Author: WWF-Australia Latest News

A solar power system worth over $20,000 is up for grabs to individuals and families who sign up at www.earthhour.org.au to participate in Earth Hour 2010.

The 3 kilowatt solar power system, provided by Solar Shop Australia, is a great way for people to save money and reduce their environmental footprint.

"In 2010, Earth Hour is focused on the long-term changes we can make to benefit the environment," said WWF-Australia CEO Greg Bourne.

"The power of Earth Hour comes from millions of people taking small steps towards change together. This year, WWF is encouraging everyone to do one small thing beyond turning lights off for Earth Hour to reduce their impact.
"We’re thrilled to work with Solar Shop Australia and be able to offer people this prize – a practical way to reduce a household’s impact on the planet."

According the figures from the NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water, the average NSW home uses 7,300 kWh of electricity a year – equal to eight tonnes of carbon pollution.

Solar Shop Australia’s Managing Director Mr Adrian Ferraretto said that solar power has a huge role to play in helping Australian homes improve their sustainability.

"Over the 25 year warranted life of this 3kW system, it will save 120.6 tonnes of carbon pollution. It’ll save water too, in fact 15 million litres that would otherwise be used for the production of electricity in coal-fired power stations.

"And in most states, you can sell electricity back to the grid for around two-and-a-half times what you pay for it. That not only covers an average quarterly $350 power bill comfortably, it could generate some very healthy credit in your account."

Hundreds of millions of people in over 100 countries are expected to take part in Earth Hour this year, combining to make one of the world’s largest statements on protecting the environment and promoting the need for sustainable lifestyles.

Entries for the competition will stay open until Earth Hour begins to roll across Australia on Saturday March 27th at 8.30pm AEST.

More information

Jonathon Larkin, Media Officer, WWF-Australia 0410 221 410, [email protected]

Rachael Hoy National Media Manager, WWF-Australia 0407 204 594, [email protected]

Notes

For Earth Hour information and to measure your environmental footprint, visit www.earthhour.org.au

About Solar Shop Australia

Solar Shop Australia is the leading provider of domestic and commercial solar power solutions in Australia. With more than 10 years experience in the industry, the company has installed tens of thousands of solar power systems which will abate more than a million tonnes of Co2 emissions from our atmosphere. Recently the company has made solar more accessible with Australia’s first solar specific finance package, Sunworks.

With just over two weeks to go before the people of the planet switch off for Earth Hour, the number of countries and regions participating in the global event has surpassed last year’s record.

People in cities and towns across Australia will join those in 91 other countries and regions around the world for Earth Hour, with Honduras the latest nation to have official Earth Hour recognition. Last year 88 countries got involved in the lights out event.

With confirmation that the Tokyo Tower in Tokyo and Brandenburg Gate in Berlin will both turn off their lights for Earth Hour, all members of the G20 are now taking part in the event.

Countries and regions involved for the first time include Madagascar, Kosovo, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Mongolia, Cambodia, Czech Republic, Paraguay, Ecuador and the US Commonwealth of the Northern Marina Islands in the Pacific Ocean.

WWF is thrilled that more people, businesses and organisations around the world are recognising the need and taking a lead on the issue of climate change.

Greg Bourne,CEO, WWF-Australia said, "Earth Hour demonstrates the determination of the world’s citizens and brings together cities, communities, businesses and individuals in taking positive action on climate change."

WWF has confirmed that there are currently over 1,100 cities and towns signed up to switch their lights off at 8.30pm on 27 March – 100 more than at the same time last year.

"Typically we see a big jump in the number of cities and towns taking part in the last few days before the lights go out, but to see such strong support already is fantastic," said Bourne.

"Earth Hour is an opportunity for people around the world to speak in one voice on the issue of climate change, while at the same time coming together in celebration of the one thing every single person on the planet has in common – the planet," he said.

Earth Hour activities officially recognised in the following countries and regions for the first time:

Brunei; Cambodia; Czech Republic; Kosovo; Madagascar; Mauritius; Mongolia; Mozambique; Nepal; Northern Mariana Islands; Oman; Panama; Paraguay; Tanzania; Saudi Arabia; Qatar; Faroe Islands.

Note

B-roll and Earth Hour still images can be found at www.earthhour.panda.org

More information

Jonathon Larkin, Media Officer, WWF-Australia 0410 221 410, [email protected]

Rachael Hoy National Media Manager, WWF-Australia 0407 204 594, [email protected]

For Earth Hour information and to measure your environmental footprint, visit www.earthhour.org.au

The NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water is a Living Planet sponsor of Earth Hour 2010. Visit www.environment.nsw.gov.au for more information.

WWF-Australia today announced a research partnership with University of Western Sydney (UWS) that aims to discover the secrets of Earth Hour’s success and monitor the campaign’s effects on people’s long-term behaviour.

This is the first time in Earth Hour’s four year history that, annual polling aside, an official research partnership will determine the ongoing impact of the global event.

The research will be conducted over the next 12 months and will focus on understanding the motivations of households participating in Earth Hour and the effects the campaign has on individual’s day-to-day behaviour such as changes in energy and water use.

"In line with the campaign’s Earth Hour, Every Hour mantra, we’ve always wanted Earth Hour to be a springboard for long-term change," said WWF-Australia CEO Greg Bourne.

"What we want to find out in detail is whether the event inspires people to adopt more sustainable practices. Not just for one hour but for the whole year, helping to shape the delivery of Earth Hour into the future."

UWS is nationally recognised for its expertise in researching business, community and individual responses to sustainability messages and projects, including those relating to climate change, energy and water use.

In a recently completed preliminary study, Dr Abby Lopes from the UWS School of Communication Arts and Dr Tara Andrews from the UWS School of Engineering found Earth Hour, as an awareness raising strategy, plays a role in behavioural change.

"Earth Hour highlights the crucial links between everyday individual human behaviour and environmental impacts," said Dr Lopes.

"Unlike curb-side recycling and water conservation, energy consumption is largely private and invisible. Earth Hour has successfully brought an awareness of the environmental impact of energy consumption into the home."

However, Drs Lopes and Andrews found in their review of previous academic studies there remains a significant gap between the will of people to reduce their energy consumption and their ability to do so.

"People still don’t understand energy consumption very well. They aren’t fully aware of the amount of energy appliances consume during standby or the energy required to make the products and deliver the services they use," said Dr Lopes.

"More research is needed to fully explore how Earth Hour can help bridge the gap in the community’s knowledge and foster sustainable behaviour in the long term."

To encourage long term changes in people’s habits, WWF is urging everyone who participates in Earth Hour 2010 to measure their environmental footprint at www.earthhour.org.au – giving them an understanding of their true impact on the planet.

"Your impact is bigger than just your energy bill," said Mr Bourne.

"Unfortunately the average Australian has an enormous environmental footprint.

"We want people to make a resolution to do something this year to reduce the size of their footprint. This could be as simple as using more public transport, sourcing locally produced food, reducing the amount of packaging and waste in your homes, or switching to renewable energy.

"Earth Hour’s true power is in the millions of little things it encourages everyone to do."

More information

Jonathon Larkin,
Media Officer, WWF-Australia
0410 221 410, [email protected]

Paul Grocott,
Senior Media Officer, University of Western Sydney
0406-429-304, [email protected]

WWF today welcomed the Australian Government’s proposal to split the Renewable Energy Target (RET) into two parts – the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES) and the Large-scale Renewable Energy Target.

It is hoped the division will encourage investment in large scale base-load technologies, like solar thermal, geothermal and wave energy.

"The two schemes are a good starting point, however we would like to see the RET amended so that it encourages simultaneous development of all emerging large-scale zero emission technologies," said Nicole Ikenberg, WWF’s Climate Change Policy Manager.

"It is vital the Government finds a way to level the playing field so that investment in renewable energy technologies can be spread evenly across the sector."

Research commissioned for WWF consistently shows that developing all low emissions electricity – generation technologies simultaneously is essential to transform the economy quickly enough to avoid runaway climate change.

Indications the scheme could allow the renewable energy target to be exceeded were also welcomed by WWF. Achieving a renewable energy target of greater than 20 per cent by 2020 would put Australia in a strong position to continue to increase renewable energy generation out to 2030.

"We would like to see this target increased to 40 per cent by 2030," said Ms Ikenberg.

"If we genuinely intend to transform our economy in a way that addresses the threat of climate change we have no choice but to increase our ambition. A 40 per cent target by 2030 is realistic, practical and affordable."

More information

Nicole Ikenberg, Climate Change Policy Manager, WWF, 0400 324 107

Alvin Stone, WWF Media Officer, (02) 8202 1529, [email protected]

WWF today praised the announcement from Environment Minister Peter Garrett that Australia will push the IWC to end whaling in the Southern Ocean and advance the cause of whale conservation worldwide.

Rob Nicoll, Antarctic and Southern Ocean Initiative Manager with WWF-Australia said:

"Australia has produced an excellent proposal that cuts through the doublespeak of the IWC proposal put forward earlier this week.

"WWF supports the government’s position. Their proposal recognises that the status of whale populations is significantly depleted. If accepted it will uphold the current moratorium and ensure that existing internationally recognised sanctuaries are indeed sanctuaries where no whales will be killed."

WWF expressed grave concern earlier in the week that a proposal from the Small Working Group (SWG) within the IWC would allow for whaling to continue in the Southern Ocean whale sanctuary, and the setting of arbitrary quotas that led to the current decimation of whale populations.

More information

Rob Nicoll, Antarctic and Southern Ocean Initiative Manage, 0438 938 764

Jonathon Larkin, WWF Media Officer, 0410 221 410, [email protected]

A new draft compromise on whaling released by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) today set a dangerous precedent that the international community must reject, WWF said.

A working group within the IWC has unveiled a new compromise aimed at unlocking the stalled negotiation process between countries fundamentally opposed to whaling and states that support it.

While the compromise contains many positive elements for whale conservation that would help bring the IWC into the 21st Century, the compromise could legitimise ‘scientific’ whaling by Japan in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.

“If there is one single place in the world where whales should be fully protected, it is the Southern Ocean,” said Rob Nicoll, WWF-Australia’s Antarctic and Southern Ocean Initiative Manager.

“What we need is to eliminate all whaling in the Southern Ocean, including Japanese commercial whaling thinly disguised as ‘scientific research’. But what we have now is a deal which could make it even easier for Japan to continue taking whales in this ecologically unique place.”

The IWC has maintained a ban on all commercial whaling since 1986. But, defying this ban, Japan, Norway and Iceland use loopholes in the IWC’s founding treaty to kill more than 1,500 whales a year. The loopholes allow whaling under ‘objection’ to management decisions (Norway and Iceland) and “scientific” whaling for research purposes (Japan).

The IWC also provides special protection to a critical whale feeding area, the outhern Ocean surrounding the continent of Antarctica, which the IWC established as a 50 million square kilometre whale sanctuary in 1994. This extra layer of protection signifies the importance of this area as the primary feeding habitat of many of the Southern Hemisphere’s whale populations.

Additionally, the proposal sets a process in motion that could endorse quotas which haven’t yet had a full and proper scientific review. “It is difficult to see how determining quotas through politics rather than science can be considered progress,” added Nicoll.

The positive aspects of the compromise include increased efforts to secure the recovery of depleted whale populations, action on critical conservation threats facing whales such as such as bycatch and climate change, and improved overnance and compliance. However, any compromise that might open the door to whaling in the Southern Ocean could not be accepted by WWF.

The new compromise that will be discussed by a group of IWC countries at a meeting in March, is intended to be adopted by the IWC at its next full meeting in June this year.

More information

Rob Nicoll, Antartica and Southern Ocean Initiative Manager

Phone: 0438 938 764
Email: [email protected]

Jonathon Larkin, WWF Media Officer
Phone: 0410 221 410
Email: [email protected]

At 8.30pm on Saturday, March 27 nearly 100 iconic landmarks in 1,000 cities and towns around the world will switch off their lights for Earth Hour 2010, joining hundreds of millions of people showing their commitment to the environment.

Earth Hour will reach new heights this year, with the world’s three tallest buildings – the new Burj Khalifa in Dubai, CN Tower in Toronto and Taipei 101 in Taiwan – going dark for the global event.

Melbourne’s Luna Park, Rialto Tower, Arts Centre and Crown Casino; Brisbane’s Story Bridge; Adelaide’s Town Hall and Rundle Mall Lantern; The National Library and Australian War Memorial in Canberra and the Sydney Opera House, Sydney Tower, Harbour Bridge and Luna Park will join this growing list.

World-famous sites across the US, including the Golden Gate Bridge, Empire State Building, Mount Rushmore and even the lights of Las Vegas, will switch off in a decisive display of climate action from one of the most significant nations on the climate landscape.

Some of the world’s great metropolises will ‘flick the switch’ on their signature landmarks, marking their dedication to sustainable development and joining their citizens in adopting low-carbon practices.

Hiroshima will become the first Japanese city to show its commitment to global climate action when the lights go out on its iconic Peace Memorial. In London, lights will dim on the world-famous London Eye as the Coca-Cola sign in Piccadilly Circus switches off.

The actions shown by cities of the world and their inhabitants are crucial to leading a low-carbon resolution to climate change, says Earth Hour Co-Founder and Executive Director, Andy Ridley.

"The C40 suggests that cities are responsible for up to 75% of the world’s carbon emissions, so their role in addressing what is unequivocally the greatest threat to the planet today is absolutely vital," Andy said.

"By turning the lights off for Earth Hour, cities are reflecting the aspirations of their citizens as a community that has resolved to take action on global warming," he said.

As Earth Hour has grown from a one-city initiative in 2007 to a global phenomenon in 2009, renowned icons, including the Great Pyramids, Eiffel Tower, the Coliseum, Christ the Redeemer statue, Buckingham Palace, Beijing’s Olympic Stadium and many more world-famous landmarks have joined the global community in showing leadership on a resolution to climate change.

The recently released Earth Hour 2010 video, viewed at www.earthhour.org.au, provides a powerful and inspiring montage of the world’s most recognised landmarks contributing to the greatest display of civil action the world has ever witnessed.

More information

Kirsten Hodgon, Communications Director, Earth Hour Global Tel: +61 (0) 424 507 095 E: [email protected]

Note

Images of landmarks switching off for Earth Hour 2009 can be found at the Earth Hour Media Centre on www.earthhour.org.au.

The C40 Climate Leadership Group is a group of the world’s largest cities committed to tackling climate change. They state on their website that cities are responsible for up to 75% of the world’s greenhouse gas emmissions: http://www.c40cities.org/climatechange.jsp.

The Queensland Government must begin to fund the purchase and management of new nature reserves this year, or it will be unable to deliver on a key pledge to expand Queensland’s national parks to help save our threatened wildlife, WWF-Australia said today.

Premier Anna Bligh promised on National Parks Day in March 2008 to expand the state’s national parks to 12.9 million ha and other protected areas to 7.1 million ha – for a total target of 20 million ha
by 2020, a promise warmly welcomed by conservation groups.

But analysis by WWF-Australia shows the government is falling short of its target.

Analysis of government records shows national parks grew from 7.54 million ha to only 8.06 million ha from June 2007 to January 2010 – half a million ha below the trajectory need to reach the Premier’s 2020 target.

The growth of other Nature Conservation Act protected areas in Queensland was even more sluggish, growing from 1.29 million ha to 1.5 million ha over the same period, leaving a gap of 900,000 ha below the promised trajectory.

"At present rates of growth the government won’t be able to reach its 2020 target for new national parks until 2032, 12 years over deadline, and its nature refuge promise won’t be fulfilled till 2063, 43 years late," said WWF-Australia Protected Areas Policy Manager Martin Taylor.

"The existing funding model for new national parks is not delivering on the Premier’s ambitious target and an adequate capital budget must be set aside during the current Budget process to ensure the 2020 target committed to by Premier Bligh is guaranteed.

"The newly-established Ecofund is not capable of financing new parks, and may never be sufficient – capital must be injected via the established budgetary process," Dr Taylor said.

The lack of a parks’ capital budget also meant the state missed out as much as $12 million in Commonwealth’s $2 -for-$1 National Reserve System grants to buy new national parks in 2008/09.

"With the posting of a 48 per cent rise in exports from Queensland in 2008/09, the budget situation has improved and Treasury really should be able to budget the $12 million a year indicated as needed by the Premier in 2008, as well as a matching boost in the parks’ management budget.

"Funding the parks promise will have tremendous benefits not just for saving our wildlife like the highly endangered northern wombat, but also boosting our regional economies.

"Visitors to our national parks pump more than $4 billion in spending into the state economy every year, not to mention the expanding ranger and tourism opportunities for Indigenous communities," Dr Taylor said.

For more information: Martin Taylor, Protected Areas Policy Manager, WWF-Australia: 0406 384 289; Charlie Stevens, WWF Queensland Media Office: 0424 649 689.

Australia’s farm chemical regulator has been unresponsive to health and environmental risks and should not be given extended powers without far greater safeguards and budgets.

WWF has lodged a submission to the review of the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA), which is responsible for assessing the safety of pesticides and developing label conditions for their use.

The review will determine whether the APVMA should be given additional powers to monitor and enforce those label conditions, which are currently the responsibility of state governments.

"The APVMA claims its review process is effective yet at least eight chemicals have been under review for more than 13 years," said WWF Australia’s spokesperson Juliette King.

"Given these pesticides are on sale while under review, 13 years is too long to ascertain their safety," Ms King said.
Endosulfan has been banned in over 60 countries but remains approved for use in Australia.

The toxic pesticide diuron has been under review since 2002. Despite interim findings of unacceptable risks to seagrass and dugongs in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, it remains available for sale.

Another toxic pesticide, atrazine, has been banned in Europe since 2007 but is still widely available in Australia. Atrazine is part of a cocktail of chemicals that has been detected up to 60 kilometres within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.

"The lack of action to deregister these dangerous chemicals suggests the APVMA gives the benefit of any doubt to the pesticide industry rather than to Australians and their environment," Ms King said.

"Currently only about one per cent of pesticide revenues is spent ensuring they are safe. We do not support giving the APVMA more responsibilities unless there are far safer operations and bigger
budgets recovered from the pesticide industry.

"The fact that we are still using these chemicals in Australia is not the fault of farming communities but of the regulatory body, which needs to catch up with the rest of the world. Many farmers want to
do the right thing but they need better choices. Unfortunately, highly toxic chemicals are still on the shelves.

"We need a cost recovery system that is commensurate with risk – where the registration, assessment, monitoring, evaluation of chemicals, and their cost recovery, encourages innovative lower risk products and deters the continued sale of dangerous chemicals."

For more information: Charlie Stevens, WWF Queensland Media Office, 0424 649 689.

Alan Oxley’s February 11 attack on WWF in The Australian was selective and aimed to discredit the organisation’s solid conservation work. It is not the first attack on WWF by Mr Oxley and it is unlikely to be the last.

WWF has a strong record in Asia–Pacific, Africa and Latin America of finding environmental middle ground solutions that ease poverty while preserving the environment. Our stance on deforestation is that we should not cut down more forest landscapes because there is a lot of unused land that has already been cleared – ideal for plantations and for generating income for local, often impoverished communities.

Internationally, we work with business and other organisations to get the best outcome for all involved.

Our environmental work takes into consideration the status of local people and how they can be empowered to live off the land sustainably without destroying the environment. Sadly there are too many cases where local prosperity has suffered because of environmental degradation. Finding the balance is key.

WWF is continuously refining its policy to achieve the best sustainable deal for people and the environment and we have no doubt that it is a discussion we will continue to have long into the future.

We pride ourselves at WWF in being a science-based conservation organisation. We have 50 years of global field work behind us, strong links to science and a proven track record of research, policy development and responsible advocacy. Core to our mission is giving voice to threats to biodiversity and the world’s natural systems that are brought to light by science.

Without such advocacy, science that is vital to the long-term prosperity of our landscapes, species and economies, but perhaps counter to our short-term business and material interests, would
remain unheard.

In the process of developing science-based policy, we welcome new research and valid criticism.

We will have better science and better policy as a result. However we will not back down because our science-based work differs from the personal beliefs or self interests of others.

Greg Bourne,

CEO, WWF-Australia.

Media Inquires: Rachael Hoy, WWF-Australia. Ph: 8202 1242. Mbl: 0407 204 594. Email: [email protected]

WWF today welcomed Mr Abbott’s decision to begin addressing climate change, but said the Coalition proposal represented a risk both the planet and economy can no longer bear.

"The Coalition’s proposal does not go far enough, and is extremely risky – with no hope of transforming Australia into a competitive, low carbon economy"” said WWF-Australia CEO Greg Bourne.

"It would allow big business to keep increasing their pollution for as long as they like. ‘Business as usual’ means there is no need for the dirtiest of industries to do anything at all.

"Australia is already feeling the harsh effects of climate change. The Bureau of Meteorology declared last decade the hottest on record, bushfire seasons have become longer and more dangerous, and sea levels have risen more than 5 centimeters over the past 15 years.

"The overwhelming scientific evidence is clear that climate change is happening, is human induced and will have devastating effects on species, ecosystems, human health and our economy. We can’t keep delaying real action."

WWF agrees that rapid deployment of clean energy, energy efficiency and biosequestration is essential, but at the centre of any climate policy must be a law to reduce carbon pollution. The Howard and Rudd governments, and most eminent economists, believe that an emissions trading scheme is the least cost way to achieve this.

"The Government’s ETS is currently too generous to polluters, but it is ready to
be implemented now, it is largely self-funding and it provides a price signal
that can transform the whole economy and over the long-term," said Mr Bourne.

WWF is deeply concerned that a policy proposal allowing business to continue polluting at current levels will not be able to guarantee the urgent reductions Australia needs to begin making in order to tackle climate change.

"The Coalition may talk about a ‘Great Big New Tax on Everything’, but their alternative is a ‘Great Big New Way to Avoid Action’. If they were serious about tackling climate change they would support the Government’s ETS and pursue additional measures to support emerging clean technology, biosequestration and energy efficiency.

"WWF urges politicians to put aside party politics and point scoring, and the vested interests of polluters and climate deniers, and act for the future of our environment and our economy."

More information

Jonathon Larkin, WWF Media Officer, 0410 221 410,
[email protected]

Kellie Caught, WWF Climate Change Policy Manager,
[email protected], 0406 383 277.

The Australian’s climate change attack full of holes: WWF

It is unfortunate that The Australian’s front page report sourced from the UK’s Sunday Times, ‘More flaws emerge in climate alarms’, (Monday, February 1), was not checked for the veracity of its claims.

In the first paragraph it claims the WWF report, Global Review of Forest Fires (2000) from which the IPCC sourced its information was written by "green campaigners who had no scientific expertise".

Author Dr Peter F Moore has a PhD in Fire Management and is an internationally recognised expert in the field.

Monday’s article states that the claims in the WWF report were based on a study from Nature that did not look at rainfall.

However the abstract for that article clearly states that it examined drought and the effects of the dry season, both related to rainfall. It is hard to imagine how someone could have missed this if they had read the abstract.

It should be noted that The Global Review of Forest Fires (2000) had more than 170 references with the great majority of these being to original scientific papers.

In addition, since the IPCC report was published in 2007, concerns about the impact of climate change on the Amazon have been borne out by at least two peer- reviewed scientific papers published in 2009.

The overwhelming majority of scientists from all relevant fields continue to stand by the basic conclusion of climate science that human-induced changes in the composition of the atmosphere are resulting in warming which is driving damaging and possibly catastrophic climate change.

It is a shame that the credibility of WWF and by extension the IPCC should be called into question by an article that was itself not thoroughly checked.

More information

Alvin Stone, WWF-Australia. Ph: 8202 1259. Mbl: 0410 221 068. Email: [email protected]

WWF calls on Qld Government to close loopholes in wetland laws

Up to 90 per cent of wetlands along Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef coast have been lost to development, posing a huge threat to the State’s multi-million dollar seafood and tourism industries, WWF warned ahead of World Wetlands Day tomorrow.

An estimated 7,000 hectares of wetlands are being destroyed each year under legal loopholes that allow development to continue despite protection of these vital assets being promised since 2003.

&qout;We hope World Wetlands Day provides an opportunity for the Queensland Government to finally announce promised new laws to protect Queensland’s remaining wetlands,&qout; WWF- Australia’s Freshwater Program Leader Nick Heath said.

Wetlands are nature’s richest refuge – home to many endangered species and habitats. Excessive destruction of wetlands for farming and coastal development in Queensland has pushed species like the Mahogany Glider close to extinction.

Wetlands are also hugely significant economic assets, providing nurseries to 75 per cent of Queensland’s seafood, including commercially valuable barramundi, mud crabs and prawns.

&qout;Without wetlands, our famous barramundi, mud crabs and prawn fisheries would not exist,&qout; Mr Heath said.

&qout;Wetlands are also the last line of defence for protecting the water quality of the reef,&qout; he said.

&qout;Legal loopholes have allowed this destruction to continue. The State needs new powers to veto the cutting, draining and filling of wetlands in the reef catchment and across the State.

&qout;While we are frustrated that new laws have not materialised, WWF remains confident the promises will be met, given great progress made by the State with recent laws to protect the Reef.&qout;

WWF is now calling on Kate Jones, Minister for Sustainability, to name the date on which she will finally hand down this much-needed legislation before it is too late.

More information

Nick Heath, WWF Water Program Leader, 0418 885 324

Charlie Stevens, WWF Queensland Media Manager, 0424 649 689

Australia has baulked at taking a leading position on climate change by submitting a weak pollution reduction target to the Copenhagen Accord, said WWF- Australia CEO Greg Bourne.

"The Australian Government has bowed to the hype that Australia ‘should not do too much’, and has failed to raise its level of ambition to match what other countries have commited to," said Mr Bourne.

"This Government is locking us into a postion as a follower, not leader, and it’s our economy and our environment which will suffer because of this."

Countries responsible for creating the Copenhagen Accord and agreeing to keep global warming below two degrees Celsius must put ambitious targets on the table by the end of January.

"The targets put on the table at Copenhagen are not enough to stay below two degrees, instead they have set the world up for three degrees of warming or more. On Sunday when countries must confirm their carbon reduction targets we must see real commitment, not more games."

An analysis of developed country’s pledges (Annex 1) made in Copenhagen suggests global reductions of between 14 to 22 per cent on 1990 levels could be achieved by 2020.

WWF believes that even if other countries submit mitigation targets at the bottom of their ranges, the conditions for Australia to lock in a 15 per cent cut by 2020 have already been met. Yet the Australian Government refuses to move its minimum reduction above five per cent.

"Rather than risk doing to much, Australia now lags behind the rest of the world on reducing pollution, on clean energy development, and implementing an ETS," said Mr Bourne.

• Australia’s greenhouse emissions have increased by a massive 82 per
  cent since 1990, making it the second worst performing country behind Turkey,
  whereas developed countries (Annex 1) together have reduced their emissions by
  5.2 per cent from 1990 .
• Clean energy technology is on track to become the third largest
  industrial sector globally, yet Australia is ranked 28 , way behind Denmark,
  China, Brazil, Germany, the US and UK.
• Australia remains one of the only developed countries without an ETS .
  Of those countries remaining without an ETS, four, including the US, are in the
  process of developing one.

Kim Carstensen, leader of WWF’s global climate initiative has made clear WWF’s concerns about the gap between rhetoric and action on climate change.

"For developed nations, who did the most to push the Copenhagen Accord, WWF fears that there is also still a gross mismatch between their goal of keeping the world out of climate danger and the steps they are prepared to take to actually achieve this goal."

Major emerging economies – the BASIC Group of Brazil, South Africa, India and China – last weekend announced they intended to meet the January 31 deadline with more detail on voluntary mitigation programmes under the accord.

"This is a very helpful move from this group of major developing countries. We expect they will announce high levels of ambition and follow up urgently with clear national action plans to meet this ambition," Carstensen said.

WWF-International today released The Copenhagen Accord: A Stepping Stone analysing how the world might begin the journey from the political agreement of the Copenhagen Accord to an internationally binding climate treaty in Mexico City in December.

The global environment organisation also said it was still waiting on urgently required announcements under the accord on financial aid to help developing countries prevent and cope with climate change.

"There is a general awareness that the world failed to do what it needed to do in Copenhagen," Carstensen said.

"But climate change is not a problem that will go away. Instead it is a problem that will get worse and more costly to deal with the longer we delay effective action."

More information

More detail on the Copenhagen Accord, how it might lead to a binding international climate agreement, the shortfalls between emissions reductions commitments to date and what is needed to keep below the two degree danger limit can be found in The Copenhagen Accord: A Stepping Stone? which can be found at http://assets.panda.org/downloads/the_stepping_stone_final_280110.pdf

Jonathon Larkin, WWF Media Officer, 0410 221 410, [email protected],

Kellie Caught, WWF Climate Change Policy Manager, [email protected], 0406 383 277.

Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett has decided to change the law so Australia can avoid its international obligations and allow threatened sharks to be caught and killed in our waters. This follows lobbying from recreational fishing and charter boat operators, WWF-Australia and TRAFFIC warned today.

Minister Garrett has decided not to list the porbeagle, longfin mako and shortfin mako sharks under Australia’s Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC), despite current legislation requiring this when a species is listed under the Convention for Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS).

All three sharks were recently added to the international convention following warnings from scientists that populations of these species could collapse from overfishing.

The Government now intends to change its commitment by amending the EPBC legislation when Parliament sits next week, potentially removing protection for other migratory species.

"Australia is a longstanding signatory of the Convention for Conservation of Migratory Species and has committed to protect listed species with Australian legislation – applying the EPBC act to those species as they migrate through our waters," said Mr Glenn Sant, Global Marine Program Leader of TRAFFIC (WWF’s Wildlife Trade Network) and a Vice-Chair of the IUCN Shark Specialist Group.

"We are deeply concerned that the Australian Government has decided not to offer these species any increased protection despite the fact that they have been internationally listed under the CMS and recognised as globally vulnerable on the IUCN red list."

Recent reports indicate that mako catch rates in the Western Central Pacific have been steadily declining. In Australian waters, the Australian Fisheries Management Authority has also identified one mako species as potentially at high risk from fishing.

"These figures bring into question the Australian Government’s claims this week that there is no cause for concern for these species," Mr Sant said.

"We are deeply worried that changing the EPBC Act could potentially remove protection from other migratory species that pass through our territory. The Government must explain clearly to Australians what the implications of any such change would be. This is no trivial matter."

The changes to the EPBC Act are being made despite Federal Government policy stating that Australia manages its fisheries using the precautionary principle.

"If this government is serious about living up to its own policy and the obligations it has signed on for, it should stop the hunting of these listed species until a complete review of their status in Australian waters has been carried out," Mr Sant said.

"This decision should concern all Australians. It sends a message that protecting threatened migratory species in Australian waters is not a priority.

More information

Alvin Stone, WWF-Australia. Ph: 8202 1259. Mbl: 0410 221 068. Email: [email protected]

WWF-Australia today announced that Earth Hour 2010 will be held at 8:30pm Saturday 27 March, with 20 countries and over 250 cities around the world already signed up as part of the global countdown to lights out.

Numerous cities and towns in Australia, Canada, USA, Singapore, Russia, Sweden, Belgium, Bolivia, Korea, New Zealand, Switzerland and Turkey have already signed up, with many more expected in coming weeks. Moscow, Rio, Rome, Seoul, Manila, Singapore, Toronto, Hong Kong and Dallas are the latest to confirm their commitment.

"Millions of Australians took part in previous Earth Hours, and for good reason – it is a great way to show that you care about the planet," said Greg Bourne, WWF-Australia’s CEO.

"We’re hoping that communities large and small around Australia will once again join in this great event, and make a strong statement that they are both concerned about the state of our environment and committed to taking action."

In 2010, Earth Hour will focus on broader, ongoing sustainability, in addition to carbon pollution and climate change.

"This year, we’re asking people to go beyond turning off lights and instead make an Earth Hour resolution to start something bigger," said Mr Bourne.

"Switching off your lights is a great first step, but your true environmental impact is much bigger than just your energy bill. Each individual’s environmental impact – or environmental footprint – is made up of things such as the food you eat, the transport and housing you choose, and the goods and services you buy."

WWF has developed an interactive, online footprint calculator that allows people to quickly and easily work out the size of their environmental footprint, with hints and tips on how to reduce and improve it.

"We are asking everyone to measure their complete footprint by using our online calculator at earthhour.org.au," said Mr Bourne.

"Modern living means most of us lead environmentally unsustainable lifestyles – using the planet’s resources much faster than they can be renewed. Once you’ve calculated the size of your footprint, why not make a resolution to do something on an ongoing basis to reduce it?"

"Reducing your environmental footprint involves looking at the simple choices you make in your day-to-day life – choices about the food you eat, the way you move around and where you spend your money. If we all make simple changes, we can all make the switch to a more sustainable lifestyle."

Stats and facts on Australia’s ecological footprint

• According to WWF’s 2008 Living Planet Report – the organisation’s biennial assessment of the state of the natural world – Australia has the fifth largest ecological footprint per capita in the world, up from sixth worst in 2006.
• Each Australian uses more land and water per person than the UK, China, Russia and India and it now takes 7.81 hectares to maintain the lifestyle of each Australian – up from 6.76 hectares per person in 2006. Only the United Arab Emirates, USA, Kuwait and Denmark rated worse.
• Australia’s carbon emissions, along with its cropping and grazing practices are the largest contributors to our massive ecological footprint, together accounting for 86 per cent of the total.
• The nation’s water use is more than the global average (1.39 million litres per person per year compared to 1.24 million litres per person per year) and our agricultural industries use more water for production than any other industry sector in the country.

Simple starter tips for reducing your footprint

• Ditch the take away coffee cup – this will reduce landfill and the amount of resources used to produce your daily pick-me-up.
• Try a meat-free day once a week – did you now that hundreds of litres of water are needed to produce one kilogram of beef?
• Double the efficiency of your car by putting another person in it! – this is an easy way to reduce your mobility footprint.
• Cut out one flight this year – air travel contributes significantly to your mobility footprint. Choosing to holiday closer to home, or avoiding business travel, can make a really big difference.
• Recycle your electronic gadgets – old mobiles, iPods, TVs, computers and radios contain lots of material that can be recycled such gold, copper and coltan. None of this needs to end up as landfill.
• Walk, ride or take public transport to work once a week – this will save you money, improve your health and lower your footprint.
• Every night, make sure you don’t leave things on stand-by power – by turning appliances like TVs off at the wall, you’re eliminating wasted energy and carbon.
• And… ask your local MP what their Earth Hour resolution is, and what they are doing to address climate change – this is a great way to make sure that your voice is heard and that your representatives understand your concerns.

About Earth Hour

At 8.30 pm on Saturday 27 March, 2010 millions of people around the world will turn off their lights for one hour, Earth Hour, to show that we can all choose to make a difference. Last year, for Earth Hour 2009, nearly one billion people in more than 4,000 cities in 87 countries, turned off their lights. Around the world, icons that turned off their lights included the Great Pyramids of Giza, the Parthenon in Athens, the St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament in London, the Elysee Palace and Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Bird’s Nest and the Water Cube in Beijing, the Symphony of Lights in Hong Kong, the Opera House in Sydney, the statue of Christ Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, the Angel of Independence in Mexico and the Buenos Aires Obelisk, among others.

About WWF

WWF-Australia is part of the WWF International Network, the world’s largest and most experienced independent conservation organisation. It has close to five million supporters and a global network active in more than 100 countries. WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature.

More information

Jonathon Larkin, WWF Media Officer, 0410 221 410, [email protected]

Rachael Hoy, National Media Manager, 0407 204 594, [email protected]

Despite accounts that Carnaby’s black cockatoos have started feeding on canola, a new report has shown that predation by the birds has almost no impact on canola crops.

Research conducted by the University of Sydney found that Carnaby’s black cockatoos damaged an average of 0.003% of each farmer’s crop, a total value of just $6.50 for each grower participating in the study.

The report was commissioned by the Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo Recovery Project – a joint initiative of Birds Australia WA, WWF-Australia and the Department of Environment and Conservation. The research was funded by WWF.

“We were concerned about reports that Carnaby’s black cockatoos have begun to include canola in their diets,” said Carnaby’s cockatoo spokesperson for WWF, Katherine Howard.

“They’re intelligent birds, and as their natural food supply has decreased due to extensive land clearing both in the wheatbelt and on the coast, they have learned to exploit non-native species such as pine trees, the weed wild radish, and canola. This has the potential to bring this already endangered species into conflict with farmers, so we knew we had to look into it.”

The total population of Carnaby’s black cockatoos, found only in the Southwest corner of Western Australia, has collapsed by as much as 50% in the past 45 years. The species has disappeared from at least a third of its former nesting range. The main cause of this decline is loss of habitat.

Chris Jackson, Masters Researcher for the University of Sydney, said “Our research found that, over the 2008 season, the damage caused by Carnaby’s cockatoos to canola crops was negligible. We suspect that the populations of Carnaby’s cockatoos in the wheatbelt are so small, they are unlikely to become a significant problem for canola growers in the future”.

“Canola damage is much more commonly caused by other bird species, most notably galahs, corellas and Australian ringnecks.”

Birds Australia works with farmers to protect nesting and feeding habitats on private land by providing funds to fence and manage priority remnant vegetation. To date the project has protected over 1500 hectares of Carnaby’s black cockatoo habitat such as salmon gum and wandoo woodland through fencing, conservation covenants and voluntary management agreements.

A link to the report, ‘Assessing and Quantifying Canola Crop Damage by Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus latirostris in the south-west of Western Australia’ can be found on the Birds Australia website at the bottom of the page.

Interested in protecting your remnant bush to help Carnaby’s cockatoos? Contact Raana Scott, Project Manager, Birds Australia on 0427 707 047 or [email protected].

Media Inquires: Alvin Stone,WWF-Australia. Ph: 02 8202 1259. Mbl: 0410 068 410. Email: [email protected]

Nearly 200 submissions to the Montara Commission of Inquiry have been made public overnight, revealing regulatory breaches, missing safety equipment and a grossly inadequate response to the environmental impacts of one of Australia’s biggest oil spills.

"The submissions on the Montara oil spill and fire make sobering reading," said Dr Gilly Llewellyn, WWF-Australia’s Director of Conservation.

"They cast a long shadow of doubt over the safety of PTTEP’s operations in sensitive marine environments off our Northwest coast."

Submissions by the oil companies involved in the incident, PTTEP and Atlas Drilling, demonstrate that a critical piece of safety equipment, a Pressure Containment Corrosion Cap, was reported as being in place when in fact it was not even installed in the Montara H1 Well responsible for the disaster.

The Commonwealth Department of Environment’s submission also reveals that PTTEP did not submit an Oil Spill Contingency Plan – a condition attached to its environmental approval – until months after it had drilled five wells on the Montara platform in January 2009, clearly putting it in breach of compliance with DEWHA requirements.

Dr Llewellyn, who led WWF’s research expedition to the oil spill, says these revelations show failures in both operational practice and in the regulatory and compliance arrangements of the oil and gas industry.

"Montara should have been recognised as a high-risk situation. There have been more than one and a half thousand wells drilled in Australian waters. How many more of them are missing critical accident prevention devices or have insufficient safeguards in place? How can we be sure there are not more ‘accidents waiting to happen’ sitting among our most fragile and vulnerable reefs and wildlife?" said Dr Llewellyn.

WWF is calling on the Inquiry to urgently order an audit of all existing wells to assure they are complying with regulations designed to protect worker safety and the environment.

"This isn’t just a case of one sloppy operator slipping through the cracks. Resources Minister Martin Ferguson has said he will do whatever it takes to make sure another uncontrolled leak doesn’t happen. If he means what he says, we urgently need to know how many more dodgy or dangerous operators are out there," said Dr Llewellyn.

The conservation organisation’s own submission makes clear the chronic misunderstanding of the marine environment by the operator of the Montara well, PTTEP.

"According to PTTEP’s assessment, this area wasn’t environmentally important, and operations were unlikely to have any effect on marine wildlife," said Dr Llewellyn. "Our research in the area affected by the oil spill shows conclusively the opposite is true.

"The area is home to whales, dolphins, turtles, sea snakes, fish and birds. Despite this, the wildlife monitoring response is a joke. Long-term monitoring of effects of the toxic contamination has not yet started, and appears not to have been happening during the critical period when there was oil and dispersants in the water.

"When it comes to wildlife monitoring, the response from PTTEP is unacceptable. We simply cannot afford another Montara. Out of sight should never mean out of mind."

More information

Jonathon Larkin, WWF Media Officer, 02 8202 1216, 0410 221 410, [email protected]

Grants of up to $10,000 are available for private landholders in the Peel Harvey region who opt to conserve bushland on their property.

The Wetland Watch project, run by WWF-Australia, offers grants to landholders for fencing, weed control and native revegetation. Applications for the next round of grants are being accepted now.

“The Peel Harvey region is recognised internationally as home to a remarkable range of species and habitats that are found nowhere else in the world,” said Brett Brenchley, WWF-Australia Project Co- ordinator for Wetland Watch.

“Very little of this extraordinary region has been set aside in protected areas. Without the help of private landholders we could lose key Peel Harvey habitats – including internationally recognised Ramsar listed wetlands – and many exceptionally rare species of plants and animals that live there.”

Gillian Turner, who lives on two hectares in Stakehill, has already received her grant to restore the bushland and spray against veldt grass – a highly invasive weed – over the entire property.

As part of the process she has had a range of experts visit her property to see what kind of plant and animal species were found there. The visits have opened her eyes to rich biodiversity on her land.

“I knew I had a wonderful patch of bush but I was fighting a losing battle with weeds until the Wetland Watch team visited,” said Gillian.

“In the near future the team will set up camera traps to see if we can capture on film which animals visit our land at night.”

For a property to be considered for a Wetland Watch grant it must be close to a Ramsar wetland, have bushland in good condition or be in close proximity to bushland in good condition.

For more details about Wetland Watch grants contact WWF-Australia Project Co-ordinator for Wetland Watch Brett Brenchley on 9550 3284.

Brett and landholder Gillian Turner are available for interviews.

More Information

Alvin Stone, WWF-Australia. Ph: 8202 1259. Mbl: 0410 221 068. Email: [email protected]

New figures showing that Australia experienced its second hottest year on record in 2009 should prompt politicians to take urgent action to cut carbon pollution.

The figures also show that average temperatures in 2009 were 0.9 degrees above the 1961-1990 average, and average temperatures for the whole decade were 0.48 degrees higher.

"The figures from Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology are consistent with similar observations around the world which show unequivocally that our planet is warming," said Kellie Caught, WWF-Australia’s Climate Policy Manager.

"The community, politicians, businesses and scientists accept that two degrees of warming represents dangerous climate change, and disturbingly we are already at least a quarter of the way there.

"The figures provide a sober reminder to our political and business leaders that the problem we face is not far away – it is real, and it is happening now," said Ms Caught.

"It’s time to stop trying to pick holes in solid science. We must introduce carbon pollution laws now to prevent dangerous climate change."

WWF asks for all sides of politics to support the proposed CPRS as an essential step in reducing Australia’s carbon pollution.

"The overwhelming majority of developed countries already have, or are in the process of introducing, an emissions trading scheme. Australia will be left behind to the detriment of our economy and environment," said Ms Caught.

"Australia urgently needs to reduce carbon pollution by at least 25 per cent before 2020. This is the only way we will help keep global temperatures to a safe increase.

"We have the technology and an affordable policy solution to reduce carbon pollution, we need to ignore the naysayers and get on with the job."

For more information: Jonathon Larkin, WWF Media Officer, [email protected], 0410 221 410