One possible solution – paying a small amount for returned drink containers – has been consistently opposed by the beverage industry for many years. But for the first time our research, published in Marine Policy , has found that container deposits reduce the amount of beverage containers on the coasts of both the United States and Australia by 40%. What's more, the reduction is even more pronounced in areas of lower socio-economic status, where plastic waste is most common. Plastic not so fantastic There have been many suggestions for how to reduce marine debris. Some promote reducing plastic packaging, re-purposing plastic debris, or cleaning beaches. There has...

U.S. consumers waste a lot of food year-round - about one-third of all purchased food. That's equivalent to 1,250 calories per person per day, or US$1,500 worth of groceries for a four-person household each year, an estimate that doesn't include recent food price inflation. And when food goes bad, the land, labor, water, chemicals and energy that went into producing, processing, transporting, storing and preparing it are wasted too. Where does all that unwanted food go? Mainly underground. Food waste occupies almost 25% of landfill space nationwide. Once buried, it breaks down, generating methane, a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. Recognizing those impacts,...

This week, 65 mayors visited the Vatican in order to discuss climate change, among other issues. The visit reflects on the role that cities play in discussions, which for far too long were only held at a global or national level. Due to their necessity and nature, cities have more success in tackling climate change than national or international governments. More than half of the world's people live in cities, which consume 75% of energy and emit 80 of greenhouse gases. Cities are not only sources of problems; they can also be innovative places for solutions. While the story of climate changes is...

Bill Clinton's 1992 US presidential campaign was based on the motto "The Economy, stupid." He laid the foundation for Australian politics. Bill Clinton's 1992 US presidential campaign was built on the slogan "The economy, stupid." He laid out the basic rules of Australian politics. Turnbull is free of Abbott's baggage. Malcolm Turnbull made economics a central part of his pitch for the Liberal Party's leadership. He has not yet indicated how he would change the policies or levers that the Abbott government used in response to the slowing of China's growth and the end of Australia's mining boom. Turnbull is free of the two...

 In the period between 2016 and 2019, the number of people employed by online platforms like Deliveroo or TaskRabbit more than doubled, from 4.7% to 9.6%. This is the equivalent of about 5.5 million people. These trends accelerated even more after the Lockdown, as an en masse population began ordering goods online. Many are concerned about the rise of the platform economy. Platform technology can be used to improve the delivery of public services. Platforms could be used to transform the way citizens receive services, whether they are under municipal control or in public-private partnerships. In our study on the platform economy,...

In the last two decades, Australia's construction industry has grown significantly. The population growth has created a need for more property development, improved public transport, and better infrastructure. Construction and demolition have resulted in a significant increase in waste. In 2017, the construction and demolition industry generated 20,4 million tons of waste, including for road and railway maintenance, land excavation, and other activities. The trash generated by these activities typically includes bricks and concrete, metals, wood, plasterboard, Asphalt, rock, soil, and plasterboard. In Australia, between 2016 and 2017, over 6.7MT of this waste was disposed of in landfills. The remainder is recycled, illegally...

There are now scores of festivals catering to every taste. UN Music and Environment Initiative noted that music was "one of most powerful media for communicating environmental messages to millions of people around the world regardless of race or religion, income, age, gender, or age." Music's ability to excite our senses is undeniable, but the industry as a whole faces many challenges to being more environmentally sustainable. The music industry is based on production and consumption so that any changes could affect its economic model. Festivals have a major impact on the environment, causing problems with traffic, waste, water, and litter. The UK music...

The long-awaited white paper about the A$2.55 billion Emissions Reduction Fund provides answers to some questions regarding the Abbott government's Direct Action Climate Plan. The policy lets off the few polluting companies. The government has made it clear that it will not add more money to the ERF than what is budgeted. Australia may be able to reach its 5% reduction target by 2020 but will find it difficult to reduce further than that. Hunt stated that the government would not go beyond the 5% goal until "strong, similar action" is taken by the major countries in the world. The government's Climate...

The fund will accept lower investment returns, which means a higher level of risk than what the government expects from the CEFC. Carbon pricing is the key to clean energy. ARENA was mandated to give grants to clean energy research and development projects. These decisions are risky, but they could reduce the cost of low-emission technology if successful. Early movers face obstacles, and the carbon market so far has not provided a clear long-term message for investors. Government funding is, therefore, justified. The CEFC was created as a result of a compromise made to ensure the former Labor government passed...

Consider other global challenges like climate change and ozone depletion. Researchers have matured around these issues, allowing them to determine where the gases responsible for these problems originate from and how much of it reaches the air each year. We know very little about plastic pollution. This is especially true in countries with low or middle incomes. We are struggling to reduce the amount of litter in the environment. In our research published in Science, we made a huge effort to track plastics and predict their future flow into land and water bodies around the world. Our study found that the...