Worldwide, forest fires and forest harvesting are recognized as major sources of the carbon dioxide (CO2) that is warming the climate, causing drought, and melting ice caps. Yet, paradoxically, most state, regional, and federal efforts to reduce emissions treat biomass power plants that burn wood for fuel as “carbon neutral,” with zero net emissions. Massachusetts …
The spotlight is shining on the collapsed Gunns, its former chairman John Gay, and the Tasmanian Government’s machinations to secure a pulpmill at all costs. But the pivotal role of successive Commonwealth Governments remains in darkness. Unravelling the part the Commonwealth Government has played in the saga is essential for resolving Tasmania’s forest conflict and …
After about 140 years of logging almost anything in its sights, the last few years has seen it looking down its own barrel. Much to millions of Australian’s delight, it finally admitted defeat recently and declared insolvency. Gunns history Gunns started as a small Launceston sawmilling business in 1875. By 1986 it was a publicly …
The Nippon owned pulp and paper plant at Maryvale, Australian Paper, recently announced (10th October) a new recycled paper plant to be built on their LaTrobe Valley site. However it’s been silent about getting out of native forests as a result. Production is expected to start in early 2014, so it won’t be in time …
VicForests is at it again and the dust has barely settled on the Brown Mountain legal case. While the Gliders and Potoroos remain in an uneasy limbo while there’s a ceasefire, other habitat of rare wildlife is copping wholesale destruction elsewhere. So another court case is brewing. This time the rare species of the far …
The Stockman Project is located in the Victorian Alps, 470km by road north-east of Melbourne and 60km by road north east of Omeo. The project contains two copper-zinc-lead-silver-gold rich deposits, called Wilga and Currawong. Wilga was discovered in 1978 and Currawong in 1979. Denehurst mined the copper rich core of Wilga deposit from 1992 to …
GOVERNMENTS have failed the mighty river, writes LOUISE CRISP The big spring releases from Jindabyne Dam into the Snowy River will capture the media’s attention this week. Snowy Hydro Ltd will allow up to 84 gigalitres to flow down the Snowy River during the next two weeks. Although they are much reduced, the spring releases …
VicForests set up a project that a student of Creswick’s school of logging undertook. The outcome was extraordinarily predictable. An employee of VicForests, Abby Carmichael placed infrared cameras in unlogged and regenerating logged forest. The cameras detected more bush rats in regrowth and we assume less of other species. The report is not publicly available …
Under pressure from big business and the mining industry, federal and state governments have recently announced a hard line plan to wind back environmental protection laws. In the guise of cutting ‘green tape’ government and industry propose to hand important federal approval powers to the states and fast track approvals for large developments. If this …
The VicForests Annual Report was tabled in Parliament this week (13/9/12). They made another loss. And this year, VicForests is dressing up the loss with a new excuse. The argument that the bushfires are to blame for their past losses has worn thin so they are now blaming us. Fancy – little enviro groups having …
