Cyclists upstage Alan Jones anti-cycling rally

Tuesday evening was supposed to be a rally with 2GB conservative radio shock jock Alan Jones railing against Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moores plans for expanding cycling infrastructure and the recently completed Bourke Road Cycleway. However, cyclists from Bikesydney organised a counter event at the Sydney Town Hall in support of cycleways which drew up to 300 people. Alan Jones was nowhere to be seen.

Geography: 
Promotion: 

Pioneering solar photovoltaic centre of excellence loses research funding

Why is a ground breaking solar research facility losing research funding at such a crucial time for transitioning from coal fired power stations to renewable energy? On Monday 26 July Greens staffer Tim Hollo revealed on Twitter that research funding had not been renewed for the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Advanced Silicon Photovoltaics and Photonics based at the University of NSW.

Related: Call for Gillard to install solar panels on the Lodge

Geography: 
Promotion: 

Conservationists halt logging in Tasmania's Weld Valley

On sunday night fourteen forest activists walked into the Barnback Creek area in Tasmania's Weld Valley to protest continued logging of threatened old growth forests. At least one person is pole sitting locked on to forestry equipment.

"Huon Valley Environment Centre is calling for an immediate end to logging of high conservation value forests, urgent protection is vital. We are loosing critical endangered species habitat and forests of immense value," Huon Valley Environment Centre's Jenny Weber said.

Geography: 
Promotion: 

Climate activists protest Julia Gillard over ALP climate change policy

ALP policy on climate change action has been strongly criticised by environment and climate action groups with protests at Julia Gillard's climate change policy launch in Brisbane, and protests at Julia Gillard's Werribee electoral office and her Melbourne Treasury Place office.

Related: Climate activists lock on at Gillard's office to protest pathetic ALP policy | Photos at Treasury Place protest | Environmentalists: Fuel Emission reduction policy well behind world's best practice

Promotion: 

Genocide of Aborigines since invasion, international conference told

Melbourne, 13 July 2010 - - An Aboriginal leader has told about 500 international psychologists and psychiatrists meeting here that Australia has perpetrated genocide on Aboriginal people since the white invasion and continues to do so.

Michael Anderson, leader of the 3,000 Euahlayi, whose lands straddle the border between northwest New South Wales and southwest Queensland, made the accusation to a genocide section of the 27th conference of the International Association of Applied Psychology, running from 12 to 16 July in the Melbourne Convention Centre.

Promotion: 

Australia 'a crime scene' and 'undeclared war zone' since white invasion

Australia remains an 'undeclared war zone' and has been 'one big hell of a crime scene' since the white invasion and needs a treaty between the colonisers and the Aborigines, a recent Aboriginal summit in Melbourne heard. Robbie Thorpe, committed activist on issues relating to Australian history, Indigenous sovereignty, lack of treaty, land-rights justice, genocide and national denial made the allegation.

"People have known that but don't want to recognise it. They don't want to recognise our humanity...they can't afford to...it'd bankrupt them totally and utterly."

Geography: 
Promotion: 

Victoria targets solar energy as new report shows renewable energy potential

Victorian Premier John Brumby has announced a feed in tariff for large scale solar thermal power plants to start the transition from coal-fired power to renewables as part of its forthcoming policies for action on climate change. The target of 5 per cent of the state's electricity from solar by 2020 is in addition to the 20 per cent power from wind by 2020. The announcement comes as a new report confirms that Victoria could supply more than 100 percent of it's electricity from renewables. Friends of the Earth, Environment Victoria and the Greens have all welcomed the changes.

Geography: 
Promotion: 

Cairns abortion case trial date set: Pro-choice supporters plan national protest

Pro-choice supporters are gearing up for a national day of protest on the Saturday before the Cairns abortion case goes to trial. The trial has been set down for October 12. Rallies will be held across the country on October 9 to demand the dropping of the charges brought under Queensland’s anti-abortion laws against a couple in Cairns.

“When a woman and her partner are facing trial under the abortion laws, it is time to take action”, said Pro-Choice Action Collective activist, Kathy Newnam.

Geography: 
Promotion: 

How to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2020

The public launch of the Beyond Zero Emissions report - Zero Carbon Australia 2020 - was delivered to an overflowing audience at Melbourne University last night. The report is one possible blueprint for acting on the challenge of climate change by converting the existing coal and gas fired carbon pollution dependent electricity generation to 100% renewables using only current technologies in ten years.

Promotion: