Workers Liberty - World economic crisis - Australian AWL 2008 conference report
This report seems to be a series of notes, mainly interesting because of where it comes from and how deeply it delves. It implies that some concepts have become quite widespread.

I'm not confident I know the roots of the food and oil price rises. Speculation is often blamed, and may well be a factor, but the development seems too big and lasting for speculation alone to explain.

Maybe the fundamental reason is basic supply and demand mechanisms. With oil - it is a fact that exploration and development costs have risen, and returns from exploration have declined - then knock-on effects for food prices via fertiliser and transport costs, and the conversion of agricultural land to biofuels. If so, the basic upward trend of food and oil prices is unlikely to be stopped by general deflationary pressure. One result is that there are very different inflation rates for different people.

SMH - Better public transport for $6b less

How can NSW reconcile its wish for better public transport and its perilous balance sheet? Here are three initiatives that could help. First, scrap the North West Metro beyond Epping and replace it with the original plan, the North West Rail Link.

This saves at least half the metro's estimated $12 billion cost by using the soon-to-be completed Epping-Chatswood railway line. It connects the north-western suburbs, the rapidly growing Macquarie Park, the lower North Shore and the CBD, and there is spare capacity on the route to do it.

Stock And Land - Climate change already altering farm practices

More than 65pc of Australian agricultural businesses say they have perceived a change in the climate and 62pc say the change is affecting their operations, according to new figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

But approximately half (49.5pc) of the agricultural businesses reported a change in the management practices on their holding in response to perceived changes in climate.

Radio NZ - American Samoa to look at producing energy from waste

American Samoa’s Power Authority is actively pursing alternative energy projects to wean itself from a reliance on diesel fuel.

Transport and Logistics News - What to do about fuel efficiency

Federal Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese and Environment Minister Peter Garrett have called for public and industry comment on a discussion paper on sustainable transport.

The Vehicle Fuel Efficiency paper was developed by the Australian Transport Council and the Environment Protection and Heritage Council in response to a COAG request to investigate vehicle fuel efficiency measures.

“The transport sector is the third largest and one of the fastest growing sources of carbon pollution in Australia, with more than 14 million registered vehicles on our roads,” the ministers said.

“Instead of advocating the adoption of any particular measure, the discussion paper evaluates eight potential measures to improve fuel efficiency and urges interested parties to provide their views.”

The measures include carbon emissions targets and stamp duty charges for new light vehicles, direct financial incentives for low-emission vehicles, an environmental rating scheme for heavy vehicles, and international standards and labelling requirements for non-engine components that impact on emissions.

Stuff.co.nz - Carrots for health, wealth, fertility and fuel

Well how about fuel for cars? Scientists now believe that biofuels will be the answer to our energy needs when the oil runs out. One such fuel, perhaps within 10 years, will be carrots it would take about 6000 carrots to drive 1.6km.

ABC - Dry water makes storage a gas

Chemists in the UK have developed a way to convert methane gas into a solid that looks like granulated sugar - making it easier to store.

Professor Andrew Cooper and his colleagues at the University of Liverpool have found that they can trap methane in a material made of silica and water, called 'dry water'.

They report their findings in Nature News.

Methane is seen as a viable alternative fuel, with experts estimating that deposits worldwide could contain more energy than coal, oil and all other fossil fuels combined.