Articles
Pam Keating legacy award
Pam Keating passed away under tragic circumstances in early 2009, but her significant contribution to the environment and waste management sectors lives on, both through the legacy of her work and foundation of the WMAA Pam Keating Award. [ + ]
Climate change talks heat up
Scientists behind the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) are gathering in Hobart this week to review and update the latest draft of the body’s fifth assessment report, due out later this year. [ + ]
Purifying the air with your clothes
An additive, created in a unique collaboration between the University of Sheffield and the London College of Fashion, which can be washed into clothes so the wearer purifies the air as they move could be available within just two years. [ + ]
Double green chickens produce carbon-smart poo
As the festive season comes to an end, spare a thought for the humble chook which took pride of place on thousands of dinner tables around the country during the Christmas period. Australia’s $4 billion poultry industry is maintaining steady growth, currently producing 700 million birds annually. However, while the demand for poultry meat grows, farmers face growth of another type - waste. [ + ]
Sustainable solutions for the mining industry
The mining industry faces growing challenges globally on how to use water efficiently, how to recover and recirculate water and how to reduce the areas needed for tailings storage. Paste technology can be used to efficiently recover water from tailing, making it a sustainable solution for tailing treament, especially in dry regions. The technology can now also be used to make it much easier to restore the landscape in a safe way after a mine is closed. [ + ]
Energy-efficiency design for 6-Star green star office tower
Located in the heart of Sydney’s CBD, the office tower at 1 Bligh Street has set a new benchmark for sustainable office design. To integrate all the energy efficient systems, Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure platform was used to achieve the convergence of the building’s energy-efficient technologies. [ + ]
Prospecting unwanted energy from industry
What is the largest source by far of affordable, low-carbon energy available for development? If people think the answer is wind or solar or even hydro, University of Canterbury mechanical engineering professor Susan Krumdieck in New Zealand says they might be surprised. [ + ]
Beekeepers help tackle climate challenges
A passion for the best climate risk management by the Australian beekeeping industry runs in the family, with two NSW beekeepers stepping up to the national Climate Champion program. [ + ]
Protecting Queensland’s waterways
UV-Guard Australia, a supplier of disinfection solutions which is part of the combined entity Nubian Water Systems, has refurbished Unitywater’s water treatment plant in Queensland to maximum design performance and will achieve the wastewater disinfection results required to meet licence consent. [ + ]
Man-made islands and other sustainable designs
In October 2012, Hassell attracted international attention for its visionary sustainable design ideas at the World Architecture Festival (WAF). The company took away three awards and a commendation - the most of any participating design firm. [ + ]
Influence of the media on water use behaviour
Australia’s recent drought led to unprecedented low water storage levels in many areas of the country, prompting measures such as wastewater recycling and desalination, which were widely covered in Australian newspapers. Researchers Professor Sara Dolnicar and Dr Anna Hurlimann believed it was important to look into how media reported on water-related topics. [ + ]
Increased dosing testing capabilities ensure accurate, user-specific testing
Grundfos Pumps has recently installed a new state-of-the-art dosing system test rig, providing increased testing capabilities, in its facilities at Ormeau, Queensland. Since opening in October 2010, the Ormeau facilities have served as the hub for water treatment engineering and assembly activities throughout Australia. [ + ]
Powering one of Australia’s remotest locations
An off-grid, sustainable power supply developed by a Curtin University PhD student is being used to power one of the hottest and most remote locations in Australia. [ + ]
Waikato professor to write carbon capture and storage law
The Director of the University of Waikato Centre for Environmental, Resources and Energy Law (CEREL), Professor Barry Barton, is working with government and industry insiders to develop a legal and regulatory framework for carbon capture and storage (CCS). [ + ]
Workers give the green light to sustainable offices
How do you feel about sustainability in your workplace? How do your co-workers feel? How does your boss feel? The Sustainability in the Workplace 2012 report, recently released by Sustainability at Work, reveals the attitudes of Australians workers towards sustainability, thus helping organisations understand what to consider when implementing their own sustainability strategies. [ + ]