A year after the Asian tsunami, the clean-up operation poses a growing number of technical and social issues. In our ‘Sustainability’ issue, Martin Petersen from Golder Associates writes about his visit to the devastated Indonesian city of Banda Aceh, and reports on the problems facing NGOs in dealing with the waste generated by the disaster. In our opinion piece, Martin Charter from the Centre for Sustainable Design, UK, suggests ways for organisations to achieve their eco-objectives, and in ‘Feat of clay’ we report on unfired clay bricks, which are becoming increasingly popular as a sustainable construction material.

In our mining features, Michael Forrest reports on a new process for platinum recovery developed by Platinum Australia Ltd, and in ‘Stone Age’ he reveals how a shortage of local stone could impoverish the UK’s architectural heritage.

In the news, we report on a new initiative to reduce accidents in quarries, and in ‘Power to the people’ Luke Hutson goes in search of the debate on the building of new nuclear power stations. And in our profile section, Rupal Mehta talks to Siobhan Matthews, the Chair of the Institute’s Young Members Committee, director of her own company, and incidentally the first female rugby referee in Ireland.