Push for tougher greenhouse laws

PREMIER Mike Rann will press other state Labor leaders to adopt tougher laws on greenhouse gas emissions.
Mr Rann said today he would urge the ALP to adopt South Australia's greenhouse gas targets at the party's national conference next year.
"Basically, I'll be urging conference delegates to make South Australia's greenhouse gas target, that is to cut emissions by 60 per cent of 1990 levels by 2050, national Labor Party policy," the premier told a global wind energy conference in Adelaide.
Mr Rann said he also would move to amend Labor policy to double the party's renewable energy target to 10 per cent of Australia's total electricity supply.
He said while South Australia and other states were doing their part on global warming and renewable energy, the federal government lagged behind.
"The Australian government is burying its head in the sand on this issue, as it continues to refuse to ratify the Kyoto Protocol on climate change," Mr Rann said.
"In the absence of leadership by the Howard government at the federal level, Australia's states and territories are acting."
The premier told the conference that South Australia already had 51 per of the nation's installed wind power capacity, developing 388 megawatts of electricity, and had another 250 megawatts under construction.
It also was home to 45 per cent of Australia's grid-connected solar power and was seriously investigating the development of power from geothermal or hot rock energy.
Mini wind turbines were being installed on major buildings in the Adelaide CBD with five commissioned in a 12-month trial, including one on the State Administration Centre which includes the premier's office.
If the trial proves successful another 20 turbines will be installed on other government buildings.
"This is the first installation outside of the United Kingdom of the two-metre rooftop wind turbines which can provide a cost-effective renewable energy source for homes, community and industrial buildings," Premier Rann said.
Each turbine produces 1.5kw of electricity, or between a third and a half of a household's electricity requirements.