The Damaging Export of Electronic Waste

Zelfo Australia

Zelfo is a new material, a 100% biodegradable plastic made from plants or paper waste. I got in contact with the Zelfo team about a year ago when they were still in the process of setting up the business in NSW. By December they got that far to give workshops to interested designers and manufacturers about the possibilities of this new material. And that's when I traveled to the other end of Australia and met Paul and Martin. I designed a few articles for Zelfo's own collection; a vase and a stool. And I had some ideas of my own which I am working on. Unfortunately on the moment all energy is going into the production of musical instruments such as the didgeridoos but it won't be long before the prototypes of the vase and stool will be ready and I am looking forward to that.

Contact Zelfo Australia for more information about Zelfo, the biodegradable plastic.

Update 2009: Zelfo Australia is now Zeoform International

Update 29/6/09: I've received this email from Germany:

Hello Wilma,

Reference your various web postings about Zelfo material. Omodo is the patent owner of the Zelfo process, known and promoted by us as Zelfo. We currently work with various industry partners to develop new products and processes. Perhaps you would like to visit our website to review our offer? If we can be of help to you please get in contact. Meanwhile I would appreciate if you would change the various blog/website references to reflect our continued presence in the market.

All the best from Happy Go Lucky Germany

Richard

EST

Engineered Solid Timber
Since a few years a few of my furniture design ranges are made off EST. It gives me the ability to design modern products with straigth lines in solid wood using the beautiful native hardwoods from Western Australia such as Marri and Jarrah, without killing too many trees.
The article below explains it much better than I can do:

Contact MobelAKW for more information about EST.

CH2

Council House 2 in Melbourne is a one of a kind but hopefully it sets a trend in office design.
Australia’s greenest and healthiest purpose built office building, Council House 2 (CH2), opened in Melbourne in August 2006, setting the benchmark for all future high-rise buildings.

Six stars, but is it Architecture? The City of Melbourne’s new office building, by Mick Pearce and DesignInc, is Australia’s first building to pursue biomimicry as a design principle, while pushing sustainable design to new levels.
Read this Architecture Australia review.

Awarded six Green Stars for its ecological design, CH2 (Council House 2) is a visionary new building that harvests sunlight, cool night air, water, wind and rain. The development comprises a 10-storey building with 3 basement levels, it will provide office facilities for about 540 staff and include retail spaces and underground parking. CH2 has sustainable technologies built into every part of the development and Aconex was implemented not only to control information management but also to considerably reduce the amount of paper waste on the project. "CH2 is managed effectively with this paperless, green solution".
Matt Plumbridge, Superintendent's Representative, CH2 Project

Yesterday evening there was an interesting item on the TV show "What's good for you" about sick building syndrome where they showed this office as an example for good office space. Have a look at the video about health friendly office buildings.

Banksia Environmental Foundation

The Banksia Environmental Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation founded in 1989 by a diverse group of 44 Australians who shared a common goal to do more to support and recognise members of the community for their positive contribution to the environment.
The Foundation is run by a small but dedicated body of staff, based in Melbourne, overseen by a national Board of Management and supported by a group of dedicated Judges, an excellent group of consultants and of course our supporters who continue to provide the all necessary funding to run our programs.

1. Achieving a Sustainable AustraliaRecognising and rewarding environmental excellence.
2. Promoting best practice principles
3. Contributing to action-learning and education

2007 BANKSIA PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD
For over 19 years the Banksia Environmental Awards has recognised those that are making a difference and now Banksia is providing YOU with the opportunity to acknowledge a selection of our Finalists and their efforts by voting in the Banksia People’s Choice Award.
VOTE HERE

Sustainable living in Western Australia

The Sustainable Living website is a one-stop-shop for information from Western Australian Government agencies and other sources on sustainable living in Western Australia.
Design and build now with the future in mind.
It looks like this site is also neglected lately but it has interesting links to other sites.


Sustainable building
Sustainable Housing Consumer Research
With Perth’s climate expected to be 20 per cent drier by 2030 and up to 60 per cent drier by 2070, the Western Australian Government is keen to encourage a shift towards more environmentally sensitive housing to help reduce energy and water consumption.
An online survey was conducted in February-March 2006 to test community opinion on the introduction of mandatory sustainable housing standards. It found strong support for the introduction of these standards.
The survey results are available online: Presentation of survey results (733kb pdf)
Department for planning and infrastructure Government of Western Australia

Sustainable or not...

Often when I browse around on internet I find interesting websites to discover they are not updated for years. Such as this interesting website The Australian National Sustainability Initiative....
Their vision sounds good:

The Australian National Sustainability Initiative will offer a national resource that continually introduces new perspectives, facilitates partnerships and promotes diverse approaches in working towards sustainability. This initiative aims to develop a new kind of facility and network that complements and supports existing community activities and stimulates new ones. It will accelerate progress towards a just, healthy and ecologically sustainable Australia, and provide a model for establishment of future regional centres.

It's a pity...
But why???

Energy smart homes WA

Energy plays a vital role in our everyday lives. We use it for many purposes including keeping warm in winter and cool in summer, providing light to our homes, refrigerating and cooking our food and heating our water. As beneficial as energy is to our lives, its use can have undesirable effects on the environment. Just about every time we switch on the light or turn on an appliance, we're contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. On average each Western Australian household produces around 6 tonnes of greenhouse gases every year (excluding energy used for personal vehicles and public transport). It is important that we all realise the implications of our energy use. Not only can it have an adverse effect on the environment - it also costs us money. There are many easy and inexpensive ways to reduce energy use at home, most of which simply require a change in behaviour. Some others require a modest investment but will pay for themselves through lower energy bills. So before you buy it, install it, turn it on or plug it in, take a look at the Sustainable Energy Development Office's Energy Smart information provided in this site. Reducing energy consumption is one way to a sustainable energy future, another involves the uptake of renewable energy. All households and community organisations connected to Western Power's South West electricity grid have access to Green Power. There is also Government financial assistance available to assist you install a renewable energy power system or solar hot water system.

Take the test

If the vast majority of the world's scientists are right, we have just 10 years to avert a major climate catastrophe. If we do not act now, our planet's climate system will throw up even more extreme weather, floods and droughts.
TAKE THE TEST

An inconvenient truth

There is a lot said and done about Al Gore's movie and I suppose everyone interested in the environment has seen it. And probably also the opposite documentary, The great global warming swindle....
But I still want to refer to it, special the pictures it shows of our world...

Severn Suzuki

In 1992, at the age of 12, Severn Cullis-Suzuki from Vancouver, Canada, raised money with some schoolmates to attend the Earth Summit (United Nations Conference on Environment and Development) in Rio De Janeiro, where she received a standing ovation for a speech to the delegates.
For a written text of her speach click here.

This is fifteen years ago... what has been changed since than?