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Thermal mess

By Tina Perinotto 13 April 2011 – Energy efficient buildings, low carbon cement and low carbon energy are just some of the areas that will get a kicker from the carbon tax, Climate Change Minister Greg Combet told the Press Club today in his speech... 
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By Tina Perinotto 15 April 2011 – Consult Australia has joined a coalition of major companies employing more than 120,000 people voicing support for a price on carbon. And the Property Council of Australia has said it has supported a carbon scheme... 
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14 April 2011  – Google said it will invest US$168 million investment in Brightsource Energy’s Ivanpah solar power plant in the Mojave desert in California. According to Treehugger, the the solar farm will have a capacity of 392 MW, or the equivalent... 
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by Michael Shaw 19 Jan 2011  – FAVOURITES – The energy efficiency requirements in the Building Code of Australia became more stringent for commercial buildings on 1 May 2010.  With the exception of Tasmania and the Northern Territory, the revised... 
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By Geoff Lazarus 7 April 2011: It’s impossible not to love the magnificent scenery and spectacular glacial mountains of Milford Sound on New Zealand”s South Island. I began to think it would be a great place to retire to, but its isolation... 
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by Tina Perinotto FA VOURITES – 8 October 2010 – Property industry, roll up your sleeves. You have truckloads of work to do. At least if the government takes up some of the recommendations now on its desk. On Friday, after months –... 
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In energy efficiency land they’re really busy By Tina Perinotto 31 March  2011 – Busy? That isn’t the word for it, says Paul Bannister,  highly regarded building engineer,  managing director of energy efficiency experts Exergy and a key... 
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31 March 2011 – More than 50 units of the Australian pioneered fuel cell technology BlueGen have been installed globally with 75 more units under order including 30 in Australia, according to the manufacturer of the unit, Ceramic Fuel Cells Ltd. However,... 
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By Chris Taylor 17 March – The Forest Stewardship Council is becoming wedged in the middle of a battle between environmentalists and Australia’s largest paper manufacturer. The Wilderness Society launched its campaign in February against Australian... 
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16 March 2011 – As the bleak news from Japan continues and a nuclear catastrophe threatens, Prudential Financial today said its foundation, The Prudential Foundation, will contribute 500 million yen, $6.1 million, to support relief efforts. “Our thoughts... 
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By Lyn Drummond 16 March 2011 – A carbon tax could cut business costs according to Energetics founder and executive director, Jonathan Jutsen. While Mr Jutsen agrees that a carbon tax will increase business costs, the overall impact on  operations... 
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By Craig Roussac 10 March 2011 – Electricity use in Sydney office buildings can more than double in extreme heat, but responsive management can keep a lid on greenhouse emission, research by conducted by the Green Buildings Alive project has found Growing... 
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By Lynne Blundell 11 March 2011 –The nuclear power debate was an interesting and provocative inclusion at the Green Cities conference this year. Australia has remained staunchly anti-nuclear for decades while other countries such as France, Germany... 
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3 February 2011 – The fossil fuel industry receives a whacking huge $10 billion a year or more in subsidies. And these subsidies are firm and solid – built into the tax system as automatic deductions or rebates or exemptions for taxpayers, corporate... 
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1 March  2011 – Federal Independent MP Tony Windsor this week launched new research from the Climate Institute to show regional potential clean energy resources available from carbon pollution pricing and clean energy policies, but outlines pathways... 
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By Tina Perinotto 25 February 2011 –UPDATED – The Australian Financial Review today said in its editorial that it was time to “stop playing political games” with the carbon price issue., despite the ructions its introduction was bound... 
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From The Economist: 21 February 2011 – THE planet-wide industrial exhalation of previously fossilised carbon is not the only way that humans are changing the Earth’s climate. There are other greenhouse gases, other atmospheric pollutants, the effects... 
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by Lynne Blundell 15 February 2011 – A visit to Hong Kong and China inevitably leads to thoughts of urban planning and the realities of high density living. Lynne Blundell returned from such a trip and has looked at research that challenges the current... 
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3 March 2011 –CASE STUDY: The landmark former Optus Building in North Sydney building has achieved a five star NABERS energy rating following its $40 million refurbishment in 2007-2008. The property at 101 Miller Street, owned by Mirvac Funds Limited... 
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By Tina Perinotto 16 February 2011 – The Total Environment Centre on Wednesday called on government to embrace energy efficiency along with a carbon price, after reports in Fairfax newspapers said some energy efficiency schemes had wasted billions of... 
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From Michael Green, The Sydney Morning Herald, Domain: 16 February 2011 – Hundreds of thousands of new homes across the country are not performing at their promised energy efficiency rating. The result is residents are using up to double the predicted... 
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By Tina Perinotto 9 February 2011 – Australia is way off course on its hopes to cut greenhouse gas emissions, making a carbon price and other measures essential, Federal Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency Greg Combet said Read More >... 
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6 April – Case study: Energy management software company BuildingIQ claims it has reduced energy costs by up to 30 per cent daily in total base building energy in a trial during event days in the historic Perth Council House The company said it... 
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28 January 2011 – The federal government should fund the flood recovery program by ending fossil fuel tax breaks and subsidies that cost the Australia taxpayer $5 billion a year and go mostly to the pockets of the mining industry, the Australian... 
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28 January 2011 – An Australian solar hot water supplier has reassured consumers that the cuts to green programs announced on Thursday to help pay for the Queensland  floods will not affect the federal government’s solar hot water rebates. National... 
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From Climate Spectator – 23 January 2011 – It seems that governments everywhere are continuing to grossly underestimate the enthusiasm for rooftop solar. The NSW government has been so overwhelmed by applications to install rooftop solar... 
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By Leon Gettler Special report:  21 January 2011 – With more extreme weather events expected, the Queensland flood crisis could represent the “new normal” that will challenge the property market. Experts have told The Fifth Estate that planning... 
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19 January 2011 – An innovative  social network website SolaMaps is connecting solar power users around the world. “While NASA and Google provided snapshots of the Earth brilliantly lit by the burning glow of consuming energy,  SolaMaps... 
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18 January 2011 – Australia’s GDP may fall and vegetable prices will soar, but some industries are poised to benefit from the flood disaster in Queensland and northern NSW, according to business information analysts IBISWorld. IBISWorld today... 
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By Tina Perinotto 14 January 2011 – The Planning Institute of Australia said on Friday that the Queensland flood crisis had focused the need for climate change to be considered in planning for the future and proved that modern planning protocols... 
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