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Readers react to George Monbiot’s article on dropping meat and dairy, news about Sainsbury’s selling vegan ‘fake meats’ , and a report on meat being found in vegan and vegetarian meals

Alongside George Monbiot’s suggestion (Want to save the planet? Drop meat and dairy, 8 June), another way to reduce greenhouse gases is to stop keeping pets. It’s been calculated that an average dog has an ecological footprint twice as large as that of a large car.

Like meat-eating, pet ownership is nowadays encouraged by a vast industry; the pet insurance sector alone is said to generate more of Britain’s GDP than fishing does. The production of pet food, provision of veterinary services and breeding the creatures are big businesses, all with an interest in promoting the alleged benefits of owning a furry friend.

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With the first 500mph runs now pushed back to mid-2019, there is more time to prepare the world's first supersonic car.

EU carbon prices dropped below €15 for the first time in almost two weeks on Tuesday as a weak auction result suggested the market could struggle to absorb the wave of heightened volume ahead.

Single-Column Responsive Email Template Newsletter #1 - June 2018 Welcome to the WA SENG Division Newsletter I am pleased to announce that the planning committee for WA's SENG Division has reformed and is busily organising events and technical sessions for its members. Read on for further information about how you can get involved with the WA SENG committee, as well as information about our upcoming event on 20 June 2018. If you have any feedback regarding what you would like WA SENG to be doing more of, please let me know at info@seng.org.au Michelle North Co-chair, WA SENG Division WA SENG June 2018 Event: Implementation of EEI - Anammox process for wastewater treatment Cost: FREE to SENG and EA Members, $30 for non-members, Register here Speaker: Dr Raj Kurup PhD FIEAust CPEng NER APEC Engineer IntPE(Aus) GAICD - CEO, Environmental Engineers International Pty Ltd (EEI) Date/Time: Wednesday 20 June 2018, 5.00pm (for 5.30 pm start) Venue: Engineers Australia WA Auditorium, 712 Murray Street, West Perth Nominations for WA SENG Committee SENG is a voluntary body of professionals in the Sustainability and Environmental Engineering fields. The SENG Divisions throughout Australia provide comment on sustainability related issues, as well as deliver Engineers Australia's Environmental College’s continuous professional development by organising technical presentations, workshops and symposia. Nominations are invited for those wishing to contribute as Members of the SENG WA Committee in the year 2018/2019. To nominate for the committee, please send a brief cover note and CV to info@seng.org.au. Being a Member of the SENG Committee involves attending a Society committee meeting once a month at the WA Division office of Engineers Australia and may also involve: Fulfilling one of the positions on the committee, e.g. Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer Assisting in organising the regular technical sessions Assisting in organising other events, such as site visits, workshops or training courses Liaising with WA Division office of Engineers Australia Maintaining SENG WA’s webpages Coordinating and editing SENG WA’s e-newsletters Liaising with organisations in similar fields such as Water Panel, EWB, WMAA, EIANZ, QELA, AWA, etc. Reviewing documents or responding to requests to SENG Commenting on current issues in the Sustainability and Environmental fields. If you have any questions, please contact Michelle North at info@seng.org.au. Update on Engineers Australia's Environmental College Board WA SENG Division's co-chairs, Michelle North and Patrick Coffey are also members of the Environmental College Board of Engineers Australia. Michelle and Patrick attended the College's annual face-to-face board meeting on 29 May 2018 in Sydney. The Environmental College is working with SENG to promote awareness, advocate for positive change, and provide training and knowledge to all engineers and environmental professionals to implement sustainable solutions. At the May 2018 board meeting, the College reviewed its strategic plan and discussed the development of a training presentation to highlight the importance of sustainability and the urgency for action. SENG and the Environmental College were heavily involved in the development of Engineers Australia's Climate Change and Sustainability Polices and it is worth re-familiarising yourselves with them here. Together, we are now driving the implementation of actions that support these policies. If you can't view this email click here to view online Click here to unsubscribe from this newsletter

Australia’s Paris Agreement commitment is “grossly inadequate” and the target would have to be dramatically ramped up for the coal-reliant nation to do its fair share to keep climate change under control, a report found Tuesday.

How significant is the agreement signed by US President Trump and North Korea's leader Kim Jong-Un for regional security?

Are we doomed to societal collapse? Not if we break the mould of ever-greater production and consumption

Enough concrete has been produced to cover the entire surface of the Earth in a layer two millimetres thick. Enough plastic has been manufactured to clingfilm it as well. We produce 4.8bn tonnes of our top five crops, plus 4.8 billion head of livestock, annually. There are 1.2bn motor vehicles, 2bn personal computers, and more mobile phones than the 7.5 billion people on Earth.

The result of all this production and consumption is a chronic, escalating, many-sided environmental crisis. From rapid climate change to species extinctions to microplastics in every ocean, these impacts are now so large that many scientists have concluded that we have entered a new human-dominated geological period called the Anthropocene.

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Committee was set up by former prime minister Tony Abbott to handle complaints about wind turbine noise

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An independent scientific committee on wind turbines established by the Coalition in 2015 failed to hold one face-to-face meeting last year and failed to have its research accepted by peer-reviewed journals.

The independent scientific committee on wind turbines was created to advise on the science of potential impacts of wind turbines on people’s health.

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Utility owned by Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway signs deal to build 1GW+ new large-scale solar in Nevada, with power purchase agreements starting at $US21.55/MWh – a record low in the US.

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