Environment

Google links solar farm deal to help big data go green

20 December

A business-critical data centre specialist and a global renewable energy provider are teaming up with tech giant Google to build new generation capacity in Australia’s energy grid. Data centre firm AirTrunk, Swedish energy giant OX2 and Google on...[Read More]

War on urchins aims to save kelp forests

22 February

Ravenous sea urchins that are destroying kelp forests will be turned into farm fertiliser under a plan that will also boost some of Australia’s most valuable fisheries. In some parts of the Great Southern Reef, which wraps around the bottom half...[Read More]

Methane-eating organism a shapeshifter

18 January

A microorganism that feeds on methane to reduce the release of gas into the atmosphere is also a shapeshifter, a study has found. The microorganism, known as Candidatus Methanoperedens nitroreducens (or Ca. M. nitroreducens), is a critical life form...[Read More]

Sweet breakthrough in bio-manufacturing

18 January

Australian researchers are unlocking the secrets of sugarcane for future aviation fuel, plastics, rubbers and food additives. Gary Schenk from the University of Queensland has focused on an enzyme to speed up the slowest step in processing sugar...[Read More]

Rotting carp ‘plague’ after major floods

11 January

A carp “plague” has descended on flood-hit parts of the Murray-Darling Basin, creating headaches for farmers and concerns about the impact on native fish. Dairy farmer Heather Campbell, who manages about 200 cows on a property at Cohuna in...[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]

Businesses forced to show emissions action

14 December

Big businesses will be forced to divulge their efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions and manage climate risk under the Albanese government’s new green investment rules. Treasurer Jim Chalmers said an Australian climate risk disclosure framework...[Read More]

Magnets remove toxic waste from water

30 November

Removing toxic materials from water is now easier than ever after researchers at RMIT University discovered a fast and sustainable method using magnets. Each year about 14 million tonnes of microplastics are found in oceans and waterways around the...[Read More]

Demand for global fix to plastic pollution

23 November

Demands are being made for companies profiting off plastic to do more as environmental groups hope a global treaty will mean sustainable businesses aren’t at a competitive disadvantage. Eight in 10 Australians think manufacturers and retailers...[Read More]

Satellite radar sensors to help map floods