Despite news of reduced electricity reliability and the Snowy Hydro project delays, the consumer (and roof-top solar) has become a powerful player in the Australian market, and is probably the biggest factor in chasing coal out of the grid. And, as we add batteries, electric vehicles, and kick gas out of the home with electrification we are reshaping the grid, the utility business and the gas industry.If this can be better “orchestrated”, then the reliability forecast will be improved considerably and less utility scale assets – big batteries, pumped hydro, and peaking gas – will be needed.https://reneweconomy.com.au/rooftop-solar-takes-even-bigger-bites-out-of-diminishing-coal-pie-but-can-it-be-con

A new film about Regenerative Farming and (judging by the trailer) a very appealing plea for revolutionary agriculture. From Hoyt's Synopsis:"Film director and Actress Rachel Ward is not the first person you’d expect to join a farming revolution. In this triumphant film, Rachel voyages from wilful ignorance about the ecological impacts of conventional agriculture on her own rural property, to embracing a movement to restore the health of Australia’s farmland, food and climate"Launched at the Sydney Film festival, this film is touring country cinemas and should be on wider (streaming) distribution soon.https://thenewdaily.com.au/entertainment/2023/08/01/rachel-ward-farm/https://www.madman

Sydney-based AgTech startup LLEAF (luminescent light emitting agricultural film) has opened its first solar laboratory in Mona Vale. LLEAF specialises in the development of light spectrum shifting dyes to create colour conversion films. The films are used in greenhouses, and effectively behave as an additional light to help plants produce cellular energy. The technology allows crops to be grown in challenging environments, and improves yields by up to 20 per cent. The facility includes isolated chambers with high temperature plasma lamps enabling the testing of real-world conditions and to deliver forecasts to yields for customers.https://www.innovationaus.com/sun-shifting-startup-lleaf-opens-vast-new-sydney-laboratory/

It's hard to build a net-zero building, producing more energy than it consumes, in the middle of a city. But United Therapeutics has, in Maryland USA: "You cannot achieve net-zero as an afterthought,” said Thomas Kaufman, director of the company, which develops rare treatments. “It has to be a mandate at the beginning that drives every single decision.”And the building employs a range of amazing new thinking, including 52 deep heat-exchange wells, drilled 500ft into the earth below.“The technology is off the shelf....we didn’t invent anything new. It just required the mindset to make it happen.”https://qz.com/1771906/the-innovative-design-of-one-of-the-worlds-largest-net-zero-buildings

Oil majors have, in the recent past, rolled out pledges to decrease oil and gas production and slash emissions, concerned about the climate crisis.And yet, amid record-shattering heat-waves, BP has scaled back an earlier goal of lowering its emissions by 35% by 2030, ExxonMobil quietly withdrew funding for a heavily publicized effort to use algae to create low-carbon fuel. And Shell announced that it would not increase its investments in renewable energy this year, This article exposes the fossil-fuel industry approach to ignore the future for the sake of short-term profitability.Al Gore is right.https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jul/16/big-oil-climate-pledges-extreme-heat-fossil-fuel 

Insects, especially honey bees, are declining globally and creating a world-wide pollination deficit.In a fight to help reverse this deficit, BeeHero has created a device with Internet (IOT) sensors that turn a traditional bee hive into an intelligent smart hive. The sensors provide actionable insights for beekeepers that inform important decisions about feeding, treatment, swarm management, queen replacement and other hive health metricsA 2022 Harvard study noted that inadequate pollination had caused a 3% to 5% loss of fruit, vegetable and nut production, directly effecting world health. The BeeHero may help to reverse this loss.https://www.forbes.com/sites/jenniferhicks/2023/06/28/