Law reform and tougher legal sanctions to stop greenwashing are critical, according to a leading intellectual property expert from The Australian National University. [ + ]

The Australian National University School of Art is set to shine in the sustainability stakes with a new solar panel array. The 40 kW array will produce about 70,000 kW hours of electricity annually (enough to power about 10 houses), cutting the school’s carbon emissions by more than 5%. [ + ]

The Honourable Martin Ferguson AM MP, Federal Minister for Resources and Energy, has launched Curtin University’s Fuels and Energy Technology Institute (FETI) at Technology Park, Bentley. FETI will carry out fundamental research and technology development to provide solutions to the energy and environmental issues facing Australia. [ + ]

Residents of the Kariong area of the New South Wales Central Coast have been warned of the presence of Escherichia coli (E. coli) in the water supply. A Boil Water Alert has been issued to the area, with boiled or bottled water to be used for activities such as drinking, cooking, washing raw foods and cleaning teeth. [ + ]

An interactive web resource to help people easily access information on the status of water planning across Australia has been launched by the National Water Commission. [ + ]

Australian and Indian scientists, sociologists and economists are creating a strategic plan to ensure marine fisheries in both countries remain sustainable while facing climate change. [ + ]

MBD Energy Limited, which proposes to recycle waste CO₂ emissions from coal-fired power stations and other forms of heavy industry into commercial production of algae biomass, has appointed Australia’s former Chief Scientist, Robin Batterham AO, to its board as a non-executive director. [ + ]

First Solar has set a new world record for cadmium‐telluride (CdTe) photovoltaic (PV) solar module efficiency, achieving 14.4% total area efficiency. [ + ]

Siemens Australia has presented a fully electrified high-performance motorcycle, the eChopper, to Australia at the Pacific 2012 Maritime Exposition in Sydney. [ + ]

Arcadia Biosciences has been awarded a five-year, $4.5 million grant from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to develop salt-tolerant rice and measure greenhouse gas emissions from conventional rice fields in Bangladesh and nitrogen use efficient (NUE) crops in Indonesia. [ + ]

Rising human carbon dioxide emissions may be affecting the brains and central nervous systems of sea fishes with serious consequences for their survival, an international scientific team has found. [ + ]

Black & Veatch has appointed Cindy Wallis-Lage as President of its global water business. She will lead the company’s efforts to address billions of dollars in water infrastructure needs around the world. [ + ]

Research launched by the City of Melbourne and University of Melbourne will give building owners across Melbourne access to information that can help their buildings absorb less heat and stay cooler during hot days. The research assesses the benefits of white roofs. [ + ]

ABB, 4R Energy, Nissan North America (NNA) and Sumitomo Corporation of America have formed a partnership to evaluate the re-use of the battery packs that power the Nissan Leaf, the world’s first and only all-electric car designed for the mass market. The purpose is to evaluate and test the residential and commercial applications of energy storage systems or backup power sources using lithium-ion battery packs reclaimed from electric vehicles after use. [ + ]

Following more than three years of comprehensive research, planning and extensive consultation with the local community and the regulator, SITA Australia (SITA) has received the state government permits to develop a soil processing facility to treat and recover contaminated soil at its Taylors Road Landfill in Dandenong South. [ + ]