Where’s the meat? Employers and governments should have seen this supply crisis coming, and done something

The low temperatures and low humidity of food-processing facilities increase viral transmission, while the poor air quality increases the prevalence of respiratory disorders, which means workers are more susceptible to illness if infected. The rate of asthmatic symptoms among chicken-processing workers, for example, has been estimated as being four times that of all adults. These risks are heightened by working in close proximity to others on production lines where the work is physically demanding and the pace hectic.

Australian hydrogen company makes finals of SXSW Innovation Awards

Hydrogen energy company Star Scientific has made the finals of the South by Southwest festival’s Innovation Awards, which will be held at the long-running Austin, Texas festival next month. Star Scientific was nominated for its HERO (hydrogen energy release optimiser) product, which it is currently commercialising, and which uses a “non-polluting catalyst” to create zero-emission…

Applications open for $10 million in regional Victorian recycling grants

Applications opened on Wednesday for round one of the Victorian Regional Recycling Fund, with grants up to $500,000 each available to upgrade resource recovery centres. The funding would “strengthen regional Victoria’s recycling network” by upgrading regionally significant facilities, according to the government.   “These regional facilities are the building blocks for a robust recycling network that…