Rotorua District Council looks to gain value from biosolids
Rotorua District Council (RDC) and Crown Research Institute Scion are joining forces to demonstrate a new approach to the management of organic wastes. Read more »
Changes to RET scheme
The federal government announced last week that it will be dividing its Renewable Energy Target scheme into two parts: the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES) and the Large-scale Renewable Energy Target (LRET). Read more »
Green jobs in Australia: what are we talking about?
Everyone is talking about ‘green jobs’, but just what do we mean by green jobs? Read more »
Dynamic engineering for sustainability
Nestled beside Abu Dhabi International Airport, a sustainable city is emerging from the sand that will rely entirely on renewable energy. Masdar, in the United Arab Emirates, is a carbon-neutral community development that is also planning to ban cars in the city, eliminate waste, and recycle and re-use water as much as possible. Read more »
On-site wastewater systems for holiday homes
As many embark on a summer holiday or perhaps are just returning from one, they may enjoy staying at their holiday home, a weekender, or have rented a house or apartment by the beach. Whatever you call it, if you own a property outside of main sewered areas that is used sporadically, you will have some very specific needs when it comes to a wastewater system. Read more »
Letting the bugs out
Farmers and growers around Australia are increasingly using bugs to reduce pest problems and increase efficiencies. Read more »
Comparing carbon policies made easy
As major debate now envelops Federal Parliament on climate change and how Australia will respond to the threat, a Charles Sturt University expert on climate change policy has developed a simple comparison between the two policies. Read more »
LED lights trial
A new lighting trial reveals barriers and trends to making LED lighting viable for widespread use. Read more »
Producing plastic without fossil fuels
A team of South Korean scientists claim to have succeeded in producing the polymers used for everyday plastics through bioengineering, rather than through the use of fossil fuel-based chemicals. This research, which may now allow for the production of environmentally conscious plastics, is published in two papers in the journal Biotechnology and Bioengineering to mark the journal’s 50th anniversary. Read more »
EcoForum encourages interdisciplinary thought
EcoForum Managing Director Paul Howlett said: “EcoForum is a comprehensive, multidisciplinary event designed to provide participants with the knowledge and networks they need to solve environmental problems and build business networks across the areas of climate change, water, waste and remediation. Read more »
EcoForum conference
Delegates at the EcoForum Conference & Exhibition in Sydney this February will hear about what is possibly the first indirect-to-potable stormwater harvesting project in Australia when presenter Chris Devitt from the drought-stricken city of Orange, New South Wales, describes how his council found a long-term, sustainable solution to a steady decline in water storage levels that had reached as low as 26.7% in August 2008. Read more »
Closing the loop
A commercial plastic milk bottle wash and recycling facility serving communities across the whole of the South Island of New Zealand was officially opened last November. The plant was commissioned in August and is now processing 600 kg of milk bottles per hour or 100,000 bottles per day. Read more »
How to tap into 'green' government grants
There is more than $3 billion in federal and state government 'green' grants and subsidies available and most companies do not know they are available or how to access them, according to sustainability consultancy Equilibrium OMG. Read more »
Brainstorming a path for desalination
Some of the latest and most innovative ideas in sustainable and cost-effective desalination practices were raised and discussed at the inaugural National Desalination Research Roadmapping Workshop, held in Perth on 29 and 30 October. Read more »
A holistic perspective of energy management
How can lighting designers use intelligent controls to improve building energy management? Philips Dynalite Energy Management Segment Manager, Brett Annesley, explains how an environmentally sustainable development (ESD) strategy can deliver energy efficiency outcomes, while addressing indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and changing occupancy requirements. Read more »
E-waste stewardship in Australia
Australia’s electronic waste is a growing problem, with only a small fraction of it being recycled and the rest ending up in landfill. A new announcement from the EPHC is set to change all that, however, as Andrew Collins reports. Read more »
Student’s vision of clean energy may come true
A young engineering student may have found a brilliant way to fulfil every scientist’s ‘unattainable’ dream of renewable energy. Read more »
CPRS defeated again
It came as no surprise last week that the Labor government’s Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) was defeated for the second time in the Senate. Under the new coalition rule of Tony Abbott, only two liberal senators crossed the floor and voted with their opposition for the ETS legislation - they were Senators Sue Boyce and Judith Troeth. At 33 votes for to 41 against, their votes were not enough to pass the bill. Read more »
Optimising thickener efficiency
Once extracted from the ground, mined ore is subjected to a complex series of steps before it can be converted into its purest state ready for use. The continual improvement of these process steps is critical to ongoing profitability of mine operations. Read more »
What is the carbon intensity of your supply chain?
Many Australian companies are unaware that they have highly carbon-intensive supply chains and could be exposed to a future cost of carbon. Read more »