The USSA (Urban Sustainability Support Alliance) co-ordinated a unique poster presentation session for NSW sustainability practitioners at the Department of Environment and Climate Change/NSW Environmental Trust Integrating Sustainability in Local Government Symposium.
Ten local government presenters got on the USSA soapbox and shared their approach to a sustainability project or issue. Posters topics ranged from an Eco-fashion Show to converting a Pool to a Pond to Retro-fitting diesel engines.
The case study YouTube clips recorded on the day and copies of the posters can be accessed through the USSA website.
Greenhouse gases going up. Oil and gas depleting. House prices exploding. Overloading Australia explains why – and how to stop it. The press of numbers on this continent affects us all – those living, as well as those yet to be born. To talk of saving the environment or of climate change is meaningless if we won’t address population – a subject some think too hot for public debate. In a score of punchy chapters, authors Mark O’Connor and William Lines challenge the myths, expose the facts, and dent the denial industry. They blow the whistle on population-foolish policies that lead to clogged roads, water shortages, scarce food, and no place for refugees. They provide new ways to think about these issues and arguments covering a limit to Australia’s future population-size. This is a book that will revolutionise the green and political debates, on population and immigration, currently, one of the hottest political issues.
The Hon Peter Garrett AM MP
Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts
Media release 10 December 2008
A further achievement in Australia’s comprehensive response to combat climate change was realised today with the sealing of Australia’s fifth Solar City agreement, Environment Minister Peter Garrett, said.
Supported by $14.9 million from the Australian Government, the Central Victoria Solar City is a $41 million project jointly driven by Bendigo Bank, Origin Energy, PowerCor, a number of local municipalities and the Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance and its commercial arm, ZCO2e.
“The agreement is the latest milestone in the Australian Government’s $94 million Solar Cities initiative which is integrating solar technologies, energy efficiency and large-scale community engagement to tackle climate change,” Mr Garrett said.
“The Central Victoria Solar City covers one fifth of Victoria and involves 14 municipalities, industry, businesses and local communities working together to rethink the way energy is produced and used…
Read the full media release here.
It takes a Living Donor to make a difference in this world. Someone willing to give everything they’ve got – their heart, brain, determination and all the rest – to change the world for the better. The Vodafone Australia Foundation is for looking for Living Donors to take part in the 2009 World of Difference Program. While you donate all of yourself to the charity or non-profit organisation of your choice for a year, we’ll pay you a salary of up to $50,000 and cover $25,000 in related expenses. Past World of Difference Graduates have included people who have donated to environmental non-profit organisations. Applications close Friday 6 February 2009.
Every two years, Global Footprint Network along with WWF and the Zoological Society of London issues the Living Planet Report, which uses complementary measures to explore the changing state of global biodiversity and of human consumption. The report documents the extent of human pressure on the planet, how that compares across nations, and how it is impacting the natural world. The Living Planet Report 2008, released October 29, 2008, shows that at the current rate humanity is using natural resources and producing waste, by the early 2030s we will require the resources of two planets to meet our needs.
The successful establishment of biodiversity corridors in urban areas requires the behavioural involvement of local residents in terms of their gardening practices, that is, gardening for habitat protection. This study by the Murdoch University School of Psychology investigates exactly how local residents perceive different kinds of gardens and whether such preferences might have an impact on their willingness to incorporate habitat-providing elements (e.g., native plants) into their own gardens. The study also aimed to investigate some of the attitudinal factors that might influence residents’ preferences for different kinds of gardens.
A joint initiative of the Green Building Council of Australia and the Property Council of Australia, Green Cities 09 has the theme “Valuable, Affordable, Sustainable”. This is your opportunity to join other green building innovators and decision makers to explore new ideas in sustainable building and learn about the latest industry developments, techniques and strategies.
Climate change continues to be a huge global and national issue and all green-life stakeholders including nursery, landscapers, all levels of government, architects, urban planners, builders and NGO’s are well positioned to take advantage of the shift in sentiment by positioning green-life and plants as part of the solution.
While everyone equates trees with healthy environmental messages as evidenced by the growing number of corporate brands that advertise tree planting as a way of offsetting the environmental footprint from use of their products, the nursery industry and all other green-life stakeholders are still struggling to get a place at the political table to have an impact on environmental policy development and planning.
The nursery & garden industry is hosting the Symposium to unveil the benefits of plants and green-life in the urban landscape and bring together all stakeholder groups to drive unity of message and create a stronger platform on which to engage government.
With international speakers such as Dr Greg McPherson project leader for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Centre for Urban Forest Research, and other well known experts, environmental scientists, academics and researchers, the Symposium will highlight the benefits of green-life by discussing how increased urban planting can provide solutions to some of the environmental and health issues we are facing today.
The Healthy Cities Conference will be a platform for Government and Industry sector professionals to consider health, sustainability, natural resource management, climate change and the implications for public policy. Participants will also examine issues that effect Federal, State and Local Government agencies. The future will present some exciting challenges , what do we need to meet these challenges and how will it effect the way we live and work?
The Conference will feature keynote presentations along with four concurrent streams, each designed to address the Conference themes:
‘Meeting Expectations’ is the theme for the 2009 AFAC (Australasian Fire & Emergency Service Authorities Council)/Bushfire CRC Conference. It will examine the expectations of government, community, industry and itself. How do the emergency services interpret and meet the expectations of all these groups? How do they measure, understand and respond to the often contradictory demands and expectations from various sectors? What are we really striving to achieve? There will also be increased emphasis on issues facing urban firefighting and SES activities. The conference will cater to urban and rural fire, state emergency services, land managers, local, state and federal government, private industry and community groups. The call for papers is now open and closes on 1 February 2009.