The Age - Airport soars above the gloom with a record month

MELBOURNE Airport has posted its busiest month on record in a result defying recent speculation that the market is on a downward spiral. Despite fears that the economic meltdown will see demand for air travel dry up - and which has led to airlines nationwide slashing prices - 2.19 million people travelled through the airport in October. This is up 6.8 per cent on October 2007 and beats the previous record of 2.17 million set in March.

The Australian - AED wants to enhance Browse Basin

AED Oil executives say the company is seeking acquisitions to complement its Puffin oilfield in the Browse Basin off Western Australia.

ABC - Scheme aims to boosts solar hot water system numbers

A new scheme has been launched aimed at boosting the low take-up rate among households for solar hot water systems.

Larvatus Prodeo - Emissions tech tidbits

Another CCS project is getting underway in Australia, this time in Queensland. This time, the project involves retrofitting the Callide A power station with oxyfuel technology. This is the same technology used in the pilot plant in Germany mentioned in an earlier story. At the time, I thought that oxyfuel was most likely only to be used for new power plants, not retrofitting existing ones. However, just because an existing power station is used for a pilot project doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to be economic to retrofit commercial-scale ones (if indeed CCS using this technology is economic at all).

The Australian - Namibia uranium deal nuked on concerns about Rio

EXTRACT Resources' merger with AIM-listed Kalahari Minerals has collapsed over concerns it would hand control to mining giant Rio Tinto.

Otago Daily Times - Kaitangata targeted in coal-seam gas hunt

The resource-rich Kaitangata area is being targeted by a company which wants to test for coal-seam gas in wells it already owns near the township.

Scoop.co.nz - NZ now a joke in Europe, says carbon trader

A leading New Zealand carbon trader says international markets can no longer take New Zealand seriously, carbon trading has come to a standstill and experts are warning business not to think carbon pricing has gone away.

Specialist news service Carbon News (www.carbonnews.co.nz) this morning reports broker Nigel Brunel, of OMF Financial, as saying New Zealand is “a bit of a joke in Europe at the moment” following the National-Act agreement to suspend the emissions trading scheme.

SMH - BP shuts Sydney solar plant

In a major blow for the state's solar industry, BP will close its Sydney solar panel factory at the end of March, leading to a loss of 200 jobs. The British energy group will shift its manufacturing operations offshore to lower costs.

SMH - How good soil cuts water use

THE grass may be yellow and the earth parched on many Sydney parks and sports fields but a study has found ovals could be soft and green with 60 per cent less water than they currently use. The quality of the soil, not the amount of water, is the deciding factor in keeping parks green, research funded by the City of Sydney and the State Government's climate change fund has found.

SMH - Batten down: researchers tip 30-year storm phase

THE devastation from last week's brutal storms in south-east Queensland has left the region shell-shocked, but new research indicates this type of weather could be the norm for the next 30 years. A study by coastal planning researcher Peter Helman says the east coast of Australia has entered a new weather phase during which regular rain, wind and damaging storms will follow recent years of drought.

The Age - Indonesia 'crucial' in weathering climate storm

AUSTRALIA has been urged to set up a climate change commission with Indonesia amid warnings global warming could have a devastating effect on hundreds of millions of people in the Asia-Pacific region. International experts meeting in Melbourne this weekend are considering how to deal with alarming scenarios created by climate change - not only on the environment and people's lives but on national and international security. The experts warn that the potential social stresses resulting from climate change - including rising poverty and the displacement of millions of people - could lead to massive pressures on governments, internal conflict and political instability.

frogblog - FAQ on Climate Models

I promised in a comment yesterday that I would post this today. It’s an FAQ put together by RealClimate, a blog definitely worth giving a regular perusal.

Peak Energy - The Triumph of CSM over UCG: Linc Flees To South Australia

Peak Energy - Electric Vehicles In Japan

Peak Energy - Algae Biofuel From Aquaflow Bionomic

Peak Energy - 1953 Popular Mechanics: Growing Blanket of Carbon Dioxide Raises Earth’s Temperature

Peak Energy - Zero Energy Humidifiers

Peak Energy - Electric Vehicles In San Fancsico

Peak Energy - Plumbing the oceans for clean energy

Peak Energy - Obama's Energy Policy - The Good and the Bad

Peak Energy - Cyclists - Throw Off Your Chains !

Peak Energy - Who killed the blogosphere ?

Peak Energy - Perth Mint Suspends Gold Sales