Environment Minister Greg Hunt last week introduced controversial legislation that would allow the burning of native forests for electricity generation to be included as a source of renewable energy under the amended Renewable Energy Target (RET) - and it looks like some companies are already planning for this eventuality. [ + ]

Researchers from the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) have developed a roof surface that will stay cooler than the ambient air temperature - even under the mid-summer Australian sun. [ + ]

Tyre recycler Tyrecycle has been called on to clean up 3000 tonnes of end-of-life tyres abandoned at Pinkenba in Brisbane. The thousands of end-of-life passenger, all-wheel-drive, truck and earthmoving vehicle tyres set off numerous safety and environmental alarms for Tyrecycle. [ + ]

Brisbane's new energy-saving program 'Reduce Your Juice' has been launched to help lower the cost of living for Brisbane's low-income renters, with program participants having the opportunity to save up to 19% off their average annual electricity bill. [ + ]

The Australian Smart Lighting Summit, to be held from 8-9 September at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, will draw over 150 lighting industry experts who will discuss strategies and new technologies for public lighting retrofits aimed at reducing energy consumption and costs. [ + ]

With the help of $1.3 million in funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), CSIRO has established unique indoor and outdoor testing capabilities to predict how different solar photovoltaic (PV) systems will perform on Australian shores. [ + ]

ANZ has announced a new partnership with the Australian Water Association (AWA) to support the latter's water and wastewater management programs in South-East Asia. [ + ]

Irrigators in the Queensland Murray-Darling Basin now have access to a range of support measures from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) thanks to a federally funded project. [ + ]

Water trading organisation Waterfind has released its quarterly CEO Report (Q3) for the 2014-2015 irrigation year. The report finds that the national temporary water market has continued to record the highest average prices since the Millennium drought. [ + ]

The Australian Water Association (AWA) has released a discussion paper, prepared by legal practice Minter Ellison, that highlights the current regulatory barriers to greater private sector participation in the Australian water sector. [ + ]

Researchers from the University of Illinois have developed electronic devices that self-destruct when they reach a particular temperature. By breaking down devices to their molecular components, the researchers hope to reduce the amount of e-waste sent to landfill. [ + ]

The Queensland Government has announced that it will examine what a container deposit scheme in the state could look like in a move which has been welcomed by environmental groups. [ + ]

The chairman of environmental solutions group ResourceCo, John Heard, will be stepping down from his position next month after over 22 years with the company. [ + ]

3R Group, the leader of New Zealand's government-funded Tyrewise project, says a collaborative approach is required in order to ensure safe tyre recycling. [ + ]

Individuals can now register to attend the Australasian Waste and Recycling Expo (AWRE), which will return to the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from 12-13 August 2015. [ + ]