Architecture and Design - Moving the metropolis

Transition Towns are social experiments on a massive scale, in which communities are facing up to the challenges of peak oil and climate change by reconstructing themselves as independent and self sustaining, says Kim Jones of Sonter Jones Architects.

Stuff.co.nz - Another oil giant delays decision

A second global oil giant has delayed a decision to drill in the hostile waters of the Great South Basin at the bottom of New Zealand.

NZ Herald - Economy's tumble produces benefits at the city rubbish tips

The dark cloud of the economic downturn brought a welcome silver lining for the environment.

The amount of rubbish dumped in landfills in many urban centres dropped substantially last year while the economy was in decline.

Kerbside collection schemes and waste levies may have also played a part, but waste industry bosses say the state of the economy has by far the biggest effect because of its influence on the amount of building and development waste.

"It doesn't matter where you go in the world, residual volumes of waste tend to be parallel to the graph of the economic climate at the time," said Canterbury Waste Services general manager Gareth James.

"When the economy goes well, there is more waste."

The Australian - Nippon Oil signs up for Gorgon gas

NIPPON Oil, Japan's biggest refiner, has signed an initial agreement to buy liquefied natural gas from Chevron and may spend about Y50 billion ($585 million) to build an import terminal.

The Australian - MacCarthur Coal deals given a lashing

CREDIT Suisse has given a damning assessment of Macarthur Coal's $1.2 billion ambition to expand output and broaden its coal mix.
It says deals to buy Gloucester Coal and other mine assets do not create obvious value and will slash profit margins and short-term earnings.

In four separate deals announced last month, Macarthur agreed to spend $1.2bn on Gloucester, which is controlled by Hong Kong trader Noble Group, Noble's other Australian mine assets and some other mine stakes owned by major Macarthur shareholder Citic Pacific.

The deals will give Brisbane-based Macarthur four new mines in NSW, widen its PCI (pulverised coal) production base to include more coking coal and thermal coal, and reduce its dependence on Queensland's clogged coal port and rail system.

The Australian - King coal about to be dethroned

Back at the mine, there were more pressing problems with the coal. It was wet and had only a "moderate energy content" according to Griffin documents now with The Weekend Australian.

The coal, from the Collie Basin in the state's southwest, was considered unsuitable for export without some form of processing.

"To address this, we are beginning construction on a drying facility," the memorandum says.

The Australian - ERA's Ranger output slumps: uranium

RIO TINTO'S local uranium unit, Energy Resources of Australia, has reported a 19 per cent slump in fourth-quarter production from the previous quarter, as grades fell at its big Ranger mine in Kakadu National Park.

ABC - Hunter coal industry 'continues to forge ahead'

The Hunter Valley's coal industry is showing no signs of slowing down, with new figures showing coal exports from the Port of Newcastle continue to break records.