Green Options » Kevin Rudd

Too Many Camels: Australia Considers Helicopter Sharpshooters and Camel Burgers to Control Population Explosion

Rhishja Larson — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 03:00:16 +0000

Controversial proposals by the Australian government would mean shooting more than 650,000 camels from helicopters - and even making camel burgers.

Camels have become a problem in Australia’s remote Outback.

There are now about a million camels, and the population doubles every nine years. The animals were introduced to the Australia in the 1840’s by explorers who relied on them to journey through the desert. But now, camels are competing with livestock for food - and are apparently scaring people by destroying water pipes and bathrooms as they search for water.

Sky News has reported that the Australian government believes the population needs to be culled by two thirds - and they have a budget of $19 million AUD to take care of the situation.

That means the mass killing of more than 650,000 camels.

Australia’s Rudd Government Makes Huge Investment in Solar Energy

Bryan Nelson — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 01:36:16 +0000

Australia’s federal government, led by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, has approved plans for a $60 million dollar factory which is to become the largest manufacturer of solar cells in the Southern Hemisphere.

The company responsible for the project, Solar Spark Australia, is the first to be awarded Major Project Facillitation status under the Rudd government, and it plans to begin powering 9,000 homes by late next year.

This marks increased hope that Australia can meet goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 60% by 2050.

Australia to Implement Carbon Trading Scheme by 2010

Joshua S Hill — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 18:09:32 +0000

Following in the steps of the EU and their Emission Trading Scheme, Australia will be implementing a their own by 2010. Announced Monday by the Minister for Climate Change, Penny Wong, the national scheme would “constitute the most significant economic and structural reform undertaken in Australia since the trade liberalization of the 1980s.”

Often it is hard to understand just what a trading scheme is all about, but I finally found it explained simply and clearly. The AFP wrote; ‘Emissions trading schemes place a limit on the amount of greenhouse gas pollution which companies can produce, forcing heavy polluters to buy credits from companies that pollute less — thereby creating financial incentives to fight global warming.’