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New research has suggested a fresh way to account for greenhouse gases with different lifetimes in the atmosphere. Dave Frame, Professor of Climate Change, Victoria University of Wellington Adrian Henry Macey, Senior Associate, Institute for Governance and Policy Studies; Adjunct Professor, New Zealand Climate Change Research Institute. , Victoria University of Wellington Myles Allen, Professor of Geosystem Science, Leader of ECI Climate Research Programme, University of Oxford Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Korean car maker Kai unveils latest all-electric vehicle, the Niro EV, which cold be in Australia in 2019.

China, Gupta, storage. This past week has seen landmark developments that signal the pace of the energy transition is gathering speed, with huge implications for consumers (mostly good) and incumbent utilities (mostly not so good).

Pagham Harbour, West Sussex: Among the detritus, towers of red valerian shake in the wind and sea kale plants explode in a flurry of wavy green leaves

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Victoria says its renewables auction on track, but there is still concern that the NEG could scorch the earth around it.

NSW coal closures, China's solar bombshell, and falling lithium shares. Just another week in energy markets.

On behalf of the Australian Government, ARENA is providing $2 million in funding to MSM Milling Pty Ltd to help switch its LPG gas fired boilers to a biomass fuelled boiler.

GreenSync is pleased to announce the appointment of Mark Woodall as Chairman of the board, effective immediately.

Victoria's newest wind farm - Salt Creek - has begun exporting to the grid.

Sonnen says it is using combined capacity of 2,500 residential batteries it has installed in Australia to play in wholesale markets.

Single-Column Responsive Email Template SENG QLD Newsletter - June 2018 Welcome to Newsletter Number 72 Dear SENG Qld members and friends, Our next event will be about the state of waste in QLD, including looking at the new waste levy and the current state of the recycling industry after China’s ban on receiving recyclable waste. Australians currently produce about 50 million tonnes of waste per year, averaging over 2 tonnes per person and it is continually increasing. The session will also look at how we can reduce waste by changing our thinking. This month’s newsletter includes: War on Waste - closing the cycle Other Events Interesting Snippets Open for comment David's Blog As always, we welcome input from members regarding topics or speakers of interest. Please contact one of the Qld committee members, or consider coming along to a committee meeting, held at Engineering House prior to each of our technical seminars. We hope to see you there! Sustainable Engineering Society Qld Branch Engineers Australia. WAR ON WASTE - Closing the Cycle, A Zero Waste Economy Australians currently produce about 50 million tonnes of waste per year, averaging over 2 tonnes per person and it is continually increasing. This session will look at the waste cycle, the current state of the industry and how we can all help reduce the volume of waste produced. It will also provide insight into the new waste levy in QLD and the impact China's ban on receiving recyclables is likely to have. Waste Reduction – Richard Denniss Richard will deliver an entertaining discussion on how we can reduce waste by distinguishing between consumerism, the love of buying things, which is undeniably harmful to us and the planet, and materialism, the love of things, which can in fact be beneficial. Reuse – Kali Martin Kali will discuss the waste streams that are currently being processed by NuGrow and how they are recycled into beneficial products such as compost and soil conditioners. Case studies will be presented demonstrating NuGrow’s innovative approach to closing the loop between waste and resources to achieve their vision of healthier environments supporting healthier communities. Recycling – Rick Ralph Rick will discuss the facts behind the new waste levy in Queensland and what a new waste strategy should contain and look like. He will also discuss the current state of the recycling industry after China’s ban on receiving recyclable waste and what is needed to secure a sustainable future recycling industry. Is it as bad as it sounds? Anaerobic digestion (AD) for energy recovery from organics – Dr. Gareth Forde and Max Barnes Gareth will talk about how we can generate energy from waste organics and how AD compares to other waste to energy (W2E) options. Implications of the proposed landfill levy will be considered. See the event website for more information. Other Events EcoCentre Forum: Solar Power to the People, 24 June 2018, 10 am - 1pm, Griffith University EcoCentre, Building N68, 170 Kessels Rd, Nathan Free - RSVP essential (bring your most recent power bill) The event will be featuring great speakers who have years of experience installing solar in residential, commercial and educational settings, hear from Dalia Mikhail who started the amazing Solar Schools movement and Phil Livingstone the Managing Director and Founder of Redback Technologies who will be showcasing Redbacks's innovative power management solution and answering questions about their exciting plans for the Australian energy sector. RSVP here. Interesting Snippets For your interest, horror and amusement. SENG makes no claims regarding the accuracy or currency of these items, but always refer to authoritative sources. Linc Energy fined record $4.5million Linc Energy has been issued with a record fine of $4.5 million for causing serious environmental harm as a result of its underground coal gassification project near Chinchilla. Read more here. MDBA amps up strategy to protect environmental water The Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) is trialling remote sensing data to track environmental flow through the Barwon-Darling Rivers in a bid to monitor and protect environmental water in the region. Read more here. Turning rubbish into roads to cut down on plastic waste Plastic waste is a growing problem, but some are taking action to repurpose single-use bottles and bags into something more useful. Read more here. Australia's top 10 solar postcodes FROM the ground it may be difficult to notice how quickly solar is being embraced by homeowners across Australia, but from the air it’s a very different story. Aerial photos have emerged showing the enthusiastic uptake of solar in many parts of the country. Read more here. Narangba company fined $130,000 for mishandling oily waste Hahn Group Pty Ltd (Hahn), was fined $130,000 and ordered to pay costs of $32,123 for multiple offences, including regular unlawful releases of contaminated water. Read more here. T4 scrapped: Controversial multi-billion dollar coal loader in Newcastle won't go ahead Plans for a $5 billion coal terminal in the world's biggest coal port in Newcastle have been scrapped. Read more here. Increase in the value of a penalty unit The value of a penalty unit for offences under state legislation will increase from 1 July 2018. Read more here. Awards and Open for Comment Annual Qld Environmental Engineering Student Awards Night - October 2018 SENG and WMAA have been hosting the annual Environmental Student Award in Queensland since 1999. The event allows Environmental Engineering and Science undergraduate students from Queensland universities to showcase their thesis work to an audience of industry professionals and fellow students. This night also allows a demonstration of the directions in current environmental research and to show the diversity and quality of content in thesis studies from all over Queensland. Find out more about this fantastic honorary event here. Queensland's new resource recovery and waste strategy Submissions are due by 5pm, Friday, 29 June 2018. A new strategy will provide the resource recovery and waste sector with the policy certainty that has been lacking, leading to significant underinvestment in new and expanded resource recovery infrastructure in Queensland. Your input into the development of the new strategy and levy will ensure opportunities and challenges can be identified to ensure the transformation and growth of Queensland’s recycling and waste management industry. More information is available from the QLD Governments Website. Petition to enact legistlation to ban new investments in coal - Sign the petition here for the Queensland Government to enact legislation banning all new investment in coal, oil, and gas projects within Queensland, that contribute to global warming. Moment for Action Sign the petition David's Blog Keep up to date by reading David's Blog on the SENG website. Log in using your to post comments or questions. Join the conversation on our LinkedIn group page If you have an idea to share, an issue you would like feedback on, or just want to follow the conversation, click here to join the group. If you can't view this email click here to view online Click here to unsubscribe from this newsletter

A new provision from California regulator ARB to provide Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) credits for two types of fuelling infrastructure for zero-emissions vehicles (ZEVs) may raise concerns about the programme’s commitment to technology neutrality and environmental integrity, according to stakeholders at the agency’s public workshop on Monday.

A daily summary of our news plus bite-sized updates from around the world.

The US has more captive tigers than the rest of the world has wild ones. Why?

As Researcher in Climate Protection & Urban Governance, you will support our team in working on projects on national and European climate policy and urban governance. In particular, you will work at the interface between traditional emission reduction approaches and adaptation – especially in cities – to climate change. In addition, you will support the acquisition of new projects in these fields.

Carp that soak up the sun are fitter, and bold fish benefit more by sunbathing for longer

One magic late afternoon in summer, sitting on the bank of a clear, still lake in Hertfordshire, it was possible to see lines of motionless carp on the surface that appeared to be sunbathing. The idea that fish, like snakes and other ectotherms (“cold-blooded” creatures), might enjoy or benefit from sunbathing was dismissed as a childish fancy at the time, but many decades later has been vindicated.

A scientific paper shows that carp not only sunbathe, but also gain body heat, grow faster and are fitter as a result. These fish were warmer than their surroundings despite the fact that scientists thought this was impossible because the fish were immersed in cold water. Another key finding is that not all fish gained equally. The darker fish absorbed more warmth than their paler companions and grew faster.

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New Australia Institute paper finds neither Coalition nor Labor’s pollution reduction targets would see us doing our fair share

Pollution reduction targets for 2030 proposed by the Coalition and Labor will not see Australia contributing its fair share to cut greenhouse gas emissions under the Paris climate agreement, according to new research.

A paper from the progressive thinktank the Australia Institute finds the Turnbull government’s target of a 26-28% reduction on 2005 levels is “inadequate according to any recognised principle-based approach” and the Labor target of a 45% reduction is “the bare minimum necessary for Australia to be considered to be making an equitable contribution to the achievement of the Paris agreement’s two degree target”.

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EU carbon prices lost ground for a second day on Monday, sinking to a one-week low as traders grew preoccupied by coming weeks of high auction supply and a looming option expiry date.

Many of the oldest and largest specimens of Africa's baobab tree have died over the past 12 years.

Champion of wildlife conservation in towns and cities

George Barker, who has died aged 77, was a champion of wildlife conservation in towns and cities. During his long service in the government wildlife service, the Nature Conservancy Council (NCC), and its successor bodies, he became the acknowledged expert on urban nature conservation, a field that had been largely neglected. His openness to new ideas, unusual in a public servant, and gentle advocacy over four decades, helped to make a success of urban wildlife conservation both at home and abroad.

Acting almost alone at first, Barker set about destroying the myth of the “urban wildlife desert”. Long before ecosystem services became a crucial part of urban planning and design, Barker realised that city landscapes can be surprisingly rich in wildlife, especially in post-industrial “brownfield” sites such as quarries and spoil-heaps. These places were seen as derelict land and were completely unprotected. Barker also understood that urban parks and even gardens can become reservoirs for wildlife if managed in the right way.

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