Ecos articles from August 2007

Ecos archives from August 2007

Highlighting the 'social' in CSR.(Editorial)(Corporate social responsibility)(Editorial)
August 1, 2007... A key theme of Ecos 138 is social equity, a core principle of corporate social responsibility (CSR). On page 9, Ian Dunlop writes on the need for equitable solutions to two pressing global problems--the need to cut carbon emissions and the...

Business signs up to support short-term cuts.(National Business Leaders Forum on Sustainable Development)
August 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] While the Australian Government and Opposition are delaying making a decision about short-term cuts to greenhouse gas emissions until 2008, the National Business Leaders Forum on Sustainable Development has signed up...

Tiny bilbies star in WA's biggest native fauna release.(Western Australia's wildlife conservation)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Around 40 bilbies and 15 possums have been released in Western Australia's biggest native fauna release project to restore wildlife and healthy ecosystems in the rangelands. More than $3 million has been invested...

Taking carbon into account.(financial reporting of carbon emissions trading)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Leading financial accountancy association CPA Australia has warned that lack of preparation for a carbon emissions trading scheme could cause significant financial reporting issues for Australian business. CPA Australia has written to...

More meaningful 'day at the office'.(Conservation Volunteers Australia)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Another day at the office may turn out to be a lot more interesting for employees of companies signing up to Conservation Volunteers Australia's new 'Partners in Conservation' program. Through the new program, a partnering company can place...

Call for energy labelling of TV screens.(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Most people don't realise it, but larger plasma screens for the home--some recent models measure 103 inches diagonally (2.4 x 1.4 m)--are overtaking refrigerators and freezers as energy guzzlers, according to RMIT energy expert Alan Pears. ...

Native grasses low-cost option for mine clean-up.(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Australian researchers are finding that our native grasses offer a cheap, effective and environmentally sound way to rehabilitate old mines and other industrial sites. The roots of certain native grasses--for example, wallaby grass,...

This year's Banksia winners.(Banksia Environmental Foundation)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Banksia Environmental Foundation awarded its 2007 Gold Banksia Award to Westpac for its outstanding achievement in the area of corporate sustainability. The annual Banksia Awards are regarded as the most...

Sweet success in utilising saline water.(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Date palms have become a figurative oasis in the 'desert' of rising water tables and salinity on Dave and Anita Reilly's South Australian property in the Riverland region near Berri. Selected as a case study for the Innovation in Irrigation...

Older may be wiser when it comes to energy, water use.(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... When it comes to being frugal with water and energy, the over-60s are winners, according to the results of a recent large-scale survey of Australian consumer attitudes to sustainable housing. The survey of 1700 homes carried out in April...

Water resource 'snapshot' shows need for groundwater mapping.(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... The National Water Commission has released the second stage of a baseline assessment of Australia's water resources, Australian Water Resources 2005. Australian Water Resources 2005 is a baseline measurement or snapshot of Australia's...

'One child' policy for Australia?(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Dr John Coulter from Sustainable Population Australia has controversially called for Australia to adopt a 'humane population strategy... of an average of one child per family' to help avert a 'cull imposed by nature' in the 21st century. ...

Warmer Tibet, lower flows.(temperature rise)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... China's Xinhua news agency reports that Tibet is warming up faster than anywhere else on the planet, with the average annual temperature rising by 0.3 degrees Celsius every 10 years. Tibet--known as 'the roof of the world'--is Asia's...

A warning and action on coral reef conservation.(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Protecting the Great Barrier Reef from the impacts of climate change, natural disasters and rising human pressures will be a key test of Australia's ability to keep our natural environment healthy and resilient. ...

P back in the loop after S bend?(ecycling of human urine)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... With the word's phosphorus deposits due to expire in 50 years, a University of Technology Sydney researcher has called for large-scale recycling of human urine, a highly concentrated source of the essential plant nutrient. According to...

Prompt action required on sustainability and global inequity.(Opinion)
August 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Sustainability is finally starting to be taken seriously in the corridors of power. For the immediate future, the touchstones of our preparedness to raise our sights above narrow personal and national self-interest...

Sea rangers close in on Gulf's killer nets.(effect of abandoned fishing nets to the Gulf of Carpentaria)
August 1, 2007... Along Australia's remote northern coastline, indigenous sea rangers have been working with government and non-government organisations to clean up a deadly threat to marine life. Northern Australia is under attack by a new threat--ghost...

Catching up with the new carbon cycle: while Australia has been slow to embrace carbon emissions trading, the European Union and to a lesser extent the US have been busy exploring the potential of carbon markets, positioning themselves for a new global paradigm.(Focus: CARBON TRADING)
August 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] According to the World Bank, in 2006 the global market for carbon emissions trading was worth around US$30 billion--an almost threefold increase from 2005. (1) Carbon markets function by placing a cost on carbon...

Making sure your home is not an energy sink: when it comes to using energy around the home, people seem to be getting the message that it's important to 'switch off and save'. The next step is understanding how much energy is used by different activities, so we know which to tackle first, advises Peter Seligman.(methods of energy management)
August 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] It makes no sense to turn off a light when you leave a room in which an electric heater has been left on. The power used by the light is 100 watts (W), while a heater typically draws 2000 W. How big a yardstick...

Tuning in to a deeper wisdom: in 2005, natural sequence farming founder Peter Andrews was featured on ABC TV's Australian Story, since voted one of the top five episodes of the last 10 years. His book Back from the Brink is a national bestseller. Why are Andrews' ideas attracting so much attention?
August 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] When Peter Andrews developed the insights that inform hi+s theory of natural sequence farming, he drew inspiration from the wisdom of the Australian landscape. 'While the challenges farmers face today are...

Uranium mining and the question of corporate social responsibility: does uranium mining carry a greater corporate social responsibility than other commodities in terms of downstream nuclear waste recovery and recycling, and its wider impact on local communities and workers?(Progress)
August 1, 2007... 'Social licence to operate' is a phrase that Australia's giant mining corporations have recently introduced into their corporate language. But some industry observers argue that while these companies may have demonstrated their credentials...

Marine reserves bring NZ waters back to life.(Research)(New Zealand)
August 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] One of the world's first marine reserves--Goat Island Reserve at the northern end of the Hauraki Gulf of New Zealand--turned 30 this year, and is proving the value of the marine reserve system in maintaining...

The proof is in the printing: corporate stationery, marketing kits and the like are a necessary part of business communication. So what can businesses do to reduce the environmental impact of such material? A lot, as Ecos discovered during an environmental audit of its own printing procedure.
August 1, 2007... While Ecos strives to be as sustainable as possible, we thought we could do better in the way we print the magazine. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In October 2006, as part of an environmental audit, we researched several Australian printers...

The value of a truly sustainable business strategy: when organisations embrace sustainability as a core--rather than peripheral--value, they create competitive advantage and a wealth of goodwill. At least two Australian companies have proved it.(corporate social responsibility )
August 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] While corporate social responsibility (CSR) is now a part of the corporate vernacular, in many Australian companies the responsibility for CSR remains the domain of the corporate affairs department. ...

Reclaimed water that's good enough to bottle.(storm water and groud water for drinking)
August 1, 2007... With Australia's future climate predicted to be hotter and drier, Australian researchers are thinking more creatively about our cities' water supplies. A team of Adelaide researchers has combined the potential of stormwater and underground...

Community breathes new life into Lagoon Creek: people everywhere are joining forces to take action on local environmental problems, supported by public funding and professional guidance. However, sometimes the solution may involve bringing in the 'heavy artillery'.
August 1, 2007... A kingfisher dips over Lagoon Creek, a flash of blue reflected on the water surface. Little more than a year ago, there were no reflections on this small channel on Queensland's Herbert River floodplain--just a dense mat of weeds over the...

Listening to the land: an extraordinary Australian story.(Back from the Brink How Autralia's Landscape Can be Saved )(Book review)
August 1, 2007... Back from the Brink How Autralia's landscape can be saved Peter Andrews ABC Books 2006, Paperback ISBN: 0646319019--AU$29.95 Available from ABC Books: abcshop.comm.au or 1800 360 111 Farmer and environmental visionary, Peter Andrews, was...

Sorting the greenwash from 'true green'.(renewable sources)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... The GreenPower accreditation program has been running nationally for seven years, giving Australians the chance to help reduce greenhouse emissions by increasing the demand for electricity from renewable sources. Only electricity from...

Desalination: option or distraction?(Research)
August 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Perth already has one and is planning its second, Melbourne is getting a bigger one, Sydney has finally decided to get one, and Queensland and South Australia are likely to follow suit. Spurred on by the recent...

Plant crops to clean up aquaculture waste.(Research)
August 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Integrated aquaculture has been used for centuries in China, where farmers have grown rice and fish in the same irrigated plot. Now this small-farm practice is beginning to show promise in the West at a larger scale....

Events calendar.(conferences about the environment)(Calendar)
August 1, 2007... 3rd Australia-New Zealand Climate Change & Business Conference Brisbane, 30-31 August www.climateandbusiness.com/ Sixth Asia Pacific Cities Summit (in conjunction with International Riversymposium) Brisbane, 31 August-3...