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  Emissions Trading in the age of IT, how will it affect your business?

  Simon Hayes     |      July 16, 2008

  Regulation for large organisations and pressure from supply chain partners for smaller organisations are the key drivers for Green in the IT space.
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  Kill the Car or Kill Us

  Oscar Lima     |      July 16, 2008

  Why is the Federal Government so inert on policies that can be easily implemented and that will certainly have an enormous impact on emissions immediately?

  Despite all the glossy rhetoric of our Prime Minister and Penny Wong, nothing, excluding lip service, has been done so far, to attack the looming menace of Global Warming.

  There are many powerful economic interests wanting to maintain the status quo: Car Manufactures, Oil Companies, the Carbon industry.

  All of them want to implement a carbon trading system in which those with enough cash will be able to continue polluting and the rest of us will have to curtail consumption.
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  What is a Spatially Enabled Government?

  Gary Nairn     |      July 15, 2008

  Imagine a spatially enabled tax office that would have real-time information on owners, land identity, geo-coded address, interests and transactions as they occur – or a spatially enabled Centrelink which could minimise fraud and overpayments…
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  Finding time for kids

  Jenny Macklin     |      July 11, 2008

  Keeping children’s interests at the heart of family policy debates

  If we want to give children the best possible start in life we know the early months and years are absolutely vital for social, cognitive and physical development. It’s about what’s in the best interests of children.
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  Advancing Alternative Energies by Providing Incentives to Traditional Power Producers

  Robert_Pitts     |      July 10, 2008

  Giving existing power utilities preferential treatment to buy into renewable and/or energy efficient technologies should accelerate the necessary switch to low carbon power generation.

  One variation on the carbon permits proposed by the Ross Garnaut  report would be to give base load power generators preferential ability to buy shares in alternative energy companies. Through a "carrot and stick" approach, traditional power companies could be persuaded to look upon alternative energy companies as sources of continuing and growing revenue rather than as competitors that are trying to eat into their market share and profits.

  Rather than the punitive application of emission permits, traditional power producers should be offered offsets to invest in the expansion of "micro generation" alternative energy production and/or research and development in these areas rather than persisting with so-called "clean coal" and centralised power distribution.

  Why Micro generation?

  Energy losses from Power station to end consumer can range up to 78%  – primarily through heat and transmission losses. However, generation of power at the very point of consumption would save transmission costs and turn any heat produced into a useable resource rather than being wasted as is currently the practice.

  Through an enhanced emissions trading scheme, centralised base load coal powered generators or gas companies would find it advantageous to actively invest in micro generation systems such as solar or (the very promising) ceramic fuel cells. Daytime electricity needs could be supplemented through solar cells on roofs while night time loads could be supplemented through combined heat and power units such as solid oxide fuel cells. Any power generated that is excess to the needs of the consumer would be sold back to the grid.
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  Who would you trust with the money? A response to Kevin Fong and Rachel Siewert

  Tony Abbott     |      July 10, 2008

  The long-term involvement of high calibre professionals and administrators would immensely strengthen the social fabric of remote indigenous townships and make more local autonomy politically feasible.
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  Banking on the feel good factor

  Sioned Guard     |      July 10, 2008

  Doesn’t it make more sense to adopt better, more sustainable, more socially responsible ways to run a business, rather than continue with outdated unsustainable business practices?

  Sometimes in business you just need to go by your instincts, and back in 2003 when I met my business partner Sinead Roberts, that’s what it was like.

  She was looking for someone to go into business importing the Moltex eco-nappies into Australia, she’d used the nappies in Europe and couldn’t believe that a similar product was not available for Australian families.
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  Trees For Life and its revegetation mission

  treesforlife     |      July 10, 2008

  Trees For Life has been revegetating and protecting remnant native vegetation for nearly three decades. It has now initiated a carbon neutral program that allows you to take personal responsibility for the carbon dioxide emissions you create with your car, flights and energy use.
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  If you can’t beat them…

  patrickcallioni     |      July 10, 2008

  Rather than struggling against government regulation, businesses should be looking for opportunities to use it to their advantage.
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  Survey on Indigenous Housing

  JoeyPin     |      July 9, 2008

  Hi there, A student here just wondering if I could get people to participate in a study on Indigenous housing (no pranks please or abuse). Thank you! ___________________________________________________________________ Housing issues in Australia and Social Justice in Australian communities This survey is designed for educational purposes only by students of the Western Sydney Institute of TAFE. […]
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  What we need today

  Martin Duursma     |      July 9, 2008

  There’s definitely something to be said for finally having a minister dedicated to the areas or research development and innovation in the Federal Government. And certainly when I met with Senator Kim Carr together with a group of IT industry representatives a few months ago, he’s making the right noises regarding the sorts of approaches which would lead to a more innovative economy.

  What we need to see now is some action. Specifically we need the government to adopt legislation which encourages what might be termed a "virtuous circle of innovation" within the Australian economy.
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  Videoconferencing is Green

  editor     |      July 9, 2008

  By Philip Siefert

  A large organisation can replace upwards of 20,000 round-trip, short-haul flights annually with video meetings, saving 2,200 tons of CO2 from being released into the environment.

  For companies to "go green," they need solutions that positively impact the environment without raising costs or sacrificing productivity.

  However, to make an impact, we all need to take personal action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  The longer we wait the more difficult it is going to be.  The point is to get started doing something now.  So I say, accept that this rebellion is real and realise that the time for taking action on global warming is not tomorrow, not even today, but this very minute.

  The key to engaging enterprises in this endeavour is to identify CO2 reduction programs that do not raise costs or sacrifice productivity.  It is possible to be environmentally responsible and stay competitive, without breaking the bank.  Companies must be presented though with workable steps that they can take today to reduce their carbon footprint.