Feed aggregator

New analysis shows that Victoria's electricity supply held up without Hazelwood through a hot summer and avoided over four million tonnes of CO2.

Assessment to include climate science and threatened species impacts, ministers say

Federal Labor is promising to revisit and fix any logging agreements with state governments that are not based on “proper, independent and full scientific assessments”.

In a pledge that could have implications for the rollover of nine agreements due to expire in New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia over the next three years, the shadow minister for agriculture, Joel Fitzgibbon, and shadow minister for environment and water, Tony Burke said; “Labor will always support proper, independent and full scientific assessments of RFA [regional forestry agreement] outcomes as part of the agreed framework.

Continue reading...

BMW Group unveils all-electric version of iconic 3-door Mini, with production set for 2019 in UK, and plans underway to manufacture in China.

One in eight solar installations include battery storage as the economics improves. SunWiz predicts that 33,000 household storage installations in 2018, with NSW leading the market but the best returns made in South Australia.

The Bureau of Meteorology's climate outlook for April to June is 'neutral', but that doesn't mean we're flying blind, weather-wise. Andrew B. Watkins, Manager of Long-range Forecast Services, Australian Bureau of Meteorology Felicity Gamble, Senior climatologist, Australian Bureau of Meteorology, Australian Bureau of Meteorology Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Chocolate is proof the universe loves us and wants us to be happy. Here's how to hunt up the best, most-sustainable and ethically-tasty chocolate eggs this Easter. Robert Edis, Soil Scientist, Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research Kanika Singh, Research Fellow, University of Sydney Richard Markham, Research Program Manager for Horticulture, Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Scientists have imaged a "transparent" galaxy that may have no dark matter.

Researchers from Australia’s leading marine science agency respond to criticism by two academics that doubts much of their work

Scientists at Australia’s leading marine science agency say an attack on the integrity of their research into threats to the Great Barrier Reef was flawed and based on “misinterpretation” and “selective use of data”.

The Australian Institute of Marine Science (Aims) researchers were responding to accusations made in November 2017 in a journal Marine Pollution Bulletin that claimed much of their work “should be viewed with some doubt”.

Continue reading...

Forestry Tasmania’s total cash losses were $454m over 20 years, with a write-down of $751m in value of forest estate

The first Tasmanian regional forest agreement, signed between the state and the commonwealth in 1997, was supposed to start an era in which forestry was both ecologically and economically sustainable.

In fact the last 20 years have been a financial disaster for forest management in Tasmania.

Continue reading...

Readers respond to Michael McCarthy’s article about the devastation caused by modern farming to insects and birds

Michael McCarthy is quite wrong when he says most people are unaware of the destruction of Britain’s wildlife (We’ve lost half our wildlife. But the damage can be reversed, 26 March). Even if you never visit the countryside, if you have any kind of garden you will be painfully aware of it. Twenty years ago my bird feeder nearly always had numerous birds on it (eight at a time was the record, I seem to remember). Now the peanuts wither and go black in the feeder. Then, we had many species; now, one pair of blackbirds, one pair of robins and a couple of greedy pigeons. Twenty years ago I saw a mother hedgehog parading through the garden trailing several babies. Now, I haven’t seen a hedgehog for at least a decade.

Up until a couple of years ago the frogs in my garden pond had their riotous mating ceremony around St Valentine’s Day, followed quickly by masses of spawn and then by innumerable tadpoles. Now the date has become variable but results in very little spawn, which after a couple of weeks collapses into featureless slime. The number of pond species has steeply declined and if you put (say) daphnia into a jar of pondwater, they all die instantly. The problem is, what do I do about it apart from writing letters to the Guardian? The government is quite obviously either totally uninterested or completely in the grip of the big chemical firms and the farming lobby. I am delighted to be told that the problem is reversible, and I’m sure it is, but not without a political revolution, of which I see absolutely no sign.
Jeremy Cushing
Exeter

Continue reading...

The government’s rejection of coal-mining in Northumberland is good news, says Marianne Birkby. Now they must follow up by rejecting plans for a new Cumbrian mine

What fantastic news that the government has rejected plans for an opencast coal mine in Northumberland (Javid rejects plan for opencast coalmine, 24 March).

This should put the nail firmly in the coffin of the plan for the first deep coalmine in the UK in 30 years. This would be at the proposed Woodhouse Colliery, which is north of Kendal (not south as wrongly located in your article) and under the Irish Sea off the beautiful coastline of St Bees.

Continue reading...

It may be one of the largest wildcats ever recorded, but it still looks much like a very large tabby

Name: The Beast of Clashindarroch.

Age: Unknown.

Continue reading...

If you live in the UK we’d like to hear what you think about bottle and can deposit schemes near you

The government has unveiled a deposit return scheme (DRS) covering glass, metal and plastic drinks containers in England. By returning bottles and cans consumers will receive a small cash sum, however retailers are responsible for recycling the items.

Continue reading...

A Manchester-led team tests the detector system it will use in Antarctica to find hidden iron meteorites.

A new international report makes for bleak reading on the state of the world's soils. It predicts that land degradation will displace up to 700 million people worldwide by mid-century. Abbas El-Zein, Professor of Environmental Engineering, University of Sydney Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

As spring arrives and campaigners in Sheffield win a temporary pause in tree felling, here’s a gallery of Friends of the Earth volunteers defending nature in local communities

Continue reading...

Parties plan to introduce separate motions for individual affected regions

Labor and the Greens have launched a fresh attempt to disallow controversial new marine park management plans proposed by the Turnbull government last week, bowling up individual motions to boost the chances of scuttling at least part of the proposal.

A first attempt to disallow the management plans failed on Tuesday night when the government brought on a vote after a procedural skirmish – deploying an unusual chamber tactic, effectively inviting the Senate to vote down the Coalition’s regulations.

Continue reading...

Project Pressure is a charity that has been working with renowned artists in a pioneering project to document the world’s vanishing glaciers. This week it brought its touring photographic exhibition to the Jockey Club Museum of Climate Change, Hong Kong, where visitors can experience the different types of glaciers found on each continent and take a video journey to see how glaciers are retreating

Continue reading...

A green coalition demands a review of health and environmental impacts of intensive animal farming ahead of budget talks next month

The EU is facing calls to overhaul its industrial farming sector by promoting more plant-based diets in the next common agricultural policy (CAP), as budget negotiations approach a crunch point.

Policy moves could face strong opposition from top officials who reportedly see “no evidence whatsoever” of large-scale linkages between livestock farming and greenhouse gas emissions.

Continue reading...

Single-Column Responsive Email Template SENG QLD Newsletter - April 2018 Welcome to Newsletter Number 71 Dear SENG Qld members and friends, On the 20th February, the 2018 SENG launch was held at the Green Beacon Brewing Co. This event provided the opportunity for new and existing members to network and discover what we each, individually and collectively, hope to deliver as SENG outcomes from this year's event program. Information was presented about the committee and the nomination process for available positions as SENG hopes to increase attendance, broaden input at meetings, and welcome new commitee members. The event very successfully provided members with the opportunity to learn from each other's industry experiences while making new connections with like-minded engineers from all disciplines. Following the evening's success, SENG plans to host similar networking presentations througout 2018. This month’s newsletter includes: Upcoming SENG Events 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. UPCOMING SENG EVENTS IN 2018 Our proposed event schedule is below, note that this may change due to the availability of speakers. . April/May - Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, what does it mean to deliver a 'Sustainable Event". July - WASTE - Closing the cycle - zero waste economy, this session will look at what is currently happening and how we can best manage our waste using the four R's as the basis. Confirmed speakers include: - Reduce - Richard Denniss - Curing Affluenza - Reuse - Nu Grow - Recycing and reuse opportunities - Recycle - to be confirmed - Recover - All Energy - Anaerobic digestion for energy recovery from organics September - Australians Renewable energy landscape An overview of the current renewable energy landscape in Australia and the direction it is heading. October - Annual Qld Environmental Engineering Student Awards Night 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 Note that these might change due to the availability of speakers and venue. Information on past events is available from our website. November - Standards and Sustainability How are changing standards affecting sustainability outcomes in the engineering/construction industry? Other Events Building A Wind-Farm: The Australian Context, held 11 April 2018 Large scale wind farms have been in operation within the country for over a decade, providing a reliable renewable energy source for Australia. This presentation aims to discuss the key project stages associated with building a wind farm in the Australian landscape. Read more or register here. Registration closes Tuesday 10th April, 16:00 OZWATER '18 is the the largest Australian gathering of water enthusiasts, held from 8 - 10 May 2018 at the Brisbane Convention Centre. The event is run for water professionals, policy-makers, students, scientists and researchers, and will display the latest water industry science, innovation, technology, products and services. Find out more 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. Thirsty Energy - Integrated Water and Energy Planning Aurecon Group Global Services Leader for Water Dr James Cullis, will present onthe outcomes of the World Bank’s Thirsty Energy Initiative during Ozwater '18. Using the recent water crisis in Capetown, South Africa to support the urgency for sustainable water management, Dr Cullis addresses the increasing importance of integrated water and energy planning as resources become more constrained. Read more here, or select the link to register for Ozwater '18. Record-Breaking Global Renewable Energy Divestment! The global energy sector is breaking records as it transitions steadily towards renewable energy dominance. Wind and solar power are at record low cost, somewhat explaining why 155 gigawatts (GW) of new wind and solar projects were installed globally last year. For some persepctive, 75GW is greater than Australia's total electricity power capacity. Find more uplifting facts from this great article here. No More Bad Investments - Presentation Recording Available A recording of Ian Dunlop's presentation on 'The Case for Emergency Action on Climate Change' from November 23rd's forum last year is now available here. The forum explored climate risk and examined the proposed No More Bad Investments (NMBI) model legislation drafted by Environment Justice Australia and Philip Sutton. The legislation’s purpose is to facilitate a transition to a ‘safe climate economy’ through the prevention of activities with adverse climate impacts, and through driving a transition to activities without these impacts. The NMBI Q&A document can be downloaded here. City by City – Climate Emergency Mobilisation Plans The Climate Mobilisation organisation have drafted implementation plans, uniquely targeting specific cities, to provide clear guidelines for shifting key sectors of the economy toward zero fossil fuel consumption. Read about the plans or register your own city to be considered for the next climate mobilisation plan here. New PFAS National Environmental Management Plan A National Environmental Management Plan addressing Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has been endorsed by Australia's Environment Ministers and released to the public. These substances were recently used in firefighting foams, cloth material treatments, paper products and electroplating, but have now been recognised as high risk to huan and environmental health. Find a copy of the PFAS NEMP here, as well as guidelines, a consultation summary report, and much more. EDO Win - New Acland Mine Expansion Rejected The Qld Environmental Defenders Office recently celebrated a cautious victory in one of Australia's highest environmental public interest case. In February 2018, the Environment Department in Queensland upheld an historic May 2017 Land Court decision refusing the New Acland Mine coal expansion, situated in fertile agricultural land in the Darling Downs. However, a judicial review application, to be heard 19 March 2018, may render the Land Court’s decision invalid. Stay tuned, read more here. Community Virtual Power Stations Lendlease have developed a new housing project with its own virtual power station (VPS). The solar and battery storage and energy monitoring system connects 67 homes into one power supply. the energy is monitored and managed, then dispatched to all. This allows neighbourhoods and communities to use electricity more intelligently and become more power-independent, by optimising supply and shifting demand patterns. Find more details here. Clean Energy Regulator's National Greenhouse and Energy Report The Clean Energy Regulator have released their 2016/2017 report regarding National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting data. Visit the website here to find factsheets outlining key findings regarding Australia's 10 highest greenhouse gas emitters, State and Territory emissions, changes in the Energy sector and much more. Household Wastewater May Disrupt Aquatic Ecology A range of evidence-based links within a study published in Elements, indicate that Pharmaeutical and Personal Care Pollution (PPCP) is harmful and potentially ecologically disruptive to aquatic life. These findings support the urgent need for investment and innovation in wastewater infrastructure and treatment facilities. Find out more here. Global Resources Company Shuns Coal Projects South32, a global resources company, are diverting their interests from thermal coal due to increase demand for renwables. Four coal mines in South Africa are to be sold. CEO Graham Kerr was quoted, saying that South32 and he "believe in climate change and that over time the world does need to de­carbonise". "Thermal coal is not for us". The tide is turning, read more here. Innovatively Greening Melbourne's West The Stony Creek project in Melbourne's West, known as Greening the West, aims to create a community green space by applying stormwater harvesting and tree planting principles. They plan to measure the project's success with a range of social and ecological crieteria. Find out more details of this innovative project here. Germany - Clean Energy Superpower Over the past three decades, Germany has cemented its role as a trendsetter for clean energy. See why. Prosecution: Individual Fined $45,000 for Illegal Waste Activities. A Mount Morgan land owner has been convicted and fined $45 000 in the Rockhampton Magistrates Court, on charges relating to the illegal storage and handling of regulated waste on his property. Read more here. Prosecution: $36,000 Fines and Costs for Unlawfully Transporting Asbestos. The Ipswich Magistrates Court imposed a $36 000 fine on an individual for unlawfully transporting asbestos and for failing to record the proper information about the transport in a waste transport certificate. The transport of asbestos is regulated because asbestos has the potential to release contaminants into the environment and cause harm to human health. Prosecution: $30,000 Fines and Costs for Contravening a Condition of Approval. The Beenleigh Magistrates Court imposed a $30 000 fine on a composting company for not managing dam water levels to prevent overflow, especially at a time of year when extreme weather events are common. The dam posed a risk of environmental harm to the catchment and nearby waterways. How many Children should you have if you Care About the Planet? How do you balance your desire to have kids with concerns about their impact on the environment? We get a range of perspectives on this thorny question. Read the full story. Queensland Waste Levy introduced to Curb Interstate Waste. A proposed new tax is targetting unscrupulous businesses transporting waste into Queensland to take advantage of the cheaper dumping fees. Read more here. introduced How do you balance your desire to have kids with concerns about their impact on the environment? We get a range of perspectives on this thorny question. Read the full story. 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. 2018 Young Environmental Engineer of the Year Award nominations are now open. Read about eligibilty requirements and judging criteria here. Nominations close 5pm Tuesday, 1 May 2018. Apply for the Award here. Drawdown EcoChallenge is a 21-day engagement program focused on carbon reduction, from April 4 - 25. Following actions highlighted in the book Drawdown, participants track and share their progress online in a spirit of comaraderie, friendly competition and fun, while promoting collective action. It's free for everyone to join a team, register a team, or join their community team. Find out more here 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