Author Archive
Melbourne Electric Vehicle Expo
The 2013 Melbourne Electric Vehicle Expo is a fantastic opportunity to experience the latest electric vehicles and witness exciting developments in electric vehicle technology here in Melbourne.
Under pressure from rising fuel prices, the participating companies such as Nissan want to see EV charging stations in operation across the state's metropolitan and regional areas by 2015.
The event, held at Swinburne University-Hawthorn Campus this Saturday, will see a range of electric cars and bikes displayed, including the Solar Aurora Solar car, Fiik Skateboards, the Nissan Leaf, Mitsubishi iMiev and Chevy Volt along with a number of solar technologies and electric bikes.
Come along to check out electric vehicles of all shapes and sizes, go for a joy ride in an electric car or test ride a bike. For the more daring we have Stealth high power off road bikes and Fiik electric skateboards. Come and see the new infrastructure technology and services for electric cars. With free entry, and plenty of food and entertainment throughout the day, the 2013 Melbourne Electric Vehicle Expo is an event not to be missed.
The 2013 Melbourne Electric Vehicle Expo is brought to you by a joint initiative ...
Australia’s Food Crisis
Australians throw away 8 billion dollars worth of food a year! Almost 1/3 of food we produce is lost or wasted - but that is just the start of the broken food system. The Design for Food Waste Challenge is a combined Oxfam and NSW EPA initiative looking for YOUR IDEAS to reduce food waste and increase awareness. They have figured out that young people aged 18-24 are the biggest food wasters but also simultaneously have the highest potential to solve the problem... Check out this clip for an explanation of the problem and challenge.
Stop Spending Time With Every Show Visitor!
One of the hardest concepts for some exhibitors to realize is that everyone at the expo is not a prospective buyer. At any expo, there are really only three types of prospects for your product/service. Handling each one correctly will save you and them both time and energy.
Here are the three types of prospects:
Type A: Ready to buy or order now. These are the people you came to the expo to attract and find. You want and need to spend quality time with them.
Type B: Interested, but need more information. These are the visitors you want to convert to Type A. If you can identify who they are, do more than just give them a brochure which they might not read later.
Type C: Not qualified or not interested. Those visitors either truly do not want or need your product, or they think they don't. If they genuinely do not have any use for your product, don't take it personally and don not waste time with them. There is no point trying to sell your organic chicken pies to a visitor who is vegan. Avoid anything other than being nice to them.
Great News Secures Barrier of our Reef
Home to over 1,500 species of fish, 215 species of birds, 6 species of sea turtles and many more animals, this seven natural wonder of the world has received some great news.
Australia’s iconic Great Barrier Reef has received support from the government who have pledged to stop local coal and shipping projects in the area in order to protect this World Heritage Site.
The Great Barrier Reef, which is composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and spans over 2,300km, is worth over AUD$6 billion dollars a year for our economy. The government has shown clear signs that it intends to commit and protect our reef.
As Queensland is our largest state that produces coal and with coal being one of our Countries top exports, the government must make clear as to where they intend to direct their attention to. The government has invested AUD$200 million dollars in the Reef Rescue programme and now have committed to AUD$800,000 to fight another threat to the reef which is the crown-of-thorns starfish.
The federal environment minister Tony Burke, said in his report to UNESCO “We will not cut corners or give an inch on protecting it”.
Also mentioned in the report by our ...
A Story of Compassion for all Animal Lovers
Written by By Leandra Gurbiel.
Bubba and The Sweet Pea written by Gladys Boutros is a divine story about the beauty within, acceptance, the power of letting go, and the gifts these virtues may bring. Yes this is all contained in this beautiful children’s book about a cockatoo called Bubba who goes on a magical journey with many special connections and gifts on the way.
The story begins with the magnificent Bubba who is a star adored by many as he performs for the crowd. He is loved by his friends and is full of confidence until one day he notices his feathers falling out, then many more. He is devastated and hides from his friends. In desperation he heads off on a brave journey in search of Uriah the wise and powerful eagle, meeting many glorious characters on the way.
Bubba and the Sweet Pea is based on the author’s Sulpher Crested Cockatoo, Bubba, who at eight months of age was sadly diagnosed with Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease. It is a virus that affects the immune system and the cells of cockatoos and all species of parrots.
Bubba’s journey inspired Gladys to ...
Create Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)
Your USP will get visitors to stop at your stand. You may want to achieve 60 sales and 90 sales leads at the show but how are you going to attract people to stop at your stand?
Think about your product or service. You may already have a USP that you use in other communications. A show as targeted for your market like EcoXpo gives you new possibilities that something like a print ad will just not deliver.
Remember a visitor is interested in “what’s in it for me” so focus on benefits. Look for the ‘news’ angle. If you have a new product, new flavour – or even a special price or deal for the show – say so.
Everyone’s interested in saving money, getting more value and improving their product experience – it’s your job to tell them how. It is OUR job to make it all possible for you!
Australia’s 2020 Renewable Energy Target Set to take Wind
China’s largest wind-turbine maker is set to install as much as 8,000 megawatts of wind power by the year 2020 here in Australia. The company is scheduled to start operating in early 2014 the 165.5 megawatt Gullen Range wind farm in NSW.
Wind farms are set to continue to rise with two large wind farms under construction in Australia. This includes the Macarthur Wind Farm in Victoria which will have a capacity of 420 megawatts and the Musselroe Wind Farm in Tasmania at 168 megawatts.
Of all energy sources, a wind farm has the lowest impact on the environment and for every unit of wind power plugged into the electricity grid, it replaces one unit from a coal fired power station.
The costs are minimal once the wind turbines are in place as they keep producing power and in many cases provide an income to the community for the life of the farm. This is a great incentive for communities to accept wind farms however all agreements much be viewed in detail to ensure the developer is committed to the support of the local community and various groups.
Electronic Tricycle Taxis to be Introduced in the Philippines
News of another type, the Philippines are looking to remove petrol-fuelled tricycle taxis to new electronic ones. This could cut emissions by a quarter of a million tonnes and push the populated country into the lead of green transport in Asia.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) announced it would provide USD$300 million dollars in 2013 to support the project that change the Philippines. The Philippines government has also agreed to provide USD$99 million dollars to the project.
This initiative will not only create jobs in the Philippines but will cut air pollution drastically and create a better vehicle for drivers and passengers as the Tricycle Taxis are a major form of transport in the Country.
The project is set to replace 100,000 polluting tricycles with the electric tricycles and allow the owners to have a lease to own arrangement. The lithium-ion batteries can be recharged up to 2000 times before being replaced.
“Every 20,000 e-trikes that are introduced ...
Elephant Dung Paper
Import Ants was established in 2008 when Kim Good discovered Elephant Dung Paper being made by a company called Maximus in Sri Lanka. Kim saw first-hand how this product was handmade from elephant dung and office waste paper making the product 100% recycled.
Elephants thankfully are vegetarians and eat 180kg of vegetation while producing 100kg of dung daily. Now that is a lot of waste. The handmade methods take about 13 days with the first process taking place using the mighty sun. The dung is dried and then purified by boiling it at 120 degrees in a sealed high-pressure boiler. Then the pulp is mixed to break up the fibers. Waste paper and salt dyes are then added before being spread onto submerged screens to create the sheets. No bleaches or chemicals are added in the process. The sheets are pressed to extract the water and are then hung in the shade to dry.
This all takes place in Sri Lanka where elephants and humans compete over scarce land. To help solve this problem, Maximus created a sustainable industry that employs villagers to make the paper and the finished products. Every product contributes directly to the ...
Best in Show: Eco-Friendly Cars of 2012
The race is on for car manufacturers to develop the best Eco-Friendly car of the year. Demand is rising especially since fuel costs and maintenance costs continue to empty the pockets of many Australians. Here is a list below from the National Geographic which shows the top five cars of 2012.
Honda Insight EX MPG: City 41/Hwy 44 From $23,540
VW Passat TDI MPG: City 30/Hwy 40 From $25,995
Honda Civic Natural Gas MPG: City 27/Hwy 38 From $26,155
Toyota Prius V MPG: City 44/Hwy 40 From $26,400
Ford Fusion Hybrid MPG: City 41/Hwy 36 From $28,700
Focusing on Toyota at the moment as it aims for zero emissions and has taken a massive leap in reducing car pollution here in Australia, the Hybrid Synergy Drive electric motor at low speeds generates zero carbon emissions.
The company is taking an active role in manufacturing vehicles that offer the Eco Friendly driver a choice in reducing their environmental impact. Then at the end of the car’s life, Toyota is offering to recycle the raw materials ...
