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Powerful Choices: transition to a biofuel economy in Australia

The Powerful Choices study uses a biophysical-economics model of the Australian economy to explore the capability of discrete low-carbon technologies to maintain economic growth, ensure energy security and reduce CO2 emissions out to 2051. The approach applies physical laws of thermodynamics and mass balance to established economic structures to ensure that financial dynamics are constrained by physical reality. Renewable electricity (bio-electricity, wind, solar thermal and (more)...

Management of Irrigation Water Storages: carryover rights and capacity sharing

Sustainable Irrigation Management Update

Water storages (reservoirs) play a vital role in the supply of water for irrigation farms, serving to smooth variation in supply and maximise the economic value of water over time.In Australia, major irrigation water storages are centrally managed via an announced allocation system. This publication discusses work undertaken to trial and evaluate two decentralised approaches - carryover rights and capacity sharing.

Project Title Biodiversity Conservation in Regional NRM Planning

Research project number VRA1 of the Social and Institutional Research Program of Land & Water Australia. Completed July 2003.

Indicator for Site-Based Erosion Assessment Using a Mixture of Field Data and Modelling

National Monitoring and Evaluation Framework

 This document reports on the Wind Erosion Assessment Model (WEAM) for field-based wind erosion risk assessment. The objective was to assess if WEAM could be used by regional Natural Resource Management (NRM) bodies to assess erosion levels of different land management practices on different (more)...

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals in the Australian environment

Discussion Paper - Background and current research in Australia

The endocrine system in humans and other organisms regulates the production of hormones that, in turn, control many important biological functions, such as reproduction. Endocrinedisrupting chemicals (EDCs) are substances that, upon entering an organism, interfere with the normal functioning of hormone systems. Chronic, low-level exposure to EDCs has been linked with a number of reproductive disorders in both humans and wildlife. In wildlife these can include abnormal sex-organ development, (more)...

How much water does a woodland or plantation use: a review of some measurement methods

Determining the water balance of a landscape is important to sustainable management of water, vegetation and land resources. Water flow through vegetation is the principle pathway for the discharge of water from Australian landscapes. The rate of this discharge is determined by solar radiation, leaf area index, vapour pressure deficit and soil moisture content. Tree transpiration from plantations and native woodlands and forests is an important determinant of the water balance of much of the (more)...