Act now on health impacts of climate change: experts

Public health professionals welcome a state plan addressing the health impacts of climate change, but say national action is ‘urgently needed.’ The Queensland Government’s new Human Health and Wellbeing Climate Change Adaption Plan provides guidance to health, aged care and childcare services on ways to manage the threats that climate changes poses to human health through extreme weather, drought and increased disease outbreaks. Consultation with various stakeholders to inform the plan revealed concern among health professionals about the “policy gap” in the area. The Public Health Association of Australia says that Queensland’s plan is an example of the type of …

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Great Barrier Reef Foundation chief scientist: science will lie at the heart of our decisions

Much has been made of the federal government’s decision to invest A$500m into management of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), A$443.3m of it to be administered by the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, of which I am the chief scientist. If my conversations with colleagues in the reef research field are any guide, there is still a lot of confusion over the intended use of these funds, the disbursement process, and whether big business will interfere with how the reef is managed. Filling funding gaps Over the past five years, the foundation has funded or managed multiple research projects that aim to support long-term …

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Sustainable House Day 2018

BASSENDEAN building designer Romona Sandon will be opening up her sustainable home for the first time for Sustainable House Day on September 16. The day is part of an Australia-wide event where about 250 houses across the country are opened to the public. Ms Sandon’s James Street house is one of three which will be displayed on a bus tour organised by Environment House in Bayswater and guided by Alternative Technology Association WA committee member Kim Wilkinson. The bus will leave Environment House at 9am and visit each house for 45 minutes, where the features, building materials, sustainability features and …

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New developments in Victoria to harness photovoltaic glass, battery power

Melbourne will be home to not one but two Australia-first initiatives to make living in an apartment cheaper and more environmentally sustainable. Tenants in apartment buildings could soon have access to solar power and battery storage if a new government-funded initiative is successful. Energy company Ovida will use $980,000 from the state government to retrofit three yet-to-be-selected buildings with solar panels on their roofs and connect extra power-infrastructure like batteries. That would produce power they would sell back to residents for a cheaper rate than grid power. The service would have no upfront cost, and the body corporate could buy the …

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Applications to Present Open – 2019 National Sustainability Conference

Applications to present at the 2019 National Sustainability Conference are open, the conference will be held at Hotel Grand Chancellor Brisbane over 1 – 2 April. The educational program will include sustainability research, participation from diverse industry sectors and topics of integration, technology, automation, climate risk, procurement, renewable energy and sustainable construction. The conference will be looking at current topics and also looking forward to emerging sustainability considerations. Applications to present in 2019 are open until Friday 26 October 2018.  Invitation to Submit Your Presentation Individuals and organisations are invited to submit an abstract to deliver a 30-minute oral presentation; …

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Strawberry Grower’s Despair Over Mass Dumping of Fruit Amid Demand for Extra Large Sizes

A Queensland strawberry grower has posted an emotional video to social media, despairing about throwing away drum loads of edible fruit because they do not meet retailers’ demand for extra-large berries as the season reaches its peak. A spike in winter temperatures brought fields to peak production late last week. In response, Coles dropped prices to as low as $1.00 per 250-gram punnet in New South Wales over the weekend to help suppliers move tonnes of excess produce. The glut may be great news for strawberry lovers, but growers are counting the cost. On Friday, Wamuran grower Mandy Schultz received …

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The renewable energy train is unstoppable. The NEG needs to get on board

On the face of it, the National Energy Guarantee (NEG), adopted as Coalition policy at a party room meeting yesterday, appears to promise the certainty that industry, consumers and experts have desperately sought for the past decade. But beware: there is a renewable energy train coming down the track that is unstoppable. The NEG cannot stop the train, but it could act as a guide rail to steer it – or even safely accelerate it – by reducing investment risk and lowering the cost of finance for renewable energy projects. The latest figures indicate that the renewable energy train will smash Australia’s 2020 Renewable Energy …

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Present at the 2019 National Sustainability Conference!

Your Opportunity to Present at the 2019 National Sustainability Conference Awaits! The 2019 National Sustainability Conference will be held at Hotel Grand Chancellor Brisbane on Monday 1 – Tuesday 2 April. The educational program will include sustainability research, participation from diverse industry sectors and topics of integration, technology, automation, climate risk, procurement, renewable energy and sustainable construction. The conference will be looking at current topics and also looking forward to emerging sustainability considerations. Join the discussion on current challenges, successes and what the future holds for sustainable practices within business at the 2019 National Sustainability Conference. Invited Featured Speakers for 2019 …

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Applications to Present in 2019 Closing Friday 26 October

The 2019 National Sustainability Conference will be held at Hotel Grand Chancellor Brisbane on Monday 1 – Tuesday 2 April. The educational program will include sustainability research, participation from diverse industry sectors and topics of integration, technology, automation, climate risk, procurement, renewable energy and sustainable construction. The conference will be looking at current topics and also looking forward to emerging sustainability considerations. Applications to present in 2019 are now open until Friday 26 October 2018.  Invitation to Submit Your Presentation Individuals and organisations are invited to submit an abstract to deliver a 30-minute oral presentation; a poster presentation; or a panel …

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What’s wrong with big solar in cities? Nothing, if it’s done right

Many of us are familiar with developments of big solar farms in rural and regional areas. These are often welcomed as a positive sign of our transition towards a low-carbon economy. But do large-scale solar installations have a place in our cities? The City of Fremantle in Western Australia is considering a proposal to use a former landfill site for a large-scale solar farm. The reportedly 4.9 megawatt solar power station on an eight-hectare site would be, it’s said, Australia’s largest urban solar farm. The initiative is part of Fremantle’s ambition to be powered by 100% clean energy within a decade. The proposal is facing some community …

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