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"It is worth taking another look at what's been happening in the electricity sector. For example, take a look at summer afternoon consumption of electricity dispatched on the National Electricity Market (the NEM is the electricity market that serves the east coast states and South Australia). Compared to the previous summer, afternoon consumption during the summer of 2014 fell a further 600 megawatts or 2.3%, continuing a downward trend that dates back to at least 2010."

We're not going to stop making plastic any time soon. But to prevent that plastic from spreading everywhere, we need to do a better job managing it. A recent conference brought together experts to think of some easy ways to do just that.

"The highly anticipated iPhone 5 is finally in millions of people's hands.  Within three days of its September 21st launch, Apple had sold a record-breaking five million units. And within a year, analysts project that sales of the iPhone 5 will reach 170 million. The popularity of the new device got us thinking: how much juice does it take each year to charge a next-generation smartphone? And how does the energy consumption of smartphones compare to that of other consumer electronics? To find out, we got our hands on a new iPhone 5 and also a Samsung Galaxy S III - currently the hottest Android handset - then headed into the Opower Lab for some testing. Here's what we found, and our assessment of what it suggests about the energy impact of our increasingly on-the-go digital lifestyles…"

An interesting infographic on world wide consumption comparisons

"When people think about green buildings, what generally comes to mind is solar panels, geothermal energy, improved insulation, green roofs, high-performance windows, rain-water recuperation, and so forth. However, the milieu in which the building is rooted also ought to be considered. Although we often forget it, being green also includes what lies beyond the walls! Landscaping, for instance, plays a major role in energy consumption. Trees, plants and the way you take care of them can have a significant impact on GHG emissions, and consequently, on your energy bills."

"Demand on wireless networks is climbing as more and more people use their mobile devices to access applications like email and Twitter. It might seem like a carbon neutral activity but Australian researchers estimate that the global energy consumption by wireless networks will grow by 460 per cent over the next two years. In emissions terms, that's the equivalent of 4.9 million extra cars on the road. Professor Rod Tucker is the director of the University of Melbourne's Centre for Energy Efficient Telecommunications, and he explained the impact of the shift to Lexi Metherell."

"Several studies have shown that global crop production needs to double by 2050 to meet the projected demands from rising population, diet shifts, and increasing biofuels consumption. Boosting crop yields to meet these rising demands, rather than clearing more land for agriculture has been highlighted as a preferred solution to meet this goal."

Consumers could save up to 10 per cent on power bills thanks to a new energy saving solution designed by two PhD students at the University of Sydney. The MyPower Energy Platform allows users to monitor the power consumption of individual appliances and determines the best times to use them.

New model - Reduced price

"It's been a long, hot summer for most of us and with the run of high temperatures set to continue, air conditioners will keep getting a good workout. But many of us are wasting money through lazy energy consumption and bad habits. Australians have taken to air conditioning in a big way with an estimated 9.2 million units working to keep the summer heat away. Air conditioning is particularly energy hungry with many people wasting money on unnecessarily high electricity bills because they are ignoring a few simple ways to reduce their cooling costs."

Citing studies linking soda to obesity, a state lawmaker and medical experts proposed a first-in-the-nation bill Thursday that would require sugary drinks sold in California to have health warning labels similar to those on packs of cigarettes. State Sen. Bill Monning (D-Carmel) and the California Medical Assn. said the legislation is necessary because research links sugary drink consumption to skyrocketing rates of diabetes, tooth decay and obesity.

"Food and packaging waste is not simply something that 'goes away' when we pop it in the rubbish bin for collection by our garbos. Waste has an insidious, long-term impact on our environment, our wildlife and ultimately our own health. But how do we avoid it? In an age of excess consumption and a mindset of convenience-at-all-cost, is it possible to truly be waste free? The free-to-watch documentary shows how food and plastic waste can be avoided, drawing attention to much of the unnecessary packaging that is choking our lives, oceans and animals. It also gives an insight into the environmental and social impacts of our wasteful ways."

"The Clean Energy Regulator has today released the 2012-13 National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting (NGER) data publication. The publication includes the total scope 1 greenhouse gas emissions, total scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions and net energy consumption data reported for the 2012-13 financial year for these corporations."

"The technical solutions needed to reduce greenhouse gases at a speed capable of preventing catastrophic climate change are now well known. The recently launched University of Melbourne research report, Post Carbon Pathways shows the key features of the post-carbon economy road map are now widely understood. We need rapid replacement of fossil fuels by renewable energy; rapid reductions in energy consumption and improvements in energy efficiency; and the drawdown and sequestration of carbon into sustainable carbon sinks."

"Hands up if you've ever bought a bread-maker or a surfboard only to find it sits gathering dust. If you've got unused resources or don't want to fork out for something you might only use once, collaborative consumption could be the answer. Thanks to the global movement there are now numerous ways to share, rent or swap. Websites bring people together to share meal preparation (mamabake.com), rides (jayride.com.au), offices (hubaustralia.com), clothing (clothingexchange.com.au); holiday accommodation (airbnb.com), skills and knowledge (weteachme.com) and all manner of stuff (freecycle.com)."

Moveo is a foldable bicycle-weight scooter that becomes an everyday commodity by its flexibility, its simple storage, security, comfort, aesthetics or its ease of recharging. It is easy to use; it is efficient even in crowded urban traffic. It operates silently, with minimum energy consumption and does not pollute the environment directly.

"Bill Gates sees meat alternatives a a big part of the future of food. On his blog, The Gates Notes, there is a feature called The Future of Food, where he explains how food scientists are starting to reinvent meat, and how this could help the whole world. Gate explains that worldwide meat consumption has doubled over the past two decades and is expected to double again by 2050 when, as we know, world population is expected to reach at least 9 billion. It is just over 7 billion now."

At a time when over 60% of adults and 25% of children in Australia are obese or overweight and the world is experiencing an unprecedented increase in atmospheric CO2 and associated climate change, there is compelling evidence from both the health and sustainability literature that seaweeds should become a common part of global diets. Seaweeds are incredibly nutritious and can significantly reduce obesity and associated illnesses. Regular consumption of seaweeds thus has the potential to enhance the health of societies now, and for generations to come. Would you like seaweed with that? Sustainable nutrition solutions using Australian seaweeds. A crowdfunding project on Pozible.com/seaweed

"Measure and Monitor your Energy Consumption"