Ecos articles from June 2006

Ecos archives from June 2006

Inquiry encourages broader corporate reporting accountability.
June 1, 2006... A recent inquiry by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services (PJC) into corporate responsibility and triple bottom line reporting has found that there is no change required to current regulations for Australia's...

Phosphorus sheds new light on the ocean's carbon dioxide pump.
June 1, 2006... A recent finding that the preserved skeletons of ancient deep-sea corals stored phosphorus in exactly the same amounts as the surrounding oceans has opened the way for researchers to measure the ability of the world's oceans to absorb manmade...

Centrelink's fleet car forest.(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... As a result of an organisation-wide commitment to offsetting its vehicle fleet's C[O.sub.2] emission, Centrelink will have a dedicated forest of 14 450 native trees planted for its efforts by Greenfleet at Monivae near Hamilton in Victoria. ...

Maglev generator bodes well for wind power.(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Engineers at June's Wind Power Asia Exhibition 2006 in Beijing showed off what they are claiming is a significant advance in wind power efficiency: the world's first full-permanent magnetic levitation (Maglev) wind power generator. Jointly...

Maths expertise will underpin national greenhouse maps.
June 1, 2006... Mathematical research is going to help create detailed land use maps that will enable Australia to estimate and better manage its greenhouse gas emissions. The Australian Greenhouse Office (AGO) and CSIRO's Mathematical and Information...

Sheep reproduction hope for NZ possum control.(New Zealand)
June 1, 2006... Researchers from AgResearch New Zealand and CSIRO Livestock Industries hope that sheep with natural genetic mutations affecting their reproduction may prove to be an excellent model in developing a possible control for New Zealand's possum...

Miserly water recycler installed in Melbourne.
June 1, 2006... As part of implementing a Trade Waste and Water Resources Management Plan assisted by City West Water, commercial launderer Melbourne Linen Services is the first operation in Australia to install a highly efficient AquaRecycle Laundry Water...

Wanted for lease: 6 star office.(Focus: GREEN BUILDINGS)
June 1, 2006... Green dividends are driving a new design era in commercial buildings, now being reflected in Australia. With some outstanding examples of sustainable office blocks in our capital cities now attracting the international limelight, what...

Solar cities generating new approaches: the far-reaching national Solar Cities program is set to trial the wide-scale deployment of the latest solar technology. It also aims to find new ways for communities to think about their energy use, and for electricity markets to deliver competitively priced renewable energy where and when it is needed.
June 1, 2006... How could you demonstrate how solar power, smart meters, energy efficiency and new approaches to electricity pricing can combine to provide a sustainable energy future in urban locations around Australia? Answer: via the ambitious $75...

Helping re-vegetate China's Loess Plateau.(Progress)(Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, CSIRO Land and Water, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation)
June 1, 2006... ACIAR (Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research), CSIRO Land and Water, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, have developed a joint collaborative project and special Decision Support...

Making a natural impact: after 12 years following a hunch, Dean Cameron developed a highly efficient natural waste treatment system that's a winner in Australia and could be an answer for developing countries.(Dean Cameron)(Interview)
June 1, 2006... Environmental scientist Dean Cameron spent 12 years investigating how nature breaks down leaf litter and human and animal waste. He discovered that natural decomposition occurs fastest and most efficiently on river edges, where debris is moist,...

Tip of the icebergs.(Antarctica gets more tourists)
June 1, 2006... The number of tourist trips to the Antarctic each year is increasing dramatically as popularity for the 'once in a lifetime' destination spreads and more operators establish routes to the frozen wilderness. While all involved want the same...

Antarctic microbes clean up petroleum pollutants.
June 1, 2006... Under the right conditions, microorganisms in Antarctic soils and marine sediments could help environmental managers clean up fuel and oil spills. In two experiments, Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) scientist Dr Shane Powell, and her...

Going the corporate mile: the past decade has seen a growing recognition in the boardroom and among executives that there is more than just virtue and image to be gained for companies that choose to operate responsibly, value their employees and the environment, and foster the wellbeing of their communities. Why are Australian companies lagging behind?
June 1, 2006... If there were no laws to constrain their behaviour, would companies behave greedily and without conscience? The long history of corporate misdeeds might suggest so, but a growing number of Australia's most recognisable companies are...

Savings and loans--in the returns business.(Savings and Loans Credit Union )
June 1, 2006... The Adelaide-based Savings and Loans Credit Union won the 'Best New Entrant' Award at the 2006 Corporate Responsibility Index (CRI) awards. One of the small-to-medium enterprises represented in the 2005 CRI (winners were announced this year),...

Rio Tinto--exploring the new frontier.(corporate social responsibility)
June 1, 2006... Charlie Lenegan, CEO of Rio Tinto Australia, says the mining giant made a commitment in the 1990s to implement a CSR scheme throughout its international operations. 'It's a global program, but it has had real impact in Australia in terms...

The end of the beginning: for sceptics outside the mining industry, it might still seem implausible that mining and sustainable development could go together. At the same time, some people within the industry believe the case for sustainable development has already been made. Paul Mitchell argues that reality lies somewhere between these two positions.(Focus: CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY)
June 1, 2006... At the end of the 1990s, business leaders in the mining industry faced a raft of important challenges. There were significant reputation issues, with protestors campaigning against companies on their human rights and environmental records. The...

Treehugger central.(Treehugger.com)(Website overview)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... For 'pop' net entertainment and good cutting-edge bytes on some of the latest 'eco' products and initiatives, visit US-based website Treehugger.com. It describes itself as 'A fast-growing web magazine, dedicated to everything that has a...

A shame about your old TV.(High Tech Trash)(Brief article)(Book review)
June 1, 2006... The promise of the high technology era, it seems, has led us down at least one dead-end street: in line with Moore's Law (which, in 1965, predicted the doubling of computer power every year) and the commercial drive behind obsolescence,...

Snapshots of environmentalists.(Green Power: Environmentalists Who Have Changed the Face of Australia)(Brief article)(Book review)
June 1, 2006... In Green Power, lecturer, author and journalist Christine Williams has done convincing and engaging work in providing potted profiles for 18 of Australia's most influential environmentalists. Together with a brief introduction that touches...

Mini yellow subs will accelerate underwater research worldwide.(submarines )
June 1, 2006... A team from the Australian National University in Canberra is leading underwater monitoring technology, having reached the commercial stage with their cost-beating, mini autonomous submarines. Designed to be deployed in a fleet, the...

Urban wildlife questions put residents in the picture.(Research)
June 1, 2006... A recent community survey about wildlife in 38 urban bushland fragments in Brisbane has yielded some interesting findings: a high appreciation and tolerance for wildlife--including 'nuisance' species--among neighbouring residents; a wealth of...

Events calendar.
June 1, 2006... 82nd Australian Coral Reef Society Conference Mission Beach, Queensland, 18-20 August. www.australiancoralreefsociety.org/2006_ conference.htm 2nd AustralAsian Cleantech Finance & Investment Forum--Building...