Fresh green links

Government begins Great Barrier Reef project – more than $50 million will be provided for protecting the Great Barrier Reef. It’s part of the Caring For Our Country program launched last year, which allocates $400 million to new environmental projects, often run by community or local environmental groups.

Urban retrofits – how to make a city green without tearing it down and replacing it with all-new stuff. This article from the Boston Globe talks about 5 ideas to make cities greener that are being tried out. I’m not convinced podcars will ever become popular, but I like the idea of mobility hubs, where car-sharing, bike-sharing and public transport transfers can all take place.

Melbourne gets hybrid buses – it’s just a trial for now, but I’m sure it’ll do well and they’ll go on to include more in their fleet. Hybrid buses give a 20% reduction in fuel use compared to normal buses, with a corresponding decrease in pollution and emissions.