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Are you excited by insulation? No? Would you like a house with virtually no heating bill? Yes? Have you heard of a passivhaus? They're quite wonderful. A passive house (passivhaus) is a super insulated energy efficient home. The reason why you should want one is they have tiny heating bills, minimal carbon footprints, are flooded with natural light and enjoy superior levels of comfort to normal homes.

"Community renewable energy has significant political and economic benefits, but is often hindered by five major barriers. Watch this vividly illustrated presentation to learn how communities can overcome the barriers and advance more local renewable energy. ILSR Senior Researcher John Farrell gave this presentation as part of a Sustainable Economies Law Center webinar on April 30, 2013."

"Superannuation (or pension) funds represent the single largest pool of money in the world, more than $30 trillion. What does that have to do with climate change? Taking a more active role in our investments and how they are managed represents a huge opportunity for securing a more sustainable, low-carbon future. This report consolidates analysis and review of the impact of climate and carbon risks on superannuation savings. It builds on work The Climate Institute has done with its partner organisation the Asset Owners Disclosure Project (AODP) and looks at the emerging civil economy movement, in the context of fossil fuel divestment campaigns and activism activities such as the The Vital Few campaign. On this page you'll find the report and related content including infographics, videos, podcasts, photo essays and presentations. "

"The 'Pathways to Deep Decarbonisation in 2050: How Australia can prosper in a low carbon world' report, released 23 September 2014, presents an illustrative deep decarbonisation pathway for Australia - just one of many possible pathways - developed using a combination of well-established modelling tools to identify feasible and least-cost options.  This work finds that Australia can achieve net zero emissions by 2050 and live within its recommended carbon budget, using technologies that exist today, while maintaining economic prosperity. Major technological transitions are needed in some industries and many activities, but no fundamental change to Australia's economy is required. The technologies required for decarbonisation are currently available or under development. The analysis shows that deep decarbonisation requires neither substantial lifestyle changes nor large changes in Australia's economic structure."

"Wind power is now the cheapest electricity to produce in both Germany and the U.K., even without government subsidies, according to a new analysis by Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF). It's the first time that threshold has been crossed by a G7 economy.1 But that's less interesting than what just happened in the U.S."

Ecological Footprint Quiz by Center for Sustainable Economy

"Shifting public policy to achieve a sustainable economy, a healthy environment and a just society"

"Natural Capitalism Orginally written in 1999 by Paul Hawken, Amory B. Lovins, and L. Hunter Lovins, "Natural Capitalism: Creating the Next Industrial Revolution" is a ground-breaking blueprint for a new economy."

At Global Footprint Network our programs are designed to influence decision makers at all levels of society and to create a critical mass of powerful institutions using the Footprint to put an end to ecological overshoot and get our economies back into balance. An excellent glossary of sustainability terms.

REN21 is a global policy network that provides a forum for international leadership on renewable energy. Its goal is to bolster policy development for the rapid expansion of renewable energies in developing and industrialised economies.

"Ferguson spies a green energy future … and steps on the gas"

"Seven reasons why climate change is 'even worse than we thought'"

"The plunging cost of solar PV means that it may now be half the cost of grid-based electricity, according to some industry estimates."

"The fundamental transformation of energy markets brought about by the growing incursions of renewables such as wind and solar has been underlined in a new report by the European energy analysts at Macquarie Group, who have concluded that the plunge in costs for rooftop solar PV has fallen to such an extent that its continued rapid deployment may be unstoppable."

Japan is forecast to install 6-9.4GW of solar capacity this year under its feed-in tariff, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. This could make it the second-largest - or even the top - solar market in 2013.

"Buried in a little-noticed rule on microwave ovens is a change in the U.S. government's accounting for carbon emissions that could have wide-ranging implications for everything from power plants to the Keystone XL pipeline. The increase of the so-called social cost of carbon, to $US38 ($A40) a metric ton in 2015 from $US23.80, adjusts the calculation the government uses to weigh costs and benefits of proposed regulations. The figure is meant to approximate losses from global warming such as flood damage and diminished crops. (That figure also compares with the $A23 per tonne carbon tax in Australia.)"

Five reasons for every guy or gal who likes to drive fast, corner hard, and squeeze every last drop of horsepower out of their ride should be as excited about EV adoption