Ecos debates sea level rise

The latest Ecos magazine, published by CSIRO, examines the scientific debate that followed the release of the 2007 report of the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change).

The report indicated that, by the end of the 21st century, sea levels could rise higher than previously predicted due to accelerated melting of polar ice sheets, highlighting a critical gap in our understanding of how polar ice sheets will respond to global warming.

Other stories in Ecos 137 include:

* Men of the trees: A volunteer organisation in Western Australia is helping farmers and others put 600,000 trees a year back into the landscape. Men of the Trees was inspired by Richard St Barbe Baker, an early 20th century environmentalist whose legacy lives on today.

* Whale shark conservation wins: Brad Norman, who won a Rolex Award for Enterprise for his whale shark research in 2006, is using the prize money and publicity from the awards to pursue his dream of setting up localised whale shark conservation ‘nodes’ around the world.

* Triple bottom line pays dividends: Market research shows that companies who put a value on social, environmental and community issues are registering above-average financial performance. Of the top five performing funds in Australia in 2006, three were socially responsible investment (SRI) funds.

* Indonesian marine reserve declared off West Papua: Indonesia has established a network of seven protected area off West Papua, which harbour some of the world’s most biologically diverse coral reefs, mangrove forests and other coastal ecosystems.

ECOS MAGAZINE – Issue 137 is available at major national newsagents or online at: www.publish.csiro.au/ecos