Environment
Nuclear and renewables at odds over power bill shock
31 October
Rolling out nuclear power plants in Australia could add $1000 a year to household electricity bills, according to energy experts, and regulators should focus on lower cost, renewable power. The warning has been issued at a Smart Energy Council event...[Read More]
Why packing waste could be the secret to a cool summer
30 October
Air conditioners could be ‘packing’ an energy-saving secret in future after an Australian research breakthrough involving waste material and static electricity. RMIT University announced the discovery on Tuesday, which researchers say could make...[Read More]
Calls to upgrade regional connectivity as 3G shuts down
30 October
Telcos are being urged to boost mobile coverage in regional Australia as thousands of residents with old phones lose their ability to make calls or texts as the 3G network shuts down. Telstra and Optus on Monday joined TPG Telecom/Vodafone in...[Read More]
Prosperity and climate action can go hand-in-hand
10 October
Protecting nature and combating climate change need not come at the expense of Australia’s prosperity, a global summit has been told. Climate change, energy, environment and water department secretary David Fredericks says his department is...[Read More]
Plum market as trade deal reached with Vietnam
11 September
Horticulture producers say Vietnam is a plum market for their produce, as the Albanese government confirmed the reopening of the Southeast Asian market. After two years of negotiations between the Australian and Vietnamese governments, market access...[Read More]
Making the Most of Your Solar Panels
29 August
Solar energy offers a sustainable and cost-effective solution to powering your home, 12-volt setup, or caravan. The benefits of harnessing the sun’s energy are substantial, ranging from reduced electricity bills to minimising your carbon...[Read More]
Asia’s biggest battery will power Australian homes
11 October
More than one million Australian households will be powered by one of the world’s largest battery systems after the government approved a new renewable energy hub. The battery will be located in Melbourne suburb of Plumpton, where it will store...[Read More]
One giant leap for agriculture as farmers look to space
15 February
Nestled deep in the industrial and commercial centre of a major metropolitan city, a vertical farm has sprouted indoors and its backers are reaching for the stars. Researchers based in Melbourne’s Docklands are working with the space agency NASA...[Read More]
Mixed outlook for agriculture in 2023
14 December
It’s a mixed outlook for agriculture in the coming year, with grains and lamb expected to perform well while the number of dairy farmers leaving the industry takes a toll. Rural Bank’s 2023 outlook also listed global economic challenges and...[Read More]
How Green Hydrogen Could End The Fossil Fuel Era [TED Talk Video]
3 November
As climate change accelerates, finding clean alternatives to fossil fuels is more urgent than ever. Social entrepreneur Vaitea Cowan believes green hydrogen is the answer. Watch as she shares her team’s work mass producing electrolyzers —...[Read More]
Electric car tax cuts welcome, more wanted
26 October
Federal budget tax cuts for electric cars and moves to create a national electric vehicle charging network in Australia have been welcomed by motoring and environmental groups overnight. The policies could shave $4700 off the cost of buying an...[Read More]
Expert finds short cut to emissions target
19 October
Australia can meet its emissions reduction target and ease its biodiversity crisis if it decides to end logging in native forests, a leading climate scientist says. Professor Brendan Mackey, who has co-authored reports for the Intergovernmental...[Read More]
Big Battery ‘more useful than big banana’
21 September
Australia can’t become fully powered by renewable energy without storage to support wind and solar, industry warns. South Australia’s Hornsdale Power Reserve was the world’s first Big Battery, since overtaken by a larger plant in...[Read More]
Farmers ‘big winners’ in UK trade deal
21 September
Australia’s agricultural sector would be the big winner in a new free trade deal with the UK, the chief negotiator says. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Elisabeth Bowes has told a parliamentary inquiry ratifying the...[Read More]
Australia urged to help climate diplomacy
7 September
Australia must pull its weight in the Pacific and go harder on cutting emissions, according to international climate leaders. South Korea’s Ban Ki-moon, former secretary-general of the United Nations, told a forum in Canberra on Tuesday that...[Read More]