Latrobe River earmarked as water source in plan to turn coal mines into lakes.

Combined, the three open-cut coal mines in Victoria's Latrobe Valley are more than four times the size of Sydney Harbour.

The Hazelwood open-cut mine would
 take 15 to 20 years to fill with water.

The State Government is assessing whether they will all be turned into lakes when they close, which is due to occur by the middle of the century.

Late last year, the Government released a report that outlined plans to fill the mines with water drawn from the Latrobe River system, which runs through the region and connects to the Gippsland Lakes.

The three mines have a water allocation from the Latrobe system and the Government is planning on using that water to fill them when they close.

Read the ABC News story by Jarrod Whittaker - “Latrobe River earmarked as water source in plan to turn coal mines into lakes.”

The carbon footprint of tourism revealed (it’s bigger than we thought)

The carbon footprint of tourism is about four times larger than previously thought, according to a world-first study published today in Nature Climate Change. 

There's a huge carbon cost with flying.

Researchers from the University of Sydney, University of Queensland and National Cheng Kung University – including ourselves – worked together to assess the entire supply chain of tourism. This includes transportation, accommodation, food and beverages, souvenirs, clothing, cosmetics and other goods.

Put together, global tourism produces about 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions, much more than previous estimates. 

Read the story from The Conversation - “The carbon footprint of tourism revealed (it’s bigger than we thought).”

(Climate Conversations considers the environmental cost of flying, including tourism)

Electric hybrid car emits four times more CO₂ than advertised, real-world testing shows

A purportedly eco-friendly hybrid electric car emits four times more greenhouse gas than manufacturers claim, according to a report backed by Australia's motoring heavyweights that opens up a new front in the nation's energy policy tussle.

Michael Bradley from the Australian
Automobile Association, which has
 released a new report into vehicle emissions. 

The report by the Australian Automobile Association, members of which include the NRMA and RACV and RACQ, says real-world testing reveals some new cars are using up to 59 per cent more fuel than advertised. Almost six in 10 exceeded the regulated limit for one or more pollutant in cold-start tests.

The AAA says consumers are being "increasingly ripped off", forking out for vehicle technology that cuts emissions in the laboratory, but not on the road.

It says the findings cast doubt on whether more stringent vehicle emissions laws – a move being considered by the Turnbull government – would reduce pollution and lower fuel use.

Read Nicole Hasham’s story in today’s Melbourne Age - “Electric hybrid car emits four times more CO₂ than advertised, real-world testing shows.”