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The power of partnerships and wind

Major global events have increased the profile of environmental issues in business. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals have been launched; boards are acknowledging their fiduciary duties to disclose climate-related risk; and the Paris Agreement has been ratified, to cite just three. The Paris Agreement has generated a ripple effect and now individual countries, sectors and organisations have announced their own aspirations to contribute to the global 2°C goal.    “The project will provide significant environmental benefits and substantial support to the local community and regional economy.” – Rebbeck Environmental markets are also impacting companies’ bottom line while barely a day goes by without Australian mainstream media …

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Organic agriculture is going mainstream, but not the way you think it is.

One of the biggest knocks against the organics movement is that it has begun to ape conventional agriculture, adopting the latter’s monocultures, reliance on purchased inputs and industrial processes. “Big Organics” is often derided by advocates of sustainable agriculture. The American food authors Michael Pollan and Julie Guthman, for example, argue that as organic agriculture has scaled up and gone mainstream it has lost its commitment to building an alternative system for providing food, instead “replicating what it set out to oppose.” New research, however, suggests that the relationship between organic and conventional farming is more complex. The flow of influence …

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Locals call for a ‘High Line’ on Sydney’s north shore

Residents of the Sydney suburb of Lavender Bay are pushing for a linear park to be developed along side a historic rail line that would provide a pedestrian link between Lavender Bay and Waverton Station. Established in 2016, the Sydney Harbour High Line Association describes itself as “a group of like-minded people that sees the importance of building on the amenities to support the huge growth in the number of people living in Sydney in general and the lower north shore in particular.” According to the Mosman Daily, earlier in April the association met with a State Government committee, where it presented its detailed plans …

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Q&A With Project Seabin Co-Founder Pete Ceglinski

After seeing one too many pieces of plastic in the ocean, two avid surfers decided to do something about it, creating a “Seabin” that would collect trash, oil, fuel and detergents from the water. We had the opportunity to chat with co founder and CEO Pete Ceglinski about the Seabin Project and the ultimate goal of pollution free oceans for future generations. Q: How did the idea for Seabin Project come about? A: It came about from being sick of seeing floating debris in the water of marinas around the world. We needed a practical solution that was based upstream so we could catch …

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How Sustainable Is IKEA, Really?

IKEA is a Swedish-founded, Dutch-based global retail behemoth. Offering low-cost, visually appealing furniture in well-designed highly-coordinated warehouse spaces, it’s little wonder IKEA is the world’s largest furniture retailer and has been for the last decade. In recent years, the company has put sustainability front and centre, releasing its ‘People & Planet Positive‘ roadmap, a document outlining its 2020 sustainability strategy. Some of the objectives outlined in the report include: sourcing 100% of its wood, paper and cardboard from more sustainable sources, defined as recycled or FSC® certified wood using cotton sourced from “more sustainable” sources, such as “Better Cotton“ that 90% of products …

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Reduce and Recycle Your Corporate Waste with These 4 Easy-to-Execute Methods

As the economies progress, global carbon emission levels are off the charts and are only expected to rise as time passes! These ever-changing emission rates should be a cause of concern for both individuals and organisations as they can have massive environmental ramifications. To bring about the desired effect, companies and businesses will have to come together and find solutions that can contribute towards reducing corporate waste and really make an impact! For those of you looking to start a recovery and recycling drive at your workplace, here are 4 simple, easy-to-implement methods you can follow: 4. Optimize Your Planning …

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Materials that make heat worse for our kids demand a rethink by designers

It is with some relief that Australians are leaving behind the excruciatingly hot days of summer. But did you ever stop to think about the role of design in making matters better – or worse? Spending all day in air-conditioned rooms before walking out to a car that has baked in the sun all day is an exercise in extremes that many of us have faced. It’s easy to forget these conditions are shaped and mediated by design. Campaigns warn us about the dangers of leaving children in hot parked cars. However, there are many more designed microclimates in the …

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Why Australia imports so many veggie seeds (and do we really need to treat them with fungicides?)

Organic farmers have reacted with alarm to a draft review released last week that recommends mandatory fungicide treatment for certain plant seeds imported into Australia, including broccoli, cauliflower, radish and spinach. Over 19,000 people have signed a change.org petition objecting to the proposal, which is designed to strengthen biosecurity for plants of the brassicaceae family. Opponents say mandatory fungicide treatment could spell the loss of organic accreditation for organic vegetable growers who rely on imported seed. Why do we need to import seeds? Australia’s vegetable growers do rely heavily on imported seed. But why? The answer lies partly in where plant breeding expertise and effort is …

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The Great Barrier Reef Could Be Protected By A Giant ‘Sun Shield’

The Great Barrier Reef has become arguably one of the biggest casualties of global warming with over a third of the reef dying in 2016. The sun’s rays, combined with increasingly warm waters causes the corals to bleach and in severe cases completely die out. Well one solution could be to reduce the effect of the sun on the water and in turn the reef by implementing a giant ‘sun shield’. Developed by the University of Melbourne and the Australian Institute this ultra-thin film would sit on the surface of the water and create a barrier between the reef and the Sun. While the testing …

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Grattan Institute urges compensation for higher power bills caused by energy grid ‘gold plating’

Consumers must be compensated for higher bills caused by the excessive “gold-plating” of electricity networks and the value of energy assets should be written down, according to a report out today. The Grattan Institute blames “poor decisions” by governments in New South Wales, Queensland and Tasmania for driving unnecessary investment in power networks, which has ultimately left consumers footing the bill. In the Down to The Wire report, the Grattan Institute estimates consumers in those three states are being slugged between $100 and $400 more a year as investment outstripped population growth and demand. “Consumers connected to the National Electricity Market are …

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