Housing in the desert, a desert forming in the building industry and windcatchers and windows to cool the place down Read More > >  
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By Lyn Drummond 10 February 2012  – Convincing customers to buy an apartment in the Commons, an eight star apartment building in Melbourne was an education in sustainability for real estate agent Onder Ozmetin. Now, the agent admitted to The Fifth... 
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By Tina Perinotto 9 February 2012 – Sustainability Victoria will call tenders for the sale of its FirstRate5 residential thermal rating tool, but only private industry need apply, it seems. Newly appointed chief executive officer of SV Stan Krpan... 
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By Lynne Blundell 9 February 2012 – Investment group Questus Limited will make use of its $20 million funding under the National Rental Affordability Scheme to push housing sustainability standards in remote areas of Western Australia, Questus... 
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By Tina Perinotto 10 February 2012 – In most display homes the signs say “No photographs”. But at the Landcom eco-living range of display homes built by Clarendon Homes at The Ponds in Sydney’s north-west, photographs are encouraged... 
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8 February 2012 – Treehugger has highlighted resilient building and living in what it terms as a subtle shift in focus from sustainability to resilience in two published articles. One says walkable communities and older buildings are resilient; they... 
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By Lyn Drummond 8 February 2012 – Landholders spiralling interest in carbon forests has resulted in CO2 Australia investing an estimated $23.3 million in rural economies during 2011 and partnering with more than 300 farming families. CO2 Australia land... 
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Here’s a film, by award winning director and author Robert Carter, that shows what happens when the water tanks run dry. Thirst is not directly about climate change and it’s not directly about the devastating consequences to your body Read... 
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By Lynne Blundell 8 February 2012 – Geothermal systems are the latest technology to be embraced by wealthy residential clients who wish to be green leaders, according to architect Luigi Rosselli, with one of the firm’s Sydney clients... 
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7 February 2012 – The Orica chemical spills at Newcastle and Port Botany in NSW have led to tough new laws that require immediate notification of environmental pollution and stiff penalties for corporations and individuals. The new laws, which came... 
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7 September 2012  – From Treehugger: Brooklyn Botanic Garden captured the early-autumn installation of its new Visitor Center’s living roof in 3,600 individual photographs. With a soundtrack by Brooklyn-based artist Terence Bernardo (terencebernardo.com),... 
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7 February 2012 – Collections: Here are our leads  to all the articles we’ve done on Environmental Upgrade Agreements. These lending techniques whereby the loan repayment is tied to the council rates over the property make them secure and are... 
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By Tina Perinotto 3 February 2012 – Could John Brogden be the man to save Sydney? The Urban Taskforce thinks so. The developers’ lobby group leapt on this week’s appointment of the former Liberal Leader as chairman of Landcom to say this... 
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Influence: Rinehart, Fairfax, IPA, United States of Tara 3 February 2012 – You never know what someone is up to behind closed doors. There you are reading a salacious article on how one of the world’s richest people is fighting her children in... 
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3 February 2012 – Following is a list – and map – of 43 properties that will be considered for fast tracking by the NSW Planning Minister Brad Hazzard.  But not their owners. The Fifth Estate asked the planning minister’s office for the... 
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By Tina Perinotto 2 February 2012 – This year will mark the Green Building Council of Australia’s 10th anniversary and chief executive Romilly Madew has no plans to waste Read More > >  
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By Lynne Blundell 1 February 2012 – Smart meters, hailed by government and electricity distributors as the answer to reducing power use, have fallen victim to an inefficient distribution system, regulatory complexity and inflexible pricing. So far... 
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31 January 2012 – Prominent climate change author and philosopher Clive Hamilton has called for funding sources of Institute of Public Affairs, a major source of climate disinformation, to be revealed. “Environment groups are upfront about their funding,... 
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31 January 2012 – Airconditioning industry suppliers are still cheating in their performance claims according to the Australian Duct Manufacturer’s Alliance  which blames the government for failing to end the practice. ADMA’s chairman, Paul Sterling... 
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30 January 2012 – Victorian Building and Plumbing Industry Commissioner Mr Tony Arnel today resigned from his role after 12 years. Mr Arnel, who is chair of the Green Building Council of Australia, will be replaced in a one year term by Michael... 
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By Tina Perinotto 27 January 2012 – Stockland has claimed the energy costs of its new homes can shave more than $2000 a year off the energy bill for an average four bedroom suburban home in Sydney’s outer western suburb of Penrith. A new three... 
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Message needs to stick 27 January 2012 –Paul Keating not long ago lashed out at “sandal-wearing, muesli-chewing, bike-riding pedestrians”. It was another Keatingesque king-hit. He somehow managed to lump the whole green/climate change/design-sensitive... 
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A Fifth Estate Special Report   25 January 2012 – In November last year Green Capital pulled out all stops to find out why the  green and climate change agenda has failed to deliver the media and marketing wins that are now critically... 
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24 January 2012 – More than half of the 12 superannuation funds surveyed in a report by actuarial firm Mercer have included climate change risks into investment decisions. The funds surveyed including AustralianSuper and VicSuper had combined assets... 
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24 January 2012 – A $120 million fund in an intergovernmental forest agreement could create 3000 regional jobs in Tasmania, a report commissioned by Greens Leader Bob Brown has shown. The fund would largely replace the 3500 jobs lost from forestry since... 
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27 January 2012 – The case against wind farms on health grounds took a dramatic step backwards this week after Freedom of Information documents obtained by Friends of the Earth slammed claims that wind turbines are bad for local residents’ health. The... 
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20 January 2012 – The Federal Government on Friday announced its new Urban Policy Forum of 30 members. It will include former South Australian Premier Mike Rann, former Deputy Prime Minister Brian Howe  current head of the Local Government Association... 
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Ethical dilemmas Parts I, II, and III 20 January 2012 – It’s the start of the year so let’s take a big picture look at what’s in store. Starting globally. In India, they’re throwing nervous glances over the Himalayas at China. A... 
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20 January 2012 – Australia’s energy, transport and telecommunications infrastructure could well do with a new national body to co-ordinate greater resilience to climate change, a new government report has found. The report, The Role of Regulation... 
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By Tina Perinotto 23 January 2012 – Long standing and well regarded head of the NSW Department of Environment & Heritage Lisa Corbyn left her job suddenly on Friday, amid reports she was pushed out by Environment Minister Robyn Parker and a department... 
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