Clean energy gets $20 million boost

Australia took a step closer to becoming the clean energy hub of the Asia–Pacific with the announcement that Newcastle will house the $20 million national Enterprise Connect Clean Energy Innovation Centre.

Climate change campaigner joins Carbonscape team

Tim Flannery, climate change campaigner and Australian of the Year 2007, is joining the Carbonscape team.

$27.7m in climate-ready grants

Senator Kim Carr, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, has announced the first round of offers under the Climate Ready program totalling $27.7 million, involving about 400 people working on 32 new green projects.

Already done

Guidance paper on the emissions assistance program

Institute supports paper on emissions assistance program and points out tight reporting timeframe.

Biochar: untested and unproven — or political football?

A discussion on the potential benefits of biochar technology in the fight against the global warming challenges — provided by Best Energies Australia.

Tapping into underground water solutions

National Water Commissioner Chris Davis has released a Waterlines report on Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) to advance the uptake of this water supply and treatment process.

'Greenest' notebook announced

Toshiba's ultra-portable notebook, the Portégé R600, has been nominated as the worlds ‘greenest’ notebook, according to a recent Greenpeace survey: The Green Electronics Survey 2008.

Window to prompt passers-by to question water use

The Swinburne Fish Tank encourages passers-by to question their own behaviour with regard to water use.

Stimulus package for clean energy future

Australia could create millions of new jobs by embracing a Global Green New Deal fast-tracking, energy-efficiency and renewable energy infrastructure, according to Environment Business Australia.

Calls for entries into the International Next Big Thing Award 2009

Innovic’s International Next Big Thing Award 2009 has opened and for the first time is going global due to demand from Asia–Pacific innovators and small businesses.

Beating water losses from evaporation

In a continent where the evaporation rate is typically four times more than the average annual rainfall — which is declining in any case — limiting the loss of water from farm and station storages is becoming a priority, according to a report released by the Desert Knowledge CRC. The study looks at several of the new methods for lowering evaporation — floating blankets, shade cloth, floating modules and thin layers of a chemical to ‘seal’ the surface.

Councils' water-saving measures pay off

NSW councils are on their way to saving 10,000 megalitres of water by July 2010, thanks to a $22m joint initiative of the Local Government and Shires Associations of NSW (LGSA) and the NSW Water Directorate.

Reinvigorated environmental focus for NSW councils

Specialist training for NSW councils and Regional Organisations of Councils is being presented by the Urban Sustainbility Support Alliance (USSA). The training is designed to help councils make sustainability a key part of their planning and practices and ensure their community's ecological future.

Rainwater harvesting DVD

A Rainwater Harvesting Guide, designed to inform plumbers, building contractors and interested householders about the principles of rainwater harvesting for household or even commercial building water-saving applications, is now available.