Category Archives: technology

Bagging the plastic

Posted on 20/04/2019 by

The worst thing plastic waste does is to kill birds and marine life. An Australian town has implemented a solution: they bag the outflows, then deal with what they catch. This is expensive, but they reckon it’s worth it. The … Continue reading →

Posted in environment, technology | Leave a comment

Hydrogen is not a fuel

Posted on 21/03/2019 by

There is talk of a “hydrogen economy.” Australia’s prime minister, desperate to distract from his government’s failures, has promised to put lots of money into it in the (completely unlikely) event of being re-elected. It’s a mirage. Hydrogen is not … Continue reading →

Posted in technology

Electricity-free refrigeration

Posted on 13/02/2019 by

The technique is thousands of years old. The Australian version is the Coolgardie safe: It’s a wire mesh cage with damp cloth on its outside. As long as you keep the cloth damp, and the air is not 100% humid, … Continue reading →

Posted in technology | 3 Comments

EV epic to admire

Posted on 03/02/2019 by

Dutch young man Wiebe Wakker has driven his small 2009 electric car across 33 countries, and is now doing huge distances in Australia. Unlike in most other countries, there is little in the way of charging opportunities, and distances are … Continue reading →

Posted in environment, good news, Inspiration, technology | 1 Comment

Loop: Lock in the consumer

Posted on 27/01/2019 by

A new packaging system has been announced with a great fanfare. Many of the world’s biggest suppliers of consumables are combining in getting rid of single-use packaging, and possibly the supermarket. Remember the old milkman who brought bottles that could … Continue reading →

Posted in environment, technology | 1 Comment

Still a chance for survival?

Posted on 16/01/2019 by

A new report in Nature Communications states that if, from the end of 2018, there were no new fossil-fuel powered installations, and existing ones were replaced with renewable alternatives, then we could keep global temperature rise at 1.5 degrees C, … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate change, Free edit contest, good news, philosophy, politics, technology | 7 Comments

Cash in that empty

Posted on 05/01/2019 by

South Australia has had a 10c for empty plastic bottles and aluminium cans scheme for many years. When I was there in 2011 for my granddaughter’s wedding, I noted quite an industry of poor people making more than pocket money … Continue reading →

Posted in environment, good news, Projects, technology | 3 Comments

Replace the avalanche of wrapping paper

Posted on 18/12/2018 by

This time of the year, entire forests get destroyed in order to provide wrapping paper for millions of presents. A small quantity may be recycled, or reused a few more times before being thrown away, but that’s a poor second … Continue reading →

Posted in environment, technology | 2 Comments

Reduce your shopping footprint

Posted on 13/12/2018 by

This holiday season, you might consider giving the planet a lovely gift: ordering multiple items per shipment (instead of just one at a time), double-checking sizes and colors before clicking “send,” and opting for five-day delivery. This gift may seem … Continue reading →

Posted in environment, technology

Eco-flying tips

Posted on 10/12/2018 by

Lauren Bowen, writing for Care2.com, has an excellent list of suggestions for minimising the environmental damage you do when having to hop on a plane. As she says at the start, the most ecological is to avoid the need to … Continue reading →

Posted in environment, philosophy, technology