Sustainability - Carbon Store

Thursday, February 28, 2013

Growing trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, emit oxygen and store carbon. About half the dry weight of a tree or wood product is carbon; one ton of carbon represents 3.67 tonnes of carbon dioxide. Australia's native forests, timber plantations and wood products are all net absorbers of greenhouse gases. In 2005, they sequestered (or stored) 56.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, reducing Australia's overall greenhouse gas emissions by almost 10%. The combination of carbon sequestration in growing trees and the long term carbon storage in wood products represents a significant net sink and store of carbon for Australia.

Are your windows child safe?

Monday, February 18, 2013

The Children’s Hospital at Westmead in NSW reported that from 1998 to 2011 there have been 113 young children admitted after falling from windows. To reduce such incidents the National Construction Code now requires window barriers to openable windows where the sill is less than 1.7m above floor level and the floor below the window is more than 2m above the surface beneath, effective from May 2013. These new rules apply for all windows in early childhood centres and in habitable rooms in residential buildings. Windows are to be either fitted with a screen or have the window opening limited