Carbon offset market gains momentum

 

SmogA study by Victoria's Environment Protection Authority and RMIT University has found a 13 per cent increase in the number of carbon offset providers, The Age reports.

The research project indicates Australian providers traded carbon dioxide equivalents to the value of $45.9 million during the last financial year.

To meet growing demand for green business initiatives four new carbon offset providers have recently set up shop: Greenpass, Greenpig, Hydro Tasmania and Low Energy Supplies and Services.

With the Federal Government currently in the process of introducing a carbon trading scheme, commentators say the market is set for continued growth in the near future.

'Topless' meetings in vogue

LaptoplessMany companies in the US are placing bans on the use of laptops during meetings in order to keep staff focused, The Age reports.

Ironically, major players operating out of Silicon Valley have been the first to embrace the 'topless' - i.e. a zero tolerance for laptops - meeting trend.

According to the article, 'topless meetings' are the latest in a long history of strategies used by Silicon Valley companies to keep meetings short and sharp.

Others including removing chairs from rooms so everyone has to talk while standing, another is making workers drink a glass of water before each meeting to ensure nature's call results in a quick talkfest.

Merging with your mobile

CellphoneIs there a cyborg in your future? The inventor of the mobile phone believes we will eventually have wireless communications devices embedded into our bodies, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.

Former Motorola researcher Martin Cooper, who invented the mobile phone 35 years ago, also believes we'll possess the ability to think about calling a person and the phone will automatically dial.

One of the benefits of embedded technology according to Cooper is the resolution of phone power consumption problems, as the body will generate all the energy needed to fuel our internal phones.

However, Cooper does see some obstacles to the take up of such technology, the most obvious being a resistance on behalf of phone user's to physically link themselves to the technology.

Retirement not so attractive for older workers

OlderMore statistics have been released that indicate Australians are avoiding retirement.

Australian Bureau of Statistics figures reveal the number of people who are working beyond the traditional retirement age has increased by half in three years, The Age reports.

In 2006, an average of 77 per cent of males and 60 percent of females aged between 55 and 59 remained in the workforce, almost twice the number of similarly aged workers a decade ago.

Change for the over 60s has also been dramatic. The figures reveal 58 per cent of men and 36 per cent of women in this age group are staying at work, a 19 per cent increase from 1997 numbers. Sounds good? Do you want to buy calendars ? Order 2023 Calendars here.