The Costs of Reducing Greenhouse-Gas Emissions

http://www.docuticker.com/?p=29949
Reducing emissions, through a cap-and-trade program or regulations for example, would impose a burden on the economy by lessening the use of fossil fuels and altering patterns of land use. Today CBO released a brief discussing the economic costs of reducing greenhouse-gas emissions in the United States, describing the main determinants of costs, how analysts estimate those costs, and the magnitude of estimated costs. The brief also illustrates the uncertainty surrounding such estimates using studies of a recent legislative proposal, H.R. 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009.

Source: Docuticker

Australian cultural funding, by artform category

http://www.apo.org.au/research/australian-cultural-funding-artform-category
This analysis of arts funding by artform category shows that the big dollars go to the public sector cultural organisations: parks and wildlife departments, public broadcasters, libraries, museums and art galleries. The entire Australia Council budget is only $175 million out of this total figure of more than $5 billion – more than half of which goes to 29 major performing arts organisations. We can infer that relatively little funding goes to ordinary working artists.

Source: Australian Policy Online

PROMOTING BIODIVERSITY CO-BENEFITS IN REDD

This report examines how biodiversity co-benefits in REDD (Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation) can be enhanced, both at the design and implementation level. It discusses potential biodiversity implications of different REDD design options that have been put forward in the international climate change negotiations and proceeds by examining how the creation of additional biodiversity-specific incentives could be used to complement a REDD mechanism, so as to target biodiversity benefits directly.

Source: OECD Environment Policy Committee, Working Group on Economic Aspects of Biodiversity. ENV/EPOC/GSP/BIO(2009)2/FINAL
Contact library for a copy

Business guide to the low carbon economy: Queensland

http://www.apo.org.au/research/business-guide-low-carbon-economy-queensland
Commissioned by the Queensland Government and prepared by The Climate Group in partnership with Arup, this guide provides practical steps for businesses to get on top of measuring and curbing greenhouse gas emissions from their operations. It also provides an overview of climate change policies and programs in Queensland with a view to helping companies develop a strategy to suit their individual situation.

Source: Australian Policy Online

Independent sport panel report (Crawford Report)

http://www.apo.org.au/research/independent-sport-panel-report-crawford-report
2009The Crawford review was commissioned to investigate the reforms required to ensure that Australia’s sporting system remains prepared for the challenges of the future. This report examines elite and community level sport as well as sport for young people, women and men, sport for people with a disability and the engagement of Indigenous and ethnic Australians.
The Independent Sport Panel featured 39 recommendations.

Source: Australian Policy Online

Forestry and mining operations on the Tiwi Islands

http://www.apo.org.au/research/forestry-and-mining-operations-tiwi-islands
This report provides an assessment of the environmental, economic and community impacts of existing and proposed forestry and mining operations on the Tiwi Islands, and reviews governance arrangements relating to existing operations.

Source: Australian Policy Online

Leading from the front

http://www.nationalschool.gov.uk/policyhub/news_item/leading_front_ippr09.asp
A report published by Demos on 22 September 2009 observes that front line staff in Britain's public services have little or no autonomy from central control and are also burdened with targets and cumbersome management structures. The report argues that government must relinquish some powers to local control if improvements in public services are to be made in an era of austerity. This will help create a public service in which empowered citizens can seek and receive the services they need from empowered staff.

Source: Policy Hub (UK)

Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme Bill 2009 [No.2]

The CPRS Bill sets up an emissions trading scheme as part of a framework designed to reduce pollution caused by emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.

Source: Parliamentary Library, Australia.

Report Estimates Climate Change Adaptation Costs, Impacts to Utilities

http://www.docuticker.com/?p=29274
Climate change impacts to wastewater and drinking water utilities, which provide critical economic, public health, and environmental benefits, include sea level rise and extreme flooding that can inundate and incapacitate treatment facilities; water quality degradation and increased treatment requirements; water scarcity and the need to develop new drinking water supplies; and lower flows in drought conditions that can affect the operation of treatment facilities.

Source: Docuticker

Plastic Bottle Recycling Reaches Record High of Over 2.4 Billion Pounds Annually

http://www.docuticker.com/?p=29284
Over the last two decades, America’s plastics and recycling industries have invested over $2 billion in developing technologies and the infrastructure to recycle plastics in communities across the nation. Most recently, these efforts have focused on increasing awareness of recycling opportunities among consumers and expanding access to away–from–home recycling bins.

Source: Docuticker

Managing our coastal zone in a changing climate: the time to act is now

http://www.apo.org.au/research/managing-our-coastal-zone-changing-climate-time-act-now
New governance arrangements are needed for Australia’s coastal zone, according to this report, which makes recommendations to improve management of climate change and environmental impacts on the coast.

Source: Australian Policy Online

A national cultural policy to 2020

http://www.apo.org.au/research/national-cultural-policy-2020
The Minister for the environment, heritage and the arts has drawn up a discussion framework for the development of the policy and an online forum - http://nationalculturalpolicy.com.au/

Source: Australian Policy Online

Trouble in the city

http://inside.org.au/trouble-in-the-city/
If you want to find out what’s happening in Australia’s cities today, don’t go to the glossy planning documents, writes Peter Spearritt.

Source: Inside Story

Arts and culture in Australia: A statistical overview, 2009

http://www.apo.org.au/research/arts-and-culture-australia-statistical-overview-2009
This publication contains information on a range of topics including employment in culture, time spent on cultural activities, attendances at cultural venues and events, expenditure on culture, and imports and exports of cultural goods and services. It also provides profiles of the cultural sectors, grouped according to the Australian Culture and Leisure Industry Classification.

Source: Australian Policy Online

High quality traineeships: Identifying what works

http://www.apo.org.au/research/high-quality-traineeships-identifying-what-works
The research identifies a range of policy measures that could improve both the practice and image of traineeships. A good practice guide has also been developed to assist in ensuring that all traineeships are of equally high quality.

Source: Australian Policy Online