Articles
Transforming a thirsty, power-hungry business
In an industry known for its voracious use of water and power, Edstein Creative Stone is showing how eco-friendly manufacturing practices respect our environment and save money.
[ + ]Grocery retailer monitors and manages energy
US-based grocery retail company Supervalu has installed energy monitoring hardware and has enrolled in a demand-response program with Net Peak Energy Group. The program organises payment to the retailer for effectively ‘selling’ their electricity back to their utilities when demand is high. Additionally, the program can call for the retailer’s distribution centres to shed up to 1.2 MW of power.
[ + ]Australian architects design high-rise factory in China
Melbourne architects CK Designworks have designed a cutting-edge, 24-storey industrial and commercial building in Nanjing, China. Robert Caulfield, partner in charge of the project, said that the building would set new levels of sustainability and environmental conservation for industrial buildings and could set the scene for similar buildings in other parts of the world, particularly where land is at a premium.
[ + ]Wastewater treatment plant improves pump performance
For over 14 years, the Moe Wastewater Treatment Plant has been effectively and successfully processing sewage. Located in Gippsland, Victoria, the medium-sized plant serves an equivalent persons population of 22,000. Its average daily flow is 5 ML per day.
[ + ]Environmental footprint calculator for trucks
It is no secret that truck transports use fuel, but with relatively modest means fuel consumption and thus emissions can be considerably reduced. The Volvo Trucks updated web service Environmental Footprint Calculator helps customers become more eco-conscious. The upgraded tool also offers tips for reducing truck emissions.
[ + ]Desalination in Israel
Increased water conservation and water use efficiency are a priority for countries worldwide. A vital process, in a number of countries, is to boost the supply of potable water by desalination. However, large-scale desalination typically requires large amounts of energy as well as specialised, expensive infrastructure, making it very costly compared to the use of fresh water from rivers or groundwater.
[ + ]Turf management and soil moisture measurement
In these times when sustainability and environmental responsibility are increasingly important, the measurement of soil moisture is vital. If the soil moisture and soil type is known then the exact amount of water can be applied for optimal growing conditions. This logic also applies to game day. Much research has been done on the potential for injury to lower extremities on turf surfaces. The potential for injury is directly related to the amount of traction the player has on the surface. The easiest way to adjust this level of traction is to apply water to the surface. If the moisture level in the topsoil can be measured then playing conditions can be optimised for a reduced potential for injury.
[ + ]Run-off monitoring on sugar cane farms
In December 2009, the Herbert Demonstration farm site was established in the Trebonne area on Orazio and Anthony Marino’s farm. The project is supported by the Queensland Government’s Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (DEEDI), Terrain Natural Resource Management (NRM), BSES and JCU staff. Combining environmental sustainability and profitable farming as the key drivers, this is a collaborative effort between growers, government, research and industry bodies and is part of the Queensland and Australian Government’s Reef Plan to improve water quality entering the Great Barrier Reef lagoon. There are demonstration farm sites also located in the Burdekin and Tully areas.
[ + ]Remarkable development in Queenstown
The mountains surrounding Queenstown on New Zealand’s south island overlooking Lake Wakatipu are aptly known as The Remarkables. If you’re familiar with this part of the world you’ll appreciate the effort that went into establishing a 6.4-hectare master plan for the Kawarau Falls Station (KFS) development.
[ + ]CJ editing Fighting food loss with packaging
The packaging industry wants to fight food loss more effectively. Simple, decentralised packaging machines for emerging markets can improve food security, while the ‘throwaway’ mentality in western industrialised nations can be combated with smart packages. This article details some of the findings from the Save Food campaign and interpack which was held in Germany in May 2011.
[ + ]From landfill to land improvement
Labelling something as ‘waste’ indicates it has no value. We want people to understand that everything that gets thrown out - except for hazardous materials - is a potential resource. Essentially, we want to ‘mine the urban ore’.
[ + ]Turning waste into a resource
With landfill sites under strain, can Australia’s capital cities benefit from waste to energy processing? Pablo Perez-Reigosa from Coffey Environments explains how the technology works and its successful implementation in Europe.
[ + ]Are we setting the right priorities to address our energy challenges?
You might use one to dry your hair or wash your dishes. There’s one in every elevator and ventilation system. And in industry they run machines, pumps, fans, conveyors and more. I’m talking about electric motors. They are quite literally everywhere and they use a lot of energy.
[ + ]Australia and the carbon tax - an outsider’s perspective
In the wash-up after ‘carbon Sunday’, leading UK-based climate change strategist with global engineering firm MWH John Hobson has this advice to offer Australia as it enters into negotiations to legislate for a carbon-price mechanism.
[ + ]Managing contaminated water on construction sites
The legislation, guidelines and criteria that have to be met to discharge water from a construction site have tightened immeasurably over the past decade or more. No longer is it a case of getting the water into the nearest stormwater drain or watercourse, no longer can contaminated water just be pumped down the sewer under basic agreements. The management of water has to be carefully considered before embarking on a construction project.
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