CANBERRA, Australia, June 26, 2008 (ENS) – As of July 1, Australian businesses emitting large amounts of greenhouse gases will be required to monitor and measure the emissions ahead of reporting them to the government by October 2009.

Senator Penny Wong, minister for climate change and water, said the requirements are part of Australia’s new National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting System, designed to monitor the heat-trapping emissions responsible for climate change.

“The National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting System will be an important part of our efforts to tackle climate change as we move to establish an emissions trading scheme,” Senator Wong said.

“The emissions trading scheme is at the heart of the Rudd Government’s plan to reduce greenhouse emissions. It is the best way to tackle climate change at lowest cost to families and business,” she said.

“This new system will play an important role by more precisely quantifying the greenhouse gases Australia produces. It will also, for the first time, provide robust and comparable information to the public on the greenhouse and energy profiles of Australia’s large corporations.”

The coal-fired Bayswater power
plant in New South Wales is
Australia’s largest. (Photo
courtesy Macquarie Generation)

From July 1, corporate groups that emit 125 kilotonnes or more of greenhouse gases each year, or produce or consume 500 terajoules or more of energy, will be required to collect data to meet annual reporting requirements.

Corporations controlling facilities that emit more than 25 kilotonnes of greenhouse gases, or use or produce 100 terajoules or more of energy, will also need to collect data.

The ministry provides these comparisons – 25 kilotonnes of greenhouse gas emissions is equivalent to the annual emissions of more than 6,200 cars, while 100 terajoules equates to the annual energy use of around 1,900 households.

While the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Act takes effect on July 1, corporations will have until August 31, 2009 to apply to register under the scheme, and until October 31, 2009 to submit their first annual greenhouse and energy report.

“Many of these corporations already report their emissions and energy use to meet investor demands under existing programs, or as part of a growing corporate commitment to social responsibility and sustainability,” Senator Wong said.

“But others may be unsure as to whether or not they are covered by the system, and the Department of Climate Change will work closely with them to ensure they can comply,” she said.

The Department of Climate Change has developed an online calculator to help businesses work out whether or not the system applies to them. The department will continue to run information sessions and provide guidance on using the online reporting system, along with a reporting hotline.

Amendments to the bill establishing the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting System were proposed in Parliament today.

The amendments would allow publication of information by the government relating to the methodologies used by corporations to calculate their emissions and clarify the scope of the minister’s power to specify methods for calculating emissions, among other minor adjustments to the Act.

Australia’s largest companies have been planning for the start of mandatory greenhouse gas reporting since last year when the Howard government was still in power.

Katie Lahey, chief executive of the Business Council of Australia, wrote last October in “The Age” newspaper, “…businesses cannot afford to sit back and wait for trading to formally start before planning to tackle the implications for their strategies and operations of what is a fundamental long-term transition from a high-emissions to a low-emissions world economy.”

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ALBANY, New York, May 1, 2008 (ENS) – New York’s First Lady Michelle Paige Paterson Thursday unveiled the first installation of solar panels at the Governor’s Mansion, a step toward reducing the mansion’s energy consumption and pollution.

The first solar panels were installed over the pool house, and they will produce 3.5 kilowatts of energy. This fall, the second array of solar panels will be placed on a new carport, adding an additional 46.5 kilowatts to the mansion’s power supply.

First Lady Paterson is the wife of New York’s Governor David Paterson, the former Lt. Governor who ascended to the top position on March 17 in the wake of a prostitution scandal that forced the resignation of Governor Eliot Spitzer.

The new first lady said that she will continue the “Greening the Mansion” initiative to promote healthy buildings and environmental sustainability, while cutting the home’s electrical energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent.

“If our buildings are unhealthy, it increases the chances that we will be unhealthy and that our children will be unhealthy,” said the first lady. “Inefficient buildings are the largest contributors to global warming. In fact, nearly 40 percent of greenhouse emissions come from buildings. This level of pollution contributes to poor air quality and poor health.”

Begun by former First Lady Silda Wall Spitzer, the “Greening the Mansion” initiative is an ongoing project to reduce energy usage, transition the building to clean, renewable energy resources, and develop sustainable practices in maintaining the grounds and operations.

“Greening the Mansion” is intended to demonstrate ways people can change their homes to make them environmentally friendly.

Through simple steps such as upgrading to energy-efficient light bulbs, using natural fiber doormats to reduce the need for vacuuming and toxic floor cleaners, and installing energy-saving appliances, residents can reduce pollution and their energy bills.

“The Mansion should serve as an example of the many ways that New Yorkers can make their homes and businesses into greener, healthier places,” said the first lady.

At the solar panel unveilling event on Thursday, First Lady Paterson announced the submission of a governor’s program bill that would provide an economic incentive to residential developers and homeowners to install solar panels and other green features.

The Green Residential Program Bill would give all New Yorkers the green building incentives already available to businesses. The bill would help offset the typical five percent increase in construction costs when green building features are incorporated into residences.

Tracie Hall, executive director of the New York Upstate Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, said, “The greening of the Governor’s Mansion is yet another example of progressive, sustainable initiatives throughout New York State. We commend the leadership and vision being demonstrated in this beautiful, historic residence.”

Greening the Mansion efforts include phasing in the use of non-toxic cleaning products, organic pest control, mulching lawnmowers that recycle grass clippings in place, extensive recycling, and composting.

The mansion staff has begun to use hybrid electric vehicles. Electric lawn mowers and lawn maintenance equipment that can plug into the solar carport for power will be used to reduce gasoline emissions.

Last year the mansion began purchasing New York-grown, preferably organic, produce to the greatest extent possible. The mansion also purchases from a local food co-op, and joined a local Community Supported Agriculture group, which allows consumers to buy a share in a farm and receive fresh local organic produce when it is harvested.

“Like every home, the history of the Mansion reflects the tenor of the times,” said the first lady. “Decades from now, I hope that historians will look back on our time and determine that it was a turning point, when we made crucial choices to build greener, healthier buildings to reduce our energy consumption, address global warming, and improve the health of all. I hope that “Greening the Mansion” will have played a role in this effort.”

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New York City has a new public bathroom for people to use. In Madison Square Garden, there is a paperless Toilet available to everyone. Because saving paper on toilet paper seems like it would be totally green, we thought we would find out all the details on this exciting new technology and how it is making ripples far and wide. In essence, this toilet is nothing more than an automatized bidet. It is always great when a new product is just using a very useful invention from the past with a few new technological upgrades like automated air drying.

Tom Cruise, a professed gadget addict, has picked up a couple paperless toilets for his home. Tom Cruise said “It’s a gift from heaven, believe me. People think it’s all about suction and that they’re going to have their insides removed by this marvel of modern engineering — but it doesn’t suck, it blows.” (http://www.sfgate.com)

Image of Japanese Paperless Toilet (www.dailymail.co.uk)

You can find the paperless toilet from a company called Aspen Bidets [www.aspen-bidets.com]

Now that you have considered this new innovation in the realm of butt-rinsing, the real question is: does the energy used by the toilet result in less greenhouse emissions than the creation of toilet paper for regular toilets? The toilet has a control panel, it has a heated seat and heats air for the butt dryer. I am not convinced that producing toilet paper produces more pollution. Also, something about plugging in my toilet filled with water and my butt attached to it makes me a bit nervous. Well, maybe they have a version with a hand crank that people without electricity in their toilet can use.