Governments warned: window to limit global warming closing.

Even with significant over-estimation of the cost of renewable energy, a new report by the Energy Users Association of Australia (EUAA) still shows the cost has been modest, according to the Clean Energy Council.

Shoppers don’t usually give a second thought as they reach into a cooler to grab milk, cheese or prepackaged lunches. Open-front refrigerated display cases, which make up roughly 60% of the refrigerated cases in grocery stores and supermarkets, provide quick access to chilled products such as dairy, meat, fish and produce. While they are popular with shoppers and grocery stores, they’re less popular with electric utilities and others concerned with energy efficiency.

Rising out of the red earth, under the blazing sun of central Australia, a ‘forest’ of solar panels stands against the horizon.

The Hassell-designed Government Services Office development in Dandenong, Victoria, has achieved the highest sustainability rating available from the Green Building Council of Australia.

In an industry known for its voracious use of water and power, Edstein Creative Stone is showing how eco-friendly manufacturing practices respect our environment and save money.

US-based grocery retail company Supervalu has installed energy monitoring hardware and has enrolled in a demand-response program with Net Peak Energy Group. The program organises payment to the retailer for effectively ‘selling’ their electricity back to their utilities when demand is high. Additionally, the program can call for the retailer’s distribution centres to shed up to 1.2 MW of power.

Melbourne architects CK Designworks have designed a cutting-edge, 24-storey industrial and commercial building in Nanjing, China. Robert Caulfield, partner in charge of the project, said that the building would set new levels of sustainability and environmental conservation for industrial buildings and could set the scene for similar buildings in other parts of the world, particularly where land is at a premium.

For over 14 years, the Moe Wastewater Treatment Plant has been effectively and successfully processing sewage. Located in Gippsland, Victoria, the medium-sized plant serves an equivalent persons population of 22,000. Its average daily flow is 5 ML per day.

It is no secret that truck transports use fuel, but with relatively modest means fuel consumption and thus emissions can be considerably reduced. The Volvo Trucks updated web service Environmental Footprint Calculator helps customers become more eco-conscious. The upgraded tool also offers tips for reducing truck emissions.

Increased water conservation and water use efficiency are a priority for countries worldwide. A vital process, in a number of countries, is to boost the supply of potable water by desalination. However, large-scale desalination typically requires large amounts of energy as well as specialised, expensive infrastructure, making it very costly compared to the use of fresh water from rivers or groundwater.

In these times when sustainability and environmental responsibility are increasingly important, the measurement of soil moisture is vital. If the soil moisture and soil type is known then the exact amount of water can be applied for optimal growing conditions. This logic also applies to game day. Much research has been done on the potential for injury to lower extremities on turf surfaces. The potential for injury is directly related to the amount of traction the player has on the surface. The easiest way to adjust this level of traction is to apply water to the surface. If the moisture level in the topsoil can be measured then playing conditions can be optimised for a reduced potential for injury.

In December 2009, the Herbert Demonstration farm site was established in the Trebonne area on Orazio and Anthony Marino’s farm. The project is supported by the Queensland Government’s Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (DEEDI), Terrain Natural Resource Management (NRM), BSES and JCU staff. Combining environmental sustainability and profitable farming as the key drivers, this is a collaborative effort between growers, government, research and industry bodies and is part of the Queensland and Australian Government’s Reef Plan to improve water quality entering the Great Barrier Reef lagoon. There are demonstration farm sites also located in the Burdekin and Tully areas.

The mountains surrounding Queenstown on New Zealand’s south island overlooking Lake Wakatipu are aptly known as The Remarkables. If you’re familiar with this part of the world you’ll appreciate the effort that went into establishing a 6.4-hectare master plan for the Kawarau Falls Station (KFS) development.

The packaging industry wants to fight food loss more effectively. Simple, decentralised packaging machines for emerging markets can improve food security, while the ‘throwaway’ mentality in western industrialised nations can be combated with smart packages. This article details some of the findings from the Save Food campaign and interpack which was held in Germany in May 2011.