Every so often we hear about how Alberta tar sands are the answer to the peak oil scenario. There are said to be 180 billion barrels of heavy crude oil mixed in with the tar sands in Alberta.  But there are serious problems with this using these tar sands as a 'fix' for our oil addiction. First,  NASA climate scientist James Hansen warns that we must keep Alberta tar sands in the ground rather than burn them, otherwise we will fry the planet … [Read more...]

George Schultz was secretary of state in the Reagan administration for seven years.  He has been a part of the Republican establishment in American politics since the Eisenhower administration in the 1950s. In an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Eleanor Hall, Schultz has come out with a clear acknowledgement that human-caused climate change is real: The facts are that a new ocean is being created in the arctic, and the … [Read more...]

Thoussands of trees are dying in the forests of south-west Australia, due to insect attack and other causes. I grew up in the south-west of Australia, so the recent story on ABC's Catalyst science program about large-scale tree deaths in the Marri (Red Gum), Jarrah and Tuart forests of the south-west was more than just interesting, it was distressing.  According to Prof Giles Hardy of Murdoch University: Last summer was the hottest, driest … [Read more...]