Home Archive by category "Sustainable Living" (Page 3)

Category Archives: Sustainable Living

Lego-like buildings to tackle sustainability in the Australian housing market

Castlemaine architect Simon Disler thinks there is a crucial missing step when designing more sustainable houses for the mass housing market: flexibility. “We wanted to come up with a building concept that was really about having a modular floor planning system that means you can shuffle the parts of the building around to adapt to a site to get good performance,” Mr Disler said. That means thinking about lot size and orientation and then adapting a floor plan to the site so that a house faces the sun. He said this step is a cost-effective way to save energy consumption …

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IoT enabling a sustainable food industry

A consortium consisting of food value chain companies, researchers, government and regulatory agencies and technology providers is hoping to use the Internet of Things and other innovative technologies to improve food supply sustainability and profitability. Dubbed the Food Agility Cooperative Research Centre (Food Agility CRC), its mission is to “tackle real food industry problems working with innovative digital technology and talented people to make a difference.” The group has recognised that digital technology is the key to improving food industry outcomes, and will focus on and create projects based on four key tenets: Helping Australia’s food producers provide the right …

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Sustainable Strata Schemes

The issue of sustainability is currently very topical, given the level of commentary around climate change, increasing greenhouse gas emission levels and global warming. The current generation wants to ensure the population’s needs are met without compromising the needs of future generations, and there is general agreement that people need to reduce their carbon footprint. One of the key areas to take action is by having more sustainable living quarters. Not only will this benefit future generations, but it will probably reduce the cost of living with lower energy and water bills. According to City of Sydney Council, over 73 …

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Climate Change And The Sustainability of the Dairy industry

There are a lot more problems with the dairy industry than the price of milk. The Australian dairy farming industry is in a state of crisis. Cheap dairy products and fluctuations in both the domestic and global markets have taken a financial toll on farmers. Consumers have rallied to help struggling dairy producers. But this is only half the problem. The true cost of dairy is also paid by dairy cows and the environment. With the meat and dairy industries as the leading cause of global warming, in 2010, the UN announced that a global shift towards a plant-based diet …

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Malcolm Turnbull defends renewable energy agency Abbott wanted scrapped

Malcolm Turnbull says the renewable energy agency that Tony Abbott wanted to scrap has been “very well run”, as he announces a $1 billion fund to spur investment in the sector. The funding will be spread over a decade and will draw on part of the borrowings meant to support the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, a $10 billion scheme that Mr Abbott vowed to scrap but which will be retained. The new statement will make it clear that a bill to dismantle the CEFC, which has been rejected twice and is a trigger for a double-dissolution election, will be abandoned …

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10 leading sustainability innovations

A study released profiles 100 leading sustainability innovations. We showcase the top 10, featuring carbon-neutral plastic, e-waste recycling kiosks and an ethical smartphone. Innovations from Newlight Technologies, PowWow Energy, Retroficiency, BioTrans and Fairphone all make the top 10 list of sustainability innovations. AirCarbon by American company Newlight is a carbon-neutral plastic material made from methane and other greenhouse gases captured from the air. Used in the furniture and packaging industry, AirCarbon plastic matches oil-based plastic in price and performance. Also on the top 10 list are intelligent window glass by View which automatically regulates the temperature and light in the …

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Why cities are the future of sustainable food

Vancouver Observer It’s undeniable. We are living in the midst of an urban food renaissance. From farmer’s markets to craft beer to restaurants featuring local ingredients, we as a society care increasingly about what we put in our stomachs. People are starting to see how much the way we eat affects our bodies, our social structures, and the planet. Cities, where most people live and where much of the world’s economic action takes place, are leading a charge of healing and connection, driven in large part by local entrepreneurs. It’s a trend that persists even though most of our food …

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How Can We Make our Cities More Liveable?

Sourceable Living architecture is part of a broader notion of green infrastructure that also encompasses water sensitive urban design, integrated water cycle management, green streets, urban food, and the urban forest. When combined, these elements can reduce the negative impacts of urbanisation to make our cities more liveable. The challenges of establishing living architecture in Australia Green roofs, walls, and facades are more common in other countries than in Australia. In the northern hemisphere, the climate is generally cooler and they have fewer extremely hot days with rainfall distributed relatively evenly across the year. Living architecture is particularly prevalent in Singapore. …

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WA Indigenous Elders apartments win at 2015 Sustainability Awards

Architecture and Design The Walumba Elders Centre by iredale pedersen hook architects (ipha) was the winner of the Multi-Density Category prize and the Best of the Best award at the 2015 Sustainability Awards. ipha received the prestigious honour at the awards ahead of 68 finalists and a record number of entries.   On 13 March, 2011 the Giga people’s home town of Warmun was devastated by a catastrophic one in 300 year flood event. Three hundred people were displaced for 12 months while new houses were built. Working directly with the community Elders and the Home and Community Care staff, …

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Sustainability the new goal in home design

Domain A competitive return on investment is drawing more buyers to energy efficient homes, writes Amelia Barnes. The vast majority of Australian homes cannot be classed as sustainable. Often derivative of American or European architectural styles that aren’t designed for the country’s unique environment and context, Australian homes are historically poorly insulated and made from materials selected primarily to keep costs down. While the term “sustainable” is often used in design without true consideration of its definition, this most accurately means “a home that meets the needs of present generations without compromising on future generations”. Using efficient energy and materials both in production and in operation, a …

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