Plan to radically change food rubbish collection in Victoria

Councils may be pushed to introduce kerbside food waste collection under a state government scheme to dramatically reduce rubbish sent to landfill.

Glen Eira mayor Jamie Hyams putting out food
scraps in the green waste bin for kerbside collection. 

The option is currently being considered as the Andrews government sets out key proposals to reform Victoria’s waste-collection system, which was thrown into crisis after China stopped accepting low-grade recycling material.

About a quarter of local councils already recycle food waste but a paper released by the state government proposes a major expansion of the service.

Read the story from The Age by Benjamin Preiss - “Plan to radically change food rubbish collection in Victoria.”

Labor announces environmental overhaul, avoiding pre-election internal battle

Labor will introduce a new Australian environment act and create a commonwealth environmental protection agency, Bill Shorten has announced.

The shadow environment minister, Tony Burke, delivers his
 speech at Labor’s national conference on Sunday. 

Shorten made the commitment in his opening address to the 48th Labor national conference in Adelaide on Sunday, kicking the event off with two key concessions to the Labor Environment Action Network (Lean).

The announcement defused tension as a deal was reached before a possible conference-floor fight but Shorten’s speech was still overshadowed in part by protesters urging Labor to stop the Adani Carmichael coalmine.

Read the story from The Guardian by Paul Karp and Lisa Cox - “Labor announces environmental overhaul, avoiding pre-election internal battle.”

Introducing RenewEconomy’s new electric vehicle website: TheDriven.io

Today we are proud to introduce RenewEconomy’s new website focusing on electric vehicles, and the transition to zero carbon transport – TheDriven.io

Whether you are merely curious about EVs, just love to drive them, are an EV nerd, or want to keep up with the news and analysis about new models, government policy and developments in the charging space, we hope that this new website is for you.

TheDriven.io is a joint venture between RenewEconomy – Australia’s leading website on renewables, storage and climate policy – and private investors.

We are launching it now because we are on the verge on an extraordinary shift in our transport options and choices. Car companies are  ready to roll out new EV models in Australia, and policy makers are grappling with what they should do.

Read the story by Giles Parkinson from RenewEconomy - “Introducing RenewEconomy's new elctric vcehicle website: TheDriven.io."

(As exciting as this maybe for those responsible, “TheDriven.io" appears to be a further example of the broad acceptance that our future is inextricably linked to the electric car and that just as soon as our car fleet is fully electric we can relax and turn out attention to other things. 

That is simply not true. 

It is the private ownership of cars and the energy intense infrastructure surrounding it that must go if we are to eventually see a truly sustainable world, and we won’t as it seems unlikely that we, humans, have the intellectual bravery, or the will, to rid ourselves of the privately-owned vehicle and invest, in every sense, in creating and building a sophisticated public transport system - Robert McLean)

Deposit return scheme proposed in England to fight plastic waste

The UK Government has put forward plans to introduce a deposit return scheme to dramatically reduce the amount of waste from drinks.

UK Government looks to deposit return scheme to cut plastic waste.

Single use containers, either plastic, glass, or metal, could soon be subject to a small charge which consumers will get back if they return the item. Businesses involved are then responsible for the bottle.

Similar schemes in other European countries have seen an increase in recycling rates; in Germany, it has helped recycling rates climb to an astonishing 97 percent.

Read the ClimateAction story - “Deposit return scheme proposed in England to fight plastic waste.”

CANOPY - Eco Sleeper Pods

Parks Victoria will introduce a new way to stay overnight or short stays in iconic park locations around the state.

Artist's impression of the Troppo Architect + Oscar
Building designed pod situated in the bush.
The en-suite unit is fully self-contained and off
grid for water, waste and power.

We are conducting a pilot with three designs of low environmental impact, fully transportable Eco Sleeper Pods.

Throughout the pilot program we want to get feedback from you about the design, amenity, accessibility and visual impact of the pods, as well as the kinds of activities you’d like to experience.

The pilot will include a variety of styles with and without kitchen and bathroom facilities, as well as the ‘off grid’ models that are fully self-sufficient with electricity and water.

Stringent environmental monitoring will be carried out throughout the pilot process, with environmental sustainability, energy efficiency and minimal environmental disturbance being the major focus. The Eco Sleeper Pods will be built from environmentally friendly materials, and facilities such as cleaning and rubbish removal will adhere to best practice standards.

Read the Parks Victoria story - “CANOPY - Eco Sleeper Pods.”

Singapore will charge polluters a carbon tax from next year

Singapore has announced plans to introduce a new carbon tax from 2019.

Carbon tax in Singapore from 2019.

The tax will initially be levied at $5 Singapore dollars ($3.8 US) on all facilities which produce 25,000 tonnes, or more, of greenhouse gas emissions each year.

Heng Swee Keat, the country’s Minister of Finance, made the announcement on Monday in the yearly budget proposals.

Agence France-Presse reported Mr Heng saying: "Singapore produces less carbon emissions per dollar of GDP than most countries”

Read the ClimateAction story “Singapore will charge polluters a carbon tax from next year.”

Malcolm Turnbull's national energy guarantee plan masks a carbon price

The Turnbull government's new national energy guarantee could introduce a de facto carbon price, measuring the cost of emissions for the first time since the Abbott government scrapped the carbon tax in 2014.

Placing a price on carbon: One default outcome of a National Energy Guarantee.

The long-awaited energy plan, released by the government on Tuesday, requires electricity retailers to ensure improved reliability levels while also reducing carbon emissions in line with Australia's Paris Agreement commitments.

Buried in the detail of advice presented by the new Energy Security Board to state and federal governments is a mechanism to be added to the National Electricity Market in two stages in 2019 and 2020 that could produce a default carbon price.

"Some electricity retailers will not be able to meet the required emissions profile, while others will overachieve," it reads. "Therefore a secondary exchange will occur between retailers to balance their portfolios."

Read Peter Hannam’s story in the Melbourne Age - “Malcolm Turnbull's national energy guarantee plan masks a carbon price.”