Australia needs more homes. But what happens to our trees?
As we build more homes to tackle the housing crisis some worry trees will become collateral damage. But as our climate changes, isn't now the time we need trees most?
newsmart
As we build more homes to tackle the housing crisis some worry trees will become collateral damage. But as our climate changes, isn't now the time we need trees most?
Australia is on track to confront a serious solar panel waste dilemma by 2050, estimated to include hundreds of tonnes of silver. Researchers have pioneered a novel process that efficiently retrieves nearly all silver from decommissioned solar cells. Utilizing a continuous flotation method that relies solely on water and air without toxic chemicals, this advance could revolutionize solar panel recycling, ensuring valuable materials are rescued rather than discarded in landfills.
After a devastating bushfire, an Australian artist turned adversity into creativity by reconstructing her home from salvaged materials. Over several months, she gathered timber and metal sheets, crafting a self-sufficient cabin for just AU$7,000 to AU$10,000. The dwelling features off-grid systems powered by solar panels and rainwater tanks, presenting a viable low-cost housing option for younger Australians seeking sustainable living.
Vegan leathers are complicated by questions of commercial viability and sustainability. How do they compare to traditional leather? Change by degrees offers life hacks and sustainable living tips each Saturday to help reduce your household’s carbon footprintGot a question or tip for reducing household emissions? Email us at changebydegrees@theguardian.comIn sustainable fashion, breathless promises about vegan leather have arrived thick and fast for over a decade. Innovations promise mushroom and cactus alternatives that look and feel like real leather – minus the negative associations with methane, deforestation, chemical pollution and animal welfare.While these next-gen materials have absorbed billions of dollars in capital under an environmental banner, experts are concerned they remain a shiny distraction while the fashion industry’s emissions and reliance on fossil fuel-derived materials grows. Continue reading...
Rosa Galvez | Canada and Australia are both democracies built on abundant resources, extraordinary biodiversity and world-class science, with prosperity built…
A new water recycling plant in Central NSW can process '16 times' more efficiently than existing systems, its inventor says.
Federal environment department tells industry representatives the government does not want to ‘exacerbate cost of living pressures’Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Albanese government has been accused of breaking a promise after it shelved a longstanding commitment to bring in packaging standards intended to force manufacturers and retailers to cut plastic waste.The federal environment department told industry representatives via email last week that the promise would not be kept before the next election because the government did not want to “exacerbate cost of living pressures”. Continue reading...
Researchers find fossils ranging from 7,000 years to 46,000 years old showing evidence that devils may have become reliant on humans for scavengingTasmanian devils lived alongside humans in Western Australia’s Pilbara region for tens of thousands of years, according to fossils uncovered at Juukan Gorge.These squat and sable marsupials, now restricted to Tasmania, were once abundant right across Australia, becoming extinct on the mainland about 3,200 years ago. Continue reading...