Australia announces funding priorities for Pacific climate change adaptation - media release 6 August 2009
PORTFOLIO: Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
http://www.environment.gov.au/minister/wong/2009/mr20090806.html
A further $12 million will be provided for the Pacific Adaptation Strategy Assistance Program to strengthen the capacity of Pacific Island countries to assess their vulnerabilities to climate change and develop adaptation strategies. Australia is committed to decisive action on climate change both at home and globally, and recognises that building resilience to climate change is critically important for vulnerable countries in the Pacific.

International Climate Change Adaptation Initiative, Pacific Islands Forum, Renewable energy target legislation, Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme - transcript 6 August 2009
Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
http://www.environment.gov.au/minister/wong/2009/tr20090806a.html
Doorstop interview: Pacific Islands Forum, Cairns. As you may be aware we have a program of $150 million toward adaptation International Climate Change Adaptation Initiative.

Pacific Islands forum, Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme - transcript 6 August 2009
PORTFOLIO: Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts http://www.environment.gov.au/minister/wong/2009/tr20090806.html
Now we ran a story earlier this week on people from the Carteret Islands having to leave now - this is happening now - they have to leave their homes because of rising sea levels for Bougainville. That means passing the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme.

Australian Eco-Screen Invention to Help Reduce Carbon Emissions
PORTFOLIO: Foreign Affairs and Trade
http://www.trademinister.gov.au/releases/2009/sc_090806.html
SNIPPET: Minister for Trade, Simon Crean, today congratulated Brisbane-based manufacturer Centor on the launch this week of its Australian invention - a fully retractable, flyscreen and solar control blind. This is an excellent example of Australian research and design capability - a locally manufactured invention that will reduce carbon emissions and allow people worldwide to enjoy an Australian outdoor lifestyle, Mr Crean said. The Minister for Trade is in Brisbane to attend a meeting of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Ministerial Council on International Trade on 6-7 August, hosted by the Queensland Government.

Highest-ever winter water temperatures recorded (Media Release)
PORTFOLIO: Innovation, Industry, Science and Research
http://www.csiro.au/news/Highest-winter-water-temps.html
SNIPPET: The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation is Australia's national science agency and one of the largest and most diverse research agencies in the world. CSIRO expertise is organised into 16 research areas. The Marine National Facility -.

Media release from Resources, Energy and Tourism Portfolio
PORTFOLIO: Resources, Energy and Tourism
http://minister.ret.gov.au/thehonmartinfergusonmp/pages/australiansolarinstituteboardappointed.aspx
SNIPPET: The Hon Martin Ferguson AM MP. The ASI is a $100 million commitment by the Australian Government to support solar thermal and solar photovoltaic research and development. Mr Thomas is currently the director of TFGInternational.

MORE COMMUNITY PROJECTS GET CLIMATE CHANGE CHALLENGE FUNDING
Seventeen community projects across England are to be the first to benefit from a new partnership between the Department of Energy and Climate Change and NESTA, the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts. The schemes are designed to cut carbon emissions and to develop local clean energy sources.

The partnership will see a total of 600,000 pounds of Government funding going directly to grassroots projects with NESTA administering the programme. The latest allocation is in addition to the money given last October to the ten finalists in the Big Green Challenge. The winners of the Challenge will not be named until later this year but because of the calibre of the applicants, the DECC has agreed to support the additional schemes.

NESTA’s Chief Executive, Jonathan Kestenbaum, said the Challenge had been an inspiring project and this had been reflected in the innovative ideas local groups had submitted. "Community involvement is a vital element in tackling climate change but it’s one piece of the jigsaw that is often ignored by policy makers," he said and added: "We know there is no ‘miracle cure’ to the environmental challenges that we face but giving people the opportunity to get actively involved has to play its part."

The latest successful projects include a low carbon co-operative in Manchester, a scheme to generate power from water mills near Bath, installing renewable energy technology on farms around Winchester and the promotion of community-owned renewable energy projects in Newcastle.

Helping the regions prepare for climate change
Greg Combet, the Minister Assisting the Minister for Climate Change, today awarded $874,000 to seven projects to help councils in regional and remote areas of Australia plan for climate change.

Mr Combet said that the projects covered 30 local council areas and would help increase understanding of the impacts of climate change from the Northern Territory's Top End to the Hunter coast in New South Wales.

Renewable Remote Power Generation Program
http://www.environment.gov.au/settlements/renewable/rrpgp
As a result of all funding having been committed for the Renewable Remote Power Generation Program, new applications are no longer being accepted, except from Western Australia.

Councils seek help in preparing for climate change

The State Government needs to provide more funding and guidance to councils to help them prepare for the impacts of climate change, says the Local Governmentand Shires Associations of NSW.
http://www.lgsa.org.au/www/html/2950-13-may-2009-councils-seek-help-in-preparing-for-climate-change.asp?intSiteID=1