November 8, 2023 – Own Your Impact

Recycling

World Heritage Site has been downgraded, but it is not too late for it to be saved

This value is evident if you have visited the Blue Mountains with their rugged sandstone rock faces, hidden falls, and diverse life. Dharug and Gundungurra's traditional owners have long appreciated this value, as they cared for and lived in the Country (Ngurra) and were, in turn, nourished by the land. After fires destroyed 71% of the area of the Blue Mountains, the World Heritage Site has been officially downgraded. Read more: 'Severely threatened and deteriorating': Global Authority on Nature lists the Great Barrier Reef as critical. Last week, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) — the official advisor to UNESCO — rated...

Recycling

Ghana is a country that uses dirty fuels

Energy-poor households are those that use biomass such as wood, animal dung, grass, and charcoal. Non-energy-poor families use electricity or liquefied petrol gas (LPG). Only 25% of Ghanaian homes had access to clean cooking energy in 2018, according to the International Energy Agency. Underdevelopment is caused and exacerbated by the lack of modern energy in households. In our study, we sought to identify the factors that affect household energy consumption for domestic purposes. This included lighting and cooking. In addition, we observed that households were deprived of access to modern energy sources. We found rural households to be more deprived than...

Waste Reduction

Struggles against factory farm pollution find traction in court

Neighbors have to contend with noxious odors, toxic emissions, and swarms of insects, and have had little success in obtaining relief - but this could be changing. On April 26, Murphy Brown LLC, a division of Smithfield Foods, was required to pay US$75,000 in compensatory damages and $50 million in punitive damages in a nuisance lawsuit filed by ten residents of Bladen County, North Carolina, over impacts from a nearby hog farm. On June 29, another North Carolina jury awarded $25 million to a couple in Duplin County in a similar lawsuit against Smithfield Foods. Other cases are pending in North Carolina and Iowa. Smithfield...

Waste Reduction

How the new global plastic pollution treaty can help to solve this crisis

It is contaminating freshwater, terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Microplastics, plastic particles less than five millimeters large, infiltrate the global dust cycles, water cycles & carbon cycles. Microplastics are in our food, water and air. These tiny plastic particles may harm populations of wildlife and communities. This can threaten the ecological balance. New research suggests that plastics pose a threat to the planetary boundary, and we have moved outside of our safe operating area. After years of negotiation, 175 nations pledged to draft the first global treaty for plastic pollution during the UN Environment Assembly held in Nairobi. This resolution was passed 30 years after the first treaty on climate...

Recycling

Greenhouse emissions stable over decade

A new report found that greenhouse gas emissions have not increased in Australia in the past decade, despite a 31% economic growth over the same time period. The findings indicate that the conversion to a "green economy" does not have to be painful, and it is already happening in the Australian industry. ClimateWorks at Monash University released a report today that said stabilizing emissions levels in spite of economic growth could be achieved by reducing deforestation and increasing tree planting, improving industry energy efficiency, and slashing power emissions. The study concluded that more must be done to avoid catastrophic climate changes. Australia...

Recycling

Report urges emissions reductions but downplays the opportunities

According to draft recommendations published today by the Climate Change Authority, Australia should reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30% below 2000 levels before 2025. For Australia to be credible on climate change, it will have to set a clear target for emissions for 2025. The Authority's recommendations are justified in principle, but the government will probably not accept them. The Authority pays little attention to the benefits of Australia becoming a low-emissions country and instead highlights international emissions trading. Post-2020 Target Game In the United Nations climate negotiations, every country is required to make an emission commitment for the next...

Recycling

Reducing waste food could be dangerous to birds and other animals

Researchers have called on scientists to examine how food efficiency measures could affect animal populations that rely on food waste and landfills to survive. The warning comes at a time when developed countries are introducing new measures to reduce food waste. For example, sending expired foods to charities rather than landfills. The authors of their paper wrote: "Scientists who work on the biology of animals species, especially those involved in conservation research, would do well to test hypotheses and make predictions about the impact of food waste on biodiversity on the planet." Iain Gordon is the lead author of the study and...

Waste Reduction

A dissenting opinion on the Climate Change Authority’s report

After much thought, as members of the Climate Change Authority, who participated in full in the Special review of Australia's Climate Goals and Policies report published last week, we have concluded that we cannot in good conscience sign our names on the information. We decided to write the minority report rather than resigning from the Authority. We present here edited excerpts from the information that was released today. Our disagreement with the majority is based on its failure to acknowledge the importance of Australia's carbon budget constraining all future emission-reduction policies and targets. The carbon budget is the total of emissions Australia can emit...

Recycling

But your home can be transformed into a super home

The homes of Britain are responsible for nearly a third of the nation's total energy consumption despite years of steadily improving energy efficiency. To meet the UK's carbon emission reduction targets by 2050, approximately 600,000 homes each year must be renovated in order to achieve large energy savings. At the moment, only a handful of homes are renovated each year to meet high energy-saving standards. More people need to be inspired to do the work themselves and bring their homes up to date. As pioneers in the field, homeowners who have done this can be a great example for others. They may even open up...

Recycling

Melbourne is wasting 200 kg per person of food a year

Food waste is a problem in many ways. It's expensive, with the average household spending over A$2,200 per year. And it threatens our food supply. In a new report, our Foodprint Melbourne Project estimated the amount of food wasted by feeding Melbourne. Our research found that the amount of food wasted in Melbourne is over 900,000 tons per year. This is more than 200 kg for each person. This amount is enough to feed over 2 million people a year*. Food waste can occur at various stages. Foodprint Melbourne Undermining sustainability This waste food requires 180 gigalitres (113 liters) of water per...