Europeans live longer and healthier lives than in the past, partly due to successful environmental policies that have reduced the exposure to harmful environmental contaminants in air, water and food, according to a new report. However, these contaminants are still a problem, and several new health risks are emerging, for example, from new chemicals, new products and changing lifestyle patterns. [ + ]

The City of Vincent in Western Australia has signed a five-year contract to be part of the EnerNOC’s DemandSMART energy-saving program that is designed to reduce energy costs and provide visibility of energy consumption. [ + ]

Pasteurisation - a process used worldwide to disinfect and treat milk - will soon be used to treat recycled water in a project initiated by the Australian Water Recycling Centre of Excellence (AWRCE). [ + ]

As part of its research into liveable cities, strategic consulting and engineering firm MWH Global commissioned a study to examine what Australians want from the cities they live in now and into the future. [ + ]

To better understand how bacteria impact the environment, a former University of California, Riverside graduate student spent nearly a year building a system that replicates a human colon, septic tank and groundwater and ‘fed’ the colon three times a day during weeklong experiments to simulate human eating. [ + ]

NDY sustainability consultant Kemal Gungor* (PhD) examines the factors affecting air change effectiveness and outlines solutions to assist in achieving compliance with Green Star requirements. [ + ]

With all the discussion regarding container deposit legislation, packaging regulatory reviews and product stewardship, it is timely to step back and examine the key drivers to sustainable packaging and global trends. [ + ]

URS engaged Enviropacific when it needed to undertake chemical immobilisation treatment of 700 m³ of lead contaminated soil on its site in Alexandria, NSW. [ + ]

Most of the animal proteins found in the meat industry waste have, until now, been underutilised. The challenge is to transform such waste into food of higher functionality and added value. [ + ]

Edith Cowan University researchers have developed a cost-effective water quality sensor utilising fibre-optic nanotechnology. The project was funded by the National Centre in Excellence in Desalination Australia. [ + ]

When Stockland required remediation of a site in Brooks Reach, NSW, it engaged Enviropacific to undertake the treatment of 1200 m³ of lead- and PAH-contaminated soil impacted by lead shot and clay targets. The works were completed on time and all conformance sampling met the disposal criteria. [ + ]

An Australian-led project to turn 1.4 million tonnes of Chinese pig poo into alternative energy and fertiliser has been hailed in a national science award. [ + ]

On 17 May, the Minister for Climate Change, Industry and Innovation, Greg Combet, launched the Clean Energy Map at a press conference in Canberra. The online, Google-style map provides a visual representation of over 1200 nationwide projects which are cutting greenhouse gas emissions, reducing energy costs and investing in new technologies. [ + ]

There are many operational and behavioural changes that can be made to reduce the carbon footprint of facilities at a minimal cost, according to Dan Hoffman, one of the international keynote speakers at the upcoming Total Facilities expo. [ + ]

Around half of the primary energy consumed in industrial processes is currently wasted. Even steel produced by recycling scrap metal in electric-arc furnaces, for instance, requires approximately 370 kWh per metric tonne. In this type of furnace an electric arc is struck between several electrodes. The resulting heat causes the steel to melt before emitting a mixture of gases at up to 1700°C - a huge waste that might otherwise be used in the process or to generate electric power. [ + ]