R[0]="2056"; T[0]="States plan to expand emission trading"; A[0]="By ... Editor"; Dn[0]="20070823"; Dt[0]="Thursday 23 August 2007"; Acats[0]="a36a89"; B1[0]="      State Labor governments are pushing to expand their proposed national emissions trading scheme aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, as they step "; B2[0]="up pressure on the Federal Government to implement one... "; B3[0]=" "; B4[0]=" "; B5[0]=" "; S1[0]="      State Labor governments are pushing to expand their proposed national emissions trading scheme aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, as they step "; S2[0]=" up pressure on the Federal Government to implement one.
      When it was outlined initially, the states' plan was to be centred on "; S3[0]=" the power industry.
      Now, in a little noticed move, their taskforce is looking to expand to include more of the economy.
  "; S4[0]="     An official with the scheme said: 'The taskforce will now consider a scheme with broader coverage than that specified for a national emissions "; S5[0]=" trading scheme to include other sectors - beyond the stationary energy sector - or to have economy-wide coverage.' A lack of Federal Government interest prompted "; S6[0]=" state governments to begin work on their own scheme in 2004, with the aim of having it operate by 2010.
      Now the "; S7[0]=" Federal Government wants a scheme in place by 2011 or 2012, although doubts remain about its commitment.
      The states' trading system is "; S8[0]=" to replace existing state-based schemes such as the Greenhouse Gas Abatement Scheme in NSW.
      Cameron O'Reilly, of the Energy Retailers Association of "; S9[0]=" Australia, said having competing schemes in Australia 'is confusing and will remain so'.
      'We won't get any clarity until the federal election "; S10[0]=" is held and we see details of the Federal Government's scheme,' he said.
      The NSW Government has criticised the Federal Government for "; S11[0]=" lacking a commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
      A NSW official said: 'We're doing something on climate change but we won't know "; S12[0]=" until after the elections whether the Federal Government is.' The NSW Minister for Climate Change, Phil Koperberg, said: 'We're committed to establishing a national trading "; S13[0]=" scheme by 2010, while the Commonwealth dithers about its response and is saying maybe by 2012.' Private investors' submissions on the states' proposal supported the "; S14[0]=" broadening of the taskforce's terms of reference.
      'What the private sector wants is certainty,' a source close to the state plan said... "; R[1]="2044"; T[1]="Agricultural leader warns against biofuel production"; A[1]="By ... Editor"; Dn[1]="20070803"; Dt[1]="Friday 3 August 2007"; Acats[1]="a36a94"; B1[1]="      An agricultural business leader says the world needs to exercise discipline and caution in the move to more biofuel production.... "; B2[1]=" "; B3[1]=" "; B4[1]=" "; B5[1]=" "; S1[1]="      An agricultural business leader says the world needs to exercise discipline and caution in the move to more biofuel production.
    "; S2[1]="   Guillaime Bastiaens, vice chairman of the world's largest grain trader, Cargill, is visiting Australia and says that while extra demand for corn and wheat "; S3[1]=" for fuel is pushing prices up, the market will eventually settle down.
      He says like wind power, biofuels will only ever be "; S4[1]=" a small but significant option as a renewable fuel.
      'Some people think biofuels will replace fossil fuels,' Mr Bastiaens said.
    "; S5[1]="   'It will not happen and I hope we all agree on that.
      'The same thing goes for windmills.
      "; S6[1]=" 'It's not going to replace energy, the power side or the solar side.
      'It will all move and the consumers will see "; S7[1]=" the importance of looking for the alternative solutions in this field.'.. "; R[2]="2028"; T[2]="Sun shield reduces water needed to grow vegetables: southern NSW trial"; A[2]="By ... Editor"; Dn[2]="20070507"; Dt[2]="Monday 7 May 2007"; Acats[2]="a36a55"; B1[2]="      A new means of shielding broadacre vegetable crops from the sun could massively reduce the quantity of water required to grow vegetables "; B2[2]="in some of the driest parts of the Murray Darling Basin... "; B3[2]=" "; B4[2]=" "; B5[2]=" "; S1[2]="      A new means of shielding broadacre vegetable crops from the sun could massively reduce the quantity of water required to grow vegetables "; S2[2]=" in some of the driest parts of the Murray Darling Basin.
      Preliminary trials by growers in Griffith, supported by the NSW Department "; S3[2]=" of Primary Industries (DPI), indicate that a new Israeli technique using 'screenhouses' could see water used for growing vegetables cut by more than a third.
"; S4[2]="       An Israeli research trial, reported last year in the journal Irrigation Science, found 38 per cent less water was required for 'screenhouse' "; S5[2]=" crops compared with crops grown in open fields.
      Griffith vegetable growers, Tony and Frank Catazariti and John and Anthony Vitucci, are in "; S6[2]=" their second year of production using a shadecloth structure that covers one hectare to protect what are essentially field-grown vegetable crops.
      Several "; S7[2]=" years of research by the cloth suppliers, Queensland based-Envirotech, was required to determine the best combination of colour and density of shade cloth on the "; S8[2]=" roof to modify sunlight penetration, and on the sides to moderate wind speed.
      DPI District Horticulturist, Mr Mark Hickey, says the Australian "; S9[2]=" trial is supporting overseas findings that sunlight intensity, windspeed and evaporative losses from the plant and soil surface were all lower and provided a more "; S10[2]=" favourable environment for plant growth.
      In the first year melons were grown in the structure, and this year mini capsicums - a "; S11[2]=" high value crop not normally grown in southern NSW - were successfully grown using the new system.
      Mr Hickey said in the "; S12[2]=" first year of operation there was a dramatic difference in amount of moisture extracted from the soil by melons grown inside and outside the 'screenhouse'.
"; S13[2]="       Two different methods were used to determine soil moisture levels in the root zone of the crop, and studies of the root "; S14[2]=" systems of the protected crops were undertaken.
      Initial estimates from the growers are that 30 per cent less water was used to "; S15[2]=" grow the melons under the shade cloth, compared with outside conditions.
      'A crucial factor is an estimated 40 per cent reduction in "; S16[2]=" 'global radiation', which means that evapo-transpiration is reduced.
      'This is a significant benefit in terms of reducing water use but makes water "; S17[2]=" management crucial, as excess water can lead to root diseases such as pythium and phytophthora.' Mr Hickey said the shadecloth structure also creates a more "; S18[2]=" conducive environment for pests, which means crops have to be carefully monitored to check for the spread of viruses.
      Trials of the "; S19[2]=" new system are to be extended in the next two years in a collaborative effort by NSW DPI and CSIRO Land and Water, under a "; S20[2]=" new research project into water use efficiency in horticulture funded by the Cooperative Research Centre for Irrigation Futures (CRC IF).
      Mr Hickey "; S21[2]=" said further research needs to be undertaken into the impact of the new growing system on evapo-transpiration, through monitoring of daily changes in moisture levels, "; S22[2]=" as well as on pests and diseases.
      'One advantage of this system is that it does not overheat crops, as happens in "; S23[2]=" greenhouses.' The Griffith growers believe the screenhouse is economically viable, but the cost benefit of the system for other growers still needs to be assessed.
"; S24[2]="       This will be examined as part of the CRC project.
      As with vegetable growing regions in the Murray-Darling Basin, "; S25[2]=" Israel's semi-arid and arid regions require irrigation to survive.
      Growers in Israel have limited access to freshwater and between1980 and 2002 and "; S26[2]=" the amount of freshwater available for agriculture in that country fell by more than half... "; R[3]="1997"; T[3]="Crop waste could become new ethanol source for farmers"; A[3]="By ... Editor"; Dn[3]="20070331"; Dt[3]="Saturday 31 March 2007"; Acats[3]="a36a94"; B1[3]="      Australian farmers could benefit from new technology to turn the leaves, stalks and timber waste from crops into ethanol.... "; B2[3]=" "; B3[3]=" "; B4[3]=" "; B5[3]=" "; S1[3]="      Australian farmers could benefit from new technology to turn the leaves, stalks and timber waste from crops into ethanol.
      "; S2[3]=" Nuffield scholar Caroline Brown has been studying the biofuels industry in Europe, North America, Japan and India.
      She says rather than using "; S3[3]=" traditional food crops like oilseeds to make ethanol, specific crops can be grown to create what is called biomass to be converted into ethanol.
  "; S4[3]="     'Biomass is unlimited - the only thing that would really limit your biomass feedstock would be be its moisture content,' she said.
  "; S5[3]="     'So you can use waste products from woodchips, you can use crop residue, you can use crops grown specifically for biomass.
    "; S6[3]="   'The only limiting thing is the freight cost from where the site of production is to the site of processing.'.. "; R[4]="1987"; T[4]="Science turns sun, surf into green energy"; A[4]="By ... Editor"; Dn[4]="20070331"; Dt[4]="Saturday 31 March 2007"; Acats[4]="a36a94"; B1[4]="      A revolutionary technology that uses sunlight and sea water to produce an unlimited supply of clean, hydrogen fuel could be developed within "; B2[4]="a decade, Sydney researchers say... "; B3[4]=" "; B4[4]=" "; B5[4]=" "; S1[4]="      A revolutionary technology that uses sunlight and sea water to produce an unlimited supply of clean, hydrogen fuel could be developed within "; S2[4]=" a decade, Sydney researchers say.
      Leigh Sheppard, of the University of NSW, estimated that 1.6 million of the solar devices, installed on "; S3[4]=" rooftops, would be able to produce enough hydrogen gas to supply Australia's entire energy needs.
      While other energy options under discussion, such "; S4[4]=" as nuclear power, produce harmful wastes, the only by-products of this solar hydrogen technology would be oxygen and fresh water, Dr Sheppard said.
    "; S5[4]="   'It is the cleanest, greenest energy option for a sustainable economy.' Dr Sheppard said much more research was needed, but the university team was "; S6[4]=" confident it would be able to make the process efficient enough within 10 years for it then to be developed commercially.
      Its "; S7[4]=" technique relies on using a light sensitive material, titanium dioxide, to harness the power of the sun to split water into oxygen and hydrogen gas.
"; S8[4]="       'The process has the additional advantage that it works best in sea water,' Dr Sheppard said.
      Australia was rich "; S9[4]=" in titanium, and had abundant sunshine.
      'And we are surrounded by ocean.' It might also be possible to use artesian water, or "; S10[4]=" pump sea water inland, to a large array of solar panels which could produce hydrogen for local use and even for export.
      "; S11[4]=" An area covering 40 square kilometres would meet the country's energy needs.
      A way of using sunlight to split water was first "; S12[4]=" developed by Japanese scientists in the 1970s, but worldwide interest in developing this approach has only recently been rekindled by concerns about burning fossil fuels "; S13[4]=" and global warming.
      The small UNSW team, led by Professor Janusz Nowotny, is a world leader in using titanium dioxide as a "; S14[4]=" catalyst to split water.
      The researchers have developed instruments which can measure the electrical properties of the material so they can improve "; S15[4]=" its performance by altering its oxygen content or adding impurities.
      A visiting German solar expert, Helmut Tributsch, of the Free University in "; S16[4]=" Berlin, said research was urgently needed into ways to covert the sun's power into usable energy, such ashydrogen fuel and photovoltaic electricity.
      "; S17[4]=" Professor Tributsch said water splitting was a process nature used to harness the sun's energy.
      'We should really follow the example of "; S18[4]=" nature.
      It is the only safe way to handle our environment in the long term.' Hydrogen was a clean and efficient fuel "; S19[4]=" for powering everything from vehicles to furnaces and air conditioning.
      'When you burn it, it gives water, so there is no pollution "; S20[4]=" of the environment,' he said.
      Dr Sheppard said hydrogen fuelling stations for cars were operating in several countries including Germany and the "; S21[4]=" US, but a lot more infrastructure would be needed before hydrogen could be widely used as an energy source.
      He said nuclear "; S22[4]=" power had the advantage that it was a proven technology.
      'But this is a smarter technology.
      It does not "; S23[4]=" produce toxic waste.' It could take five more years to commercialise the water-splitting technology once it was fully developed, he said.
      Professor "; S24[4]=" Tributsch will give a public lecture on solar energy at the university on Monday night... "; R[5]="1967"; T[5]="Save Earth: ban the bulb"; A[5]="By ... Editor"; Dn[5]="20070308"; Dt[5]="Thursday 8 March 2007"; Acats[5]="a36a89"; B1[5]="      Hong Kong is hot.
      And apparently getting hotter.
      This February was reportedly the hottest on record.
"; B2[5]="      This has, inevitably, generated calls for Hong Kong to pull its weight in doing something about it, not least from the 90 "; B3[5]="percent of secondary school students who in a recent GreenSense poll expressed concern... "; B4[5]=" "; B5[5]=" "; S1[5]="      Hong Kong is hot.
      And apparently getting hotter.
      This February was reportedly the hottest on record.
"; S2[5]="       This has, inevitably, generated calls for Hong Kong to pull its weight in doing something about it, not least from the 90 "; S3[5]=" percent of secondary school students who in a recent GreenSense poll expressed concern.
      Being the small place it is, however, Hong Kong "; S4[5]=" is not on the critical path to a solution.
      Indeed, there may not be much of a solution at all.
    "; S5[5]="   The most inconvenient truth about global warming, wrote Fareed Zakaria recently in Newsweek, is that we cannot stop it.
      Even if "; S6[5]=" the world adopted the most far-reaching plans to combat climate change, most scientists agree that the concentration of greenhouse gases will continue to rise for "; S7[5]=" the next few decades.
      In other words, global warming is already baked into Earth's future.
      Calls for action on "; S8[5]=" global warming, which we cannot do much about, run the risk of detracting attention from other problems, such as local energy usage and pollution, which "; S9[5]=" we at least have a chance of ameliorating.
      The problem is that global warming is just that: a global phenomenon.
    "; S10[5]="   How many of us will really give up that next holiday to Phuket or London merely to reduce our carbon footprint? One can of "; S11[5]=" course always buy carbon credits as a sort of modern version of the papal indulgences purchased in previous centuries to mitigate one's sins.
    "; S12[5]="   It does not really matter very much how many flights any us take as long as China goes on building coal-fired power plants.
  "; S13[5]="     I do walk and take the bus but for reasons that have considerably more to do with health and convenience than the global "; S14[5]=" environment, and that is the point: an individual is far more willing to sacrifice when the results are reasonably immediate and palpable.
      "; S15[5]=" There are good local reasons to improve energy efficiency in Hong Kong, including cost savings and a probable reduction in pollution.
      There "; S16[5]=" is not a one-to-one correlation between pollution and greenhouse gases, but the processes that produce the former tend to produce the latter; reducing one therefore "; S17[5]=" tends to reduce the other.
      By helping ourselves, we would - to paraphrase Benjamin Franklin - be helping the world as well.
"; S18[5]="       Many ideas on curbing energy usage have been floated, from better insulated buildings, to replacing our current power plants and implementing road "; S19[5]=" pricing, but all seem to have fallen foul of practical or economic considerations, or perhaps special interests.
      Fatalism is complacency's evil twin.
"; S20[5]="       Every once in a while, however, one reads a newspaper article and a bulb lights up in one's head or, in this "; S21[5]=" case, goes off.
      Matt Prescott of the UK-based Ban the Bulb says that normal incandescent lightbulbs waste so much energy that if "; S22[5]=" they were invented today, it is highly unlikely they would be allowed onto the market, and asks why not make incandescent bulbs illegal? Why not "; S23[5]=" indeed? Australia just has.
      Incandescent lightbulbs must be replaced with fluorescent bulbs, which only use about 20 percent of the energy to "; S24[5]=" produce the same amount of light.
      The environment minister Malcolm Turnbull was quoted as saying that the move would not only trim "; S25[5]=" carbon emissions but also cut lighting costs by two- thirds.
      'If the whole world switches to these bulbs today, we would reduce "; S26[5]=" our consumption of electricity by an amount equal to five times Australia's annual consumption of electricity,' he said.
      If Hong Kong can "; S27[5]=" ban smoking, surely we can ban lightbulbs.
      Secondhand smoke is not the only, or even necessarily the most serious, pollutant we should "; S28[5]=" be worried about.
      Replacing incandescent lightbulbs is of course just one step, and not a very large one, but it is practical "; S29[5]=" and sensible.
      Neither complacency nor fatalism is warranted.
      A long-term solution to our pollution and energy problems will probably "; S30[5]=" be found in relatively small, incremental steps like this one.
      There are others: maintaining green areas and planting trees will improve the "; R[6]="1932"; T[6]="Tom Kenyon: Hot rocks will keep power bills low"; A[6]="By ... Editor"; Dn[6]="20070304"; Dt[6]="Sunday 4 March 2007"; Acats[6]="a36a94"; B1[6]="      John Howard's climate change 'solution' is a 50 per cent rise in the price of electricity.
      How economically responsible "; B2[6]="is that, especially when there are cheaper solutions out there such as geothermal?.. "; B3[6]=" "; B4[6]=" "; B5[6]=" "; S1[6]="      John Howard's climate change 'solution' is a 50 per cent rise in the price of electricity.
      How economically responsible "; S2[6]=" is that, especially when there are cheaper solutions out there such as geothermal? After talking to Ron Walker on the phone about a proposal to "; S3[6]=" set up a nuclear power company in Australia, the Prime Minister announced the Switkowski inquiry into nuclear power.
      Coincidence or wedge? You "; S4[6]=" be the judge.
      The interesting thing about the Switkowski report is that it contained the best reason for not implementing nuclear power, "; S5[6]=" a 50 per cent power price rise.
      But let's back up a bit.
      Australians recognise the need to reduce "; S6[6]=" our CO2 emissions.
      In fact, they are way ahead of the PM and that's why he has been so badly caught out.
"; S7[6]="       They also recognise that nuclear energy is an emission-free source of energy and to be blunt, are becoming increasingly relaxed about it.
"; S8[6]="       It's time we in the ALP gave up pretending that nuclear energy is Satan's power supply of choice, because it's not working.
"; S9[6]="       It's time we stopped repeating the myth that waste is an issue that can't be dealt with.
      Some countries "; S10[6]=" such as Sweden are dealing with it.
      It's time we stopped saying that nuclear power is bad for the environment.
    "; S11[6]="   It's just not true.
      Name one species that has been made extinct by nuclear power.
      You can't, can "; S12[6]=" you? Now have a think about the environmental effects of global warming.
      The whole Great Barrier Reef - gone.
      "; S13[6]=" Whole biosystems - wiped out.
      And with them species after species after species.
      Are we really going to let "; S14[6]=" an ideological hangover from the Cold War stop us from fixing this thing? It's time we accepted that in some countries nuclear power is the "; S15[6]=" solution.
      Nuclear power is not an environmental problem, it's an economic problem.
      The Prime Minister's political attempt to wedge "; S16[6]=" the ALP over nuclear power will cost the average family between $500 and $1000 a year.
      If you have a $1000-a-year electricity "; S17[6]=" bill, the Switkowski report says nuclear power means you'll be paying $1500.
      That'll be $3000 if you already have a $2000 bill.
"; S18[6]="       Transpose that to industry and you start to see a few more problems.
      How do you like them apples? "; S19[6]=" Howard's climate change solution is schizophrenic.
      On one hand he says 'we can't hurt the economy' on the other hand, he's suggesting "; S20[6]=" a 50 per cent electricity price rise.
      Imagine the effects this will have on industry, especially our already struggling manufacturing sector who "; S21[6]=" are heavy users of power.
      In some countries, such as Taiwan, it's expensive to import fuel such as coal so nuclear power "; S22[6]=" is actually cheaper to produce.
      These countries get a double advantage - reduced emissions and cheaper power, thus fulfilling their international obligations "; S23[6]=" and making their industry more competitive.
      This means that the effects of any energy price rise in Australia will be compounded.
  "; S24[6]="     What we need in Australia is a way of generating emission-free, baseload power that doesn't cost much more than coal or gas generation.
"; S25[6]="       Geothermal energy is emission free, cheaper than nuclear, not much more expensive than our present coal and definitely cheaper than coal if "; S26[6]=" allowances are made for geo-sequestration.
      The principle of geothermal is not new; there are countries around the world that use it, such "; S27[6]=" as New Zealand and Iceland, even France.
      Essentially you pump water down a hole and across hot rocks (200C+), where it turns "; S28[6]=" to super-hot water.
      The water comes up another hole, is turned into steam and is used to generate electricity.
      "; S29[6]=" However, there are some technical areas where processes employed in Australia would differ from those used overseas and these need to be dealt with quickly.
"; S30[6]="       The federal Government could be doing a lot to help.
      For instance, it should develop a drilling subsidy for "; R[7]="1931"; T[7]="First wave power plant ready to roll"; A[7]="By ... Editor"; Dn[7]="20070304"; Dt[7]="Sunday 4 March 2007"; Acats[7]="a36a94"; B1[7]="      Australia's cities are drought-parched and its desert outback drenched by floods, but climate change has not yet killed the country's famed surf "; B2[7]="beaches, or their promise of clean eco-power... "; B3[7]=" "; B4[7]=" "; B5[7]=" "; S1[7]="      Australia's cities are drought-parched and its desert outback drenched by floods, but climate change has not yet killed the country's famed surf "; S2[7]=" beaches, or their promise of clean eco-power.
      Australia's first commercial wave-generated power station will in weeks begin supplying homes south of Sydney "; S3[7]=" with electricity and fresh drinking water, courtesy of the sea.
      'The energy in waves is the densest of any natural sources "; S4[7]=" of energy.
      It's pretty much always there and it doesn't go away like sun and wind do,' John Bell, the chief finance "; S5[7]=" officer from station developer Energetech said.
      Lying anchored just 100m off a popular surf beach near Wollongong, south of Sydney, the "; S6[7]=" 485-tonne plant will power 500 homes along the local grid.
      Electricity is generated when waves wash into a funnel facing the "; S7[7]=" ocean, driving air through a pipe and into a turbine capable of pumping 500kw of clean power each day into the local grid.
    "; S8[7]="   The $6m floating plant, built to withstand a one in 100-year storm, can also desalinate 2000 litres of drinking water each day for "; S9[7]=" almost as many homes as it powers.
      The station is also popular with local surfers, having created a nearby sandbar with "; S10[7]=" a small surf break, despite the difficulty of getting to it from Port Kembla's port.
      Mr Bell said the plant was "; S11[7]=" the prototype for a larger installation of 10 stations to be built on the wave-battered southern Australian coast near Portland, in Victoria.
      "; S12[7]=" 'We'll have a queue to roll these things out, because the fact we can do both electrical energy and desalinated water is quite compelling,' "; S13[7]=" he said.
      Interest in building similar plants has come from Hawaii, Spain, South Africa, Mexico, Chile and both US coasts, with "; S14[7]=" Energetech having just completed a round of venture capital raising, mainly in Europe.
      'Our production units will be producing one million "; S15[7]=" litres of water each day and we can produce at very low cost,' Mr Bell said.
      The costs of power from "; S16[7]=" the plant ranged below 10 cents per kW of electricity and under $1 per 1000 litres of water.
      The Portland plants, "; S17[7]=" floating like an ocean-bound wind farm, would produce 10MW, enough for around 15,000 homes.
      The turbine at the heart of the "; S18[7]=" station employs new techology which allows it to spin in the same direction, irrespective of wind direction in the tunnel.
      'We "; S19[7]=" believe its got the best chance of any of those natural sources to get close to, or we believe get below, the cost of fossil "; S20[7]=" fuel,' Mr Bell said... "; R[8]="1921"; T[8]="Recyclers warn of mercury dangers"; A[8]="By ... Editor"; Dn[8]="20070222"; Dt[8]="Thursday 22 February 2007"; Acats[8]="a36a89a94"; B1[8]="      The Federal Government's plan to phase out incandescent light bulbs has hit its first major hurdle, as recyclers warn that their fluorescent "; B2[8]="replacements pose dangers to people and the environment... "; B3[8]=" "; B4[8]=" "; B5[8]=" "; S1[8]="      The Federal Government's plan to phase out incandescent light bulbs has hit its first major hurdle, as recyclers warn that their fluorescent "; S2[8]=" replacements pose dangers to people and the environment.
      The Coalition policy, revealed in The Advertiser yesterday, has received widespread support, but the "; S3[8]=" Australian Council of Recyclers says small amounts of mercury inside the fluorescent bulbs can get into groundwater and damage ecosystems, and potentially harm humans.
  "; S4[8]="     Council chief executive Anne Prince said this was 'a real issue for the recycling industry'.
      'For the average householder, they "; S5[8]=" either go in the rubbish where they break and can cause glass injuries, or they go in the recycling, where they can cause contamination problems,' "; S6[8]=" she said.
      The amount of mercury has been reduced in recent years, but it is an essential part of any fluorescent light.
"; S7[8]="       The Lighting Council of Australia says the bulbs are safe to recycle, but Ms Prince says there are not enough facilities.
  "; S8[8]="     'There's one company in Victoria that can recycle them, but for the rest of Australia, they're a potential contamination problem,' she said.
  "; S9[8]="     Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull yesterday said the fluorescent bulbs, which are more expensive than incandescent bulbs, would pay for themselves within a year "; S10[8]=" by reducing household electricity bills by up to 66 per cent and eventually cutting Australia's greenhouse gas emissions by four million tonnes a year.
  "; S11[8]="     Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd said he supported the scheme '100 per cent', but his environment spokesman, Peter Garrett, said the Government stole the "; S12[8]=" idea from environmental group Planet Ark... "; R[9]="1920"; T[9]="Now a push to turn hot water green"; A[9]="By ... Editor"; Dn[9]="20070222"; Dt[9]="Thursday 22 February 2007"; Acats[9]="a36a89"; B1[9]="      A Federal Government proposal to phase out inefficient light bulbs in a bid to tackle climate change has been welcomed by energy "; B2[9]="experts and environmentalists, who hope it will lead to other energy efficiency programs... "; B3[9]=" "; B4[9]=" "; B5[9]=" "; S1[9]="      A Federal Government proposal to phase out inefficient light bulbs in a bid to tackle climate change has been welcomed by energy "; S2[9]=" experts and environmentalists, who hope it will lead to other energy efficiency programs.
      The plan to introduce new lighting standards legislation by "; S3[9]=" 2010, announced yesterday by the Environment Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, could be replicated in areas such as home insulation and hot water systems, they said.
  "; S4[9]="     Together, such programs would significantly cut demand for electricity and curb greenhouse gas pollution, without threatening jobs or industry, Greenpeace's energy campaigner, Mark "; S5[9]=" Wakeham, said.
      'This will be a very fast way of getting compact fluorescent light bulbs into every house in the country,' he "; S6[9]=" said.
      'We are always talking about job losses … with energy efficiency it is really a win-win.' Greenpeace estimated replacing electric hot "; S7[9]=" water systems with solar hot water and water efficient shower heads by 2020 would save 17 million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year, the equivalent "; S8[9]=" greenhouse gas pollution emitted by a large coal-fired power station.
      Mr Turnbull said the most effective and immediate way to reduce greenhouse "; S9[9]=" gas emissions was to use energy more efficiently.
      'We have been using incandescent light bulbs for 125 years and up to 90 "; S10[9]=" per cent of the energy each light bulb uses is wasted, mainly as heat,' he said, explaining the Government's preference for the more energy efficient "; S11[9]=" fluorescent bulbs.
      The founder of the 'Ban the Bulb' campaign, Jon Dee, said statistics from the light bulb manufacturer Philips showed there "; S12[9]=" were 135 million incandescent light bulbs in Australian homes, about 17 per household.
      Replacing them with compact fluorescents, which last about six "; S13[9]=" times as long, represented a saving to the consumer of $30 over the lifetime of the bulb, or a $170 cut to electricity bills every "; S14[9]=" year.
      On a national basis, the change-over would knock off $1.3 billion from the annual household electricity bill, and save 13.2 billion "; S15[9]=" kilowatts of power a year.
      Although the proposal was a good first step, it did not take much political courage because it "; S16[9]=" didn't upset any industry lobby groups, the managing director of the energy efficiency company Big Switch, Gavin Gilchrist, said.
      'I look forward "; S17[9]=" to the day when lobby groups are taken on and we ban off-peak electric hot water, selling residential and commercial buildings without any electricity performance "; S18[9]=" data and electricity market regulation that favours coal-fired generators.' The Opposition Leader, Kevin Rudd, gave the idea his 'complete support'.
      The Greens "; S19[9]=" also applauded it, but called on the Federal Government to do more.
      In Tamworth, Esther Bailey, the director of a company selling "; S20[9]=" energy efficient products, Neco, has already sensed a change in consumer attitudes towards energy efficiency.
      In conjunction with the council, Neco has "; S21[9]=" been running a free campaign in the rural city to exchange standard light bulbs in homes with energy efficient ones.
      'We used "; S22[9]=" to almost exclusively talk to people about cost savings [from energy efficiency] but since Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth we can speak more openly about "; S23[9]=" the environmental benefits,' Ms Bailey said... "; R[10]="1915"; T[10]="Australia's Bright Idea: Phase Out Incandescent Bulbs"; A[10]="By ... Editor"; Dn[10]="20070222"; Dt[10]="Thursday 22 February 2007"; Acats[10]="a36a89"; B1[10]="      In an effort to reduce greenhouse gases, the Australian government announced today it will phase out energy-inefficient incandescent light bulbs in favor "; B2[10]="of compact fluorescents... "; B3[10]=" "; B4[10]=" "; B5[10]=" "; S1[10]="      In an effort to reduce greenhouse gases, the Australian government announced today it will phase out energy-inefficient incandescent light bulbs in favor "; S2[10]=" of compact fluorescents.
      Australia is aiming to gradually phase out all old-style light bulbs and fully enforce new lighting standards legislation "; S3[10]=" by 2009 or 2010.
      The step should reduce Australia's greenhouse gas emissions by 4 million tons by 2012 and cut household lighting "; S4[10]=" costs by up to 66 percent, said Environment and Water Resources Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
      'The most effective and immediate way we "; S5[10]=" can reduce greenhouse gas emissions is by using energy more efficiently,' Turnbull said.
      'Electric lighting is a vital part of our lives; "; S6[10]=" globally it generates emissions equal to 70 percent of those from all the world's passenger vehicles.
      But it is still very inefficient.
"; S7[10]="       We have been using incandescent light bulbs for 125 years and up to 90 percent of the energy each light bulb uses "; S8[10]=" is wasted, mainly as heat.' The heat loss of normal light bulbs represents millions of tons of CO2 emitted globally into the atmosphere, he "; S9[10]=" said.
      Compact fluorescents use around 20 percent of the electricity of traditional bulbs to produce the same amount of light and also "; S10[10]=" last between four and 10 times longer.
      'While they may be more expensive to buy up front, they can pay for "; S11[10]=" themselves in lower power bills within a year,' Turnbull said.
      He said the reduction in emissions will increase as the phase "; S12[10]=" out progresses and the annual average reduction between 2008-12 is estimated at around 800,000 tons.
      However, by 2015 the annual cut in "; S13[10]=" emissions will have soared to an estimated 4 million tons a year.
      In Australia, lighting currently represents around 12 percent of greenhouse "; S14[10]=" gas emissions from households and approximately 25 percent of emissions from the commercial sector.
      The government said it will also work "; S15[10]=" with the world's largest manufacturers of light bulbs, including China, to broaden the benefits beyond Australia.
      'The International Energy Agency has "; S16[10]=" estimated that if all countries made the global switch to compact fluorescent lights, that by 2030 annually it would save the energy equivalent to more "; S17[10]=" than five years of Australia's current electricity consumption,' Turnbull said.
      'The climate change challenge is a global one.
      I "; S18[10]=" encourage other countries to follow Australia's lead and make the switch to more energy efficient products like compact fluorescent light bulbs.'.. "; R[11]="1872"; T[11]="WA to buy more renewable energy"; A[11]="By ... Editor"; Dn[11]="20070207"; Dt[11]="Wednesday 7 February 2007"; Acats[11]="a36a67a94"; B1[11]="      The Western Australian Government today challenged the Federal Government and industry to follow its lead as it pledged to buy one-fifth of "; B2[11]="its energy needs from renewable sources within three years... "; B3[11]=" "; B4[11]=" "; B5[11]=" "; S1[11]="      The Western Australian Government today challenged the Federal Government and industry to follow its lead as it pledged to buy one-fifth of "; S2[11]=" its energy needs from renewable sources within three years.
      Premier Alan Carpenter said the 20 per cent renewable energy commitment would form "; S3[11]=" part of his Labor Government's forthcoming Climate Change Action Plan.
      'Climate change is a very real issue affecting the entire planet,' "; S4[11]=" Mr Carpenter said.
      'Buying more renewable energy is one tangible way that we can contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.' "; S5[11]=" He said the 20 per cent target in 2010 would bring a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of about 90,000 tonnes per year - "; S6[11]=" the equivalent of taking 21,000 cars off the road... "; R[12]="1871"; T[12]="Pig poo methane to generate power"; A[12]="By ... Editor"; Dn[12]="20070207"; Dt[12]="Wednesday 7 February 2007"; Acats[12]="a29a36a94"; B1[12]="      A pig farmer near Donald, in south-west Victoria, plans to cut the running costs of his desalinator with the help of pig "; B2[12]="effluent... "; B3[12]=" "; B4[12]=" "; B5[12]=" "; S1[12]="      A pig farmer near Donald, in south-west Victoria, plans to cut the running costs of his desalinator with the help of pig "; S2[12]=" effluent.
      Robert Adams' plan is to use methane from the stored poo to generate power.
      He says the 'biogas "; S3[12]=" recovery unit' will reduce the extra $10,000 a year he is spending on electricity for desalination.
      'From the research that we've done "; S4[12]=" and looking at it, I'd have quite a few tanks set up to do this recovery system,' he said.
      'It should provide "; S5[12]=" a bit to reduce emissions to the atmosphere of course, certainly cuts down on the amount of gas floating around and reduces the smell around "; S6[12]=" the house too.
      'It would be doing more than one thing.'.. "; R[13]="1846"; T[13]="Wind Power - The world's fastest growing power source"; A[13]="By ... Editor"; Dn[13]="20070207"; Dt[13]="Wednesday 7 February 2007"; Acats[13]="a36a94"; B1[13]="      Man has been harnessing the power of air in motion for more than 5,000 years.
      Early sailboats, simple windmills, "; B2[13]="wind farms, and today's sophisticated wind turbines, all rely on basic wind energy... "; B3[13]=" "; B4[13]=" "; B5[13]=" "; S1[13]="      Man has been harnessing the power of air in motion for more than 5,000 years.
      Early sailboats, simple windmills, "; S2[13]=" wind farms, and today's sophisticated wind turbines, all rely on basic wind energy.
      Wind energy is a clean and renewable source that "; S3[13]=" can be used to generate electricity for urban utilities and homes in remote villages.
      Following the OPEC oil embargo of 1973, interest "; S4[13]=" in wind energy surged in response to climbing energy prices and doubts about the availability of conventional fuels.
      Federal and state tax "; S5[13]=" incentives and aggressive government research programs triggered the development and use of many new wind turbine designs.
      Since 1990, use of "; S6[13]=" wind power has grown by 150%, representing an annual growth rate of 20%.
      In many parts of the world, wind power is "; S7[13]=" now cost-competitive with fossil fuel-fired power plants.
      As wind turbines are further improved, wind power is likely to become even more competitive.
"; S8[13]="       Although it now generates less than 1% of the world's electricity, the steady technological advance of wind power suggests that it could "; S9[13]=" become an important energy source for many nations within the next decade.
      Electricity generated by wind turbines does not emit pollutants "; S10[13]=" like other energy sources.
      This means less smog, less acid rain and fewer greenhouse gas emissions.
      Every 10,000 MW "; S11[13]=" of wind installed can reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 33 MMT annually if it replaces coal-fired generating capacity, or 21 MMT if it replaces generation "; S12[13]=" from average fuel mix.
      The major challenge to using wind as a source of power is that it is intermittent and "; S13[13]=" does not always blow when or where electricity is needed.
      Wind cannot be stored (although wind-generated electricity can be stored in batteries), "; S14[13]=" and it cannot always be harnessed to meet the timing of electricity demands.
      Furthermore, good wind sites are often located in remote "; S15[13]=" places far from areas of electric power demand.
      Other drawbacks to wind power include noise pollution, visual impact, and potential danger to "; S16[13]=" wildlife.
      In addition, wind resource development may compete with other uses for land, and those alternative uses may be more highly "; S17[13]=" valued than electricity generation.
      Large experimental models, with blade diameters of up to 300 feet, are eschewed as visual blights by some "; S18[13]=" planners and developers.
      However, wind turbines can be co-located on land that is used for grazing or farming.
      This "; S19[13]=" report on the Global Wind Power Market describes and compares various designs and types of wind turbines ranging from large machines capable of supplying electricity "; S20[13]=" for 700 homes to small-scale models suitable for home, farm and remote uses.
      It explains the technology and physics of how wind "; S21[13]=" turbines function and assesses the markets and future potential for wind power in Europe, North America, and the Asia-Pacific region.
      The report "; S22[13]=" also includes sections on the role of government, the economics of wind power, and key players in the industry.
      Currently, developing countries "; S23[13]=" have little incentive to use wind energy technologies to reduce pollution despite the fact that the most rapid growth in CO2 emissions is in the "; S24[13]=" developing world.
      Two initiatives could give both developed and developing countries incentives to develop wind projects.
      The first is "; S25[13]=" joint implementation, a program under which firms from developed countries can earn carbon offsets by building clean energy projects in the developing world.
    "; S26[13]="   The second is the World Bank's Global Environmental Facility (GEF), which can cover the incremental cost of developing environmentally benign or beneficial projects in "; S27[13]=" the developing world.
      This incentive is particularly important for countries such as China and India, which have tremendous power needs and must "; S28[13]=" build energy capacity quickly at the lowest possible cost... "; R[14]="1809"; T[14]="Biodiesel industry fearful of future after subsidy cuts"; A[14]="By ... Editor"; Dn[14]="20070123"; Dt[14]="Tuesday 23 January 2007"; Acats[14]="a36a94"; B1[14]="      Members of Australia's biodiesel industry are holding crisis talks in Sydney today, worried about their survival without Federal Government subsidies.... "; B2[14]=" "; B3[14]=" "; B4[14]=" "; B5[14]=" "; S1[14]="      Members of Australia's biodiesel industry are holding crisis talks in Sydney today, worried about their survival without Federal Government subsidies.
    "; S2[14]="   Financial incentives for the industry were cut last year, following the introduction of the fuel tax bill, which the Government said was to create "; S3[14]=" a level playing field for all fuel industries.
      Australian Renewable Fuels spokesman Darryl Butcher says the tax changes are turning people away "; S4[14]=" from alternative options.
      'Under the previous rules, if someone purchased diesel and they were eligible for a grant on that diesel, they "; S5[14]=" could also get that grant on biodiesel,' he said.
      'Under the new rules, for pure biodiesel, there are effectively no consumer grants "; S6[14]=" available, so 75 per cent of the market now is unable to get a grant if they buy biodiesel.'.. "; R[15]="1689"; T[15]="Govt contributes to WA carbon trial"; A[15]="By ... Editor"; Dn[15]="20061127"; Dt[15]="Monday 27 November 2006"; Acats[15]="a36a94"; B1[15]="      The Federal Government will contribute $60 million towards the world's biggest carbon capture and storage trial in Western Australia.... "; B2[15]=" "; B3[15]=" "; B4[15]=" "; B5[15]=" "; S1[15]="      The Federal Government will contribute $60 million towards the world's biggest carbon capture and storage trial in Western Australia.
      "; S2[15]=" The money will go to the Gorgon natural gas project off the Pilbara coast, which is still waiting for the final go ahead.
    "; S3[15]="   If it proceeds, 125 million tonnes of excess carbon dioxide will be liquefied and buried 2.5 kilometres under the sea bed in saline aquifers "; S4[15]=" .
      Environment Minister Ian Campbell says it is imperative the project gets off the ground.
      'The Gorgon project, being "; S5[15]=" the biggest one of its type anywhere in the world, in fact bigger than all of the other projects in the rest of the world "; S6[15]=" put together, will help us demonstrate that it can be done safely, that you can put in place a regulatory environment around it, put the "; S7[15]=" risk management techniques around it,' Senator Campbell said.
      'You can't exaggerate how important this project is to the future of the world "; S8[15]=" in terms of addressing climate change.'.. "; R[16]="1673"; T[16]="Turning one man's trash into another's treasure"; A[16]="By ... Editor"; Dn[16]="20061123"; Dt[16]="Thursday 23 November 2006"; Acats[16]="a36a42"; B1[16]="      CSIRO has developed an innovative solution to two very different problems confronting two of the biggest industries in the remote community of "; B2[16]="King Island in the Bass Strait - by transforming waste cardboard into an abundant fuel source... "; B3[16]=" "; B4[16]=" "; B5[16]=" "; S1[16]="      CSIRO has developed an innovative solution to two very different problems confronting two of the biggest industries in the remote community of "; S2[16]=" King Island in the Bass Strait - by transforming waste cardboard into an abundant fuel source.
      Finding alternative fuel sources on a "; S3[16]=" small remote island was a big problem for industrial seaweed processor Kelp Industries.
      The company dries seaweed and exports extracts to be "; S4[16]=" used as thickening agents in food and industrial products worldwide.
      Faced with a future shortage of wood, a rising cost of shipping "; S5[16]=" in liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and the importance of the island's environmental reputation, Kelp Industries found an ally in the famous King Island Dairy (owned "; S6[16]=" by National Foods).
      Kelp Industries general manager John Hiscock says: 'We had a fuel problem and they had a cardboard problem.
  "; S7[16]="     The dairy had mentioned how much waste cardboard they had that was too expensive to ship back to the mainland, and were wondering "; S8[16]=" how else they could use it on the island.
      'Then I remembered the briquettes made from cardboard I'd seen for sale in "; S9[16]=" a shop somewhere.' The result was an idea to recycle King Island's excess cardboard packaging - about three 400-litre bins a week - into dense "; S10[16]=" briquettes to help fuel the kelp furnaces and drying kilns.
      As an expert in furnaces and coal briquetting, CSIRO Minerals principal research "; S11[16]=" scientist Bob Flann was called to check if the idea was scientifically practical.
      'It was a project from left field with a "; S12[16]=" natty solution, and I really liked the idea that CSIRO could assist the island people in facilitating a good outcome,' Mr Flann says.
    "; S13[16]="   Key scientific elements that CSIRO needed to resolve were the correct density of the cardboard briquettes for use in the furnace, the optimal ratio "; S14[16]=" of cardboard to wood burning to sustain the process, and ash analysis to ensure impurities from the cardboard did not contaminate the drying seaweed.
  "; S15[16]="     Mr Flann's team found that solid briquettes - the size of a housebrick - made from shredded cardboard waste work well in the "; S16[16]=" furnace as a 30 to 50 per cent component of the total fuel mix.
      'It was a project from left field with "; S17[16]=" a natty solution, and I really liked the idea that CSIRO could assist the island people in facilitating a good outcome,' Mr Flann says.
  "; S18[16]="     'It's been a really satisfying project, both technically and in being able to help the community so practically and in two such important "; S19[16]=" ways,' Mr Flann says.
      'There are still financial aspects of the project to be resolved, but it has been a great example "; S20[16]=" of how applied technology developed in the coal industry can assist a remote community.' The plan has been welcomed by the King Island Council, which "; S21[16]=" sees reducing landfill and improving waste recycling as a hot topic for the island, with the old tip full and a new one just opened.
"; S22[16]="       It also supports the council's commitment to sustainability... "; R[17]="1671"; T[17]="Coal penalty needed"; A[17]="By ... Editor"; Dn[17]="20061123"; Dt[17]="Thursday 23 November 2006"; Acats[17]="a36a41a89"; B1[17]="      Nuclear power could become a reality in Australia only if coal-fired power stations were forced to pay their way, Professor Ziggy Switkowski "; B2[17]="said yesterday... "; B3[17]=" "; B4[17]=" "; B5[17]=" "; S1[17]="      Nuclear power could become a reality in Australia only if coal-fired power stations were forced to pay their way, Professor Ziggy Switkowski "; S2[17]=" said yesterday.
      The former Telstra chief, who led the inquiry, said atomic energy could not compete with coal and gas-powered electricity generation "; S3[17]=" unless a price was placed on the release of carbon dioxide.
      'Nuclear and other forms of energy like renewables probably can only "; S4[17]=" be competitive if our wonderfully low-cost fossil fuels have a cost that acknowledges their emissions,' he said.
      Queensland relies heavily on black "; S5[17]=" coal to make electricity and it is the state's biggest export commodity.
      The burning of black coal is one of cheapest ways "; S6[17]=" to generate electricity but the report said it was also one of the dirtiest.
      Carbon emissions from black coal used to make "; S7[17]=" electricity were much higher than those from gas and 14 times greater than electricity generated from nuclear reactors.
      The study said that "; S8[17]=" if the cost of releasing one tonne of carbon was priced between $15 and $40, nuclear power would become competitive.
      Dr Switkowski "; S9[17]=" said that, unless Australia decided to put a price on carbon emissions, nuclear energy would remain on the 'proverbial backburner'.
      He said "; S10[17]=" putting a price on carbon could be introduced suddenly or gradually over 20 years.
      But Queensland Premier Premier Peter Beattie said as "; S11[17]=" well as environmental concerns, it cost more to produce electricity from nuclear power compared to using coal.
      Mr Beattie said the suggestion "; S12[17]=" coal-fired power stations would face cost increases was to ensure nuclear power stations could match the price.
      'What this will mean if "; S13[17]=" they do that is everyone will pay more for electricity,' he said.
      Mr Beattie said the Switkowski report failed to identify where "; S14[17]=" the nuclear power plants would be or resolve the equally contentious issue of where the disposable waste would be dumped.
      But the "; S15[17]=" State Government was likely to be powerless to stop the Commonwealth approving nuclear power plants in Queensland.
      Australian Coal Association executive director "; S16[17]=" Mark O'Neill said he was very confident clean coal technologies - into which the industry and governments were currently pouring millions of dollars - would "; S17[17]=" be 'very competitive with the nuclear option for base-load power generation'... "; R[18]="1670"; T[18]="Coal, gas and renewables will have to fill shortfall"; A[18]="By ... Editor"; Dn[18]="20061123"; Dt[18]="Thursday 23 November 2006"; Acats[18]="a36a41a42a89"; B1[18]="      Electricity demand will more than double by 2050 but even if 25 nuclear power stations are built by then, nuclear energy will "; B2[18]="still only account for about one-third of total national generating capacity... "; B3[18]=" "; B4[18]=" "; B5[18]=" "; S1[18]="      Electricity demand will more than double by 2050 but even if 25 nuclear power stations are built by then, nuclear energy will "; S2[18]=" still only account for about one-third of total national generating capacity.
      That means coal, natural gas and renewables will still be in "; S3[18]=" the mix to supply consumer demand for most of this century.
      The electricity sector is Australia's biggest contributor to greenhouse-gas emissions.
  "; S4[18]="     It is also one of the country's largest industries, with about 45,000 megawatts of installed capacity and controlling assets valued at $98billion.
  "; S5[18]="     The Energy Supply Association, which represents most electricity producers, said the Switkowski figures roughly matched its own forecasts.
      'Nothing in "; S6[18]=" this report suggests that deep cuts to carbon emissions in this country will be achieved without substantial government subsidies,' association chief executive Brad Page said.
"; S7[18]="       The Switkowski review nominates 25 nuclear generators between 2020 and 2050 as the cheapest way to introducing cost-effective nuclear power into Australia.
"; S8[18]="       But the review also says that in 2030, high greenhouse-emission black coal will account for 51.4 per cent of Australia's electricity generation, "; S9[18]=" with brown coal adding a further 17.4 per cent.
      Natural gas will have risen to 21.8 per cent, while renewables such as "; S10[18]=" hydro, wind, biomass and biogas will account for less than 8.5 per cent of the total.
      The review notes that carbon capture "; S11[18]=" andstorage (CCS), currently the preferred method of reducing greenhouse-gas emissions from future coal-fired power stations, 'remains to be proven except in highly specific applications'.
  "; S12[18]="     'Uncertainties remain about the cost ofCCS and its reliability and security overthe long term,' the review says.
      'CCS isbest applied "; S13[18]=" to new plants as it isless effective when retrofitted to existing plants.' Mr Page said the review confirmed that renewables, particularly windpower, were not likely "; S14[18]=" to make a big contribution to the electricity-generation sector for the foreseeable future.
      The review's forecast of long-run nuclear generation costs for "; S15[18]=" Australia - at $40 to $65 a megawatt hour - were in line with ESAA forecasts and were roughly equivalent to the currently estimated costs "; S16[18]=" of applying clean-coal technology.
      But the review implies that nuclear energy will remain a commercially unattractive option for Australia's generation sector.
  "; S17[18]="     'Beyond the costs of production, other features of nuclear power may make it relatively unattractive for Australian investors,' it says.
      "; S18[18]=" The review noted that a single 1000-1600MW plant would be a sizeable investment for existing private generating companies in the Australian market.
      "; S19[18]=" It says private investors usually have less than 4000MW of total generating capacity spread over several units.
      'Private generators ...
    "; S20[18]="   have typically shown a preference for faster lead times and more flexible technologies,' it states... "; R[19]="1655"; T[19]="Biodiesel club to produce cheaper fuel"; A[19]="By ... Editor"; Dn[19]="20061117"; Dt[19]="Friday 17 November 2006"; Acats[19]="a36a94"; B1[19]="      Farmers in north-west Victoria have formed a biodiesel club to produce cheaper fuel.... "; B2[19]=" "; B3[19]=" "; B4[19]=" "; B5[19]=" "; S1[19]="      Farmers in north-west Victoria have formed a biodiesel club to produce cheaper fuel.
      The Sunraysia biodiesel club has about "; S2[19]=" 25 members and is experimenting using recycled fish and chip shop oil, and plans to grow crops specifically for biodiesel.
      Club member "; S3[19]=" Paul Geering hopes the locally produced fuel will reduce costs for members by about half and says the final product depends on the quality of "; S4[19]=" the original oil.
      'It all depends on the quality of your oil that you're getting to start with.
      If "; S5[19]=" you've got good quality oil you do less work as opposed to getting oils that have been absolutely cooked to pieces by the fish and "; S6[19]=" chip shops,' Mr Geering said... "; R[20]="1610"; T[20]="Low-carbon Technology and Solar Enhanced Fuels win new funding"; A[20]="By ... Editor"; Dn[20]="20061103"; Dt[20]="Friday 3 November 2006"; Acats[20]="a36a89a94"; B1[20]="      CSIRO's energy technology research program today received funding for two projects which are part of the Asia Pacific Partnership on Clean Development "; B2[20]="and Climate (AP6) strategy... "; B3[20]=" "; B4[20]=" "; B5[20]=" "; S1[20]="      CSIRO's energy technology research program today received funding for two projects which are part of the Asia Pacific Partnership on Clean Development "; S2[20]=" and Climate (AP6) strategy.
      The Prime Minister, the Hon John Howard, announced today that the Solar-enhanced Fuels for Electricity and Transport project "; S3[20]=" and the CO2 Enhanced Coal Bed Methane (ECBM) project would each receive new research funding.
      Both the ECBM project and the Solar-enhanced "; S4[20]=" Fuels project form part of the Energy Transformed Flagship - a CSIRO-led national research program.
      The Director of the Energy Transformed Flagship, "; S5[20]=" Dr John Wright, said injecting captured CO2 into otherwise commercially uneconomic coal seams can help in the recovery of the large volumes of methane those "; S6[20]=" seams often contain.
      'The advantage of using solar energy in this way is that the 'SolarGas' can be used for many energy-intensive "; S7[20]=" applications - converted to liquid fuels for transport, combusted for electricity generation, or used to produce hydrogen for future clean energy uses' 'The ECMB project "; S8[20]=" aims to test and improve the use of CO2 injection into coal seams to realise the economic and energy-security benefits of enhanced methane recovery and "; S9[20]=" the greenhouse benefits of permanent CO2 storage,' he said CSIRO's Division of Energy Technology provides key capability both to this project and the Solar-enhanced fuels "; S10[20]=" project.
      Division Chief, Dr David Brockway said ECBM technology has the potential to provide a low-emissions energy source and support both carbon "; S11[20]=" capture and storage (CCS).
      'The Solar-enhanced fuels project combines two of Australia's largest energy resources - solar and gas,' Dr Brockway says.
"; S12[20]="       'Concentrated solar energy can be used to convert methane (such as natural gas or coal-bed methane) to synthesis gas using a conventional "; S13[20]=" industrial process, known as 'reforming'.
      'The advantage of using solar energy in this way is that the 'SolarGas' can be used for "; S14[20]=" many energy-intensive applications - converted to liquid fuels for transport, combusted for electricity generation, or used to produce hydrogen for future clean energy uses.
  "; S15[20]="     This project will involve collaboration with China and Japan, as well as other Australian companies.
      It will combine the most "; S16[20]=" advanced technology available across AP6 industry and research partners.' With the announcement this morning that CSIRO's Post-Combustion Capture project will also receive funding as part "; S17[20]=" of the AP6 partnership strategy, CSIRO's research into low-emission and sustainable energy technology today received a considerable boost ... "; R[21]="1560"; T[21]="Analyst promotes forests as answer to energy supplies"; A[21]="By ... Editor"; Dn[21]="20061027"; Dt[21]="Friday 27 October 2006"; Acats[21]="a36a94"; B1[21]="      An Australian analyst has dismissed the push for more ethanol and biodiesel production, saying Australia's energy future lies in wood.... "; B2[21]=" "; B3[21]=" "; B4[21]=" "; B5[21]=" "; S1[21]="      An Australian analyst has dismissed the push for more ethanol and biodiesel production, saying Australia's energy future lies in wood.
    "; S2[21]="   Barney Foran, a visiting fellow at the Australian National University, says planting 60 million hectares of forests could provide up to 90 per cent "; S3[21]=" of future transport fuels, and 20 per cent of future electricity needs .
      He says many different species of wood could be "; S4[21]=" used, including native trees, and this could provide another source of income for farmers in tough times.
      Mr Foran says fuel processing "; S5[21]=" plants should be built in regional areas.
      'The key here is that we don't cart wood long distances or else we lose "; S6[21]=" both the economic advantage or more importantly the energy advantage,' he said.
      'It does require water but not necessarily a huge amount "; S7[21]=" of it and there may have to be an allocation from agriculture to industry in these areas to allow it to happen.'.. "; R[22]="1526"; T[22]="Nats to push for end to ethanol fuel cap"; A[22]="By ... Editor"; Dn[22]="20061017"; Dt[22]="Tuesday 17 October 2006"; Acats[22]="a36a56a94"; B1[22]="      The Nationals will push the federal government to scrap the 10 per cent cap on ethanol blended fuel in a bid to "; B2[22]="increase the uptake of biofuels... "; B3[22]=" "; B4[22]=" "; B5[22]=" "; S1[22]="      The Nationals will push the federal government to scrap the 10 per cent cap on ethanol blended fuel in a bid to "; S2[22]=" increase the uptake of biofuels.
      The party also says the government will almost certainly have to mandate the use of the E10 "; S3[22]=" ethanol blend in the fuel supply if the major oil companies fail to lift their game.
      Queensland Nationals Senator Barnaby Joyce said "; S4[22]=" Sunday the big oil companies were clearly failing to meet their voluntary target.
      'The Australian people want it, and if they're not "; S5[22]=" going to come to the game with the voluntary target, we should be mandating it,' he told reporters.
      'I don't know how "; S6[22]=" much longer we have to play this game of herding the elephant with a feather.
      We have to actually get serious about "; S7[22]=" it.' At their federal conference in Canberra on Sunday, the Nationals voted to call on the government to remove or phase out the 10 per "; S8[22]=" cent cap, promote the wider use of ethanol through motor sport events and set up an independent fuel testing agency.
      Amid record "; S9[22]=" high petrol prices in August, Prime Minister John Howard announced grants of up to $20,000 to encourage service station owners to put in ethanol blends "; S10[22]=" at their pumps.
      The government has also offered a subsidy of up to $2,000 for motorists wanting to convert their vehicles to "; S11[22]=" run on liquefied petrol gas.
      The Nationals view the greater use of ethanol - which can be made from sugarcane or wheat "; S12[22]=" - as a boost for rural industries in their electorates, and are pushing the government to mandate its use in the nation's fuel supply.
  "; S13[22]="     So far, however, the government has opted for a voluntary system, getting the major oil companies to agree to voluntary targets for ethanol "; S14[22]=" production and sale.
      Australia's biggest ethanol producer, the Manildra Group, released research showing 90 per cent of Australians would consider using ethanol "; S15[22]=" blends in their vehicles.
      The company commissioned a Newspoll on the subject, surveying 700 adults across NSW and the ACT.
    "; S16[22]="   Manildra managing director John Honan said the results showed the growing community acceptance of the fuel.
      'I think the research shows "; S17[22]=" there's a lot more community acceptance out there than there previously was,' he said.
      The big oil companies - BP, Caltex, Mobil "; S18[22]=" and Shell - have agreed to take up between 89 and 120 million litres of E10 by the end of this year, but The Nationals' "; S19[22]=" Senate leader Ron Boswell said they had only sold about 11 million litres so far.
      'The oil companies have backslided on their "; S20[22]=" commitment,' he said.
      'I agree that if they can't meet their commitment to the government and can't keep their word, then we've "; S21[22]=" got to take some further action.' The government is trying to meet its target of getting 350 million litres of alternative fuels into the nation's "; S22[22]=" petrol supply by 2010 - the same year excise protection for ethanol is due to end... "; R[23]="1443"; T[23]="Biofuels - a viable option for NZ's motorists"; A[23]="By ... Editor"; Dn[23]="20060927"; Dt[23]="Wednesday 27 September 2006"; Acats[23]="a36a94"; B1[23]="      Biofuels - a viable option for New Zealand's motorists?... "; B2[23]=" "; B3[23]=" "; B4[23]=" "; B5[23]=" "; S1[23]="      Biofuels - a viable option for New Zealand's motorists? Will New Zealand's cars be running on tallow, whey or oilseed in "; S2[23]=" the coming years? Last week the government released a discussion paper outlining a proposed policy aimed at introducing biofuels to our petrol tanks.
    "; S3[23]="   Rabobank, the world's leading specialist food and agribusiness bank, has also released a report on biofuels.
      The Global Focus report "; S4[23]=" on Biofuels says that the buzz surrounding biofuels has changed from a murmur to a roar as the price of crude oil has continued its "; S5[23]=" upward climb during 2005 and 2006.
      The report focuses on the development of biofuel industries in the European Union, United States, "; S6[23]=" and Brazil.
      It also examines Australian government initiatives to encourage an emerging industry across the Tasman, where there is a non-mandatory target "; S7[23]=" of 350 million litres or 1.1 percent of total fuel usage to come from biofuels by 2010.
      There are no penalties if "; S8[23]=" the target is not met and biofuel uptake will be encouraged by tax and other incentives.
      Report author, Rabobank analyst Ingrid "; S9[23]=" Richardson, says the international experience has shown that strong, long-term government support has been integral in enabling emerging biofuel industries to become established.
    "; S10[23]="   'It is clear from the experience in the EU, the US, Brazil and a number of other countries that a biofuels industry is "; S11[23]=" unlikely to emerge without strong government support over many years,' she says.
      Ms Richardson says mandates or targets that impose minimum "; S12[23]=" biofuel levels to be used in fuel have proved particularly popular in a number of countries as a means of ensuring a market for biofuels "; S13[23]=" through the creation of compulsory demand.
      This is the mechanism outlined in the Ministry of Transport's 'Biofuels Sales Obligation' where oil "; S14[23]=" companies will be required to ensure that 0.25 percent of total sales volume is biofuel by 2008, increasing to 2.25 percent by 2012.
    "; S15[23]="   It is proposed that financial penalties will be imposed for falling below this target.
      A critical issue in determining the "; S16[23]=" suitability of the proposed policy is considering where the biofuel is sourced.
      It does not presume that the full needs can be "; S17[23]=" met from production within New Zealand and the report discusses locally produced and imported product.
      Ms Richardson identifies two options for "; S18[23]=" biofuel production in her report: 1.
      1st generation biofuels from grains, oilseeds, sugar and tallow 2.
      2nd generation "; S19[23]=" biofuels made by producing ethanol from cellulose waste products such as plant stalks, grass and woodchips.
      Research is continuing as the current "; S20[23]=" processes are expensive and not commercially viable.
      New Zealand lacks the large-scale grain industries that are providing raw materials in regions such "; S21[23]=" as the United States and the European Union.
      Biofuel production would have to focus on tallow, whey or second generation technology as "; S22[23]=" it becomes commercially available.
      'Even Australia may struggle.
      Feed stocks for ethanol production in Australia include wheat, sorghum, "; S23[23]=" feed barley, sugar or molasses.
      Biodiesel plants are being developed based on tallow, recycled oils, imported palm oil and canola.
    "; S24[23]="   Feed stocks are the most expensive input in production - around 60-75 percent of costs in the case of ethanol and 80-90 percent of "; S25[23]=" biodiesel.
      Agricultural commodity prices are historically volatile, which would not fit well with a developing biofuels industry,' says Ms Richardson.
    "; S26[23]="   The Australian grain industry focuses on production of high-quality, and often high protein, grains for food markets that can pay appropriate prices.
  "; S27[23]="     Grain suited for ethanol production needs to be higher in starch/sugar content in order to maximise ethanol yields.
      Weather is "; S28[23]=" the most difficult aspect of Australia's grain industry.
      Biofuel production requires a constant supply of grain at 'reasonable prices.' With lack of "; S29[23]=" rainfall reducing Australian winter grain production by almost 40 per cent this year it is unlikely that the industry can guarantee supply.
      "; S30[23]=" Ultimately, long-term government support - in terms of policy to encourage both consumption and production increases - is a critical issue, which must be "; R[24]="1425"; T[24]="Wind power key to our future"; A[24]="By ... Editor"; Dn[24]="20060921"; Dt[24]="Thursday 21 September 2006"; Acats[24]="a36a93a94"; B1[24]="      Wind power will be a major contributor to our future energy needs, with the potential to provide more than a third of "; B2[24]="the world's electricity by 2050, a new report says... "; B3[24]=" "; B4[24]=" "; B5[24]=" "; S1[24]="      Wind power will be a major contributor to our future energy needs, with the potential to provide more than a third of "; S2[24]=" the world's electricity by 2050, a new report says.
      Launched today in Adelaide by Greenpeace and the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), "; S3[24]=" the report said wind power was second only to solar power as the world's fastest growing energy source.
      It could eliminate 1.5 "; S4[24]=" billion tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions by 2020.
      But the report also warned that the industry was faltering in Australia, with the "; S5[24]=" federal government persistently choosing dirty fossil fuels over clean, renewable energy.
      'Australia has world-class wind resources,' said Greenpeace Australia Pacific energy campaigner "; S6[24]=" Mark Wakeham.
      'While states such as Victoria and South Australia have made some progressive steps in legislating renewable energy targets, the wind "; S7[24]=" industry still lacks the long-term support it needs to match its prospects overseas.
      'Federal and state governments should support wind power development "; S8[24]=" via mandatory targets and by cutting back subsidies for fossil fuels.' Report author Sven Teske said Australia could be a global wind leader but needed "; S9[24]=" an economically integrated industry with a manufacturing base, not just stand-alone projects.
      'Wind is already cost competitive with gas in some locations "; S10[24]=" and will become cheaper than coal in the future,' he said.
      'If Australia fails to develop a wind industry, technology will have "; S11[24]=" to be imported from overseas and our reliance on burning coal, the biggest contributor to climate change, will continue.
      GWEC chairman Arthouros "; S12[24]=" Zervos said wind energy was the most attractive solution to the world's energy challenges.
      'It is clean and fuel-free,' he said.
  "; S13[24]="     'Moreover, wind is indigenous and enough wind blows across the globe to cope with the ever-increasing electricity demand.
      'This report "; S14[24]=" demonstrates that wind technology is not a dream for the future, it is real, it is mature and it can be developed on a large "; S15[24]=" scale.'.. "; R[25]="1304"; T[25]="US grain growers anxious to control ethanol plants"; A[25]="By ... Editor"; Dn[25]="20060818"; Dt[25]="Friday 18 August 2006"; Acats[25]="a05a36a60a94"; B1[25]="      Australian investment in US ethanol plants is causing a stir among US grain growers, who are anxious to hold onto control of "; B2[25]="their new industry... "; B3[25]=" "; B4[25]=" "; B5[25]=" "; S1[25]="      Australian investment in US ethanol plants is causing a stir among US grain growers, who are anxious to hold onto control of "; S2[25]=" their new industry.
      Mid-west US producers said at a farm bill listening session they are concerned foreign investors that Wall Street might "; S3[25]=" gain too much control of US ethanol production.
      National Farmers Union president Tom Buis says 'it's been a 30-year struggle, basically by "; S4[25]=" farmers to get this industry kick-started.
      And now that it's arrived, they just don't want to sit back and watch the control "; S5[25]=" and all the profits go elsewhere'.
      Mr Buis concedes US growers voted to sell Global Ethanol, based in Brisbane, a controlling interest "; S6[25]=" in Midwest Grain Processors to expand or build three US plants, but argues with the US industry taking off in the last year, attitudes are "; S7[25]=" changing... "; R[26]="1303"; T[26]="Rising fuel prices prompt droving revival"; A[26]="By ... Editor"; Dn[26]="20060818"; Dt[26]="Friday 18 August 2006"; Acats[26]="a26a27a36a51"; B1[26]="      A professional drover says rising fuel costs are prompting a revival of the droving tradition.... "; B2[26]=" "; B3[26]=" "; B4[26]=" "; B5[26]=" "; S1[26]="      A professional drover says rising fuel costs are prompting a revival of the droving tradition.
      Queenslander Bill Little says "; S2[26]=" it is now often cheaper to walk cattle through stock routes, than truck them.
      He is currently droving 1,500 steers from the "; S3[26]=" Northern Territory through western Queensland into the Channel Country.
      Mr Little says it is nice to see a revival because not too "; S4[26]=" long ago it was a dying profession.
      '[It was] completely lost for a while with the trucks and that sort of thing, "; S5[26]=" but if we can get the management and consistent management right through the network it'll become quite viable to walk cattle,' Mr Little said.
  "; S6[26]="     'There's a lot more drovers, I sort of started droving 25 years ago there were very few, but now I could sort of "; S7[26]=" name 20 professional drovers in Queensland.' He says droving will become more attractive to graziers provided there is enough feed on stock routes.
    "; S8[26]="   'I think it's time people looked at the big screen and tried to maintain these stock routes, they're very valuable to the rural industry.'.. "; R[27]="1291"; T[27]="Switch to LPG to cost in long run"; A[27]="By ... Editor"; Dn[27]="20060818"; Dt[27]="Friday 18 August 2006"; Acats[27]="a36a56"; B1[27]="      The government LPG subsidy will waste money on old, inefficient technology that relies on the fuel staying cheap to be economical, experts "; B2[27]="say... "; B3[27]=" "; B4[27]=" "; B5[27]=" "; S1[27]="      The government LPG subsidy will waste money on old, inefficient technology that relies on the fuel staying cheap to be economical, experts "; S2[27]=" say.
      Most liquid petroleum gas-based systems are little more than 'a $3500 barbecue gas bottle' they say, and drivers who convert their "; S3[27]=" cars risk invalid warranties and rising LPG prices when extra taxes apply in five years.
      Australian Gas Vehicle Owners Association convenor John "; S4[27]=" Bell said the government subsidy of up to $2000 to convert vehicles from petrol to LPG failed to distinguish between dated 'fumigation' systems that were "; S5[27]=" 'basically 1940s technology' and more modern 'injection' technology.
      'These old systems squander the potential of LPG - basically they're inefficient and only "; S6[27]=" make sense so long as LPG is much cheaper than petrol,' Mr Bell said.
      'A lot of LPG goes straight out the "; S7[27]=" exhaust pipe.' Newer electronic systems minimised fuel consumption and pollution, he said, but cost up to twice as much as a simple conversion.
    "; S8[27]="   University of Melbourne professor of mechanical engineering Harry Watson said the subsidy favoured old technology at theexpense of promising new systems, such as liquid "; S9[27]=" phase injection.
      'Liquid phase has advantages which ought to be regarded,' he said.
      'There ought to be some carrot "; S10[27]=" for people to get into the marketplace with these more efficient systems.' Engines with liquid phase injection used much less fuel than traditional LPG systems "; S11[27]=" and had dramatically improved pollution levels, he said.
      'I think credit should be given for high-efficiency systems to encourage people to move "; S12[27]=" in that direction,' he said.
      Australian Automobile Association executive director Lauchlan McIntosh said most current LPG conversions were little more than '$3500 "; S13[27]=" for a barbecue gas bottle in the boot'.
      'I would like to see some innovation in alternative storage for LPG,' Mr McIntosh "; S14[27]=" said.
      'Why does it cost up to $3500 just to put an LPG cylinder in the back of a car? That's about "; S15[27]=" a quarter the price of a Hyundai.' Mechanics conducting LPG conversions have been warned not to inflate their prices in response to the Government's subsidy "; S16[27]=" or they might face being publicly shamed.
      NRMA motoring and services president Alan Evans said the organisation would be keeping a close "; S17[27]=" eye on prices and would 'out ...
      anyone who jacks their price up' in response to the subsidy.
      'If "; S18[27]=" they try to exploit this, they will feel the wrath of the motoring organisation,' he said.
      Car-makers have also distanced themselves from "; S19[27]=" aftermarket conversions, raising safety doubts.
      'If you convert a vehicle under three years old, you would void your warranty for any damage "; S20[27]=" caused by the conversion,' Ford spokesman Ed Finn said.
      This week, LPG was selling for 50.9c in Sydney, compared with 132.9c for "; S21[27]=" the cheapest unleaded petrol.
      The gap will close in 2011 when the federal Government introduces an excise on LPG, which will rise "; S22[27]=" in annual increments of 2.5c a litre until 2015.
      Petrol attracts an excise of 38.1c a litre... "; R[28]="1289"; T[28]="Power bills to rise under greenhouse scheme"; A[28]="By ... Editor"; Dn[28]="20060818"; Dt[28]="Friday 18 August 2006"; Acats[28]="a36a42a89"; B1[28]="      Australian households could pay up to 14 per cent more for their electricity by 2030 under a proposed greenhouse gas emissions trading "; B2[28]="scheme launched today... "; B3[28]=" "; B4[28]=" "; B5[28]=" "; S1[28]="      Australian households could pay up to 14 per cent more for their electricity by 2030 under a proposed greenhouse gas emissions trading "; S2[28]=" scheme launched today.
      The plan outlined in a discussion paper by the National Emissions Trading Taskforce has met with the ringing support "; S3[28]=" of environment groups but has been dismissed by the federal Government as being too expensive.
      Federal Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane said "; S4[28]=" the solution to reducing greenhouse emissions lay with cleaner technology - currently being pursued through Australia's partnership with other Asia-Pacific countries.
      "; S5[28]=" 'What we are seeing in Australia is a technology push ...
      and we are confident that we can reduce our greenhouse gas "; S6[28]=" emissions without costing jobs here in Australia,'' he told ABC Radio.
      The Australian Conservation Foundation said placing a price on carbon "; S7[28]=" would provide the right price signal to industry to invest in cleaner technologies other than dirty coal-fired power stations.
      ACF spokeswoman "; S8[28]=" Monica Richter said that while there may be a modest rise in electricity prices, this could be offset by more energy efficient practices, meaning energy "; S9[28]=" bills would fall, not rise.
      'Efficient appliances, lighting and insulation can dramatically cut energy bills and make homes more liveable,'' Ms "; S10[28]=" Richter said.
      The discussion paper was commissioned by all state governments, and includes scope for concessions to energy-intensive industries and low-income "; S11[28]=" households to try to minimise economic and political fallout from the proposed scheme.
      Without federal government support, a state-based emissions trading "; S12[28]=" scheme would require the full support of all state governments to be implemented.
      However, this discussion paper is not binding on "; S13[28]=" state governments, with Queensland Premier Peter Beattie indicating he would not support emissions trading until clean coal technology had been developed.
      "; S14[28]=" The blueprint proposes a cap on emissions for the electricity industry at between 1997 and 2000 levels.
      This sector generates 35 per "; S15[28]=" cent of all of Australia's greenhouse gas emissions.
      NSW Premier Morris Iemma said the scheme showed that Australia could take action "; S16[28]=" on climate change while keeping industry competitive.
      'The Australian economy can continue to grow strongly with a carefully designed emissions trading "; S17[28]=" scheme in place,' he said.
      Preliminary modelling indicates households could be paying an extra $100 a year on their power bills "; S18[28]=" by 2030 if such a scheme was introduced... "; R[29]="1277"; T[29]="Ethanol plant planned for Darling Downs"; A[29]="By ... Editor"; Dn[29]="20060810"; Dt[29]="Thursday 10 August 2006"; Acats[29]="a36a66a94"; B1[29]="      The Wambo Shire in southern Queensland is set to have another ethanol plant, with plans for a separate refinery unveiled by a "; B2[29]="group of Darling Downs grain producers and private investors... "; B3[29]=" "; B4[29]=" "; B5[29]=" "; S1[29]="      The Wambo Shire in southern Queensland is set to have another ethanol plant, with plans for a separate refinery unveiled by a "; S2[29]=" group of Darling Downs grain producers and private investors.
      Downs Fuel Farmers will build an ethanol plant capable of converting 400,000 tonnes "; S3[29]=" of mainly sorghum to 160 million litres of ethanol annually.
      Company spokesman Wayne Newton says it is confident of success and is "; S4[29]=" currently negotiating to purchase land for the plant.
      'We've been having some initial discussions with end users and, with a lot of "; S5[29]=" the political to-ing and fro-ing particularly this last week or so, we thought the time was right to make an announcement,' he said.
    "; S6[29]="   'We're confident we'll be able to organise the final sales of this as we go forward with our project.'.. "; R[30]="1261"; T[30]="Branson reiterates Qld ethanol plans"; A[30]="By ... Editor"; Dn[30]="20060810"; Dt[30]="Thursday 10 August 2006"; Acats[30]="a36a66a94"; B1[30]="      British entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson says he wants to expand his business empire into eco-fuels, including setting up ethanol plants in Queensland.... "; B2[30]=" "; B3[30]=" "; B4[30]=" "; B5[30]=" "; S1[30]="      British entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson says he wants to expand his business empire into eco-fuels, including setting up ethanol plants in Queensland.
"; S2[30]="       A number of sugar growers in north Queensland are already investing in pilot plants to produce ethanol.
      Sir Richard "; S3[30]=" says he feels a responsibility to produce eco-fuels because of the impact his airlines and railway interests have on the environment.
      'We're "; S4[30]=" building in America 20 ethanol plants, we're building them in other places,' he said.
      'We've talked to people in Queensland where you've "; S5[30]=" got a lot of sugar about maybe bringing the ethanol plants down here as well.' Queensland Premier Peter Beattie says it is not the first "; S6[30]=" time Sir Richard has floated the idea of investing in ethanol in Queensland.
      Mr Beattie says it is encouraging to hear he "; S7[30]=" is still interested in Queensland as a possible site.
      'I've talked to him about that in the past [and] he is committed "; S8[30]=" to renewable energy and that sort of philosophy about renewable energy is really important... "; R[31]="1219"; T[31]="Grain prices rise as US turns to ethanol"; A[31]="By ... Editor"; Dn[31]="20060730"; Dt[31]="Sunday 30 July 2006"; Acats[31]="a07a08a36a94"; B1[31]="      The rising cost of fuel in America is having a positive impact on Australian wheat prices, according to an agriculture publication.... "; B2[31]=" "; B3[31]=" "; B4[31]=" "; B5[31]=" "; S1[31]="      The rising cost of fuel in America is having a positive impact on Australian wheat prices, according to an agriculture publication.
  "; S2[31]="     More consumers in the US are turning to corn-based ethanol, increasing corn consumption by 15 per cent to 60 million tonnes and boosting "; S3[31]=" prices by up to 20 per cent.
      Richard Koch from Profarmer says the US corn price sets the basis for the global "; S4[31]=" feed grain market, which will have spin offs for Australian wheat and canola growers.
      'I've seen some analysis that indicates the value "; S5[31]=" of soft commodities in the medium-term could increase six-fold,' he said.
      'When you look at what's happened with oil over the past "; S6[31]=" few years, oil prices have increased four-fold, it's probably not out of the realms of possibility.'.. "; R[32]="1214"; T[32]="Medal adds to award haul for ANU's solar pioneers"; A[32]="By ... Editor"; Dn[32]="20060730"; Dt[32]="Sunday 30 July 2006"; Acats[32]="a36a93a94"; B1[32]="      A world-first solar technology poised to make photovoltaic panels cost-competitive with clean coal, developed by Australian National University researchers, has won one "; B2[32]="of Australia's top science prizes... "; B3[32]=" "; B4[32]=" "; B5[32]=" "; S1[32]="      A world-first solar technology poised to make photovoltaic panels cost-competitive with clean coal, developed by Australian National University researchers, has won one "; S2[32]=" of Australia's top science prizes.
      Professor Andrew Blakers and Dr Klaus Weber of the ANU's Centre for Sustainable Energy Systems have "; S3[32]=" been awarded the Sir Alan Walsh Medal by the Australian Institute of Physics for their revolutionary solar sliver cell technology.
      The "; S4[32]=" medal, which honours the Australian inventor of atomic absorption spectrophotometry - a simple, rapid and inexpensive method for analysing minute traces of metals - is "; S5[32]=" awarded to an invention which the institute believes will lead to 'significant industrial and commercial outcome'.
      It's the fifth major award "; S6[32]=" in two years for Professor Blakers and Dr Weber, who came up with the idea of producing a wafer-thin solar cell while on a train "; S7[32]=" trip to a renewable energy conference in Scotland.
      The solar cells are micro-machined to less than 70 microns thick, and use "; S8[32]=" 90 per cent less silicon than conventional solar cells to make photovoltaic panels.
      'The biggest challenge in solar panel research has "; S9[32]=" been to somehow reduce the cost of the silicon.
      What we've been able to do is come up with a technology that "; S10[32]=" will cut the cost of photovoltaic panels by three-quarters,' Professor Blakers said.
      The breakthrough is attracting the interest of several billion-dollar "; S11[32]=" big-name renewable energy investors in Europe and the United States, but Professor Blakers and Dr Weber are hoping their invention won't go offshore.
    "; S12[32]="   Origin Energy has invested more than $30 million to commercialise the technology, including construction of a pilot manufacturing plant in Adelaide, but is "; S13[32]=" still seeking engineering skills and an investment partner to accelerate large-scale production.
      'Australia could be a world leader in the solar "; S14[32]=" market which is growing at a phenomenal rate overseas.
      On average, it's doubling every 18 months and will be worth $100 billion "; S15[32]=" in just five years time,' Professor Blakers said.
      Working with the deputy director of the Australian Research Council's Centre of Excellence "; S16[32]=" for solar energy systems, Dr Vernie Everett, Professor Blakers and Dr Weber developed a 'second generation' of sliver cell technology that could capture a big "; S17[32]=" slice of the global solar market.
      'Vernie came up with a way of making the manufacturing process cheaper and faster,' Professor "; S18[32]=" Blakers said.
      'The costs are such that this second-generation sliver technology will make solar cost competitive with clean coal.'.. "; R[33]="1187"; T[33]="National biodiesel grading system under development"; A[33]="By ... Editor"; Dn[33]="20060722"; Dt[33]="Saturday 22 July 2006"; Acats[33]="a36a94"; B1[33]="      A group of Victorian farmers are developing a national grading system for biodiesel to assure its quality.... "; B2[33]=" "; B3[33]=" "; B4[33]=" "; B5[33]=" "; S1[33]="      A group of Victorian farmers are developing a national grading system for biodiesel to assure its quality.
      With more "; S2[33]=" and more farmers blending their own fuel, the Central Wimmera Community Enterprise group says the system will quash concerns that biodiesel could damage engines.
  "; S3[33]="     Chairman Peter Neiwand says once an Australian biodiesel standard is in place, the Federal Government will be lobbied to reinstate tax breaks.
  "; S4[33]="     'We don't know what sort of biodiesel we are using really, there is no Australian standard set.
      And if we "; S5[33]=" are going to get an excise on something, how do you measure it?' he said... "; R[34]="1175"; T[34]="CSR gets federal grant for ethanol production"; A[34]="By ... Editor"; Dn[34]="20060721"; Dt[34]="Friday 21 July 2006"; Acats[34]="a07a36a94"; B1[34]="      The Queensland company CSR Limited has been given a federal grant of $5 million to further its work on ethanol production.... "; B2[34]=" "; B3[34]=" "; B4[34]=" "; B5[34]=" "; S1[34]="      The Queensland company CSR Limited has been given a federal grant of $5 million to further its work on ethanol production.
  "; S2[34]="     CSR is aiming to develop high-yielding sugarcane to increase the amount of fermentable sugar, which will lead to more efficient production of ethanol "; S3[34]=" biofuel.
      Making the announcement in Brisbane, the Federal Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane, said E-10 fuel should be an attractive option for motorists "; S4[34]=" as it carries no excise, making it up to four cents cheaper a litre than regular unleaded.
      'With fuel prices at $1.30 "; S5[34]=" [and] $1.40 a litre, there [is] opportunity for discounting,' he said.
      'The Independents discounted unleaded E-10 blends, and we would see that "; S6[34]=" as a major factor of growing E-10 acceptance among motorists.'.. "; R[35]="1166"; T[35]="Oil-rich algae seen as bio-fuel"; A[35]="By ... Editor"; Dn[35]="20060721"; Dt[35]="Friday 21 July 2006"; Acats[35]="a36a81a93a94"; B1[35]="      Microscopic algae organisms could be an alternative source of diesel fuel because of their high oil content.... "; B2[35]=" "; B3[35]=" "; B4[35]=" "; B5[35]=" "; S1[35]="      Microscopic algae organisms could be an alternative source of diesel fuel because of their high oil content.
      Researchers at "; S2[35]=" the South Australian Research and Development Institute will this month embark on a three year research program to investigate the viability of its use.
  "; S3[35]="     Biodiesel fuel - a renewable alternative for diesel engines - is currently produced from canola and cattle fat.
      The fuel "; S4[35]=" is more environmentally friendly than current diesel as it does not contain petroleum, is non toxic and biodegradable.
      SARDI Biofuels Group leader "; S5[35]=" Dr Kevin Williams said yesterday micro-algae would be a preferred source of biodiesel because organisms were able to produce more than 30 times the amount "; S6[35]=" of oil than current sources.
      'Micro-algae are known to accumulate oil up to 60 "; S7[35]=" to 70 per cent of their weight,' he said.
      'We are hoping we can culture them and extract oil and convert that "; S8[35]=" to biodiesel.'.. "; R[36]="1145"; T[36]="Windfarm to power up, but bills will rise"; A[36]="By ... Editor"; Dn[36]="20060720"; Dt[36]="Thursday 20 July 2006"; Acats[36]="a36a94"; B1[36]="      One of the largest windfarms in the nation will be built in central Victoria following a state Government decision to subsidise wind "; B2[36]="energy by increasing power bills... "; B3[36]=" "; B4[36]=" "; B5[36]=" "; S1[36]="      One of the largest windfarms in the nation will be built in central Victoria following a state Government decision to subsidise wind "; S2[36]=" energy by increasing power bills.
      Spanish wind energy giant Acciona Energy announced yesterday it would build the first stage of the windfarm "; S3[36]=" at Waubra, near Ballarat.
      Once completed, the 128-turbine windfarm will provide a capacity for 192MW of electricity, potentially tripling the state's current "; S4[36]=" supply of wind energy.
      The project has already received planning approval, unlike the Bald Hills windfarm in Victoria, which was blocked by "; S5[36]=" federal Environment Minister Ian Campbell over risks to an endangered parrot, even though research showed the project might potentially cause the death of only one "; S6[36]=" bird every 1000 years.
      But despite Acciona paying landholders $7000 a year for each turbine on their land, the project has attracted "; S7[36]=" local opposition.
      The Victorian Government claimed yesterday its 10 per cent renewable energy target and the subsidies associated with it had persuaded "; S8[36]=" the company to commit to the $50million first stage of the project.
      The scheme forces electricity retailers to obtain 10 per cent "; S9[36]=" of their power from renewable sources.
      This effectively doubles their outlay for this portion of the power, and retailers will recoup the "; S10[36]=" cost by increasing prices toconsumers.
      Premier Steve Bracks appeared to stumble in parliament yesterday when he claimed that power bills for homes "; S11[36]=" and businesses would rise by less than $1 a month.
      This would mean that massive consumers of electricity, such as the Alcoa "; S12[36]=" smelter, would receive a minuscule $10 addition to their yearly bill.
      Energy Minister Theo Theophanous refused to release the research on which "; S13[36]=" the Government based its claim that power bills would rise by no more than $10 a year, claiming it was 'market sensitive', even though the "; S14[36]=" Government has repeatedly referred to the amount in public.
      Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu said the rise in bills would be far greater.
"; S15[36]="       'I think it is a nonsense ...
      we estimate the subsidy from other consumers would be around about $300million,' "; S16[36]=" he said.
      'Something doesn't add up.' Waubra district farmer Lawrence Gallagher has agreed to have six of the turbines on his 323.7ha "; S17[36]=" farm.
      He said he would receive a yearly rent of $42,000, indexed to inflation, for the towers, boosting the income of his "; S18[36]=" potato, lamb, wheat and cattle farm.
      'The stock can graze right up to the towers and, although there will be tracks through "; S19[36]=" the paddock, they will run them along the fences.
      To me, all it is is a big windmill, which you find on "; S20[36]=" most farms anyway.' But local independent MP Dianne Hadden, who quit the Victorian ALP last year, said the windfarm would be a disaster for the "; S21[36]=" area and had pitted 'family against family'... "; R[37]="1133"; T[37]="We could be energy superpower: Howard"; A[37]="By ... Editor"; Dn[37]="20060718"; Dt[37]="Tuesday 18 July 2006"; Acats[37]="a05a08a36a42"; B1[37]="      Australia has a 'massive opportunity' to become an energy superpower, John Howard declared yesterday as he outlined plans for uranium, oil, coal "; B2[37]="and solar technology export and development... "; B3[37]=" "; B4[37]=" "; B5[37]=" "; S1[37]="      Australia has a 'massive opportunity' to become an energy superpower, John Howard declared yesterday as he outlined plans for uranium, oil, coal "; S2[37]=" and solar technology export and development.
      In another signal that he intends to contest the next election, the Prime Minister challenged Kim "; S3[37]=" Beazley on nuclear power and climate change and called on the premiers to 'think big' to solve Australia's water shortages.
      Claiming prior "; S4[37]=" rights to the water initiatives and a pragmatic, and rational approach to governing, Mr Howard also undercut Peter Costello's two-week-old vision for solving water shortages.
"; S5[37]="       Mr Howard's global approach to uranium exports, nuclear power, clean coal technology and oil exploration fitted with a domestic approach on trading "; S6[37]=" water rights and recycling sewage and stormwater in the cities.
      'Man's hunger for energy, and all this involves, will profoundly shape geopolitics "; S7[37]=" this century, perhaps even more so than last century,' Mr Howard said at a Committee for Economic Development of Australia lunch in Sydney yesterday.
  "; S8[37]="     'Energy security concerns are assuming the sort of strategic significance once reserved for territorial security.
      'Australia can, and should, supply "; S9[37]=" domestic and world economies with low-cost energy.
      'As an efficient, reliable supplier, Australia has a massive opportunity to increase its share of "; S10[37]=" global energy trade.
      'With the right policies, we have the makings of an energy superpower.' Mr Howard highlighted his nomination in March "; S11[37]=" of water as one of five national challenges and his role in a $25billion energy deal with China.
      The Prime Minister said "; S12[37]=" motorists were 'long-suffering' because of high petrol prices, which were driven by tensions in the Middle East, and that the Government would encourage more oil "; S13[37]=" exploration in Australia and offshore.
      'Australia remains relatively unexplored, particularly for petroleum in frontier offshore areas.
      Encouraging further exploration "; S14[37]=" is a high priority for the Government,' Mr Howard said.
      He also said the record oil prices were changing the economics of "; S15[37]=" nuclear energy and that Australia 'cannot absent itself from global developments surrounding nuclear energy'.
      'We are part of the nuclear fuel cycle, "; S16[37]=" whether we like it or not,' he said.
      Mr Howard said Australia's vast coal reserves would continue to supply world power and "; S17[37]=" that technological advances in producing clean coal were essential and exportable.
      Challenging Labor's policy on restricting uranium mining and backing the Kyoto "; S18[37]=" agreement to limit greenhouse emissions, Mr Howard said the ALP's position was 'hypocritical, irrational andweak'.
      'The real question is whether Australia should "; S19[37]=" fully consider our interests and responsibilities in the global nuclear energy debate or whether we succumb to a dogma of denial,' he said.
    "; S20[37]="   Mr Howard said nuclear power cut greenhouse emissions and 'the Australian Government is not in the business of economic hairshirts, wishful thinking and empty "; S21[37]=" gestures'.
      He said the Kyoto agreement was flawed because it did not treat two of the world's biggest greenhouse emitters, China and "; S22[37]=" India, in the same way it treated the other, the US, and that it had distorted economies 'without any environmental benefit'.
      However, "; S23[37]=" Opposition Leader Kim Beazley backed his party's policies and said Mr Howard 'has had 10 years to tackle the consequences of global climate change and "; S24[37]=" has done nothing'.
      'The only thing you can do if you are serious on climate change is to start with the ratification "; S25[37]=" of the Kyoto agreement and move on to setting realistic targets for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by Australia, followed up by a sensible emissions "; S26[37]=" trading regime,' Mr Beazley said in Perth yesterday.
      'That's Labor Party policy.
      That's what the rest of the world "; S27[37]=" is doing.
      That's the future.' On water issues, Mr Howard strongly backed the position of the Parliamentary Secretary on Water, Malcolm Turnbull, "; S28[37]=" who has advocated establishing a market price for water through trading water rights and helping to alleviate urban water shortages through the use of recycled "; S29[37]=" sewage and stormwater.
      'I believe we need nothing short of a revolution in thinking about Australia's urban water challenges,' Mr Howard said.
"; S30[37]="       'There is little or no reason why our large cities should be gripped permanently by water crises,' he said... "; R[38]="1131"; T[38]="We must accept nuclear power: PM"; A[38]="By ... Editor"; Dn[38]="20060718"; Dt[38]="Tuesday 18 July 2006"; Acats[38]="a05a36a42"; B1[38]="      Prime Minister John Howard has warned Australians they must accept nuclear power and drought-proof their capital cities, in a speech outlining his "; B2[38]="long-term vision for the nation's energy and water use... "; B3[38]=" "; B4[38]=" "; B5[38]=" "; S1[38]="      Prime Minister John Howard has warned Australians they must accept nuclear power and drought-proof their capital cities, in a speech outlining his "; S2[38]=" long-term vision for the nation's energy and water use.
      In the Sydney speech - which has reignited speculation that Mr Howard is "; S3[38]=" planning to contest the next election - Australians were warned they would 'pay a price' in the future if they do not engage in the "; S4[38]=" debate on nuclear energy.
      Mr Howard said Australia could not afford to 'bury its head in the sand' on the issue "; S5[38]=" of nuclear power.
      'Australia cannot absent itself from global developments surrounding nuclear energy,' Mr Howard told the Committee for Economic Development "; S6[38]=" of Australia forum.
      'With close to 40 per cent of the world's known low-cost uranium deposits, for Australia to bury its head "; S7[38]=" in the sand on nuclear energy is akin to Saudi Arabia turning its back on global oil developments.' He warned that if Australia did not "; S8[38]=" engage in the debate 'we will pay a price'.
      Mr Howard also called for a 'revolution' in addressing the nation's water "; S9[38]=" challenges, saying water restrictions should not have to be tolerated.
      'The simple fact is there is little or no reason why our "; S10[38]=" large cities should be gripped permanently by water crises,' he said.
      'Our goal should be to drought-proof our large coastal cities.
  "; S11[38]="     'Having a city on permanent water restrictions makes about as much sense as to have a city on permanent power restrictions.' "; S12[38]=" Mr Howard urged the SA, NSW and Victorian Governments to move quickly towards water trading arrangements.
      River Murray Minister Karlene Maywald said "; S13[38]=" SA was 'ready and our borders are open to trading'.
      Labor's environment spokesman Anthony Albanese said Mr Howard had 'failed to offer "; S14[38]=" anything new to Australians concerned about climate change, water shortages and rising petrol prices'.
      Mr Howard's speech came as an AC "; S15[38]=" Nielsen Poll showed most voters wanted Mr Howard to stay on as leader.
      Labor was found to have increased its two-party preferred "; S16[38]=" vote by 1 point to 52-48... "; R[39]="1114"; T[39]="Fuel prices changing rural lifestyles"; A[39]="By ... Editor"; Dn[39]="20060714"; Dt[39]="Friday 14 July 2006"; Acats[39]="a05a07a36"; B1[39]="      High fuel prices are changing how rural families live, with some dropping children's sporting commitments and car pooling with neighbours.... "; B2[39]=" "; B3[39]=" "; B4[39]=" "; B5[39]=" "; S1[39]="      High fuel prices are changing how rural families live, with some dropping children's sporting commitments and car pooling with neighbours.
    "; S2[39]="   The latest figures from the Bureau of Statistics show transport, food and groceries and recreation are the three biggest expenses for rural household budgets.
"; S3[39]="       Queensland beef producer Georgie Somerset believes country people spend more on recreation because they are spending more time on the farm.
  "; S4[39]="     'Perhaps there's a sense there of 'well we'll go and do this while it's in town, or we'll take up the opportunity to "; S5[39]=" go to a performance',' he said.
      'If you're not going to get away from where you live then you may as well "; S6[39]=" make the most of what you've got there and so yes I think there probably has been some more spending on things like a DVD "; S7[39]=" machine and a decent TV because they're actually spending more weeks at home and less weeks away on holidays.' The report has also found that "; S8[39]=" country people spend more on health, alcohol and cigarettes than those living in the cities... "; R[40]="1110"; T[40]="CSIRO and Metex agree new joint venture"; A[40]="By ... Editor"; Dn[40]="20060714"; Dt[40]="Friday 14 July 2006"; Acats[40]="a36a41"; B1[40]="      CSIRO and ASX-listed gold company Metex Resources Limited have agreed a potentially high-value joint venture to develop an innovative process for the "; B2[40]="gasification of currently unmineable underground coal deposits for power generation and liquid fuels... "; B3[40]=" "; B4[40]=" "; B5[40]=" "; S1[40]="      CSIRO and ASX-listed gold company Metex Resources Limited have agreed a potentially high-value joint venture to develop an innovative process for the "; S2[40]=" gasification of currently unmineable underground coal deposits for power generation and liquid fuels.
      CSIRO will acquire a 50 per cent interest in "; S3[40]=" the new joint-venture, Coal Gas Corporation Pty Ltd (CGC), by assigning its rights, title and interests associated with its Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) technology as "; S4[40]=" well as various licences to CGC.
      Metex will acquire a 50 per cent interest by subscribing $2.5 million in equity capital over "; S5[40]=" a 12-month period.
      The joint venture will begin with a landmark trial of the technology in Queensland's Surat Basin.
      "; S6[40]=" CGC has acquired three suitable coal leases in the Surat Basin, covering an area of 2,375m sq which will be the focus of a proposed "; S7[40]=" first stage of activity in identifying and developing a suitable underground coal deposit for demonstration and development of the UCG process.
      CGC's "; S8[40]=" executive general manager Dr Cliff Mallett, previously acting chief of CSIRO Exploration and Mining, says: 'UCG technology offers the possibility of using vast reserves of "; S9[40]=" low-quality, currently unmineable coal to produce syngas, a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide.
      This can provide low-cost and low-emission electricity, and "; S10[40]=" be feedstock for the synthesis of clean liquid fuels and chemicals.' UCG technology involves drilling a range of wells and bores to gasify coal deposits "; S11[40]=" in-situ to produce a gas suitable for low-cost power generation.
      The resultant gases are harnessed at the surface for conversion into suitable "; S12[40]=" feedstock for power generation, or for conversion into ultra-clean liquid fuels and chemicals.
      'Underground gasification of coal is a new method of "; S13[40]=" coal mining that extracts the energy of coal through boreholes in the form of gas, which leaves the associated rock 'ash' underground,' Dr Mallett says.
"; S14[40]="       'It also avoids the environmental disruption of surface mining and the hazards associated with conventional underground mines.' The gases enable electricity generation "; S15[40]=" at a comparable cost to conventional coal-fired power, but with a 40-50 per cent reduction in greenhouse emissions.
      Metex managing director Ian "; S16[40]=" Walker says UCG is suitable for deep underground coal deposits where current underground mining methods and inefficient extraction techniques would make mining uneconomic.
    "; S17[40]="   'The inexpensive syngas produced by UCG represents a very attractive alternative for power generation and the Gas to Liquids field,' Mr Walker says... "; R[41]="1103"; T[41]="Oil search to eye off Antarctica"; A[41]="By ... Editor"; Dn[41]="20060714"; Dt[41]="Friday 14 July 2006"; Acats[41]="a36a42"; B1[41]="      Australia will face pressure to drill for oil in Antarctica as world supply dwindles, says a leading international oil expert.... "; B2[41]=" "; B3[41]=" "; B4[41]=" "; B5[41]=" "; S1[41]="      Australia will face pressure to drill for oil in Antarctica as world supply dwindles, says a leading international oil expert.
    "; S2[41]="   Oil-addicted nations would soon be forced to consider the 'last frontier', Iranian Ali Samsam Bakhtiari told an Antarctic conference in Hobart yesterday.
    "; S3[41]="   'I hope it will not happen because it would create enormous difficulties but, on the other hand, when you have huge price increases "; S4[41]=" I can foresee governments and some companies will see if they can find oil,' Dr Samsam Bakhtiari said.
      'It would be "; S5[41]=" a tragedy for mankind but who is going to stop it?' Dr Samsam Bakhtiari's models show world oil consumption peaking at 81 million barrels "; S6[41]=" a day.
      'In 2020 it will be roughly 55 million barrels a day.
      So in 14 years, one-third "; S7[41]=" of today's oil supply will be gone,' he said.
      'It is estimated the total global endowment is 1900 billion barrels and "; S8[41]=" just above half has been produced.
      'The second 900 billion is going to be more difficult and more expensive.' In "; S9[41]=" 2004, a barrel of oil cost under $US28.
      Today, it's nearly $US75.
      'When I said in Australia in "; S10[41]=" 2004 this would happen, people were sceptical when I said we would see prices of $US50.' Once prices hit $US150-$US200 a barrel, the hugely "; S11[41]=" expensive and difficult task of drilling through a 3km ice sheet of Antarctica would begin to look viable, he said.
      The "; S12[41]=" Arctic and Antarctic together have an estimated two years' worth of oil.
      Antarctic Treaty members have signed the Madrid protocol banning "; S13[41]=" mineral exploration, but it is in effect a 'gentleman's agreement'.
      Australian Antarctic Division director Tony Press said there was no evidence "; S14[41]=" any country wanted to violate the protocol or challenge the strength of opinion to protect Antarctica.
      He said signatories could signal "; S15[41]=" a review.
      'It is very unlikely at this stage there is anybody intending to do that,' Dr Press said.
    "; S16[41]="   But Dr Samsam Bakhtiari said public opinion could quickly change as oil limits were felt in every aspect of life.
      "; S17[41]=" Food would feel the biggest impact.
      The population of 6.5 billion could not be sustained on less oil.
    "; S18[41]="   'It's going to be a brand new world with a whole new set of rules,' he said.
      He said "; S19[41]=" the Arctic, considered untouchable until only 13 years ago, was now being exploited for oil and gas... "; R[42]="1095"; T[42]="Rural communities count cost of fuel"; A[42]="By ... Editor"; Dn[42]="20060713"; Dt[42]="Thursday 13 July 2006"; Acats[42]="a07a36a48"; B1[42]="      Spiralling petrol prices are doing far more damage to the hip pockets of rural Australians than anything else.... "; B2[42]=" "; B3[42]=" "; B4[42]=" "; B5[42]=" "; S1[42]="      Spiralling petrol prices are doing far more damage to the hip pockets of rural Australians than anything else.
      As "; S2[42]=" city petrol prices again pushed through the $1.45-a-litre mark in Adelaide yesterday, a report from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows just how much country "; S3[42]=" people, who pay even more, are affected.
      Households in capital cities and urban centres of more than 100,000 people spend about "; S4[42]=" $930 a week on goods and services.
      Those in rural areas spend about $851 while residents in towns and small cities spend "; S5[42]=" $809 a week.
      What that money is spent on varies substantially on where you live.
      Residents in SA's "; S6[42]=" major urban areas spend $834 a week on goods and services.
      The most expensive bill is food and non-alcoholic beverages at "; S7[42]=" $138 a week, followed by housing at $128.
      Transport rates third at $126 a week.
      In rural SA, "; S8[42]=" residents spend $808 a week on goods and services and $90 goes to paying off the mortgage.
      Transport is the biggest expense "; S9[42]=" at $154 a week while $143 is spent on food and beverages.
      Kate Russell, 35, said petrol was her biggest expense "; S10[42]=" as she filled up her car at Port Lincoln.
      She commutes from Coomunga, 15km west of the city, six times a week "; S11[42]=" at a cost of $80.
      'I understand (that fuel transport costs increases the country price) but there are boats that come "; S12[42]=" in here all the time and I don't see why the expense should be so much greater,' she said.
      'I have had "; S13[42]=" to work through half my lunch break to earn more money in a working week to pay the bills.'.. "; R[43]="1074"; T[43]="Victoria approves gas-fired power station"; A[43]="By ... Editor"; Dn[43]="20060712"; Dt[43]="Wednesday 12 July 2006"; Acats[43]="a36a94"; B1[43]="      The Victorian Government has approved the construction of a new gas-fired power station.... "; B2[43]=" "; B3[43]=" "; B4[43]=" "; B5[43]=" "; S1[43]="      The Victorian Government has approved the construction of a new gas-fired power station.
      Origin Energy will build a "; S2[43]=" 78 kilometre pipeline from Port Campbell to Mortlake in the state's south-west to fire the 1,000 mega-watt station.
      Once constructed it "; S3[43]=" will have the capacity to provide 12 per cent of Victoria's electricity.
      Victoria's Minister for Energy Industries, Theo Theophanous, says producing "; S4[43]=" power with gas is more environmentally friendly than using brown coal.
      'So it will provide electricity for homes and businesses for "; S5[43]=" Victorians and it will do so in a way which involves 70 per cent less greenhouse gases than would be the case if we were "; S6[43]=" to use brown coal from out of the Latrobe Valley,' he said... "; R[44]="1068"; T[44]="Oil production limit reached: expert"; A[44]="By ... Editor"; Dn[44]="20060712"; Dt[44]="Wednesday 12 July 2006"; Acats[44]="a07a36a42"; B1[44]="      An international oil industry expert says the limit of global oil production has been reached.... "; B2[44]=" "; B3[44]=" "; B4[44]=" "; B5[44]=" "; S1[44]="      An international oil industry expert says the limit of global oil production has been reached.
      Academic and former National "; S2[44]=" Iranian Oil Company executive Dr Ali Samsam Bakhtiari has told the Financial Services Institute in Sydney the world's oil fields are producing as much oil "; S3[44]=" as they can.
      He says giant fields in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are struggling to meet production targets.
      Dr "; S4[44]=" Bakhtiari says the massive output declines in the North Sea oil fields and Mexican oil fields will have a major economic impact.
      "; S5[44]=" 'Crude oil is the master domino,' he said.
      'When you tumble crude oil, all the other dominos tumble.' Dr Bakhtiari says for "; S6[44]=" the first time in 150 years, the world is entering an era in which it cannot have all the oil it wants.
      "; S7[44]=" He says there are five years left to plan priorities for the use of crude oil.
      'Some countries don't even know what "; S8[44]=" is happening,' he said.
      'Some huge companies don't even know what is happening and they are going to be ambushed and trapped "; S9[44]=" and they are going to panic.
      'The worst thing you can do is to panic when the prices are going to go "; S10[44]=" sky-high.'.. "; R[45]="1038"; T[45]="Red meat industry launches enviro-friendly biodiesel venture"; A[45]="By ... Editor"; Dn[45]="20060708"; Dt[45]="Saturday 8 July 2006"; Acats[45]="a26a27a36a94"; B1[45]="      Meat & Livestock Australia has today joined Midfield Meat International, Australian Meat Processors' Corporation and Sustainability Victoria to launch an initiative designed "; B2[45]="to produce biodiesel from tallow... "; B3[45]=" "; B4[45]=" "; B5[45]=" "; S1[45]="      Meat & Livestock Australia has today joined Midfield Meat International, Australian Meat Processors' Corporation and Sustainability Victoria to launch an initiative designed "; S2[45]=" to produce biodiesel from tallow.
      The project, being developed at Midfield Meats in Warnambool, is funded by the red meat industry in "; S3[45]=" a joint effort that has the potential to produce over 10 million litres of biodiesel from animal fat every year.
      The fuel "; S4[45]=" would be sold to the open market as well as being used for Midfield's own transport fleet.
      Dr Diana Day, Board "; S5[45]=" Director of Meat & Livestock Australia, said the project was an exciting opportunity to improve the long-term sustainability of the red meat industry.
    "; S6[45]="   'This technology is great for profitability as it has the potential to take the volatility out of the tallow market by linking the value "; S7[45]=" of tallow to international oil prices.
      This could provide a financial return greater than current average prices and put processors in a "; S8[45]=" more financially secure position,' Dr Day said.
      'Additionally, we are currently facing a global fuel crisis leaving the Australian red meat industry "; S9[45]=" with an ever-growing need for alternative fuel solutions in order to maintain competitiveness.
      'This renewable energy technology will positively contribute to reductions "; S10[45]=" in greenhouse gases - a real bonus to the health of regional and global climates.' Meat & Livestock Australia's Manager - Environment, Dr Stewart McGlashan "; S11[45]=" said biodiesel has been established globally as a proven fuel with a favourable emission profile.
      'It's becoming increasingly important to manage "; S12[45]=" our natural resources and build an environmentally friendly, but still competitive, red meat industry,' Dr McGlashan said.
      'We see this project as "; S13[45]=" a significant step towards achieving this goal by developing a solution that's good for business while reducing our environmental impact.' The Midfield Meat Group operates "; S14[45]=" one of the largest red meat (beef, veal, lamb, mutton and offal derivatives) processing plants in Australia as well as a rendering plant, a pastoral "; S15[45]=" company and a transport business.
      The Midfield Meat Group is also currently exploring the viability of developing a cogeneration plant to power "; S16[45]=" the abattoir... "; R[46]="1006"; T[46]="State to lead way on green energy targets"; A[46]="By ... Editor"; Dn[46]="20060630"; Dt[46]="Friday 30 June 2006"; Acats[46]="a36a42"; B1[46]="      South Australia will be the first Australian state - and among the first in the world - to legislate greenhouse gas targets, "; B2[46]="with Premier Mike Rann announcing new laws for 20 per cent of the state's electricity to come from renewable energy by 2014... "; B3[46]=" "; B4[46]=" "; B5[46]=" "; S1[46]="      South Australia will be the first Australian state - and among the first in the world - to legislate greenhouse gas targets, "; S2[46]=" with Premier Mike Rann announcing new laws for 20 per cent of the state's electricity to come from renewable energy by 2014.
      "; S3[46]=" Releasing the first Climate Change and Greenhouse Emissions Reduction Bill for public consultation, Mr Rann said the 20 per cent target - as well as "; S4[46]=" the long-term target to cut greenhouse gas emission by 60 per cent by 2050 - would now be made law.
      However, "; S5[46]=" he conceded the legislation would not make it mandatory for power producers to increase their renewable energy output - something green groups have lobbied heavily "; S6[46]=" to be introduced.
      'This sets the targets in law - it commits the Government to working with business and community in "; S7[46]=" developing plans and policy,' Mr Rann said.
      'Global warming poses a greater threat to humans and our planet than terrorism, with "; S8[46]=" emissions of carbon dioxide continuing to be the biggest cause of climate change.' Businesses or individuals wanting to be part of meeting the 20 "; S9[46]=" per cent target can do so by contacting their energy supplier and asking to be switched to a green option for a slightly higher cost.
"; S10[46]="       Mr Rann made the announcement yesterday at City Central - the first Adelaide building to get the five-star green star rating from "; S11[46]=" the Building Council of Australia and the five-star Australian Building Greenhouse rating.
      He said the state's wind and solar electricity consumption "; S12[46]=" was expected to reach 15 per cent by the end of the year, and if the 20 per cent target was achieved early, the State "; S13[46]=" Government 'would review the legislation again'.
      From next month solar power will start being installed across schools and public buildings and "; S14[46]=" five-star energy ratings will be required for all new homes.
      SA Conservation Council spokeswoman Michelle Grady said the Bill 'goes further "; S15[46]=" than any other state to cut green house gas emissions, but it does not set mandatory targets'.
      Opposition Leader Iain Evans "; S16[46]=" said the legislation was a 'waste of time' because the targets were still 'only aspirational'... "; R[47]="1001"; T[47]="SA unveils greenhouse laws"; A[47]="By ... Editor"; Dn[47]="20060630"; Dt[47]="Friday 30 June 2006"; Acats[47]="a36a42"; B1[47]="      South Australia is set to legislate to enforce greenhouse targets and to ensure 20 per cent of the state's electricity comes from "; B2[47]="renewable energy... "; B3[47]=" "; B4[47]=" "; B5[47]=" "; S1[47]="      South Australia is set to legislate to enforce greenhouse targets and to ensure 20 per cent of the state's electricity comes from "; S2[47]=" renewable energy.
      Unveiling its climate change bill today, the State Government said SA would become the first state in the nation to "; S3[47]=" enshrine in law cuts to greenhouse gas emissions.
      Under the legislation, which is subject to public consultation, the Government will commit "; S4[47]=" the state to a target of reducing emissions by 60 per cent of what they were in 1990 by the year 2050.
      "; S5[47]=" It also will ensure that 20 per cent of South Australia's total electricity consumption comes from renewable energy by 2014.
      'Global warming "; S6[47]=" poses a greater threat to humans and our planet than terrorism, with emissions of carbon dioxide continuing to be the biggest cause of climate change,' "; S7[47]=" Premier Mike Rann said.
      'Australia has an obligation and ability to lead and South Australia is well placed to lead the nation.' "; S8[47]=" Advertisement: 'We've known for a long time that targets need to be set to meet a 60 per cent reduction of greenhouse gasses by "; S9[47]=" 2050, identified as crucial if we are to manage the worst effects of climate change,' WWF chief executive Greg Bourne said.
      "; S10[47]=" 'South Australia should be congratulated for setting a target along this road, and we look forward to other states following their lead.
      "; S11[47]=" 'The Federal Government, however, continues with its business as usual approach, with no absolute reductions of emissions in sight.'.. "; R[48]="1000"; T[48]="Manildra scores Govt ethanol contract"; A[48]="By ... Editor"; Dn[48]="20060628"; Dt[48]="Wednesday 28 June 2006"; Acats[48]="a36a94"; B1[48]="      South coast New South Wales company Manildra is to be one of two companies to supply ethanol blended fuel to the State "; B2[48]="Government's fleet of 25,000 vehicles... "; B3[48]=" "; B4[48]=" "; B5[48]=" "; S1[48]="      South coast New South Wales company Manildra is to be one of two companies to supply ethanol blended fuel to the State "; S2[48]=" Government's fleet of 25,000 vehicles.
      Manildra employs 220 people at its Bomaderry plant that is currently running at just 40 per cent "; S3[48]=" of capacity.
      Manildra group chairman Dick Honan says while the contract will not significantly increase output, he is hoping the other state "; S4[48]=" Labor governments will follow suit.
      Mr Honan says the biofuel industry is trying to get the major oil companies to support ethanol.
"; S5[48]="       'No major oil company has embraced ethanol in Australia as yet, they've played around with it on the edge of it, payed "; S6[48]=" lip-service to the industry, but nothing has happened at all,' he said... "; R[49]="995"; T[49]="No More Bureaucracy for Wind Power"; A[49]="By ... Editor"; Dn[49]="20060628"; Dt[49]="Wednesday 28 June 2006"; Acats[49]="a36a94"; B1[49]="      Tasmania joined with other Labor State and Territory Governments to block moves by the Howard Government to add another layer of red "; B2[49]="tape to the process of approving wind farm developments... "; B3[49]=" "; B4[49]=" "; B5[49]=" "; S1[49]="      Tasmania joined with other Labor State and Territory Governments to block moves by the Howard Government to add another layer of red "; S2[49]=" tape to the process of approving wind farm developments.
      Environment Ministers from around Australia met in Sydney this morning for the Environmental "; S3[49]=" Protection and Heritage Council Meeting to discuss a range of environmental issues impacting on Australia.
      Minister for Tourism, Arts and the Environment, "; S4[49]=" Paula Wriedt, said today that the proposal would only result in placing another barrier in front of Australia moving to more sustainable forms of energy "; S5[49]=" production.
      'The motion from the Federal Minister Ian Campbell, to form a national round table to develop more statutory measures for approving "; S6[49]=" these projects, is unnecessary for Tasmania,' Ms Wriedt said.
      'What we need from the Howard Government is leadership in the form of "; S7[49]=" incentives for more renewable energy projects, not further levels of bureaucracy.
      'Tasmania is a national leader in renewable energy and all "; S8[49]=" of our wind projects, including the recently cancelled Heemskirk proposal, have required appropriate planning approval from local councils.
      'Another project, which has "; S9[49]=" met all required environmental approvals at both the State level and Commonwealth level, as well as planning approval from the local Council, is the proposed "; S10[49]=" wind farm at Musselroe.
      'Despite the fact that this project will provide up to 129 mega watts of renewable energy for Tasmania, "; S11[49]=" as well as create more jobs in the North East, it looks unlikely that this project will proceed because of the Howard Government's refusable to "; S12[49]=" extend the Mandatory Renewable Energy Target scheme contrary to the recommendations of their own review.
      'The Howard Government should be looking to "; S13[49]=" how it can continue to encourage these projects in the future, so as a nation we can move towards sustainable, cleaner energy production.'.. ";