Air Quality
I dream of #smellgoodcomposting
Composting at home has received a lot of attention in the media recently. There are many reasons why composting is great: it’s a natural process, a sustainable way to treat organic waste and we can do it at home at very low cost with significant benefits to our gardens and environment. However, at a…
Read MoreA Second Wave? An update on the Australian Air Quality after COVID-19 mobility restriction measures
Written by Simon Welchman, Manning Young and Plistina Almeida The COVID-19 pandemic is a global tragedy happening before our eyes. Its effects on human health and the economy are likely to be with us for years to come. We have seen through our analysis of air quality during the COVID-19 pandemic that the generally…
Read MoreDitching the dump: throwing waste management myths in the bin
Written by Simon Welchman and Plistina Almeida In line with our decade’s resolutions released in January this year, we believe it’s about time to have a closer look at our “Don’t Waste” objectives. Our goal as environmental scientists and engineers has always been to move towards the top of the Waste Hierarchy (Figure 1): avoidance and…
Read MoreCO, PM2.5 and NO2: which air pollutant best illustrates the effect of COVID-19 mobility restrictions on air quality
Written by Simon Welchman, Manning Young and Lisa Smith Air pollution occurs when gases, liquids or solid particles exist in the air in sufficient quantities to adversely affect human comfort or health or cause environmental damage. Some common air pollutants in urban areas are carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter…
Read MoreUpdate on the Australian Air Quality after the implementation of the COVID-19 mobility restrictions
Written by Simon Welchman and Manning Young Following the article published on the Clear Skies Newsletter in April 2020, this is an update on the investigation into whether the COVID-19 mobility restrictions have affected Australian Air Quality. The graphs show diurnal profiles of nitrogen dioxide and PM2.5 at two sites in Brisbane (South Brisbane…
Read MoreThe impacts of the COVID-19’s mobility restriction measures on the Australian Air Quality
Written by Simon Welchman, Manning Young, Michael Burchill and Plistina Almeida The COVID-19 global pandemic has brought significant changes to our personal and professional lives as well as to the natural environment in which we live. During March 2020, a range of restrictions was put in place by the Australian Federal and State governments…
Read MoreThe Victoria Environment Protection Act (EPA) is changing 1 July 2021
Edit: The EPA Victoria issued a note stating that “Following a sitting of Parliament on Thursday 23 April, the legislation has been postponed and is intended to commence on 1 July 2021”. These changes respond to the Independent Inquiry into the EPA. The Victorian Government proposes two phases of legislative reform to overhaul the Environment Protection Act…
Read MoreIn Memory of Karen Lunney
One of Katestone’s founders, Karen Lunney, passed away at the end of last year. She had been battling cancer for over 10 years. Karen was an amazing woman and if it wasn’t for her and Peter’s vision Katestone wouldn’t be the business it is today. In fact, it wouldn’t exist at all! Karen had…
Read MoreOur Journey with Power
How do you power your day? You might look at your long-finished cup of coffee or the half eaten toast on your desk – the items that keep your battery going – but what about the power that lights up your home and office, or charges the battery in your car that takes you to…
Read MoreClean Air Society 23rd Biennial International Conference
In October 2017 Brisbane was host to the biennial Clean Air Society of Australia and New Zealand (CASANZ) conference. The local QLD CASANZ branch (including Katestone’s Natalie Shaw) did an excellent job as hosts. Unfortunately for all of the visitors hoping for some sunshine, Queensland didn’t live up to its reputation as the sunshine state with…
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