17 May 2012 – Actress Natalie Bassingthwaighte  opened an interactive art exhibition on Thursday at Sydney’s Customs House forecourt called, A World Without Petrol, which includes more than 40 recycled petrol bowsers fashioned into everyday items such as a huge water fountain, a coffee machine and gumball dispenser. Artist James Dive was inspired by the electric car revolution in creating the works.  
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16 May 2012 – The International Organisation for Standardisation has created a standard it claims will increase productivity while reducing environmental impact. The standard, ISO 14051:2011, environmental management – material flow cost accounting – general framework, helps organisations to better understand the environmental and financial consequences of their material and energy use practices. See details  
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16 May 2012 – An electric vehicle charging station outside Holden’s head office in Port Melbourne which started operating today (Wednesday) signalled how innovation was creating more environmentally-friendly transport choices for motorists, the Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Greg Combet said. Mr Combet joined Melbourne’s Lord Mayor Robert Doyle, Holden’s executive director of engineering Greg Tyus and ChargePoint chief executive officer James Brown to plug in a Holden Volt electric car. “Transport accounts for 15 per cent of Australia’s annual greenhouse gas emissions. That means more fuel-efficient and environmentally-friendly vehicles will play an important role in moving to a low-pollution future,” Mr Combet said.  
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16 May 2012 – Building company Australian Living which specialises in sustainable homes, is calling for nominations for the best 50 sustainable building leaders. You can vote for more than one nominee by the closing date of 31 May.  For details on voting  
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16 May 2012 – CBRE has been recognised for corporate social responsibility with an award from the Information Services Group and the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals. CBRE ‘s selection was based on achievements such as becoming the first carbon-neutral global real estate outsourcing firm, markedly increasing corporate and employee giving to charitable and community organisations, and improving its ethics and compliance program. The independent judging panel, chaired by Dr. Bill Hefley of the University of Pittsburgh said; “CBRE’s broad and varied initiatives in corporate social responsibility far extend beyond simple reporting and chest-beating to being demonstrably an integral part of their everyday business.”  
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16 May 2012 – from The Guardian:A network of ultra-conservative groups is ramping up an offensive on multiple fronts to turn the American public against wind farms and US President’s Barack Obama’s energy agenda. A number of rightwing organisations, including Americans for Prosperity, which is funded by the billionaire Koch brothers, are attacking Obama for his support for solar and wind power. The American Legislative Exchange Council has drafted bills to overturn state laws promoting wind energy. A confidential memo seen by The Guardian advises using “subversion” to build a national movement of wind farm protesters. See full article  
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16 May 2012 – Infrastructure works will start in September on The Chimneys – a sustainable residential village south of Port Macquarie, NSW. Port Macquarie-Hastings Council has approved the 14 hectare site comprising  64 lots with average lot size  of 650 square metres. The solar powered development that will be self-reliant for potable water and sewage treatment.  Each dwelling will generate some green energy fed back to the grid. Architects, planners and owners Ian Bailey and Annie Georgeson have nominated Mitchell Builders as the developer.  An architectural competition for the best design of the first three dwellings is expected to be announced in August. See story  
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15 May 2012 – Lend Lease will challenge the uber-sustainability profile of Grocon with its own 10-storey timber building to be launched on Friday at 807 Bourke Street, Docklands, Melbourne. Lend Lease’s chief executive officer for the Australian business Mark Menhinnitt said the project would “unlock a new era for sustainable development by offering a viable alternative to traditional construction options which are carbon intensive.” See our story on Grocon’s plans, announced in March last year, for a a 10-storey carbon neutral residential apartment building built from a high tech sustainably sourced laminated timber fabric: Grocon reaches for a resi star to rival Pixel  
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15 May 2012 – Environmental activist and businessman Geoffrey Cousins, a former chief executive officer of Optus and George Patterson Australia as well as consultant to former Prime Minister, John Howard will be a guest at a lunch on 7 June in Sydney run by the  NSW division of the Property Council of Australia. The Australian’s Imre Salusinszky will interview Mr Cousins on topics including his efforts to lead the public case in 2007 to block the Tasmanian pulp mill planned by Gunns. The event is at the Westin Hotel, Grand Ballroom, No. 1 Martin Place at noon. See details  
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11 May 2012 – The Victorian Government said today it had slashed red tape for planning. Key measures involved: Reform of the planning scheme amendment (rezoning) process – reducing the number of steps and the length of time involved A code assessment track for simple, low-impact permit applications Reform zones and planning provisions to simplify complex and lengthy regulations A review of the Farming Zone to give more flexibility to Victoria’s farmers and rural communities An increase in performance accountability for local councils and state referral authorities. The Victorian Planning System Ministerial Advisory Committee received 547 written submissions, and held meetings with over 130 individuals, groups, associations, peak bodies and local councils during 2011, Planning Minister Matthew Guy said. Details www.dpcd.vic.gov.au/planning  
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8 May 2012 – Abstracts are needed for the Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Airconditioning and Heating conference, “achieving the green dream”, in Sydney from 11-12 September. Conference committee chair Nathan Groenhout, said the conference was about recognising the barriers to best-practice sustainable design, and leading industry towards a re-emphasis on getting the HVAC engineering basics right. Topics for the 200-300 word abstracts may include: design pitfalls, solutions and options; technology implementation and practices, lessons and challenges; translating design into construction and installation; Installation, commercial impacts, challenges and success stories; air tightness of buildings and energy modelling All abstracts including a 50-100 word author bio should be sent to kristy@airah.org.au by 8 June. Details  
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8 May 2012 – Australian journalist and former Asia business editor for CNN, Geoff Hiscock explores the global competition for scarce natural resources that pits the west against China and India and other contenders including Russia, Brazil, and Indonesia in his book, Earth Wars:The Battle for Global Resources. Hiscock describes the pressure on energy, metals, food and water and the response of developed nations such as the US, Japan, and Europe. Whether it is the rare metal lithium found in salt pans in the Andes, gas from the Caspian Sea, oil off the coast of Brazil, coal from Africa’s Zambezi River, or uranium from Kazakhstan, China and India are desperate to ensure the security of their future energy supplies, he says. The same goes for food and water, as contamination and over-use take their toll, the need to provide continued access for the next generation and beyond has increased exponentially.  The book looks at the problems, potential solutions, and inevitable tensions... 
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8 May 2012 –Planning Institute of Australia president Dyan Currie in welcoming funding from the federal government’s $20 million Liveable Cities program has called for such schemes to be ongoing. “The real value of good planning will be evident if these projects are not just funded but evaluated in the medium and long term as well,” Ms Currie said. The federal government has earmarked $400,000 towards a redevelopment blueprint for Melbourne’s Southbank, $320,000 towards a transport project in Launceston, $500,000 to the ACT Government for a major planning project for the city’s CBD and $250,000 towards the Darwin CBD Masterplan.  
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8 May 2012 – Victorians have been asked to comment on metropolitan planning in the next step towards a shared vision for the state. Planning Minister Matthew Guy said: “Our new strategy must be able to be rolled out in a way that meets short, medium and long-term goals, and, above all, unites our community.” A new ministerial advisory committee will coordinate the strategy, chaired by Melbourne-based international urban planner Professor Roz Hansen. The strategy will take a long-term view of growth and change across Melbourne and its influence on and relationship with regional Victoria, other Australian capital cities and internationally. For more information  
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3 May 2012 – The NSW Government has released a discussion paper for contribution to a new metropolitan strategy for Sydney over the next 20 years.. “Throughout the year the Department of Planning & Infrastructure will consult with communities, residents, businesses, workers, government and industry about what people want from Sydney,” an announcement form the Department of Planning and Infrastructure said. A draft strategy will follow in mid-late 2012. A final document will be released following community consultation. For details see: Sydney Over the Next 20 Years The Discussion paper  
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3 May 2012 – A revised national carbon offset standard allows businesses to offset their products with pollution reduction under the government’s Carbon Farming Initiative. Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Mark Dreyfus said the standard was revised in light of the Clean Energy Future package and the CFI. “Carbon credits created under the CFI can now be used to meet carbon neutral commitments under the NCOS – providing another market for landholders who voluntarily undertake greenhouse gas abatement activities,” Mr Dreyfus said. The revised standard also allows carbon credits issued under the government’s previous Greenhouse Friendly scheme to be used to offset emissions under the NCOS.  
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2 May 2012 – The federal Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities is calling for public comment on the effectiveness of its report Australia State of the Environment 2011 which was published last December. See the survey See full report  
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1 May 2012 – Alltech will recruit up to 20 applicants annually for its new graduate development program for future managerial and leadership positions in the global agribusiness company. The graduates will have the chance to work with some of the world’s specialists in the fields of science, aquaculture, marketing, veterinary science, business and biotechnology. The 12-month, salaried, executive program will begin with training in Alltech’s European bioscience centre in Dunboyne, Ireland and its headquarters in Lexington, Kentucky, US.  Graduates will then continue training while simultaneously managing key company projects in one of its 128 offices around the world. Details  
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1 May 2012 – Sydney’s $500 million Darling Quarter precinct won 7 awards at the 2012 Asia Pacific Property Awards in Malaysia on 27 April. The development was hailed the best leisure development in Asia Pacific– particularly for its integrated family/leisure precinct.  The precinct is a collaboration between Lend Lease and the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority. Lend Lease received an extra four awards for the development, which was judged best Australian project in leisure, mixed use and office development and office interior categories. It was also recognised for excellence in architecture, with project architects, FJMT receiving awards for best Australian project in the mixed use architecture and office architecture categories.  
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1 May 2012 – Professor Don Cleland from New Zealand’s Massey University will speak about the increasing complexity of choosing refrigerants when adapting to low carbon, at the Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Airconditioning and Heating conference in Brisbane on 14 July. Professor Cleland, head of the school of engineering and advanced technology at Massey, will examine the constraints in choosing refrigerants for large and small-scale applications, and identify options for the future for both new and retrofit applications. For details and to register  
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1 May 2012 – The New Zealand based greenhouse gas certification company, carboNZero Holdings, has become the first non-UK company to provide accredited certification for product carbon footprints under the British Standard Institute’s PAS 2050. carboNZero Holdings technical general manager, Ann Smith, said: “Our product certification offerings, now in accordance with PAS 2050 guidelines, ensures our clients are in parallel with international best practice so that organisations can extend the scope of their carbon footprints to include the impact of goods and services they produce.” Businesses can use the Certified Emissions Measurement and Reduction Scheme and carboNZero certification to show that their product footprint is in accordance with PAS 2050 including GHG emissions reduction and offsetting activities.  
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1 May 2012 – Australian company Barefoot Power which provides affordable solar power products for Africa’s poor has been selected with seven other organisations as a finalist for the 2012 Ashden Awards, the world’s leading green energy prize. The seven finalists – the others are from India, Indonesia, Cambodia, Peru and Afghanistan – will compete for more than $188,000 prize money  The winners will be announced on 30 May 2012 at a ceremony in the Royal Geographical Society, London. The non for-profit enterprise Barefoot Power produces products ranging from single desk lamps to complete kits for use by community homes, clinics and schools. With links to microfinance organisations, Barefoot has sold more than 300,000 lanterns and lighting kits to the rural poor in Kenya, Uganda and elsewhere.  
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26 April 2012  – The Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency will launch a guide to heating, ventilation, airconditioning/high energy system strategy at the ARBS 2012 exhibition and conference in Melbourne on 8 May. The HVAC High Energy System Strategy is a 10 year strategy under the joint Commonwealth, State and Territory National Strategy on Energy Efficiency. It focuses on ways to achieve long-term energy efficiency improvements in the installation, operation and maintenance of the HVAC systems in commercial buildings. The DCCE  has developed the HVAC/HESS Guide to Best Practice Maintenance and Operations of HVAC Systems for Energy Efficiency for typical HVAC systems installed in commercial office buildings. Target audience comprises building owners, facility managers, building occupants, maintenance service providers, maintenance technicians, control and commissioning specialists, design engineers and energy maintenance auditors. Dr Andrew Ivory of the Commercial Building... 
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18 April 2012 – US based green buildings expert Jerry Yudelson will be keynote speaker at the Air Conditioning, Refrigeration and Building Services Trade Exhibition at Melbourne’s Convention and Exhibition Centre from 7-9 May. Based on two years of research for a forthcoming book, The World’s Greenest Buildings, Mr Yudelson  will reveal how five of Australia’s six star Green Star commercial buildings are performing on energy and water consumption. He will also discuss design strategies for achieving zero-net-energy buildings by 2030. The talk is at 11am on Monday 7 May. ·         See  Yudelson on The need for big, scary, and audacious goals in buildings Other speakers include Donald Payne, Harry Barron, Simon Bradwell, Anthony Calderone, Ania Hampton, Ashak Nathwani, Roger Kluske, Robert Milagre and Bruce Precious. Topics range from the latest on indoor air quality, the environment being the biggest loser in the landlord vs tenant issue and a retrofit case study of 179... 
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17 April 2012 – Australia is expected to meet its Kyoto Protocol target of limiting growth in carbon pollution according to the latest National Greenhouse Accounts  from the  Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency. The Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Greg Combet, said the accounts showed Australia’s national inventory total of emissions of greenhouse gases increased by 0.6 per cent to 546 million tonnes over the year to December 2011. Emissions from the electricity generation sector rose by 50 per cent from 1990 to 2011, the strongest growth of all sectors in Australia. See reports  
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10 April 2012 – Data produced at a new NSW research institute is expected to help determine the impact of climate change on land and water. The Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment at the University of Western Sydney was opened by the Minister for Science and Research, Senator Chris Evans on 4 April. “The facilities at the institute act as a climatic time machine that will give scientists unique access to study the effects of elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide, changed rainfall patterns and rising temperatures on the environment,” Senator Evans said. “Australia’s record in science and research is significant and our future potential in projects like the Synchrotron and the SKA radio telescope right through to climate change research at the Hawkesbury Institute means our strong record will continue,” he said. The institute was established with $40 million from the federal government and $15 million from The University of Western Sydney. See details  
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9 April 2012 – Despite the concerns raised by the Obama administration about the effect of CO2 on global warming, on Monday the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced their decision to delay some limitations they were planning for coal fired plants and heavy industry smokestacks for at least a year. According to a report on Reuters UK, spokesperson Lisa Jackson’s statement included quotes from a letter by Senator Jay Rockefeller (Democrat) of coal-rich West Virginia, who expressed concerns about the economic repercussions caused by carbon emission and reduction regulations. Senator Rockefeller plans to introduce legislation allowing Congress to impose a temporary pause on EPA regulations for two to three years. See the whole story  
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10 April 2012 –From Treehugger A set of crazy looking new era windpower generators to beat the anti windpower lobby with quiet turbines, no blades and even almost invisible versions starting to hit the market. One of these turbines, shown here, floats high in the sky, tethered to the ground. One version is from Australia, profiled here last year. Read the whole story  
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3 April 2012 – Adelaide City Council has released its draft residential growth policy and strategy 2012-2016 for public consultation, with comments due by 1 May. It proposes strategies to broaden the range of housing on offer, encourage more people to live in the city and to support a more sustainable social mix. With the council aiming to increase the city’s population to around 48,000 by 2040 – in line with targets set out in the 30 year plan for Greater Adelaide, the draft policy and strategy are intended to guide council action on residential population growth. See http://yoursay.adelaidecitycouncil.com  
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3 April 2012 – Nominations are open for the Green Globe Awards – the State’s premier environmental awards. The awards cover 12 categories in energy efficiency, waste and environmental sustainability initiatives. The awards will be presented at a reception at NSW Parliament House in September. Nominations are open until 5pm on Thursday 7 June 2012. See  
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