The Inflation Reduction Act (Uncle IRA) in the USA is "a vast investment multiplier" for the renewables industry and Australia will be left behind if we don't adopt a similar scheme. Australian Treasury is considering a response to the IRA that would include tax benefits for renewables and energy transition projects. But we need it now - according Dr (Twiggy) Andrew Forrest.He is advocating: 1. Carbon emissions and global warming automatically be part of  environmental assessments, 2. favourable status be given for renewable solutions and 3. a Carbon Solutions Levy to be applied.All good measures...

Soft plastics recycling returned to 12 Melbourne suburbs in February this year (2024) as part of a trial to rebuild a national soft plastics recycling system It involves 5 Woolworths, 5 Coles and 2 Aldi Supermarkets in Victoria. Much like the original (failed) REDcycle scheme, the new trial has identified potential end markets for used soft plastic - an additive for asphalt roads, a replacement for aggregate in concrete, or a material for making shopping trolleys and baskets. However, to be successful, the scheme must be cost-effective and suitably located, with established markets for the recycled products.https://wastemanagementreview.com.au/soft-plastics-recycling-trial-starts-in-12-melbourne-suburbs/ 

MethaneSAT, set to launch in early March 2024, on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, boasts "unprecedented precision” in mapping and tracking methane emissions. Orbiting the Earth 15 times daily at 350 miles high, the satellite will focus on the top oil and gas regions globally, providing comprehensive analyses of methane levels and fugitive emissions.Methane has more than 10X the global warming impact of CO2. Also, alarmingly, the Int. Energy Agency report (2023) states: “Immediate, targeted methane abatement in the fossil fuel sector can prevent nearly 1 million premature deaths due to ozone exposure.https://impakter.com/slashing-methane-emissions-could-save-nearly-one-million-lives-new-report-says/ 

Finally - Australia will have a New Fuel Efficiency Standard, from January 2025, that is similar to the USA. Only Russia, in the developed world, remains without this Standard, so it is about time for Australia to catch up. And while there will be immediate savings for new petrol cars, to run 20% or more efficiently and cheaper, the big benefit is the range of new EV's that this will encourage car manufacturers to bring to Australia. The third benefit is reduced transport emissions - good for our health and good for the planet.https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/infrastructure-transport-vehicles/vehicles/austral

Electric Vehicles are now part of the landscape worldwide, with a slow start in Australia (now about 8% of sales).Meanwhile the ubiquitous Tuk-Tuks still dominate urban and rural communities in many Asian countries. They are mostly petrol-driven, three-wheel vehicles with little emission controls.However since early 2022 Electric Tuk-Tuks are appearing in Thailand and India especially, but throughout Asia for urban transport. And they are now being increasingly utilised in many western countries as delivery vehicles.There are also Hydrogen Tuk-Tuks, with a US model offering advantages including a 3-minute re-fuelling facility: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/19/thailands-tuk-tuks-go-green-amid-rising-demand-for-electric

A team of scientists from Massachusetts Institute (MIT) has developed a process to convert CO2 - the planet's primary warming agent —- into a powdery, harmless fuel that could be converted into clean electricity.Researchers at MIT exposed CO2 to catalysts and then electrolysis, turning  the gas into a powder called sodium formate, which can be safely stored.The MIT process gets closer to an ambitious dream: turning captured CO2 into a feedstock for clean fuel that replaces conventional batteries. A refrigerator-sized fuel cell has also been developed as the next stage.  Hopefully more to come on this breakthrough.https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/scientist-discover-h