Farm productivity, the natural way

by | 23 Aug 2013 | Starfish

At this time of year, on the cusp of spring, much of the NSW Central West is grazed as closely as a bowling green. “Allendale”, though, is a landscape lumpy with green-shooting grass tussocks. Some of these paddocks host up to 59 species of plants in their pastures,...

100% of new Australian power plants are wind or solar

by | 23 Aug 2013 | Starfish

The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) has reported that all new electricity generation proposals received in the last 12 months have been either for large scale wind farms or solar facilities. Of the 1,000MW of new generation committed in the past 12 months,...

Invitation ~ Sustainable Business Forum

by | 13 Aug 2013 | Event, Starfish

The Northern Inland Sustainable Business Network (NISBN) has announced an innvotive Sustainable Business Forum to be held at The Roxy Theatre in Bingara on Wednesday 28th August 2013. The Business Forum will be in the style of a mini-conference and combine...

Being sustainable to the very end ~ Natural Burials

by | 13 Aug 2013 | Starfish

Legislation has passed the South Australian Parliament to recognise natural burials. Natural burial can involve use of a biodegradable coffin or wrapping remains in a shroud. Bodies are not embalmed or treated with any chemicals. While this is obviously a sensitive...

New Energy for Rural Australia

by | 6 Aug 2013 | Starfish

If a rural community could choose its source of energy, would it opt to stay with coal, or move to renewables? The message from the New England Energy Forum was clear: renewable energy is preferred by a wide margin as the best option. Improving energy efficiency and...

Is 100% renewable electricity really that unrealistic?

by | 6 Aug 2013 | Starfish

While many countries still discuss whether or not a 100% renewable energy system – or “just” a 100% renewable electricity supply – is even theoretically possible, Germans seem no longer bothered by such unscientific doubts. To showcase what we know about what is...

Tipping Point ~ incentives help win war on landfill

by | 1 Jul 2013 | Starfish

It smells earthy at the Armidale dump, a mountain of rubbish built bag by bag over 50 years by the city’s 25,000 residents. Residents have more than halved the amount of rubbish that ends up in landfill since the introduction of the City to Soil program two years ago....