On why we don’t have to follow our political leaders The Fifth Estate - our view Experts report we’ve had the hottest decade since records began. Large tracts of the country are in flames with ash now contaminating Sydney’s main water storage at Warragamba Dam.
Mainstreaming low carbon design Ian Dixon, GHD and Philip Oldfield, UNSW Low carbon design provides a cost-effective way of improving performance that can be adopted for all buildings. Now, clear guidance on how to achieve such designs is available in a series of free, technical guides.
World Energy Congress pushes for pathways to energy transition Richard Romanowski, Planet Ark Power | 19 September 2019 Major fossil fuel players are planning for the inevitable transition to clean energy – and it was all on display at the latest World Energy Congress, last week.
Ultimo Pyrmont – A neighbourhood and community not to be messed with! Sue Holliday, University of NSW | 19 September 2019 Approving Star City’s proposed tower would destroy a rare example of planning gone “right”, when planners, politicians and the community worked together. The latest Pyrmont debate is an important one…
A day in 2030 in your sustainable home Suzanne Toumbourou, ASBEC | 18 September 2019 Here’s what life will look like in 2030 if Australian governments adopt best practice energy standards that are currently on the table for our homes and appliances..
A cities deal could do so much to cool the Central City Adam Leto, Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue | 17 September 2019 With winter out of the way and warmer conditions now upon us, it won’t be long before waves of Sydneysiders start flocking to our city’s beaches. This is especially the…
Nuclear industry must address community concerns Mike Brown | 17 September 2019 Recently promoted as a “green power” alternative, the nuclear option, like so-called clean coal, is a dud and fundamental social concerns about its use remain unaddressed.
Australia’s construction industry must unite around a cohesive strategy Professor Martin Loosemore, University of NSW, Sydney | 16 September 2019 I recently attended a conference in the UK that discussed future trends affecting the global construction industry, and what struck me was the stark lack of consensus, clarity and strategy we have in Australia around the future of our construction and engineering industry, compared with many other countries.
On why any boss who sacks staff for going on strike on Friday is a bum The Fifth Estate - our view | 15 September 2019 It’s an indictment of Australian politics that some politicians are in a thundering state of outrage over plans for businesses and students to attend #ClimateStrike events tomorrow.
On why we called the next Tomorrowland I, human 12 September 2019 News from the front desk 452: Tomorrowland is back. This year we’ve named our yearly signature event I, human in the climate emergency. The title was obvious. We have fast…
Load shifting could be the best way to unlock solar’s financial power Pete Neal, Powerpal | 12 September 2019 Australian households are doing their bit to cut the nation’s carbon emissions by adopting solar rooftop panels but not all of them are saving on their energy bills.
Rolling the dice on planning at Star casino and its giant proposal Mike Brown | 10 September 2019 The scale of Star City’s proposed hotel and apartment tower has ignited opposition, but why is nobody talking about what’s really going on? Here’s a look at how manipulating planning rules can create massive uplift in value – for private hands at almost no cost. Like money out of thin air in fact…
Angels and Icarus: Crowd-funding a low-carbon transition The Fifth Estate - our view | 5 September 2019 Angel investors, impact investors, ESD-focused venture capitalists, start-ups, crowd-funded equities, crowd-sourced funding … the ways money can be channelled to save the planet and deliver social and environmental good are multiplying at a rate of knots.
Chris Johnson moves on from NSW Urban Taskforce Tina Perinotto | 5 September 2019 One thing you can say about Chris Johnson as head of the NSW Urban Task Force is that he knows how to work with media. Love or loathe his messages on behalf of the lobby group’s members, you certainly got to know what they were.
Uprooting urban tree myths in the climate emergency Michael Mobbs | 5 September 2019 Australia faces a shrinking window of opportunity to plant enough trees to help cool our cities and protect our farms, writes sustainability expert Michael Mobbs.
Building crisis: we need an injection of good evidence Professor Martin Loosemore & Professor Bill Randolph, UNSW | 5 September 2019 Rectifying an information and evidence shortfall in the now widely cited building and construction crisis needs to be an important part of improving policy making and regulation.
Could an infrastructure blitz save economy and planet? Evan Stamatiou, Carbon Risk Management | 3 September 2019 Our next economic growth phase must somehow deliver strong GDP growth, strong wages growth, and a huge reduction in economy-wide emissions. Can a low-carbon infrastructure investment spree deliver on all three?
