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"CSIRO has invented a new three in one solar air conditioning system that provides hot water, cooling and heating. It works by using heat from the sun and employs both desiccant and evaporative cooling technologies. See how the technology can work in the home."

"Most Australians overestimate how much they are doing for the environment compared to others, and are more concerned about water shortages, pollution and household waste than climate change, a new CSIRO survey reveals. Taken over a period of July to August last year, it is the latest in a series of annual national surveys on Australians' attitudes to climate change involving more than 5000 people from across urban, regional, and rural Australia. (You can read about past survey results here and here.)"

Asphalt paving was removed and replaced with "structural grass," rigid plastic honeycomb cells sprinkled with ordinary lawn seed and nurtured into green swaths. Concrete strips were embedded on two sides, creating a durable driving surface. Permeable brick pavers were installed in driveways and at the lane way entrances; these allow rain water to infiltrate between their joints and into the ground, reducing  run-off, the bane of municipal storm sewer systems. The effect is both practical and pleasing to the eye. No more cracked and potholed pavements. Traffic on the countrified lanes continues, but motorists must slow down to navigate the concrete driving strips. The grassed lane ways are cooler than asphalt in summer and they don't emit the dreaded "off-gassing." They have also passed the test of time; they still look fine, almost bucolic.

"South Gippsland is blanketed with more than a dozen licences for unconventional gas exploration - which uses controversial techniques to access hard-to-extract resources. For now, nothing is happening. In August 2012, the state government announced a moratorium on coal seam gas exploration and on the drilling method known as fracking, in which water, sand and chemicals are pumped underground at great pressure to fracture coal or rock, and release gas."

"First, the bad news: because of climate change and worsening water pollution, algae, the world's fastest-growing photosynthetic organisms, are proliferating worldwide. A few of these are of the toxic blue-green variety. The good news is that some strains of algae can be converted into an alternative source of renewable energy that is commercially viable."

"Earlier this year, the 1 millionth Australian household - about one in nine across the country - installed solar photovoltaic panels. There are half a million with solar hot water services too. The process doesn't always go as expected, for reasons both practical and political: rebates and feed-in tariffs have been in flux in every state. But now there are so many systems on roofs, solar homeowners are gaining a stronger public voice."

"Fracking is a controversial topic. On the one side the gas drilling companies, on the other citizen opposed to this drilling method. Politicians are also divided on the matter. We try to take a neutral look on fracking. It is relevant for all of us, because of high prices for energy and the danger for our drinking water. This video focuses mostly on the debate currently ongoing in europe. In a lot of european countries there is a public outcry against fracking, espacially in germany. But the facts in this video are relevant to all of us."

"Over 15 years ago, Melbourne mounted a long-term campaign to change the way it uses energy and has attracted international acclaim for its commitment to sustainability. This has included encouraging bike riding and public transport and improving building efficiency. One notable example of this is the Council House 2 building, Australia's first six-star green star new office design building. Completed in 2006, some of the building's features include recycled water use, automatic windows, sun-tracking facades for shade and roof-mounted wind turbines to draw out hot air."

"The fact that the business-as-usual pursuit of profits and growth is destabilising life on earth is no longer something we need to read about in scientific journals. The early signs are unfolding before our eyes. And increasing numbers of us are responding accordingly: blockading fracking activity in Balcombe; interfering with Arctic drilling preparations in Russian waters (at tremendous personal cost); taking tar sands operators to court for violating indigenous sovereignty; and countless other acts of resistance large and small. In Brad Werner's computer model, this is the "friction" needed to slow down the forces of destabilisation; the great climate campaigner Bill McKibben calls it the "antibodies" rising up to fight the planet's "spiking fever"."

ABC Gardening Australia program on 9 Nov '13 - Jerry shows how to build a simple veggie box using a foam box,

"The global conveyer belt is part of the large-scale ocean circulation that is driven by differences in the density of the waters. It plays a key role in keeping the climate at balance and Europe warm. Global warming may change it forever with unforeseeable consequences. "

"Ignorance has just become much harder, for citizens, industry and policymakers alike: CSIRO has released the damning results of a three-year study of marine debris around Australia's coastline and seas. Three-quarters of all the refuse is plastic, and almost all of that comes in small pieces. In Australian waters, it found up to 40,000 pieces of plastic per square kilometre."

"Published on 6 May 2015 This 2-minute "explainer" shows how tiny plastic microbeads are designed to go down the drain and into our rivers, lakes, and oceans and we can do to stop this ridiculous assault on our public waters. TAKE ACTION: http://bit.ly/banthebead"

"Growing veggies is fun, cheap, and worth it. Having a garden doesn't just mean you can grab free and fresh meals from the dirt out back. It means you've create a relationship with the earth. You noticed what type of soil and fertilizer to use. What vegetables are in season and how often they need sun and water. Today's infographic is really the best guide for growing veggies out there. Follow this advice and you will be cookin' up your own gumbo in no time."

Right now Australia faces a choice: we can continue our dependence on fossil fuels, keep mining and burning coal, keep polluting our air and water. We can keep damaging our farmland and heath, be left behind the rest of the world on investment and face an uncertain future with an unstable climate. Or we can make the switch to 100% clean renewable energy, creating a safer, healthier happier future for all.  Join us to ensure Australia makes this choice to help the turn the vision of a 100% Renewable future into a reality.

Renew Geelong's air, spirit and economy with renewable energy - Sign this petition! 48-hour petition - until Tuesday. Share on Facebook and Twitter. Forward this e-mail.  ________________________________________________________   We're hoping the citizens of Geelong will speak up and take a stand in this wind farm drama about community backing.  Let Hydro Tasmania know that there are community groups who object to these secretly funded anti-wind campaigners who allegedly have no worries about climate change. Support Hydro Tasmania in their $2 billion plan to combat carbon emissions and global warming - and to boost sustainability in Victoria.  The petition started today and closes on Tuesday 25 June. (Sign the petition and send a personal comment to the board of Hydro Tasmania:  https://www.change.org/en-AU/petitions/board-of-hydro-tasmania-renew-geelong-s-air-spirit-and-economy-with-renewable-energy ________________________________________________________ Comments to Hydro Tasmania from the first signatories: "Geelong has relied to long on out dated technology and fossil fuels, renewables energy is our future."(~ Katharine Drummond-Gillett   "Renewable energy projects would revitalise Geelong's economy." (~ Vicki Perrett   "The Geelong and broader regional community are committed to moving towards a more sustainable lifestyle, evident through community actions, changes in manufacturing sectors, the Cleantech Innovations Geelong supported by Geelong Manufacturing, the City of Greater Geelong and community to transition to a renewable energy economy."(~ Suzette Jackson ________________________________________________________ This petition is organised by Parents for Climate Safety More information about the petition: www.climatesafety.info/?p=2970 ________________________________________________________

"The cooling of eastern Pacific Ocean waters has been counteracting the warming effect of greenhouse gases. Our research, released today in Nature, shows this natural variability in ocean cycles is responsible for the "hiatus" in global warming over the last ten years or so."

"Australians are using less water but more energy: ABS"

"State of the Environment (SoE) reporting" Dept of the Environment, Water, Heritage & the Arts

"Businesses and organisations have a massive role to play in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, water conservation and waste management. Implementing sustainable practices in your business now will equip you for the challenges and opportunities ahead. "

"The ISO 14000 environmental management standards exist to help organizations (a) minimize how their operations (processes etc.) negatively affect the environment (i.e. cause adverse changes to air, water, or land); (b) comply with applicable laws, regulations, and other environmentally oriented requirements, and (c) continually improve in the above. ISO 14000 is similar to ISO 9000 quality management in that both pertain to the process of how a product is produced, rather than to the product itself. As with ISO 9000, certification is performed by third-party organizations rather than being awarded by ISO directly. The ISO 19011 audit standard applies when auditing for both 9000 and 14000 compliance at once."