Turning those wrecks into dollars – a world first!
Southern Rocycling's new steel de-zincing plant in Melbourne is set to deliver savings for the automotive, building and manufacturing industries and cut zinc emissions to the atmosphere. The $17 million facility is a world-first commercialisation of US technology that strips zinc coating from galvanised steel in an environmentally friendly way. 
Currently, scrap galvanised steel is either shipped offshore or melted down in factories, producing low grade steel stock and releasing zinc-coated waste into the atmosphere and landfill. The process developed by US company Meretec recovers 100% of the zinc powder to be reused in industry and turns out clean steel for recycling.
US EPA figures highlight the environmental benefit of recycling steel compared to producing new steel from iron ore. Recycling steel reduces air pollution by 86%, water usage by 40%, water pollution by 97% and mining waste by 97%. (from EnvironmentalManagementNews.net )
I&I wonders if this means we will get more for the trade-ins of our wrecks now!
Fantastic plastic for Ma:Mu
The $10 million Ma:Mu canopy walk under construction, west of Innisfail, is preparing to mark new environmental standards, using 100 percent recycled plastic made from domestic and commercial waste for its decking.
Replas Australia had been contracted by project managers Hutchinson Builders to supply planks made of recycled plastic for the decking, which will also save on maintenance costs and logistics.
The plastic planks are good for a hot, wet area like Ma:Mu as they won’t rot like timber, will require less maintenance in difficult-to-access areas, and should outlast timber by many years even when exposed to the worst conditions.
Construction of the walkway began in May and is expected to be finished mid-2008. The walkway at the entrance of the Wooroonooran National Park will be the gateway to the park’s other natural and cultural values including the Misty Mountains trails, Henrietta Creek and South Johnstone camp sites, and the Tchupala Falls and Nandroya Falls walking tracks. From www.brba.com.au and www.epa.qld.gov.au
Welded to Safety and Quality
To support companies to weld to appropriate standards (eg ISO 3834:2005) to satisfy customer demands the Welding Technology Institute of Australia (WTIA) is providing advice, workshops and training.
The WTIA has implemented a number of strategies to assist Australian and New Zealand suppliers, particularly SMEs with fewer internal resources, to more easily incorporate the requirements of ISO 3834 and ISO 14731 into their businesses and then seek certification, and thus satisfy purchasers’ specifications to these standards.
Such strategies include the provision of:
• A freely downloadable Expert Technology Tool which contains seven Technical Guidance Notes (TGNs) to assist suppliers to self assess their welding operations and then comply with the requirements of ISO 3834 is available now from the WTIA website www.wtia.com.au.
• A series of information Workshops throughout Australia and New Zealand explaining these requirements, at a nominal fee, to both supplier and purchaser representatives. Local workshops are:
- Wollongong Monday 5 November 2007
- Western Sydney (Mt Druitt) Wednesday 7 November 2007.
For further information visit www.wtia.com.au or contact Anne Rorke, WTIA Technology Transfer Coordinator on Tel: 02 9748 4443 or email a.rorke@wtia.com.au.
Select your partner in the interests of Science
To help foster an increased awareness of science, the Scientists in Schools program has been initiated. It was developed as an opportunity for those in science related occupations to work alongside secondary school science teachers to demonstrate the benefits of working in a scientific field to secondary schools students. It is co-ordinated through CSIRO. To find out more go to: http://www.scientistsinschools.edu.au/scientists/index.htm
Currently some 150 more teachers have applied to be part of the scheme than there are scientist applications. This demonstrates that it is being embraced by teachers. The immediate aim is to enhance secondary student’s understanding of, and interest in science. These are the students who, of course, move onto tertiary science and engineering courses.
I&I comment: With the often repeated lament that Australia does not have enough of our brightest going into science and engineering related fields, it is good to see something being tried to address the issue.
Where did that orange come from?
Scientists at the Centre for Plant and Food Science at the University of Western Sydney have questioned the long-established perception that citrus originated in Southeast Asia. They believe it may have originated closer to home - in Australia, New Caledonia and New Guinea.
Australian Professor David Mabberley, an eminent botanist from the University of Washington and an adjunct professor at UWS, and Professor Andrew Beattie from the Centre for Plant and Food Science, suggest that the earliest species of citrus could have been dispersed from north-eastern Australasia as 'floating fruit' on westward-flowing equatorial currents, about 30 million years ago.
"There are about 25 true species of citrus and some fifty per cent of these are from Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia and Australia. While most commercial species and cultivars such as mandarins, oranges and lemons, originated in Asia," Professor Mabberley says.
So what you might say!
Professor Beattie says correct identification of species and varieties of citrus and where they originated is a fundamental aspect of biosecurity for the Australian citrus industry and for current research at UWS on a devastating disease of citrus known as huanglongbing. Huanglongbing, also called citrus greening, has had a devastating impact on citrus production in Asia since early last century.
"It is not present in Australia but is nearby in Papua New Guinea and is, after its recent introduction to Florida in the US and Brazil, a major threat to the very survival of the citrus industries of these countries," Professor Beattie says. "It is the greatest threat to the viability of the Australian citrus industry that I know of."
From University of Western Sydney News: http://apps.uws.edu.au/media/news/ Contact: caroline.noonan@uws.edu.au
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