Discussion in the media about who is at fault for increased energy prices abounds. Like other commentators, I put the blame on the policy makers from all political parties at both state and federal level.
It’s this policy dysfunction that’s causing the over-shoot in pricing we are experiencing. Read more
However, while the amount of data collected by the monitoring stations is significant, it pales in comparison to what is coming. Evolving networks of air sensors current being deployed across the globe will cause a data avalanche that could overwhelm those trying to make sense of it. Read more
Independent market research conducted by IPSOS for MobileMuster highlights that more people than ever before are reusing their mobiles. The research revealed that one in 10 are selling or trading in their old mobiles and one in six are giving them to family or friends.
One of the most popular ways to reuse old mobiles that still work is to sell them or pass them on to friends and family, and both outcomes mean that the life of the device is extended. Read more
Wherever you go in the world, roadsides are rarely pristine. Various detritus including bits of cardboard, dust, glass, grit, metal, paper, plastic, leaves, wood and other organics often accumulate on highways. For this reason, street sweeping machines are commonplace on Australian streets, but what happens to the material they collect? Normally it is just seen as an irritation with landfill as the most suitable destination. In the past, there’s been little reason to view it any other way. Sorting through the volume and variety of material just hasn’t been worth the time, effort or cost. Read more
These are ambitious targets and the following questions need to be asked:
The SOE concludes that: “Despite an overall increase in waste generation, Australia’s total disposal tonnage decreased from about 21.5 megatonnes to about 19.5 megatonnes (about 9.5%) between 2006-07 and 2010-11. During this period, the resource recovery rate in Australia increased from 51% to 60%. The quantity of material recycled increased significantly from 21.4 megatonnes to 27.3 megatonnes per year, or by about 27%.” (Australian State of the Environment 2016, p.90) Read more
Although the matter related to a criminal prosecution in the Environment Resources and Development (ERD) Court, there were some significant findings about matters of principle as they relate to the interpretation of the Environment Protection Act that will affect the waste industry moving forward. Read more
Despite clear and overwhelming evidence that our climate is changing right now, the appetite for action at a political level is diminishing. In Australia, the Climate Council was defunded, the carbon tax abolished, and a general sense seems to be settling in that climate change doesn’t really matter.
Globally it’s even worse. Climate change is an opinion, a Chinese hoax, a conspiracy. Politicians here and overseas make straight faced assertions that the evidence doesn’t exist, or that it has been manipulated. Read more
Lewis reflects on her time at ABRI, the lessons she’s learnt, and tells Inside Waste (IW) about her book that will be published shortly.
IW: You’ve been a prominent figure in the sector for a while now, thinking back on when you first started, what drew you to the industry? Read more
With the climate warming before our eyes, it’s clear that climate change is happening – with annual global greenhouse emissions continuing to rise, or at best starting to stabilise.
It’s going to get significantly worse before it gets better, given the long time (many hundreds of years in some cases) that greenhouse gases linger in the atmosphere. Read more