01/03/2005 - Land managers
will be able to monitor the effects of farming
and forestry on greenhouse gas emissions using
their own computer, after the release of two
new products today.
The Minister for the Environment and Heritage,
Senator Ian Campbell and the Parliamentary
Secretary to the Prime Minister, Mr Gary Nairn
announced the products today.
Launching the National Carbon Accounting
Toolbox and Data Viewer at the annual ABARE
Outlook Conference in Canberra, Mr Nairn said
the products would help land managers make
informed decisions about how to sustainably
manage their properties.
"Almost a quarter of Australia's greenhouse
gas emissions come from forestry and agriculture,
from activities ranging from deforestation
and harvesting, to the continuous cultivation
of soil," Senator Campbell said.
"Land managers face decisions daily
that must balance production and environmental
protection," Mr Nairn said.
"The National Carbon Accounting Toolbox
will help in making these decisions by tracking
greenhouse gas emissions, and identifying
less emissions intensive land-use practices.
"For example, it will help answer questions
such as whether plans for planting trees to
stabilise soils, protect water quality and
provide habitat will also help reduce the
amount of greenhouse gases going into the
atmosphere."
The Data Viewer is a unique 30-year visual
record of landscape and vegetation change
in Australia since 1972 generated from satellite
images.
It allows land managers to zoom in on any
location in the Australian continent, including
their property, to analyse such things as
changes in tree cover, areas for revegetation,
where planting has been effective and the
extent of areas affected by fire or drought.
It also provides access to climate statistics
for specific regions, including average rainfall
and temperature trends over that time.
"Together, these products have excellent
potential for project or regional land-use
planning," Senator Campbell said.
The Toolbox provides ready access to the advanced
computer modelling used in the National Carbon
Accounting System - Australia's world leading
system to monitor greenhouse gas emissions
from the land.
These products were developed by the Australian
Greenhouse Office in conjunction with the
CSIRO, the Australian National University,
Geoscience Australia, and supported by the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(NASA).
