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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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Your Opportunity to Present at the 2019 National Sustainability Conference Awaits!

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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Why temperatures at night are going up around the world and what we can do about it

History was made in the Middle East on June 28 when the world’s hottest night on record was set in Quriyat, Oman with the overnight “low” dropping to 42.6 degrees Celsius. Oman’s hot night is just one of many temperature records to be smashed in the past few weeks. Individual location records have been broken in the US, Russia, Canada, Scotland, Armenia and Georgia. Africa could have reached its highest ever reliably recorded temperature of 51.3C in Ourargla, Algeria on July 5. The World Meteorological Organisation recognises 55C as the highest temperature for Africa, recorded at Kebili, Tunisia on July 7, …

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If Your Business Is Not Sustainable Pretty Soon It Won’t Exist

During the American President’s recent visit to Nigeria, he spoke of “taking down the trade barriers” between the two countries and of becoming the economic partner of choice for nations across the African continent. This is not what African countries need. Trade is no longer the key to economic growth. The world needs to focus on mutually beneficial partnerships, fostering sustainable development across the continent, targeting the continent’s inhabitants as its primary consumers – in Nigeria, this requires much higher levels of private-sector investment and economic participation. Reports such as one published recently by the Business and Sustainable Development Commission, show …

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Sustainable Technology: Q&A with TODAY App Creator

Born from a desire to bring big changes to the world via our ever increasing reliance on technology, Seb Berry created the TODAY App, offering users the chance to take on small sustainable challenges that have big impacts on our planet. We got the chance to speak with Seb about sustainability, solutions and the big challenges in today’s society. Q: What inspired you to create the TODAY App? A: For me, the first thing was to try and figure out how to bring the world’s most monumental challenges into some kind of framework that feels personal and relevant. We live with one …

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Green homes give glimpse of renewable hydrogen future

Imagine a house where all the electricity is generated by rooftop solar. Now imagine that, in addition, the stove, hot water and heating systems are all powered by the leftover energy. It sounds like an emission-free pipedream, but the technology may be one step closer with the launch of a $3.3 million pilot project in Perth’s south. Canadian gas giant ATCO is building a micro-grid at its Jandakot base, which will convert solar power into hydrogen fuel. The micro-grid will use 1,100 solar panels to produce electricity, which will either power ATCO’s buildings or be diverted into battery storage. Any …

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