Sustainability News Snapshot (17th Feb)

The devastating bushfires took precedence over all news in Australia last week and rightfully so. Since the tragic event the United Fire-fighters Union of Australia have expressed their concern in a letter to the Prime Minister stating a more proactive approach to climate change needs to be adopted to ensure the safety of Australians. Meanwhile the Victoria Department of Sustainability and Environment has been defending accusations that better fire management could have prevented the disaster. And in less dramatic sustainability news, the inaugural solar powered phone has been launched by Samsung. The innovative blue coloured handset has been christened “Blue Earth”.

The ABC has reported that if the Federal Government does not reassess its approach to climate change then incidents like the recent bushfires will become more and more common. The United Fire-fighters Union of Australia’s national secretary Peter Marshall wrote a letter to the Prime Minister on behalf of Australia’s 13,000 fire-fighters emphasising their concerns.

He stated "[The Government's own research shows] by 2020 it's going to be a regular occurrence. All the current thinking and science behind protecting communities has not built in the factor of this increase.” The letter urges the government to stop being so reactive when it comes to global warming and the importance of adopting a proactive strategy for a tighter carbon reduction target for 2010. (Another reason why the target is an absolute joke!)

Blame has also been dished out on greenies and the Victoria Department of Sustainability and Environment. The DSE has been under attack for mismanaging back burning in fire prone areas, leading to the fires spreading violently. The DSE claimed no amount of preparation could have prepared the state for this tragic event.

On a lighter note Samsung has launched the world’s inaugural solar powered mobile phone. Whilst it may not look as nifty as the iPhone it is sure to appeal to sustainably conscious consumers and its place in the marketplace will hopefully encourage other competitive brands to develop innovative renewable mobile phone technology.