Search Results for: Australia

BY PHILIPPA JONES

NANOTECHNOLOGY scientists remain excited by the advantages various industries can glean from the addition of nanosilver to textiles, but there is increasing opposition to its use in non-medical fields and growing concern that not enough is known about its health and environmental effects.…

BY PHILIPPA JONES

CONSUMER groups have clashed with the cosmetics industry about the safety of using nano-titanium dioxide in sunscreens and other beauty products during a conference in Brussels. Industry representatives insisted on the safety of such products, while consumer organisations highlighted continuing concerns about nanotechnology’s growing use in cosmetics.…

BY MARK GODFREY

AS CHINA’S stimulus-primed economy rebounds, increased local emphasis on environmental and quality specifications is playing into the hands of foreign brands like PPG Industries and Akzo Nobel.

"The whole industry is facing consolidation, changing needs from customers, and stricter environmental requirements," said Mike Horton, head of architectural coatings and automotive refinish coatings for the Asia Pacific region at PPG.…

BY KARRYN MILLER

TAKE a stroll through any of South Korea’s Lotte department stores on the weekend and you could be mistaken that the recession has ended. It is here you’ll see droves of affluent consumers inspecting the latest in luxury fashion before snapping it off the shelves.…

By Emma Jackson

Solar panels have been notoriously expensive, but they could become more affordable because of a partnership between the Australian National University (ANU) and Chinese scientists to create efficient, inexpensive solar cells for commercial use.

Mirroring Aussie surfers trying to beat the heat, the new technology will immerse solar cells in a cooling fluid to create up to 70% more efficiency when converting sunlight into heat and power.…

BY KARRYN MILLER

IN 2004, Australia and its newly independent neighbour Timor-Leste’s (East Timor) failure to agree how to exploit the abundant hydrocarbons of the Timor Sea’s Greater Sunrise Fields has delayed this project for five years. However, according to a spokesperson from Australia’s department of foreign affairs and trade, "a decision about the preferred development method will be reached in the coming months."…

BY EMMA JACKSON

RESEARCHERS at Australia’s Deakin University have found a way to strengthen plastic nanofibres, using carbon nanotubes to make them up to 400% stronger than ever before and leading to possible new applications.

Already used in technology for optoelectronics, filter systems and as catalysts, polymer nanofibres may now be strong enough for technology in medicine, the environment, energy and security, claimed lead researcher Minoo Naebe (NOTE: SPELLING CORRECT).…

BY ALAN OSBORN

A NEW crisis over the presence of genetically modified (GM) ingredients in food and livestock feed has once more focused attention on the European Union’s (EU’s) controversial GM policies. It has especially raised the spectre of job losses, farm bankruptcies and higher consumer prices if a relaxation of the current de facto zero tolerance restriction applying to unauthorised GM products is not agreed soon.…

BY ALAN OSBORN

THE WORLDWIDE economic recession and its spate of financial scams, such as Madoff, Stanford and other variations of Ponzi-type schemes, have probably affected the level of global money laundering and the effectiveness of anti-money laundering (AML) systems quite significantly.…

BY LEE ADENDORFF

SWIMMING near animals that would happily eat you is not for everyone. But for tourists visiting Australia’s Northern Territory, it has appeal. Approaching extinction until protected in 1971, wild saltwater crocodiles numbers have rebounded to around 80,000 animals in this remote region.…