As we closed for our annual hiatus here are the 10 articles that readers placed at the top of their “to read” list.
They tell the story of the trajectory that this amazing industry is on.
In just 12 months there have been many unexpected twists and turns and next year is likely to be no different.
Many other stories did not get the top hits but are just as important. We like to think of them as a drop of ink that falls into a bathtub of water. There’s an imperceptible change, but a change nonetheless. Over time we’ve seen that drop turn into a trickle and then a (benign) flood.
The shining light that comes through all the articles is the unstoppable spirit of the people in this industry who just won’t give up.
To celebrate just a fraction of the people who’ve come into our orbit, we’ve launched The Fifth Estate Emerald Awards.
You can see our winners in this edition.
Humans are fabulously inventive. We often get it wrong, but we can also quickly find ways to alter direction.
The green building industry is a prime example of that. The flexibility is inspiring.
Another word for that is resilience.
We need to back ourselves that we can do the best possible thing, not beat ourselves up if we can’t personally save the planet. And we need to open our arms to those around us who need support – young people in particular, and also vulnerable people – and work together.
With think our inaugural five Emerald Awards winners exemplify the characteristics that we can all aspire to.
Next year likely to be an immensely challenging 12 months.
The signs are we are not on track for 1.5 degrees warming but worse.
Our job – hard as it’s been in these past years – just got a lot harder.
But the good news is strong.
There is growing understanding that rooftop solar has the potential to provide the bulk of our renewable energy. And there’s the slow dawning on the rest of the world – at COP28 for instance – that buildings’ energy efficiency is critical to the transition. How we build, where and who and what we consider is also critical to the social and environmental impact of buildings and cities.
There’s also the growing number of people and organisations flooding into this sector in Australia and globally. That’s got to be a good sign. There’s success in collective power.
If the human brain is the most sophisticated computer there is on the planet, imagine what can happen if we network that power with the rest of humanity.
Have a great Christmas, holidays, or break – whatever you like to call it.
See you back late January. And to see what the Chinese horoscope predicts for this year check out the wisdom from the South China Morning Post.
Tina Perinotto
Managing editor
Woodside under fire for greenwashing, gaslighting and cultural destruction accusations at “chaotic” AGM
The powerful negative impact of greenwashing showed its face early with this story and kept going. Sadly it gave rise to green hushing and even withdrawing from green imperatives altogether: just look at the behaviour of Shell spitting the dummy on any eco offsetting of a planned $100 million a year because it was increasingly clear it was worthless.
What’s the alternative guys? How about halting your coal, gas and oil business and doing something useful with your immense financial clout.
Woodside under fire for greenwashing, gaslighting and cultural destruction accusations at “chaotic” AGM
Revelations that fossil fuel giant Woodside allegedly attempted to breach Australia’s international ocean protection commitments by proposing to dump a decommissioned oil rig off the coast of Western Australia have galvanised environmentalists against the company.
Moisture management, and the death of an aussie icon
Tim Forcey is a force of nature by name and impact. His amazing Facebook page of more than 100,000 followers now is being leveraged for a new book he’s writing. Everything Tim does on our site gets huge hits. Just sayin’ Tim…
Moisture management, and the death of an aussie icon
Tim Forcey gives advice on how to control excessive moisture in your home this winter.
Metro West train wreck: what can we learn and should we be on a different track altogether?
Another force of nature is Peter Newman who makes the West look good. For decades Curtin University’s Newman has fearlessly trod new paths. We recall a time when Demographia’s Wendell Cox was furious that Newman had identified a downturn in car use, especially in the young. Cox, who led the original push to defend and extend urban sprawl during his frequent visits to Australia in the early days of the debate, was strongly tipped to be part funded by the highway lobby in the US. We asked at the time (under a different masthead). He didn’t respond. But we learnt a lot about how exquisitely close the nexus is between policy pushes and he/she who pays said piper.
Metro West train wreck: what can we learn and should we be on a different track altogether?
Sydney Metro West rail project is the only capital infrastructure project under review writes Peter Newman.
On solar panels: our latest mountain of waste
Oh yes, the painful side of the renewable energy story. But when we ask the experts like Philip Oldfield at University of New South Wales, about the oft cited fallacy that wind turbines use so much embodied carbon they may never pay it back in energy, Oldfield dismisses this in a heartbeat, complete with irrefutable highly scientific data.
Don’t be fooled greenies, you are being “had” by the naysayers who are playing on your good nature to save our beautiful complex biodiversity.
On solar panels: our latest mountain of waste
It is often the case with environmental problems that they are ignored until they are overwhelming us.
Victoria kicks the can down the road – again – on the National Construction Code
When will the influence of the “go slow” community finally wane? Almost all policy in this country is dominated and led by some very powerful industry groups; those people who say that saving the planet has to have least cost to industry. Thanks for that rule govs everywhere it seems. And we wonder who’s lobbying you’re responding to? Certainly not that of an angry Mother Earth.
Victoria kicks the can down the road – again – on the National Construction Code
Victoria delays energy efficiency in the National Construction Code 2022
Hot property: Where to buy for the climate emergency
This one is from 2021 and again makes the top hits this year, showing what people are really worried about … really. Caveat on this: we need a deep dive revisit of the latest thinking because we can’t think of any place that’s actually safe…
Hot property: Where to buy for the climate emergency
A lot of people, we’re told, are “going bush”. They’re moving to the regions or other cities to avoid the impact of the pandemic. But what will the new place be like as climate change progresses? And is it any better or worse than where they’ve moved from? This extensive report brings the climate story…
Ninety per cent of Australian consumers want sustainable products
Showing that there’s a massive bottom up push under way in the transition
Ninety per cent of Australian consumers want sustainable products
Nine in 10 Australian consumers are more likely to purchase ethical and sustainable products according to a new research, with the survey also revealing that 85 per cent of consumers want retailers and brands to be more transparent about the sustainability of their products.
While the EV market’s on fire, the vehicles are not
Showing that nothing is as easy as we’d like. Unintended consequences take time to emerge. But it does show we need to double down on the “how”…now we know “what”.
While the EV market’s on fire, the vehicles are not
It seems whenever an electric vehicle catches fire it is reported in the media. Possibly because in Australia electric vehicles are relatively rare.
One Nightingale apartment block in Marrickville nears completion – potentially ‘tens of thousands to go’ says Rob Stokes
The increasingly vexed issue of housing versus planning was never under so much early scrutiny than the Nightingale story at Marrickville. Since then the YIMBYs (Yes in my backyard) crowd has arisen in full force to use the subtly of these issues to turn the firehose on objections to development. The group sadly calls for abundant housing, not affordable. We reckon if they turned their collective and growing might to reforming the tax system that embeds inequality deep into our housing market and dispossesses those without capital from ever owning a home then they might actually win. No political party is game to tackle that issue, let’s face it.
One Nightingale apartment block in Marrickville nears completion – potentially ‘tens of thousands to go’ says Rob Stokes
A lot of the noise around supply in the housing argument is around market based housing, not meeting the needs of those who “through no fault of their own” can’t access this generally unaffordable segment of the market, argues former NSW planning minister Rob Stokes, as he takes up a new honorary role as chair…
Deforestation: how does Australia fare in global comparisons?
Another great and almost last piece from our intrepid contributor from the UK David Thorpe who has kept us abreast of events in the green space there since he helped us in London with our Green Finance salon and e-book way back when. Sadly David, who did so much amazing work for us for just nominal recompense, has been forced to cut back for health reasons. Best of luck to you David and a massive thanks for your incredible work over so many years.
Deforestation: how does Australia fare in global comparisons?
Deforestation is one of the greatest contributors to climate change, with over 10 million hectares of land around the world being affected by the practice every year. But which countries are contributing the most to these deforestation rates and how does Australia compare? The Deforestation Report from Utility Bidder was created from Our World in…