Save water through food!
Governments around the world have been issued with a call to set targets to reduce by half the amount of food that is wasted by 2025. The call was made by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the UN and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI).
The three organisations said large amounts of water are consumed in food production processes worldwide. Making the food chain more efficient means saving water that would have been used to produce that food. The large amount of food discarded in the developed world translates to large volumes of water waste. In the US, for example, as much as 30% of food, worth some US $48.3 billion ($51.5 billion), is thrown away each year.
The Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP), a UK waste advisory body, earlier this month released research that found throwing away food is costing UK households £10 billion ($20.8 billion) a year.
The report recommends that governments should offer increased support for businesses such as manufacturers and agricultural industries to invest in technologies to realise productivity performance improvements and a reduction in water consumption. They can also play a role by increasing consumer and industry awareness.
Benchmarking standards should be set by industry to measure and reduce water use, including water use in the entire food chain, not just in their factory. (Sourced from www.EnvironmentalManagementNews.net )
Not nuts? Sinking CO2 to the ocean floor
Inflatable bags, up to 100m in radius, several kilometres long and able to store 160 million tonnes of CO2 - the equivalent of 2.2days of current global emissions – are the brain child of Dr David Keith.
One of Canada’s foremost experts on carbon sequestration, he says the structures could res benignly on the (mostly barren) seabed 3km below the ocean’s surface.
“At first glance, this idea looks nutty, but as one looks closer it seems it might be technically feasible with current day technology” Dr Keith says. The real costs lie in the capture of CO2 and its transport to the deep ocean. “If we can drive those down,” he notes, “then ocean storage might be an important option for reducing CO2 emissions.” Sourced from WME magazine March 2008 and more information at http://tinyurl.com/2ny319
Industry meets University
I3net, the Illawarra Industry Innovation Network, had its last monthly meeting at the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Wollongong. Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Professor Chris Cook, told of the range of engineering disciplines in the faculty - Civil, Mining, Environmental, Mechatronix, Mechanical, Materials and Physics.
Both Professor Cook and Industry representatives recognised that there should be more interaction between the University and companies. The Engineering Faculty puts out a newsletter which can be accessed at http://www.uow.edu.au/content/groups/public/@web/@eng/documents/doc/uow044350.pdf
More information on I3net which aims to create a collaborative environment in the Engineering and Manufacturing industry can be found on www.i3net.com.au
Fully recycled mobile phone
No this is not about passing on your mobile phone or dare we say it giving your SIM card to someone else!
Nokia has unveiled ReMade, a mobile phone made of 100% recycled materials. ENN (www.enn.com) reports that the idea behind the "remade" concept was to see if it was possible to create a device made from nothing new. It has been designed using recycled materials that avoid the need for natural resources, reduce landfill, and allow for more energy efficient production.
It is made out of metals from recycled aluminum cans, plastics from drink bottles form the chassis, and its rubber key mats are provided by old car tyres. Inside the phone are new more environmentally friendly technologies such as printed electronics, and the graphics used on the display save energy without compromising on style.
Remade is a concept that explores potential new ideas for the future, and is part of Nokia's ongoing work looking at how it can help people make more sustainable choices. It is designed to help inspire and stimulate discussion on how mobile devices might be made in the future. Some 65-80% of Nokia's phones can be recycled and are claimed to use the latest technology to promote energy efficiency.
WSITC Hot Topic Forum - Innovations in ICT
The 2nd in the series of quarterly breakfast Forums, with a focus on Innovations in Information and Communication Technology (ICT), including information on funding/assistance available and some of the latest technologies being developed and the challenges in commercialisation that they face....
Speakers from CSIRO, NICTA, WSITC firms, AusIndustry and DSRD. To be held at DSRD Office North Parramatta from 7am-10am on 27 May 2008. Full details: contact Vicki Hine on 02 8843 1107 vikki.hine@business.nsw.gov.au or http://interdependent.com.au/wsitc/documents/Invitation_WSITC_Forum_270508v2_.pdf
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