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SENG QLD Newsletter - April 2019
Welcome to Newsletter Number 77 Dear SENG Qld members and friends,
Our upcoming Ocean Sink and Energy Storage event is on Tuesday 7th May at Hawken Auditorium, Engineering House, 447 Upper Edward St in Spring Hill, Brisbane. The speaker is Dr Brian Von Herzen, founder of the Climate Foundation who develop sustainable approaches for balancing environmental carbon cycling. Brian will discuss ocean sink and energy storage applications, and their potential impacts upon Australian and global energy. This will be an enjoyable and informative social event, we hope you can join us. Find more details below. 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!
Kind regards,
Sustainable Engineering Society
Qld Branch Engineers Australia.
Upcoming SENG Events
Climate and Carbon Challenges
Date: Thursday 11 April, 2019 Time: 17:30 - 20:15 Presenter: Assoc. Prof. Malte Meinshausen and Mr Tom Yankos Venue: Engineers Australia, Level 31, 600 Bourke St Melbourne Cost: $30 (Free for SENG members and students)
This SENG VIC event will examine Australia's challenges and opportunities when meeting the goals of the Paris Climate Accord 2015. Presented by Assoc. Prof. Malte Meinshausen and Mr Tom Yankos, the evening will address topics including current scientific climate findings and emmission trends, engineering difficulties reducing carbon dependence, possible consequences, and adaption strategies. To find out more and register, click here.
Ocean Sink and Energy Storage
Date: Tuesday 7th May, 2019 Time: 5:30 for 6:00 - 7:30 pm Presenter: Dr. Brian Von Herzen Venue: Hawken Auditorium, Engineering House, 447 Upper Edward St, Spting Hill, BRISBANE Cost: TBA Brian Von Herzen, Ph.D will be speaking on the topic of ocean sink and energy storage. A method which enables affordable energy transition and low cost of storage as well as high energy efficiency. Von Herzen will discuss ocean sink and energy storage applications in Australia, and how it will influence the future of energy and electricity globally.
Brian Von Herzen is the founder of the Climate Foundation. The Climate Foundation is dedicated to educating and empowering people to balance carbon on land and sea on a global basis. They have developed several sustainable approaches to balancing carbon in the environment. Once society adopts sustainable practices and substantially reduces carbon emissions in our lifetimes, the Climate Foundation believe it is still possible to reverse the man-made factors leading to climate disruption.
The Sustainable Hydrogen/Ammonia Economy
Date: Tuesday 7th May, 2019 Time: Starts at 17:30 Presenter: Dr. Patrick Hartley and Mr Tom Campey Venue: Engineers Australia, Level 31, 600 Bourke St Melbourne Cost: TBA This seminar will discuss the the engineering profession's role in influencing rapid tranisition to an economically sustainable domestic and export Hydrogen energy system. The presenters wil focus upon the National Hydrogen Roadmap and discuss the Hydrogen Strategy Group's brief (Hydrogen for Australia's Future) for the COAG Energy Council. Find out more and register here.
The Future of Infrastructure Sustaonability on Queenmsland
Date: Tuesday 11th June, 2019 Time: 5:00 for 5:30 - 7:00 pm Presenter: Panel Speakers Venue: Hawken Auditorium, Engineering House, 447 Upper Edward St, Spring Hill, BRISBANE Cost: TBA An increasing number of Queensland projects are pursuing infrastructure sustainability outcomes and ratings through the Infrastructure Sustainability Council of Australia (ISCA) Infrastructure Sustainability (IS) Rating, This session draws a selection of industry practitioners and leaders together, to share their experiences driving sustainable outcomes across infrastructure projects.
Other Events
EcoCentre Forum: Introduction to the Sustainable Development Goals 3rd April 2019 Griffith University EcoCentre N68 Nathan Campus This free event is a great introduction to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG's) set by the United Nations in 2015. These goals have been agreed on by 193 countries and set the agenda for protecting the planet, ending poverty, and growing peace and prosperity. Principle speaker Ms Delwyn Langdon and speaker Ms Mary-lou Kelly will be discussing the SDG's from an international level as well as the challenges and opportunities in localising these goals. Held between 5.30 pm and 8.00 pm this event is well worth the time. Find out more about the event here.
IAIA19 - EVOLUTION or Revolution: Where Next for Impact Assessment? 29 April - 2 May 2019 Brisbane Convention Centre Suite 3 Tonella Commercial Centre This event is hosted by the International Association for Impact Assessment and will address some of the challenges facing Impact Assessments in the 21st Century. These include attacks from project and policy proponents for impeding the development of projects, and also from environmental and community criticising impact assessments for failing to meaningfully influence project decision-making processes and protect environmental and social values. Both groups criticise impact assessments for being costly, overly procedural and political, and question the value it adds to development and environmental outcomes. Find out more about the event here.
World Engineers Convention Australia 2019 20 - 22 November 2019 Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre 1 Convention Centre Place, South Wharf, VIC Co-hosted by Engineers Australia and the World Fderation of Engineering Organizations, this event comprises a waste summit conference, a wastewater summit and waste evolution seminars. The waste summit conference will include case study presentations, ministerial addresses, panel discussion and keynote presentation. The wastewater summit will confront the challenges and opportunities in wastewater treatment through technology, strategy and compliance. The waste evolution seminars showcase new technologies, products and processes touted to change waste management and resource recovery in the near future. Find out more and register 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.
EDO Speaks Before Queensland Parliament On the 4th of March, the principle solicitor of the Environmental Defenders Office Qld Sean Ryan spoke before Queensland Parliament in support of the Mineral Resources (Galilee Basin) Amendment Bill 2018. Key aspects of the bill include the termination of existing coal mining leases for land in the Galilee Basin as well as prohibiting the granting of new coal mining leases for this area. Sean Ryan informed the parliament that while the Environmental Defenders Office Qld supports the bill they believe it does not go far enough, noting that in order to save 10% to 30% of the Great Barrier Reef global warming must be kept below 1.5 degrees. Read more here.
Time for Honesty on Climate and Energy Policy With feedback loops such as the instability of arctic weather conditions beginning to take effect the need to transition away from coal has never been more critical. The social disruption and economic consequences of climate change are already resulting in extensive forced migration and economic collapse. Read the full article by former international oil, gas and coal executive Ian Dunlop here.
Earth Hour 2019 Earth Hour will be held on the 30th of March 2019 with millions of people around the world switching of their lights in support of stronger climate change action. Sign up to switch off at 8.30pm on Saturday the 30th of March 2019 here. China's Import Waste Ban The impacts of China's ban from importing foreign recyclable waste is causing many challenges and opportunities for waste systems in Australia and around the sorld. Approximately 620,000 tonnes of Australian waste will need to be processed onshore in 2019. However it is expected that this decision will encourage stronger recycling systems to emerge within Australia. Read more here about the impacts of China's import waste ban.
Awards and Open for Comment
National Hydrogen Strategy Call for Submissions - The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Energy Council requests your input to inform the National Hydrogen Strategy. Your submissions will inform the thinking of the COAG Energy Council Working Group, headed by Australia's Chief Scientist, and will influence the direction of the strategy. To access the relevant documents and make a submission follow this link. Submissions open now and close on the 28th of March 2019.
Review of Queensland's Environmental Offsets Framework Discussion Paper - The Department of Environment and Science have released the "Review of Queensland's Environmental Offsets Framework Discussion Paper" for comment. While the primary focus of the review is on the offsets and how they relate to the current environmental offsets framework the Queensland Government continues to examine the potential for a new water-quality offsets framework as recommended by the Great Barrier Reef Water Science Taskforce. Follow this link to read more and learn how to make a submission. Submissions are due by 5pm 15th of April 2019.
Sign the Climate Emergency Declaration Act now and sign the Climate Emergency Declaration. The Climate Emergency Declaration will call on national, state, and local governments to declare a climate emergency. Read and sign the Climate Emergency Declaration here. Please sign this three-level of government petition even if you have already signed the earlier petition with actions data to the federal parliament.
Moment for Action
Sign the petition
David's Blog
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China’s leaders have championed milk as the emblem of a modern, affluent society – but their radical plan to triple the nation’s consumption will have a huge environmental cost.
By Felicity Lawrence
Beijing-based film-maker Jian Yi, now 43, clearly remembers the arrival of fresh milk in his life. It was an image of it, not the real thing. “It was the 1990s, and I first saw it in an advert on TV. The ad said explicitly that drinking milk would save the nation. It would make China stronger and better able to survive competition from other nations.”
Like most ethnic Han, who make up about 95% of the population, Jian was congenitally lactose-intolerant, meaning milk was hard to digest. His parents did not consume dairy at all when they were growing up; China’s economy was closed to the global market and its own production very limited. Throughout the Mao era, milk was in short supply and rationed to those deemed to have a special need: infants and the elderly, athletes and party cadres above a certain grade. Through most of the imperial dynasties until the 20th century, milk was generally shunned as the slightly disgusting food of the barbarian invaders. Foreigners brought cows to the port cities that had been ceded to them by the Chinese in the opium wars of the 19th century, and a few groups such as Mongolian pastoralists used milk that was fermented, but it was not part of the typical Chinese diet.
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