The Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism

The Clean Development Mechanism is an avenue for industrialised countries to undertake carbon abatement projects in developing countries. This Background Note provides information on the CDM and its associated emissions credits.

Source: Australian Policy Online/ Parliamentary Library

Climate change: the case for action

Delaying action to mitigate climate change increases the risk that adverse climate change impacts, including possibly irreversible changes, will occur before greenhouse gas concentrations can be stabilised at a desired level.

Source: Australian Policy Online

Study Finds Environmental Education Programs Lead to Cleaner Air: National Environmental Education Week: April 12-18

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
A study funded by EPA shows that environmental education programs are an effective tool in helping to improve air quality in North America.

Source: Docuticker

EPA Publishes Annual U.S. Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
The report indicates that overall emissions have grown by 17.2 percent from 1990 to 2007.

Source: Docuticker

Native ant may stop toad in its tracks

In a paper published today in Functional Ecology, Professor Rick Shine of the University of Sydney reveals that meat ants, which are common across northern Australia, are deadly predators of baby cane toads.

Source: ABC Environment News in Science

Australia's battle with the bunny

They may look cute and cuddly but rabbits have been a persistent pest in Australia for 150 years. So are we any closer to eradicating this ecological nightmare?

Source: ABC Environment News in Science

Goals Gone Wild: The Systematic Side Effects of Over-Prescribing Goal Setting

Harvard Business School Working Papers
Goal setting is one of the most replicated and influential paradigms in the management literature. In this article, we argue that the beneficial effects of goal setting have been overstated and that systematic harm caused by goal setting has been largely ignored.

Source: Docuticker

U.S. Department of Transportation Posts New Fuel Economy Standards for Model Year 2011 Cars and Light Trucks

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Source: Docuticker

EPA Issues New Requirements for Energy Star Computer Monitors, Picture Frames

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Source: Docuticker

New Report Shows Waterfowl Hunting’s Contribution to U.S. Economy

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Source: Docuticker

Sustainable development

Tom Edwards / Research Service, Parliament of New South Wales
This paper explores what is meant by sustainable development, considering the different definitions which have been proposed for the term and the debate around the concept as it has evolved. It then considers some of the approaches that have been taken to measuring sustainability using composite indicators and sets of indicators. Finally it sets out the main elements of sustainable development policies adopted by the Commonwealth and New South Wales governments, and for comparison, those adopted in Victoria, and in the UK.

Source: Australian Policy Online

PARTNERING FOR LONG-TERM MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE

OVERVIEW OF EVOLUTION AND CURRENT PRACTICE IN TWELVE COUNTRIES.
Elements of the partnership approach have been incorporated into the RWM strategy of most OECD countries. Such an approach to decision-making, to jointly own both the problem and the solution, is increasingly implemented with success worldwide. The present volume documents how the approach to partnering has been or is being implemented in twelve countries, namely: Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Hungary, Japan, Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and the USA.

Source: OECD NEA/RWM/FSC(2009)2

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REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT ASPECTS OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMMES:

Proceedings of the Forum on Stakeholder Confidence national workshop and community visit held in Tengelic and Bátaapáti, Hungary - 14-17 November 2006

Source: OECD Nuclear Energy Agency, Radioactive Waste Management Committee
NEA/RWM/FSC(2009)1

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THE SYMBOLIC DIMENSION OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT

Report of a Topical Session held at the 9th Regular FSC Meeting (June 2008) and Related Desk Research

The Forum on Stakeholder Confidence (FSC) on radioactive waste management has found that
key concepts of radioactive waste management (RWM) (e.g. safety, risk, reversibility, retrievability) carry different meanings for the technical community and for non-technical stakeholders. Also, some highly value-laden socio-economic concepts (e.g. benefit packages, community, landscape) are interpreted differently by different societal groups and opinions and attitudes are not simply a reflection of decision-making, actual events and communicated messages. Perceptions and interpretations of events and objects also play a significant role. FSC members want their behaviour, decisions and writing to be highly coherent with the
societal values embodied in waste management endeavours. The FSC intends to become better aware of ‘symbolic’ meanings (i.e. meanings that, for different groups, may resonate beyond the obvious) in their actions. Awareness of additional dimensions of meaning beyond dictionary definitions, and recognition that dialogue is shaped by more than just concrete realities, may help to find ways of creating nonconflictual and constructive relationships amongst stakeholders.

This document contains the most important elements of the presentations and the discussions from a FSC topical session on radio-active waste management, plus additional elements from ad-hoc research.

Source: OECD Report NEA/RWM/FSC(2008)5/REV1

Contact the library for a copy of this paper.