Aust Conserv

As Parliamentary debate resumes on the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) bill tomorrow, the Australian Alliance to Save Energy (A²SE) has reminded politicians that the CPRS may be an expensive waste of time without action on energy efficiency.

A carbon price signal is important – particularly for reducing emissions from energy supply - but the CPRS by itself will NOT deliver the lowest cost emission reductions.  Whether the CPRS is passed in the next few weeks or not, we should be fast tracking serious investment in energy efficiency - delivering impressive returns, reducing emissions, enhancing productivity, creating jobs and lowering the cost of meeting Australia’s emission reduction targets.

Energy efficiency will make it easier to meet Australia’s targets and will reduce the impact on Australian families.

Sustainable House Day announces Solar Shop Australia, Australia’s leading installer of grid connect solar power systems, as the presenting sponsor for Sustainable House Day 2009 to be held across Australia on 13 September 2009.

Now in its eighth year, more than 150 homes will open their doors to the public on Sustainable House Day, showing ways to make living and working spaces more environmentally friendly.

Solar Shop Australia’s managing Director Adrian Ferraretto said that it is a natural fit for Solar Shop Australia and Sustainable House Day to join forces and promote the benefits of sustainable living.

"Over the last 10 years we have seen thousands of Australians realise the benefits of installing solar power systems," Mr Ferraretto said.

As commercial buildings increasingly focus on reducing their carbon footprint, Australia's longest serving provider of energy efficiency products and services has undergone a radical company restructure to cope with this growth and prepare for greater business opportunities.
 
Established 26 years ago by prominent Melbourne entrepreneur Peter Szental, ‘Energy Conservation Systems' (ECS) has restructured from a geographical to a functional structure.

Brisbane City Council, Dalby Regional Council, Eastern Metropolitan Regional Council, Eurobodalla Shire Council, Moonee Valley City Council and Shire of Lake Grace Council were praised for their mobile phone recycling efforts at the 2009 MobileMuster Local Government Awards, which were presented at the National General Assembly for Local Government, in Canberra this week.

The MobileMuster Local Government Awards, now in its third year, was created by the mobile phone industry's official recycling program to recognise and reward leading councils across Australia, who have successfully promoted and collected old mobile phones, batteries and accessories for recycling.

Guest speaker Senator Bob Brown presented the awards to the winning councils, including ‘Top Collector Overall' award to Brisbane City Council, Dalby Regional Council for ‘Best Promoter', Shire of Lake Grace Council for ‘Top Collector Per Capita' and Eastern Metropolitan Regional Council for ‘Working with Schools'. Joint winners, Mooney Valley City Council and Eurobodalla Shire Council were crowned the top award - ‘National Excellence'.

In a first for the Australian design and creative community, today marks the launch of a website showcasing the work of designers who are focussed on creating positive social and environmental change.

www.bindarri.com.au, the new website of the non-profit organisation, Bindarri, will keep audiences informed of all the latest news and events relating to artists and designers working for positive change in Australia.

The Bindarri website includes the largest online directory of Australian designers, as well as essential resources to assist others seeking to create positive outcomes.

With the success of Earth Hour around the world, it might be time to step up to the challenge of Earth Day.

It only takes a little bit of time to slowly build up habits that will help reduce our carbon foot print. If you can do without lights for an hour for one night of a year, why not try it for one night a week. Slowly you can build these habits up and reduce more and more of your dependance on electricty.