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"Smartphones, laptops, tablets, digital TV. You may not have considered it, but all those devices require a lot of energy to operate, and gobble it up even when they sit idle. In fact, the iPhone uses more electricity than a refrigerator. A medium-sized, energy star fridge uses 322 kilowatt hours (kWh) each year. The average iPhone? 361." See the full report at http://goo.gl/FstidW

Following recent reports that Apple was preparing to launch their new iPhone trade-in program at Apple Retail Stores, 9to5Mac has managed to get their hands on some additional details - including the fact that the program is already launching at certain Apple Stores.

"Fracking is a controversial topic. On the one side the gas drilling companies, on the other citizen opposed to this drilling method. Politicians are also divided on the matter. We try to take a neutral look on fracking. It is relevant for all of us, because of high prices for energy and the danger for our drinking water. This video focuses mostly on the debate currently ongoing in europe. In a lot of european countries there is a public outcry against fracking, espacially in germany. But the facts in this video are relevant to all of us."

"The fact that the business-as-usual pursuit of profits and growth is destabilising life on earth is no longer something we need to read about in scientific journals. The early signs are unfolding before our eyes. And increasing numbers of us are responding accordingly: blockading fracking activity in Balcombe; interfering with Arctic drilling preparations in Russian waters (at tremendous personal cost); taking tar sands operators to court for violating indigenous sovereignty; and countless other acts of resistance large and small. In Brad Werner's computer model, this is the "friction" needed to slow down the forces of destabilisation; the great climate campaigner Bill McKibben calls it the "antibodies" rising up to fight the planet's "spiking fever"."

"A national survey on energy affordability carried out by CHOICE, the Brotherhood of St Laurence and Energy Efficiency Council revealed 84 per cent of Australian households are concerned or very concerned about energy costs. The same percentage felt it was important or very important for their State Government to help rein in these costs.     However, instead of screaming for renewable energy support to be hit to cut the cost of power - a default choice it seems for many politicians - this was the least popular action in the survey. In fact, knee-capping renewables had a negative net approval rating in every state. "

"There have been fierce arguments this week about whether it's opportunistic to discuss climate change in connection to the devastating New South Wales fires. Amid all the bluster, it's surprising that we've heard so little from one group of experts: frontline emergency service workers, including the firefighters risking their lives for the rest of us. Yet if you do ask for their opinion - as we did for a study released in June this year - many, ....... , are not reluctant to talk about climate change. In fact, quite a few of the emergency workers and planners we interviewed said we should be talking about it more, if our communities are to be better prepared for disasters like the one unfolding in NSW right now."

"People never seem to question science when it underlies something easily valued - like iPhones and other handheld devices. We either take it for granted or celebrate science-based products like G.P.S., Global Positioning Systems, which guide drivers and pilots and allow heavy machinery or a farmer's tractor to be operated with a precision that approaches ballet. And people are always eager to take advantage of the latest advances in medicine."

"A common refrain by climate sceptics that surface temperatures have not warmed over the past 17 years, implying climate models predicting otherwise are unreliable, has been refuted by new research led by James Risbey, a senior CSIRO researcher. Setting aside the fact the equal hottest years on record - 2005 and 2010 - fall well within the past 17 years, Dr Risbey and fellow researchers examined claims - including by some members of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change - that models overestimated global warming. In a study published in Nature Climate Change on Monday, the team found that models actually generate good estimates of recent and past trends provided they also took into account natural variability, particularly the key El Nino-La Nina phases in the Pacific."

"Beach Patrol is a chain of FEP community groups each defined by suburb, post code and t-shirt colour.Starting in 2009 with 3206 Beach Patrol - Middle Park , it quickly became evident that many 3206 residents cared greatly about the condition of their local beaches and were in fact willing to donate one hour of their time each month to help keep the beaches cleaner and safer for the greater enjoyment of all. Beach Patrol - Port Melbourne was soon up and running and following on 3182 Beach Patrol - St Kilda and 3186 Beach Patrol are now also going strong."

The results of the government's first reverse auction of carbon-cutting projects have been released. Where is the money going? The government will spend A$660 of its A$2.55 billion Emissions Reduction Fund on contracts set to reduce emissions by some 447 million tonnes, more than half of it in "carbon farming" projects to lock up carbon in vegetation. Federal environment minister Greg Hunt described the outcome as a "stunning result" for Australia, pointing out that the average price of A$13.95 per tonne of carbon is cheaper than the previous government's carbon pricing scheme. But critics have pointed to the lack of involvement so far from industry sectors that were covered by the previous carbon tax, and the fact that the new scheme is paid for by taxpayers rather than the businesses creating the pollution. Here are the numbers:"

"Here's a fun fact about "sea-level rise": The seas aren't actually level to begin with. Because of predictable, long-term patterns in climate, global winds push more water into some oceans than others. This leaves the seven seas (not really a thing) divided into six "basins" (actually a thing). Water in these interconnected systems can slosh around to different areas while the overall volume stays the same - much like water in a bathtub. Or so we thought!"

"Can "direct action" cut Australia's carbon emissions for the price Tony Abbott says it can? Climate change minister Mark Butler says not. Last week he welcomed "new independent modelling", which he said showed the Coalition's policy would "cost billions of dollars more than Tony Abbott claims and has no chance of meeting Australia's emissions reduction target"."

ABC Gardening Australia program on 9 Nov '13 - Jerry shows how to build a simple veggie box using a foam box,

"I'm back, with the controversial topic of the so-called 'pause' in global warming. Some parts of the news media incorrectly claim that the climate is no longer warming, but is actually cooling. They get to this conclusion by everything from cherry-picking the data, all the way up to telling big fat fibs."

"Welcome to Index Mundi, home of the Internet's most complete country profiles. This site contains detailed country statistics, charts, and maps compiled from multiple sources."