environment, definition of

The estimated cost of owning and operating a system for the period of its useful life. usually applied to photo voltaic systems and renewable energy systems.

• The Great Reset - what does it mean?
  The Great Reset is a new initiative from the World Economic Forum (WEF), how just meet in Davos. We look at what it is trying to do and can it succeed.
• Trans fats - why they are bad for you and the environment
  Trans Fats are know to be very bad for your long term health, we also explain how Trans Fats are also bad for the environment too.
• Michael Jackson and his Green legacy
  The King of Pop is dead - but what is his Green legacy? In this article we have a look at what he has really done for the world and its environment.
• The importance of building orientation
  Building orientation to the Sun is important to reduce energy consumption, keeping comfortable and saving money. This article explains how best to get building orientation correct. Through a combination of benefits and opportunities the correct building orientation could save you thousands.

• The Australian Carbon tax is no more
  Yesterday in the Senate the Carbon Tax was removed. This was a great victory for common sense as concerns realistic environmental policy.
• Second hand building materials
  Second hand building materials offer an excellent way to reduce environmental impact, we show you how.
• Climate Council, represents who?
  The Climate Commission is being reformed as the Climate Council, we ask who do they represent and what is their funding model?
• Fringe Benefits Car tax change bad for the environment
  The changes proposed by Labor to the fringe benefits car tax will be bad for the environment actually.
• Solar Power Installers, what to look for..
  When looking for a solar power installer, it pays to do your homework and double check that you are getting the best.
• Updated Green Directory
  Our Green Dictionary App has undergone an upgrade.
• Greenland Ice Sheet Melt
  We look at reports regarding the rate of Greenland ice sheet melt.
• Methane from waste food an environmental problem?
  We look at whether methane from waste food is a real problem in our environment.
• Why Carbon Tax?
  Why do we want a Carbon Tax in Australia, this is a good question we will attempt to answer...
• Julia Gillard's Carbon Tax protest at Canberra
  Tomorrow in Canberra the Election Now No Carbon Tax Rally will do its thing...
• Carbon Tax Pros and Cons
  We look at the Pros and Cons of the Carbon Tax...
• Carbon Tax Convoy of No Confidence on its way to Canberra
  Want to be part of something Historic? Don't want to see Australia have a Carbon Tax? Read on...
• Keeping warm this Winter, the eco friendly way
  Tips on how to keep warm this Winter without breaking the bank or harming the environment.
• Home Ventilation
  Ventilating your home is important for your health and well being.
• Carbon Tax environmental train wreck
  The carbon tax in Australia is going to do zip to improve the environment.
• Carbon Tax does not work
  Carbon Tax has been shown in the US to be totally ineffective; we compare against the situation with Carbon Tax in Australia.
• Climate models are just wrong..
  In a recent paper climate models were hindcast tested against actual surface observations, and found to be seriously lacking if not totally useless... We provide some more background detail.
• CO2 global levels rising, is this a problem?
  According to recent reports in the media it looks like 2010 is 'expected' to be a record this year. We look into the actual facts and find this is just speculation prior to Cancum.
• Solar Panel Calculator
  Solar Panel Calculator, given the size, power and number of panels works out total power, rated voltage and amps.
• Plug pulled in French “Super Ministry of Environment”
  Its seems the French have given a big fat 'Nill Points' to the plans to set up a “Super Ministry of Environment” in France.
• ClimateGate Anniversary
  ClimateGate is just about to celebrate being one year old. We look at what has changed over the last year.
• Green Guffs of the week
  Quick summary of some major 'green' snarfs of the week in terms of not really doing the right thing to save the environment.
• Carbon trading is dead
  Carbon trading in the US is dead - the market set up to trade it is about to close down for lack of business.
• Biofuels destroying Rain Forests
  Biofuel producing crops are replacing rain forests, resulting in the silly situation that there is a net increase in carbon.
• carbon trading does not reduce emissions
  Carbon trading will not do a thing to reduce carbon emissions and protect the environment; in fact it could end up doing the exact opposite as businesses use it as a way to create profit.
• 10:10 cut carbon emissions viral video nightmare
  The 10:10 global campaign to cut global carbon emissions has demonstrated in a video they just pulled of their website (but has gone viral, so too late) exactly what they think of those who disagree with them...
• Royal Society acknowledges significant uncertainly in climate predictions
  A recent report from UK Royal Society (layman's guide to the science of climate change) has actually acknowledged that there is significant uncertainly in future climate models and predictions.
• National Broadband Network - is it really Green?
  How green is the National Broadband Network (NBN) and what are the alternatives?
• Solar Cells at the nanoscale
  it appears that some recent research is promising to improve the efficiency of solar cell light capture by up to 12 times..
• It does look like the Sun influences climate after all
  The idea that changes in the sun's activity can influence the climate is making a comeback, after years of scientific vilification, thanks to major advances in our understanding of the atmosphere.
• BBC calls for UN climate chief resignation
  As reported by the BBC several environmentalists, UK MPs and scientists has called for the resignation of Rajendra Pachauri, chair of the UN’s climate science body.
• Yahoo's super efficient Data Center
  Yahoo has been able to apply passive cooling and hydro-electricity to a data center to produce massive savings in power usage and environmental foot print.
• Reducing cows' methane production the natural way
  It appears that oregano can actually reduce the methane 'emissions' a cow produces..
• Climate Disruption
  Climate Disruption equals Climate Change equals Global Warming - the great global rebranding of AGW rolls on..
• WA Greens get evicted a Feedlot Operator for not believing in AGW
  It appears in Western Australia that the Green's have no shame in wrecking a families livelihood because they expressed anti global warming opinions. This has resulted in the family been given 4 days notice of eviction.
• Passive Solar Design advice
  Passive Solar design can be applied to existing buildings as well as new buildings. We explain some useful techniques and give links to useful resources.
• EarthCare Centre open day
  The EarthCare Centre in Western Sydney is having an open day on Sustainable House Day
• Sustainable House Day on this weekend
  Sustainable House Day 2010 in Australia is on this Sunday 12th September
• Forestry investments have all gone rotten
  The Managed Investment Scheme (MIS) operators have all gone to the wall in Australia, we look at why and if they were actually green.
• Self-Assembling Solar Cells Recycle Themselves Repeatedly
  MIT has been researching into creating natural cell like solar cells which are able to reassemble themselves and the research so far looks quite promising...
• Chicago Climate Exchange drops 50%, new record low
  Basically, if it gets any lower it will be ZERO..
• IPCC must reform, recommends IAC
  An independent review said the scientists who produce the periodic United Nations reports on climate change (IPCC) should be more open to alternative views, more transparent about their own possible conflicts of interest and more realistic in the reporting of the likelihood of climatic events.
• Alternative Solar Energy
  Alternative Solar Energy - this phrase often creates images of hippies and flower power... We look at what it really means.
• US Thermal Solar Plant approved in California
  California approves the first U.S. Thermal Solar Plant.
• solar power efficiency
  What are the factors that are important in efficiently harvesting solar power - we look at what they are..
• Special Interest Groups
  To make it easier to find information on certain important topics we have made a set of SIG's (Special Interest Groups)...
• New Rainwater harvesting calculator
  This new calculator allows you to work out the practical tank size given average per month rainfall, your roof area and expected monthly water usage.
• More Efficient Solar Cells with Selenium
  Researchers have discovered that just adding a minuscule quantity of 9% selenium with zinc oxide base radically improved the sun light absorbing efficiency of the material...
• Climate Change Policy in Australia
  With an election just around the corner the politically sensitive issue of how Labour is to deal with Climate Change has been presented as policy today.
• Green Home Loan Calculator
  A home loan calculator that allows you to also work out what you can do to be more green, and pay off your loan quicker as well.
• Quantum dot solar cells - is this the breakthrough?
  Quantum Dot Photovoltaics look to be able to double solar electricity collection efficiency. Is this enough to improve the viability of solar power to be practical to more of the community and make it sustainable green?
• Keeping Cool in Summer
  Keeping cool in Summer as always a challenge, we show you how to do it whilst being green.
• Wind Power, is it really Green?
  Can wind power be considering a really green alternative energy source in its own right?
• A study: The temperature rise has caused the CO2 Increase, not the other way around
  Differentiating the CO2 measurements over the last thirty years produces a pattern that matches the temperature anomaly measured by satellites in extreme detail. That this correlation includes El Niño years, and shows that the temperature rise is causing the rise in CO2, rather than the other way..
• Sustainable House Day 2010 in Australia
  Sustainable House Day 2010 is on for Sunday 12th September 2010, we look at how this can help you been more sustainable.
• Sustainable House and Home
  Sustainable housing, we look into what you need to do to make your house more green and sustainable.
• Passive Solar
  Passive Solar is often banded around as a good thing to do to make your house more green; we look at it in more detail.
• Bilderberg 2010
  Bilderberg 2010, a meeting you have never heard of, full of people you have never heard of - trying to manage the world without your say..
• Rain fall and rain harvesting calculator
  A new calculator that uses some publicly available rain fall data to help work out your monthly rain fall and hence collectible rain water.
• Green Directory
  New Green directory service on line.
• Architects held to be "Fit For Purpose"
  Trade Practices Amendment (Australian Consumer Law) Bill (No. 2) 2010 will seek to remove an exception requiring Architects and Engineers to comply to a 'Fit for Purpose' warranty. We think this is a good thing.
• The Skeptic Global Warming Conference
  The Fourth International Conference on Climate Change is taking place in Chicago, Illinois.
• New Scientist, in denial on denial
  New Scientist has just published a 'Age of Denial' special edition..
• Kids test with added global warming propoganda
  The recent NAPLAN test in Australia has caused an outrage due to it containing an inaccurate article that pits roo meat against beef & the coal industry in terms of environmental impact.
• Is Cap and Trade really the way to care for the planet?
  I reckon Cap and Trade is not the way to go..
• Is Climate Change caused by Photoshop?
  We look at the images used in the media to portray climate change and find quite a few have been run through PhotoShop..
• Home Sustainability Assessment - do you really need one?
  Home Sustainability Assessments, are they actually assessing your home or assessing your ability to pay for more green modifications...
• Most convinced global warming not man made
  It appears that down in Australia that there is an outbreak of common sense occurring.
• Hot Water Heat Pumps - are they a rip off
  We have a quick look at the cost benefits behind heating hot water using a heat pump...
• Lets the climate models tell the truth we want to see..
  Climate models are just that, a model, based on assumptions and theories. Their accuracy is limited not only through the complexities of the climatic systems they model but also by the conclusions researchers want to see from them..
• More exact monthly means...
  Following up with more data set pairs showing the difference in accuracy between min/max daily monthly means and taking the mean of all hourly measurements in that month..
• What exactly is a monthly mean?
  A lot of climate analysis is done using the monthly mean temperature. Given that data is quite often available for hourly measurements I thought I'd have a look at whether creating a monthly mean straight off all the hourly measurements would produce a difference; initial findings indicate it does.
• Australia has a growing obesity problem
  Australia has a big problem, obesity is now the #1 preventable cause of death..
• Global Warmings unscientific method
  Peer review seems to be more about peer pressure when trying to publish anything that goes against the Global Warming group think.
• Australian Bureau of Meterology tweaking the climatic data?
  Its seems that the Australian Bureau of Meteorology might have been tweaking the data a bit to show false warming..
• Climategate Parliamentary Inquiry in the UK, the whitewash results are in
  The parliamentary inquiry into ClimateGate has just published its report, we have a look.
• heathrow expansion stopped due to climate change?
  It appears that a UK judge seems to have swallowed hook line and sinker the 'settled science' of climate change and stopped Heathrow from being expanded..
• Green Environment Blog Network - a closed blog ring?
  It appears that the Guardian and sites like realclimate.org have been engaging in closed content sharing ring..
• Earth Hour - the flop?
  Although Earth Hour left people with a nice warm glow, did it actually make a difference...
• Climate Change caused an island, erm sand bar to disappear..
  "Climate change sunk my sandbar..." hmm
• Earth Hour - lights out, minds alight
  On March 27th, 115 countries will put their lights out for one hour. We discuss what this means and what you should do long term to help the environment.
• Missing, one weather station
  It seems Australia is having a bit of a problem with missing weather stations.
• Solar Power - hidden costs
  Solar power is all the rage at the moment, we had a look at some quotes and found it is not as good a deal as it looks.
• Climate Change killed my cat..
  It seems that everything from Floods through to Fires through to droughts is being blamed on global warming and climate change. I think this is oversimplifying the story and ignoring local changes we have caused.
• Is keeping data private 'normal practise' in climate research?
  It seems Phil Jones thinks its perfectly normal to do research and publish said research whilst withholding data.
• Yet another Climate Change department?
  Seems the AU government are busy producing yet more Co2 via civil servants for climate change.
• Act on Co2 - the advert..
  Ofcom in the UK is investigating a climate change advert which really takes things too far.
• Met Office proposes to make Data Set Verifiable
  The UK Met Office want to put in place a collation of station data that is publicly accessible.
• Cover-More, you drink and its cover-less..
  If you have Cover-More insurance, don't travel and do any drinking if you want to remain insured - thats the finding of a recent Today Tonight special.
• Is ETS a lame duck?
  The Emissions Trading Scheme looks to be stuck in the Senate. Does this mean it will fail?
• A failure to insulate
  It appears the Rudd governments insulation rebate scheme is beyond repair...
• Climate Change bullies?
  Climate Change Scientists seem to believe they are being bulled...
• Sydney transport - oh what a fine mess!
  Yet more politically motivated tweaking of the Sydney transport system..
• National Climate Change Forum response
  This is in response to the National Climate Change Forum being held in Adelaide.
• What is the fuss with biochar??
  Given the sudden interest in the media on biochar one would think a way of really saving the world has been discovered...
• Bush Fires and being Green, can you do both?
  Given that bush fires cause a lot of destruction and environmental damage, can we manage them and be green at the same time?
• Is the Australian Stimulus package green enough?
  

Related Tags: environment, biosphere

A search for moral values and ethical principles in human relations with the natural world.

• Can Pope Francis halt climate change with new papal document?
  Pope Francis is causing quite a stir with news that he will soon publish a historic document that details the Catholic imperative to curb global warming. While some pundits believe the encyclical, which will be published in early summer, has more power

Where a substance ends up after it is released into the environment. Environmental fate depends on many factors, including transport (e.g., wind, runoff) and transformation processes (e.g., degradation).

Climate change is a change in the statistical distribution of weather over periods of time that range from decades to millions of years. It can be a change in the average weather or a change in the distribution of weather events around an average (for example, greater or fewer extreme weather events). Climate change may be limited to a specific region, or may occur across the whole Earth.

In recent usage, especially in the context of environmental policy, climate change usually refers to changes in modern climate. It may be qualified as anthropogenic climate change, more generally known as global warming.

Wikipedia - Climate Change entry

• Second hand building materials
  Second hand building materials offer an excellent way to reduce environmental impact, we show you how.
• Climate Council, represents who?
  The Climate Commission is being reformed as the Climate Council, we ask who do they represent and what is their funding model?
• Why Carbon Tax?
  Why do we want a Carbon Tax in Australia, this is a good question we will attempt to answer...
• Carbon Tax Pros and Cons
  We look at the Pros and Cons of the Carbon Tax...

• Thousands of hectares of koala habitat are cleared every year, including for renewable energy projects
  We examined approved and proposed projects under federal environment legislation to look at how much koala habitat is being slated for destruction across several industries.
• Climate Change Weekly #514: 🦇 Evidence Mounts that Green Tech Is Wiping Out Species 🐦
  I and other Heartland Institute scholars have written before about the bird, bat, and marine mammals that industrial wind is killing around the world. The Heartland Institute has also written concerning industrial solar’s threat to desert species,...
• How do you cool a reactor and does Australia have enough water for nuclear power?
  Nuclear power relies on millions of litres of cooling water. The federal opposition's plan to build reactors on seven sites raises questions about water use and the effect on the environment.
• Nuclear plants are thirsty. Can the driest inhabited continent on Earth support them?
  Nuclear power relies on millions of litres of cooling water. The federal opposition's plan to build reactors on seven sites raises questions about water use and the effect on the environment.  
• Massive SunCable solar project spanning more than 12,000 hectares gets environmental tick in NT
  A project to develop "the world's largest renewable energy precinct" in a remote stretch of the territory receives crucial environmental approvals, but a final investment decision for the $30 billion-plus project is not expected until 2027.
• Rural residents told to 'get over' look of powerlines as Victoria's renewable targets face barriers
  Andrew Balfour has seven transmission towers on his farm. He doesn't recommend it to others — but sites for new power infrastructure will be needed across the state as renewable energy projects take off.
• University clears hundreds of trees to build solar farm
  La Trobe University's plan to clear trees for a solar farm in Melbourne's north has raised questions about renewables coming at the cost of native habitat.
• Is it worth investing in a battery for your rooftop solar? Here's what you need to know before you buy
  In some cases, adding a battery to your rooftop solar system will pay off. But to be sure, households need information about many factors — and there's no single reliable place to find it, write Asma Aziz and Daryoush Habibi.
• Going from gas to all-electric is cheaper and greener. Here's how governments can help more of us make the switch
  Switching from gas to all-electric has significant financial and environmental benefits, but many households face hurdles that make it hard or impossible to do...
• Switching from gas to all-electric is better for your budget and the planet
  Switching from gas to all-electric has significant financial and environmental benefits, but many households face hurdles that make it hard or impossible to do...

A environmental management system (EMS) is a standard system of business operation that considers all aspects of sustainable business in the day to day running of a business, such as ISO 14001.

Related Tags: green business, business

A major environmental category that surrounds or contacts humans, animals, plants, and other organisms (e.g. surface water, ground water, soil or air) and through which chemicals or pollutants move.

Environmental Pollution refers to the presence or introduction of known pollutants into an environment that result in a degrading of the environmental biosphere in terms of size, variety and longevity/sustainability.

• CO2 global levels rising, is this a problem?
  According to recent reports in the media it looks like 2010 is 'expected' to be a record this year. We look into the actual facts and find this is just speculation prior to Cancum.
• Solar Panel Calculator
  Solar Panel Calculator, given the size, power and number of panels works out total power, rated voltage and amps.

• Forever chemicals PFAS won't be in office supplies from 3M
  So-called "forever chemicals" are hazardous chemicals that don't break down over time and can accumulate in the bodies of humans and animals, causing brain damage and diseases such as cancer...
• Technology uses banana leaves as a biodegradable alternative to single-use plastic
  Plastic pollution negatively impacts the health of our planet. Waste management has led to an irreversible environmental crisis that is felt by wildlife, especially in the oceans. One organization, called Banana Leaf Technology, is helping to address...
• The devastating reason Mumbai dogs are turning blue
  Lately, blue stray dogs have been spotted running around Navi Mumbai, India, and it's no laughing matter. Inadequate waste treatment at a local river has allowed dye to leach into the water, turning dogs who wade in a bright blue color. To add to the...
• Damage report reveals LA methane leak is one of the worst disasters in US history
  A week after the ruptured natural gas well in Aliso Canyon was finally declared sealed, we have a full account of the environmental damage -- and it doesn't look good...
• Researchers Take an Up-Close and Personal Look at What Pollution Does to the Body
  Air pollution is one of those things that we know is awful for our bodies, but it can be hard to see the actual impact. So even though about 3.7 million people died prematurely from air pollution in 2012 alone, it’s easy to forget day-to-day just how...

Related Tags: environment, pollution

Racial discrimination takes many insidious forms. This term refers to a situation in which industrial operations, environmental policymaking, and the enforcement (or lack of enforcement) of environmental laws unfairly impact a particular race of people, either intentionally or unintentionally. Examples include the locating of hazardous waste landfills in minority communities, and the exclusion of minorities in environmental policy-making leadership.

• Comedian John Oliver addresses environmental racism
  TV personality and comedian John Oliver shared opinions on the emotive issue of environmental racism in the US. While delivering his weekly show Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, the host took a dive into the history of America and how environmental...
• How will Los Angeles' 2028 Olympics impact the environment?
  Hosting the Olympics is a huge honor for cities. At the same time, it's an expensive burden. As Los Angeles plans for its summer 2028 games, many people say the event will be neither as sustainable or equitable as city leaders have promised.[...]
• New environmental racism scorecard calls out ExxonMobil
  The grading period has ended, and it’s time to find out who got the high scores and who’s failing the class. According to a new environmental racism scorecard released by shareholder advocacy group As You Sow, ExxonMobil came in...
• New study reveals tree disparities across the US
  As anybody who has ever sat under a tree has noticed, these tall, leafy plants provide shade. But what about people who live in neighborhoods without a heat-blocking tree canopy? They're going to be a lot hotter and could possibly face worse health outcomes....
• Texas lawsuit fights environmental racism in highway expansion project
  Starting in the years after World War II, Black neighborhoods around the U.S. were destroyed and replaced with highways in the name of urban renewal. But people in Harris County, Texas have had enough. The county is suing the state to stop an I-45 expansion...
• Could a private car ban make NYC more livable?
  When COVID-19 brought New York City’s traffic to a shadow of itself, Vishaan Chakrabarti, former New York City urban-planning official and founder of Manhattan-based design firm Practice for Architecture and Urbanism (PAU), drafted an ambitious plan...

Products or services that have a lesser or reduced effect on the environment.