombudsman will check the books of up to 120 food outlets to verify workers are getting full entitlements, including minimum pay and penalty rates.

Australia set to lead in the global golden age of gas

14 May 2012 | Martin Ferguson

PRINT: 14 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Australia set to lead in the global golden age of gas

Last year the International Energy Agency released its annual World Energy Outlook as well as a publication called Golden Age of Gas.

War on flatulent livestock begins

11 May 2012 |

The battle against flatulent livestock has begun.

Gunns sells sawmill to Hermal

11 May 2012 | Sarah Thompson and Anthony Macdonald

Gunns has sold its Hayfield native forest sawmill in Victoria to the family-owned Hermal Group.

100 police to be stationed at gas hub

11 May 2012 |

PRINT: 11 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | WA:Police permanently at Browse gas hub

A permanent police presence is about to be established at Woodside Petroleum's controversial Browse gas hub development in Western Australia's Kimberley to deal with an expected surge in protesters.

Mining firm won’t drill in Sydney suburb

11 May 2012 |

Mining company Dart Energy has abandoned plans to drill a coal seam gas well in Sydney's inner west.

Businesses sprung using carbon tax to gouge

11 May 2012 |

Australia's competition watchdog says it has already come across businesses using the imminent introduction of the carbon tax to gouge consumers.

Scientists urge action on world’s biggest problems

11 May 2012 |

Scientists from 15 countries are calling for a better political response to the provision of water and energy to meet the challenge of feeding a world of 9 billion people within 30 years.

Directors defend executives’ high pay

11 May 2012 | Patrick Durkin

PRINT: 11 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Executives’ high pay defended

Company director James Strong has defended the pay packets of the country’s top executives, saying investors do not realise how critical a dynamic CEO can be.

Japan takes over Tepco in $12.5 billion bailout

11 May 2012 | Hiroko Tabuchi

PRINT: 11 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | Japan to nationalise Tepco in $12.4 billion bailout

Japan is set to nationalise Tokyo Electric Power, operator of the ravaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, under a ¥1 trillion ($12.5 billion) bailout plan.

Climate change far too hot to handle

10 May 2012 | Mark Latham

PRINT: 10 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Far too hot to handle

Latham | Climate change dare not speak its name in Labor circles, even in the Treasurer’s biggest speech of the year.

Industry slams dumping of green tax breaks

10 May 2012 | Zoë Fielding

PRINT: 10 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Fury as tax breaks are dumped

The property sector has condemned the scrapping of tax breaks for retrofitting buildings to boost energy efficiency as a “massive missed opportunity and broken promise”.

Kyoto: Australia holds off on signing up

10 May 2012 | Marcus Priest

PRINT: 09 May 2012 | PAGE 17 | Australia holds off on signing up

The federal government is delaying renewing its commitment to the Kyoto Protocol saying it wants to take advantage of surplus international emissions units worth up to $700 million.

Swiss services to help future-proof resources

10 May 2012 | Christopher Jay

PRINT: 10 May 2012 | PAGE 6 | Pair team up to tackle the carbon economy

A partnership between a Swiss company organising carbon offset projects worldwide and an Australian operation selling carbon offset certificates here and overseas is a portent of things to come.

Canberra’s catch of the day

09 May 2012 | Elouise Fowler

Free food is always popular at Parliament House events. But the one on Wednesday evening wasn’t just about the food.

Oil exec Bourne to chair renewable energy fund

09 May 2012 | Louise Dodson

PRINT: 09 May 2012 | PAGE 17 | Ex oil boss heads drive to innovate

Long-term oil executive and conservationist Greg Bourne has been appointed acting chairman of the federal government board overseeing $3.2 billion in funding for renewable energy innovation.

No slowdown in luxury purchases

09 May 2012 | Lucy Gao

Consumers joining China’s middle class will help hold growth in global luxury goods at 10 per cent annually for the next four years.

Microsoft aims to be carbon neutral by mid year

09 May 2012 |

Microsoft has committed to going carbon neutral, joining the growing list of tech companies trying to reduce their environmental footprint.

Oakeshott inconsistency

09 May 2012 | M G Kile

For Independent MP Rob Oakeshott, “one way to meet community concerns” about the government’s carbon (dioxide) tax would be to remove the proposed $15 price floor when (or if) an emissions trading scheme starts after 2015 (“Oakeshott threat on carbon price”, May 4). This is a curious statement from a member of the climate change committee that signed off on its design; a structure some claim was inspired by William Heath Robinson. (Perhaps his machine for “resuscitating stale railway scones for redistribution at station buffets”?)

Chimneys to make a clean sweep

09 May 2012 | Robert Harley

PRINT: 09 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Chimneys to make a clean sweep

Bruce Mitchell, the Queensland-based developer of Australia’s first eco-industrial estate, will develop a sustainable housing village south of Port Macquarie.

Spanish solar giant to stay the course

09 May 2012 | Angela Macdonald-Smith

PRINT: 09 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | Spanish solar giant to stay the course

Global solar power operator Fotowatio Renewable Ventures has vowed to pursue ambitions to build a business in Australia despite major hiccups at its large-scale Moree project in NSW.

Company briefs

09 May 2012 |

The NSW government would make Forests NSW a state-owned corporation, Minister for Primary Industries Katrina Hodgkinson said.

Nathan Fabian, chief executive, Investor Group on Climate Change

08 May 2012 |

Clean energy Steady ahead setting on implementing the clean energy future framework. That means all the key agencies such as Clean Energy Regulator, Climate Change Authority, ARENA and CEFC receive their funding.

Surplus still possible if carbon price is wrong

08 May 2012 | Marcus Priest

PRINT: 09 May 2012 | PAGE 25 | Emissions revenue at a high price

Treasury has maintained its projection for a high carbon price of $29 in 2015/16 when emissions trading starts but insisted the budget will remain in surplus if it is lower.

Govt investigates Wilton for second Sydney airport

08 May 2012 | Andrew Cleary

The government has started consulting with Sydney Airport over a partnership in a second major airport within the city after announcing a detailed investigation into the suitability of the facility being built at Wilton.

Forrest praises decision not to cut diesel fuel rebate

08 May 2012 | Natalie Gerritsen

PRINT: 08 May 2012 | PAGE 10 | Forrest welcomes reprieve for diesel fuel rebate

Fortescue Metals Group chairman Andrew Forrest says the federal government’s apparent decision not to cut the 32¢ diesel fuel rebate to mining companies is “sensible and fair”.

Carbon floor price rethink a revenue threat

08 May 2012 | Louise Dodson

PRINT: 08 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Floor price rethink a revenue threat

The federal government has been warned there is a risk to its budget revenue estimates if moves to overturn regulations for a carbon scheme floor price prove successful.

Capitalist climate

07 May 2012 | David Schmidtke

PRINT: 03 May 2012 | PAGE 51 | Capitalist climate

Pierpont’s “Something in the air: Labor’s carbon con” (April 27) alleges it is only “greenies and lefties” who feel that there may be a risk that human activity contributes to climate change and that we should do something about it. Many conservative governments including France, UK and Germany agree.

Wodonga given heart transplant

07 May 2012 | Nick Lenaghan

PRINT: 07 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Wodonga given heart transplant

The first parcels of a $100-million-plus town centre redevelopment in regional Wodonga are being put to the market this month.

Keystone pipeline takes second shot at US approval

05 May 2012 |

TransCanada is taking its second shot with the contentious Keystone XL oil pipeline, betting that a new route through Nebraska and a post-election decision will push the project forward.

US sets new rules for fracking on federal lands

05 May 2012 |

The Obama administration unveiled long-awaited rules on Friday to bolster oversight of “fracking” on public lands, seeking to allay environmental concerns over the technology.

The mark of the covenant

05 May 2012 | Nick Lenaghan

PRINT: 28 April 2012 | PAGE 2 | The mark of the covenant

A hefty tax break will distinguish investment in conservation properties held with an environmental covenant.

Companies affected by the scheme

04 May 2012 |

A full list of the 249 companies named today who are expected to be covered by the carbon price scheme.

Carbon tax to hit fewer than expected

04 May 2012 | Marcus Priest

PRINT: 04 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Tax hits fewer than expected

Just over 330 companies, including BHP, Adelaide Brighton, Anglo Coal and Boral, are likely to be covered by the carbon price scheme, far fewer than the 500 previously predicted by the government.

US readies proposal to clamp down on fracking

04 May 2012 |

The Obama administration wants to clamp down on shale gas drilling on public lands and set standards that proponents of tougher regulation hope will provide a blueprint for drilling oversight nationwide.

Ex-banker takes Brown’s spot

04 May 2012 | Gemma Daley

PRINT: 04 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | Ex-banker takes Brown’s spot

A former investment banker who once worked for BHP Billiton, Peter Whish-Wilson, has been endorsed to replace ex-Greens leader Bob Brown in the Senate.

Japan to shut down last nuclear reactor

04 May 2012 |

Japan will shut down its final nuclear reactor tomorrow, the first time since July 1966 that the country has been without atomic energy feeding into the national grid.

BP wins delay of Gulf trial until January 2013

04 May 2012 |

A trial to assign blame and damages that could total tens of billions of dollars for the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill has been put off until January, in a setback for the US government.

Call of the wild

04 May 2012 | Christopher Jay

PRINT: 04 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Call of the wild

The federal government plans to make more comprehensive promotional use of Australia’s regional landscapes using a program that first emergid in December 2006.

PTTEP breaks media silence after 2009 oil spill

04 May 2012 | Natalie Gerritsen

PRINT: 04 May 2012 | PAGE 24 | PTTEP breaks media silence after 2009 oil spill

PTTEP Australasia, the company behind the 2009 Montara oil spill off the north coast of Western Australia, has emerged from a self-imposed media exile, saying it wants to leave the legacy of the disaster behind.

Barnett holds firm on Browse gas plant

04 May 2012 | Natalie Gerritsen

PRINT: 04 May 2012 | PAGE 13 | Point of note for Woodside

WA Premier Colin Barnett has fired a shot across the bow of the new partners in Woodside’s $30 billion Browse LNG project, warning them the gas will still be processed at the environmentally controversial James Price Point.

Oakeshott threat to block carbon price floor

03 May 2012 | Marcus Priest

PRINT: 03 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Oakeshott threat on carbon price

Independent Rob Oakeshott has threatened to block regulations in Parliament to introduce a price floor on carbon after 2015.

Huge fuel spill enters suburban drains in Qld

03 May 2012 |

Over 1000 litres of fuel has flowed into a stormwater drain in Brisbane's inner north after a leak at a petrol station and Queensland fire crews have been working to remove the fuel.

Ex-BP engineer charged for hiding evidence

03 May 2012 |

A former BP drilling engineer has been charged with deleting text messages that indicated the company's blown-out Gulf of Mexico well was spewing more crude than BP said.

Tsunami debris washes up in US

03 May 2012 | Suzanne Goldenberg

PRINT: 03 May 2012 | PAGE 21 | Tsunami debris

Wreckage from Japan’s tsunami has swept across the Pacific far faster than expected, and thousands of tonnes are projected to land on North American shores this year.

Budget gains as water buyback slows

03 May 2012 | Sophie Morris

PRINT: 03 May 2012 | PAGE 12 | Revenue gain as buyback slows

A dramatic slowdown in water buybacks will help the government deliver its budget surplus as it defers future purchases of irrigation licences, saving hundreds of millions of dollars this year and next.

Redesign carbon scheme, don’t scrap it: industry

03 May 2012 | Claire Stewart

PRINT: 03 May 2012 | PAGE 8 | Redesign scheme, don’t scrap it: industry

Business leaders yesterday argued the carbon tax should be redesigned to mirror plans in other countries, but rejected comments from former NSW premier Kristina Keneally that it should be revoked.

Late convert turns on carbon tax

03 May 2012 | Michaela Whitbourn

PRINT: 03 May 2012 | PAGE 8 | Late convert turns on carbon tax

Senior Labor Party figures have questioned the timing of former NSW premier Kristina Keneally’s calls for the carbon tax to be scrapped or wound back, while conceding the policy should never have been pursued by the Gillard government.

Alumina smelter depends on long-term prospects

02 May 2012 |

PRINT: 02 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | FED:Smelter depends on long-term prospects

Bauxite miner and alumina and aluminium producer Alumina said the future of its loss-making aluminium smelter at Point Henry would depend upon its long-term prospects.

Woodside boss stands ground on James Price

02 May 2012 | Luke Forrestal

PRINT: 03 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Woodside boss stands ground on James Price

Peter Coleman intends to complete Woodside’s assessment of processing gas from its Browse LNG project through a new gas hub at James Price Point, despite joint-venture partners supporting another option.

Revoke the carbon tax: Keneally

02 May 2012 | Michaela Whitbourn

Former NSW Labor Premier Kristina Keneally has called on the Gillard government to revoke or wind back the carbon tax to arrest its slide in the polls. Ms Keneally backed the carbon tax in her failed bid to win a second term as premier.

Stamp duty does not equal climate change

02 May 2012 | George Dyke

PRINT: 02 May 2012 | PAGE 51 |

Mark Lawson’s argument that getting rid of stamp duty will help address climate change (April 30) sounds like someone hooking their pet issue up to the band wagon.

Pierpont loses plot

02 May 2012 |

PRINT: 02 May 2012 | PAGE 51 | Pierpont loses plot

My feeling of relief after Pierpont’s assurance (“Something in the air: Labor’s carbon con”, April 27) that climate change is nothing to worry about was rudely shattered by your Life and Leisure piece on the “Andaman Islands: India without the crowds” (April 27-29).

Canada: taxes deter investment

02 May 2012 | Geoff Kitney

PRINT: 02 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Canada: taxes deter investment

A senior Canadian government minister visiting Australia for trade talks says rejection of a carbon tax and low corporate taxes had given Canada a strong competitive advantage in the battle to attract foreign investors.

Fracking effects must be probed: NSW inquiry

01 May 2012 | Claire Stewart

PRINT: 02 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Fracking effects must be probed: NSW inquiry

An NSW parliamentary inquiry into the coal seam gas industry has pointed to considerable uncertainty about the industry’s environmental impact as the basis for its recommendation for further exploration and drilling.

Did Spotless really gain from PEP deal?

01 May 2012 | Sarah Thompson and Stephen Shore

JPMorgan analyst Russell Gill has pointed out an interesting and overlooked fact about Spotless’s deal with Pacific Equity Partners.

Native tree to be tested as biofuel source

01 May 2012 |

Scientists and remote indigenous communities are teaming up to explore the use of native pongamia trees as a potential biofuel source.

Bimblebox not worth protection: Palmer

01 May 2012 |

Mining magnate Clive Palmer said on radio on Tuesday that a nature reserve that covers part of his planned $8 billion coal mine isn't worth saving.

Nuclear waste to be shipped to Sydney

01 May 2012 |

A plan to store radioactive waste in Sydney's suburbs has the backing of the Australian Conservation Foundation because it won't be dumped in the outback.

Exxon Mobil shuts Louisiana oil pipeline after leak

01 May 2012 |

PRINT: 01 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | UPDATE 5-Exxon Mobil shuts Louisiana oil pipeline after leak

Exxon Mobil has shut the 160,000 barrel per day North Line crude oil pipeline in Louisiana after a leak spilled 1900 barrels of crude oil in a rural area over the weekend.

Solar power costs

01 May 2012 | Darren Gladman

PRINT: 01 May 2012 | PAGE 57 | Solar power costs

In Mark Lawson’s rush to attack all things “green”, he ignores some well-worn analysis about the falling cost of renewable energy such as solar panels (“Time to discard Green fairy stories”, April 30).

Australia: land of the lost big idea

01 May 2012 | Deirdre Macken

PRINT: 01 May 2012 | PAGE 57 | Australia: land of the lost big idea

Macken | Five years ago, we thought we could save the planet. We’re not sweating the big stuff any more but, boy, are we sweating the small stuff.

Developers face more koala protection hurdles

01 May 2012 | Matthew Cranston

PRINT: 01 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | Developers face more koala protection hurdles

Developers with tracts of bushland slated for housing development will have to consider new protections for the koala.

Macquarie watches waste

01 May 2012 | Sarah Thompson and Anthony Macdonald

PRINT: 01 May 2012 | PAGE 20 | Macquarie watches waste

Macquarie Capital has been appointed to explore strategic options for Ironbridge Capital’s New Zealand-based waste-management asset EnviroWaste.

Tilting Brazil oil platform evacuated

30 April 2012 |

Rio de Janeiro's port captain said that about 100 workers had been evacuated from a tilting oil platform owned by Transocean and the area was being monitored for oil leaks.

Koalas join threatened species list

30 April 2012 |

Koalas in NSW, Queensland and the ACT will be classified as vulnerable under a protected listing by Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke.

Time to discard Green fairy stories

30 April 2012 | Mark Lawson

PRINT: 30 April 2012 | PAGE 51 | Time to discard Green fairy stories

When Louis XVIII was restored to the French throne in 1814. he and his brother, Charles X, behaved in such a way that the diplomat Talleyrand was supposed to have commented that the French royals “had learnt nothing and forgotten nothing” from their long exile.

Cap won’t stop global warming

30 April 2012 | Perry Williams

PRINT: 30 April 2012 | PAGE 18 | Cap won’t stop global warming

The high cost of developing wide-scale renewable energy projects will mean international emitters will fail to limit a rise in global warming of two degrees by 2035.

Malaysian protest leaves Lynas stoic

30 April 2012 | Perry Williams

PRINT: 30 April 2012 | PAGE 18 | Malaysian protest leaves Lynas stoic

Rare earths miner Lynas Corporation has dismissed new environmental protests in Malaysia over its plans to build a refinery on the country’s east coast.

Thiess sale has familiar feel

30 April 2012 | Sarah Thompson and Anthony Macdonald

PRINT: 30 April 2012 | PAGE 16 | Thiess sale has familiar feel

Indicative bids for Leighton Holdings’ Thiess Waste Management are due today and so far it looks like being a re-run of the WSN Environmental Solutions sales process from last year.

German far right turns green

30 April 2012 | Kate Connolly

PRINT: 30 April 2012 | PAGE 14 | German far right turns green

German consumers are being warned that when they buy organic produce they may be supporting far right extremists who have embraced the ecological movement.

Climate policy too hot to handle

28 April 2012 | Brian Toohey

PRINT: 28 April 2012 | PAGE 51 | Gillard climate policy too hot to handle

Toohey | Tony Abbott has killed off more than the carbon tax – reformers who want to raise the GST can forget it.

Climate change barriers

28 April 2012 | Rebecca Thistleton

PRINT: 28 April 2012 | PAGE 2 | Climate change barriers

Unclear rules around local government responsibility and legal liability could hold back Australia’s ability to adapt to climate change, according to the Productivity Commission.

Farmers plough into Hazzard’s CSG slur

27 April 2012 |

The NSW Farmers Association says it's shocked the state's planning minister has labelled the lobby group as "almost irrelevant" to consultation on coal seam gas development, saying the government has not listened to them.

Axe miners’ fuel rebate, say Greens

27 April 2012 |

The Australian Greens are keeping pressure on the federal government to scrap the diesel fuel rebate for miners in the upcoming budget.

Bathurst compromises on Buller project

27 April 2012 |

Bathurst Resources has dropped plans for a pipeline to carry coal from New Zealand's Denniston Plateau to the coast in favour of an aerial system.

Electricity retailers under ACCC scrutiny

27 April 2012 | Charles Deutscher

The ACCC has been directed by the government to closely monitor electricity retailers whose bills to customers provide for the impact of the carbon tax.

Banks to get a green sheen

27 April 2012 | John Roskam

PRINT: 27 April 2012 | PAGE 1 | Banks to get a green sheen

Soon there will be something else to beat up the banks about. Politicians will have more than just interest rate rises, billion-dollar profits and CEO salaries to get upset about.

Hot air and fair-weather friends

27 April 2012 | Rowan Dean

PRINT: 27 April 2012 | PAGE 1 | Hot air and fair-weather friends

Dean | “Predicting future weather patterns is an inexact science,” explained Professor Weathervain.

Something in the air: Labor’s carbon con

27 April 2012 | Pierpont

PRINT: 27 April 2012 | PAGE 52 | Something in the air: Labor’s carbon con

Pierpont has been covering federal budgets since they were delivered by the late, great Artie Fadden, but he has never approached one with as much dread as this year. Since the last election, Pierpont has been working on the premise that our Prime Minister and Treasurer have been thoughtlessly ruining the Australian economy. Pierpont has now changed his mind and is prepared to apologise. He now believes they are ruining it deliberately.

Tax won’t alter coal use: Verve

27 April 2012 | Peter Kerr

PRINT: 27 April 2012 | PAGE 2 | Tax won’t alter coal use: Verve

The head of Verve Energy, Western Australia’s biggest electricity generator – Australia’s 11th biggest carbon dioxide emitter – has fired a parting shot at the carbon tax, saying it won’t trigger a switch from coal-fired power but will heap added costs on business in the state.

National briefs

27 April 2012 |

PRINT: 27 April 2012 | PAGE 5 | Briefs

A senior Queensland Treasury official who helped deliver the former state Labor government’s $15 billion asset sale program has been poached by the NSW Coalition government. Tim Spencer, Queensland’s deputy under-treasurer for more than a decade, will take on the role of deputy secretary, commercial policy and financing, at NSW Treasury from late May.

Greens set to block cuts to foreign aid

27 April 2012 | Laura Tingle

PRINT: 27 April 2012 | PAGE 6 | Greens set to block cuts to foreign aid

Greens leader Christine Milne has warned her party is likely to block any attempt to cut the foreign aid budget but may support changes to super­ tax, means testing of welfare payments and several other measures.

Miners may continue ad campaign

27 April 2012 | Louise Dodson

PRINT: 27 April 2012 | PAGE 3 | Miners may continue ad campaign

The mining industry’s national advertising campaign may continue even after the federal budget and could broaden to include radio and television, the Minerals Council’s Mitch Hooke has warned.

Don’t micro-manage changing climate, government told

27 April 2012 | Staff reporters

PRINT: 27 April 2012 | PAGE 1 | ‘Adapt’ to warming

The Productivity Commission has warned the federal government to refrain from micro-managing the country’s response to changing climate conditions.

Brown’s house of cards

26 April 2012 | Mark Latham

PRINT: 26 April 2012 | PAGE 1 | Brown’s house of cards

Latham | Whatever else one thinks of Bob Brown, his sense of timing is to be admired.

Energy scheme won’t fly

26 April 2012 |

PRINT: 26 April 2012 | PAGE 67 | Energy scheme won’t fly

The Clean Energy Finance Corporation resembles a brand new aircraft, sitting on the tarmac with its 30-year career pilot at the controls, but no one has put fuel in the tank, so it will not fly.

Science not always right

26 April 2012 | John Reid

PRINT: 26 April 2012 | PAGE 67 | Science not always right

Mark Latham seems unable to comprehend why so many successful, well-educated people should ignore the “hard evidence” of human induced climate change (“Mass denial”, Review, April 20). It is quite simple.

Engine shortcomings

26 April 2012 | M Schilling

PRINT: 26 April 2012 | PAGE 67 | Diesel power missing

It is unfortunate but, yet again, a major Australian car manufacturer has missed the mark and an opportunity.

BP engineer arrested over spill

26 April 2012 | Steven Mufson

PRINT: 26 April 2012 | PAGE 3 | BP engineer arrested over spill

A former BP drilling engineer was arrested on charges of intentionally destroying text messages sought by federal authorities as evidence in the wake of the April 20, 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

US charges ex-BP engineer over Gulf spill probe

25 April 2012 |

A former BP Plc engineer has been arrested and charged with intentionally destroying evidence related to how much oil was spilling from a company well in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, the US Justice Department said.

Scrutiny on Latham’s climate science

24 April 2012 | M G Kile

PRINT: 24 April 2012 | PAGE 49 | Scrutiny on Latham’s faith in science

That someone as astute as Mark Latham has joined the “progressive intelligentsia” (Robert “left-right-left” Manne, et al) and adopted their ad hominem rhetoric of “denial” is a surprise (“Mass denial”, Review, April 20).

Goodwill wasted on climate change

24 April 2012 | Brigitte Dwyer

PRINT: 24 April 2012 | PAGE 49 | Goodwill wasted on climate change

It was disappointing to read Mark Latham, known advocate of lifelong universal education, lay the blame for failure to address climate change at the feet of the educated masses (“Mass denial”, Review, April 20).

China goes softly on carbon price

24 April 2012 | Patrick Durkin

PRINT: 24 April 2012 | PAGE 1 | China goes softly on carbon price

Energy companies won’t be directly taxed under China’s delayed carbon trading scheme, undercutting Gillard government claims that the world’s second-largest economy is taking tough action on climate change.

Integrated reports not on investors’ minds

23 April 2012 | Sally Rose

Around the world the presentation of non-financial results and targets in the annual report is very much the domain of sustainability and communication managers rather than CFOs and their finance teams.

Rare earths plant in Malaysia counters complaints

23 April 2012 | LIZ GOOCH and KEITH BRADSHER

The Australian company building a rare earths refinery in Malaysia sought to counter critics who are concerned that the plant could pose radioactive hazards.

NOTEBOOK: The great California exodus

23 April 2012 | Wall Street Journal

PRINT: 23 April 2012 | PAGE 54 | NOTEBOOK The great California exodus

Nearly 4 million more people have left California in the past two decades than have come from other states in America.

Climate debate mix

23 April 2012 | Lew Bretz

PRINT: 23 April 2012 | PAGE 51 | Climate debate mix

Mark Latham wonders how even intelligent people can doubt the allegedly settled science forecasting a dangerously warmer planet due to man-made carbon “pollution” (“Mass denial”, Review, April 20).

Claims on sea level findings

23 April 2012 | Alberto Boretti

PRINT: 23 April 2012 | PAGE 51 | Claims on sea level findings

Scientist Michael Brown’s “Stats on sea levels” (Letters, April 18) attacked my research on the Australian coastline demonstrating sea levels are not accelerating here or elsewhere in the world “Sea height increases underwhelming” (April 16).

Agricultural pioneer heads for Africa

23 April 2012 | Matthew Cranston

PRINT: 23 April 2012 | PAGE 3 | Agricultural pioneer heads for African pastures

A prominent farming family, the Kahlbetzers, is selling off local assets and setting up in Sudan, Africa.

Books | Insights into an eerie land

21 April 2012 | Peter Forbes

PRINT: 21 April 2012 | PAGE 59 | Insights into an eerie land

The Antarctic holds the key to our future and we interrogate it anxiously for portents. Gabrielle Walker’s book brings us up to date on the continent.

Greens’ high stakes business game

21 April 2012 | Andrew Clark

PRINT: 21 April 2012 | PAGE 47 | Greens’ high stakes game

Political forecasting may be a mug’s game, but, to reverse a nostrum about history, we need to look into the future to understand the present. To understand what is going on now in national politics, the observer should first time travel to 2014.

Jillian Broadbent in the hot seat of clean energy

21 April 2012 | John Kehoe

PRINT: 21 April 2012 | PAGE 46 | Jillian Broadbent will need energy

As all sides in the green debate raise doubts about the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, its chief speaks out to defend the government fund.

Abbott plays catch-up: PM

21 April 2012 | Sophie Morris

PRINT: 21 April 2012 | PAGE 5 | Abbott plays catch-up: PM

The federal government said Coalition leader Tony Abbott was mimicking Labor moves to slash green tape by proposing a one-stop-shop, leaving environmental approvals to the states.

Development causes a sinking feeling

20 April 2012 | Lucy Gao

A survey has revealed that a diminishing water table, combined with a growing number of skyscrapers, is causing large areas of China to sink.

CSG breaches will be punished, says Cotter

20 April 2012 |

Queensland's new coal seam gas industry watchdog will take the state government to task if it does not prosecute company breaches properly, its newly appointed head says.

New prosecutor seeks to stop Chevron’s ops

20 April 2012 |

A new prosecutor in the case against Chevron and drilling firm Transocean for an offshore oil spill said on Thursday US time that he will seek to suspend the companies' operations in Brazil.

There’s rot at the core of the Apple Isle

20 April 2012 | Jason Murphy.

PRINT: 20 April 2012 | PAGE 49 | There’s rot at the core of the Apple Isle

Non-mining states should take a long, hard look at Tasmania. The state is stuck in the slow lane and battling to shake that sinking feeling.

Hunt on sidelines

20 April 2012 | Jonathan Doig

PRINT: 20 April 2012 | PAGE 47 | Hunt on sidelines

As the opposition’s climate action hero, Greg Hunt is sounding rather “can’t-do.”

BP payout to spill claimants could hit $US7.8bn

20 April 2012 | Suzanne Goldenberg

PRINT: 20 April 2012 | PAGE 25 | BP payout to spill claimants could hit $US7.8bn

BP and lawyers for businesses claiming damages in the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil disaster have finalised details of a multibillion-dollar settlement and submitted it to a judge in New Orleans.

Incitec Pivot split might make more sense now

20 April 2012 | Sarah Thompson and Anthony MacDonald

PRINT: 20 April 2012 | PAGE 2 | Incitec Pivot split might make more market sense now

Incitec Pivot chief executive James Fazzino has been steadfast in his view that while he’s in charge, splitting the company’s fertiliser and explosives interests by way of a demerger isn’t going to happen.

Abbott goes green to undercut Milne

20 April 2012 | Marcus Priest

PRINT: 20 April 2012 | PAGE 1 | Abbott goes green to undercut Milne

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott will on Friday flag he is prepared to do a deal with the government to slash “green tape” amid ALP fears that it will be harder to deal with the Greens under new leader Christine Milne.

Greens are more than Brown

20 April 2012 | James Norman

PRINT: 20 April 2012 | PAGE 50 | Greens are more than Brown

With Christine Milne at the helm, the party – with its taut structure, firm beliefs and grassroots base – has never been stronger.

Climate change denial not just for fools

20 April 2012 | Mark Latham

PRINT: 20 April 2012 | PAGE 1 | MASS DENIAL

Former federal Labor leader Mark Latham says that in the climate change debate, we are witnessing a puzzling shift in the foundations of public reason – the emergence of what might be thought of as anti-enlightenment.

Plimer steps in as Friedland bows out

19 April 2012 |

Climate change sceptic Ian Plimer has stepped in as chairman of Ivanhoe Australia, replacing Canadian billionaire Robert Friedland, who quit the miner following a power tussle with Rio Tinto.

We share farmers’ concerns: Greens

19 April 2012 |

Rifts between Australia’s farming community and the Australian Greens over the carbon tax have been "wildly exaggerated", says the party's new leader Christine Milne.

Shell assessing $US4bn Nigeria oil projects

19 April 2012 |

Royal Dutch Shell is assessing projects that could be worth around $US4 billion to boost oil production in Nigeria and cut flaring of associated natural gas, chief executive Peter Voser said.