An alarming article regarding the consequences of waste
Plastic Ocean
Showing posts with label info. Show all posts
Showing posts with label info. Show all posts
Saturday, June 2, 2007
Monday, April 23, 2007
Tues 24th April : Community Organising Workshop
Community Organising: confrontation vs consensus workshop
Date: Tuesday 24th April 2007
Venue : Ross House, 247 Flinders Lane Melbourne
Host :The Change Agency
Workshop: 4.30-8.00pm
In the good ol’ days, every social change group knew how to do a street protest, or an occupation, or something even more confrontational. Today, many social change groups avoid any kind of confrontation in favour of consensus models. Is confrontation really irrelevant to today's social change efforts? Are consensus models really effective? This workshop will draw on participants' experiences with confrontation and consensus processes to better understand the strengths and weaknesses of each. Then, using a political opportunity structure model, you will learn how to analyse your political contect to better decide when, where and how to use a combination of confrontation and consensus strategies.
About Randy:
Date: Tuesday 24th April 2007
Venue : Ross House, 247 Flinders Lane Melbourne
Host :The Change Agency
Workshop: 4.30-8.00pm
In the good ol’ days, every social change group knew how to do a street protest, or an occupation, or something even more confrontational. Today, many social change groups avoid any kind of confrontation in favour of consensus models. Is confrontation really irrelevant to today's social change efforts? Are consensus models really effective? This workshop will draw on participants' experiences with confrontation and consensus processes to better understand the strengths and weaknesses of each. Then, using a political opportunity structure model, you will learn how to analyse your political contect to better decide when, where and how to use a combination of confrontation and consensus strategies.
About Randy:
Randy is the moderator/editor of COMM-ORG: The On-Line Conference on Community Organising and Development. (http://comm-org.wisc.edu/) He conducts trainings and speaks frequently on community organising and development, participatory research projects with community development corporations, community organising groups, community information technology programs, and other non-profits in North America and Australia. He is an Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin. He has a PhD in Sociology and a Masters of Science in Counselling. Randy has written extensively on community organising and development and community based research, including the books Defending Community (1994), Research Methods for Community Change (2005) and the co-authored book Community-Based Research in Higher Education (2003).
You can find his complete vita here. Registration: $20 (unwaged); $40 (community sector); $60 (higher income)
RSVP by April 17th to Sam La Rocca m. 0424 610 038Thursday, April 19, 2007
Council Action - Maribyrnong
On Tuesday night (17th April) Maribyrnong city council resolved various things to do with water and climate change, three resolutions were:
- That Council becomes carbon neutral by 2015 for Council’s corporate activities.
- That Council becomes carbon neutral by 2020 for Community (residential and commercial) emissions.
- That Council prepares a detailed Action plan on reaching carbon neutrality by 2015 (Council’s corporate) and 2020 for community (residential and commercial) activities by December 2007 and recommendations be referred for consideration by Council as part of the 2008/2009 Budget process.
This is a great step forward for Maribyrnong Council and we hope that it sparks a change in local councils all around Victoria (and Australia)
We need to work together at all levels of government and community to make a positive difference in the fight against climate change.
- That Council becomes carbon neutral by 2015 for Council’s corporate activities.
- That Council becomes carbon neutral by 2020 for Community (residential and commercial) emissions.
- That Council prepares a detailed Action plan on reaching carbon neutrality by 2015 (Council’s corporate) and 2020 for community (residential and commercial) activities by December 2007 and recommendations be referred for consideration by Council as part of the 2008/2009 Budget process.
This is a great step forward for Maribyrnong Council and we hope that it sparks a change in local councils all around Victoria (and Australia)
We need to work together at all levels of government and community to make a positive difference in the fight against climate change.
Yarra Council - Budget Survey
Each year the City of Yarra must prepare a budget, which is guided by the priorities set out in the Council Plan and a legal requirement for all councils. The development of the Budget provides an opportunity for members of the local community to comment on budget priorities, to make sure they accurately reflect community needs.
We urge everyone in Yarra to take part. Download the survey here and make your concerns heard.
Please return the survey by Friday 27 April to Reply Paid, Marc Giglio, Executive Manager Finance and Information Services, City of Yarra, PO Box 168, Richmond 3121, or simply drop it in to Collingwood or Richmond Town Hall.
We urge everyone in Yarra to take part. Download the survey here and make your concerns heard.
Please return the survey by Friday 27 April to Reply Paid, Marc Giglio, Executive Manager Finance and Information Services, City of Yarra, PO Box 168, Richmond 3121, or simply drop it in to Collingwood or Richmond Town Hall.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
update from COAG
Unsurprisingly news from COAG (in this morning's Age)
Premiers, PM fail to agree on climate
Mr Howard rejected a proposal by the states to set up a national carbon emissions trading scheme by 2010, with a target of cutting emissions to 60 per cent of 2000 levels by 2050.
Despite the impasse, Prime Minister John Howard described the meeting as "successful", but that view was in sharp contrast to that of Victoria's Premier Steve Bracks. "It could have been a great day, but it wasn't," Mr Bracks said at a news conference after the meeting had concluded. Mr Bracks said the meeting had achieved "about 8.1 of the 10-point plan" for national reform. "Today was a good day but not a great day in terms of the opportunities to put in place a national carbon-trading scheme."
Premiers, PM fail to agree on climate
Mr Howard rejected a proposal by the states to set up a national carbon emissions trading scheme by 2010, with a target of cutting emissions to 60 per cent of 2000 levels by 2050.
Despite the impasse, Prime Minister John Howard described the meeting as "successful", but that view was in sharp contrast to that of Victoria's Premier Steve Bracks. "It could have been a great day, but it wasn't," Mr Bracks said at a news conference after the meeting had concluded. Mr Bracks said the meeting had achieved "about 8.1 of the 10-point plan" for national reform. "Today was a good day but not a great day in terms of the opportunities to put in place a national carbon-trading scheme."
Friday, April 13, 2007
Wind farm to boost power supply
The Victorian government has approved a 160-megawatt wind farm to be built on farmland at Mt Mercer, about 30 kilometres south of Ballarat.It is expected to generate enough electricity to power more than 73,000 homes.
"The Mt Mercer wind farm will be a win for the environment, a win for jobs and a win for sustainable development in rural and regional Victoria," Justin Madden (planning minister) said."We expect this project alone to save more than 390,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year."
(from The Age April 12 2007)
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Australia ignoring solar power
for your interest:
follow this link to see a transcript of the 7:30 Report from 31st of January this year.
Interview with David Mills,one of Australia's leading solar innovators, regarding the lack of interest in his technology from government and energy associations in this country.
follow this link to see a transcript of the 7:30 Report from 31st of January this year.
Interview with David Mills,one of Australia's leading solar innovators, regarding the lack of interest in his technology from government and energy associations in this country.
Eligible to vote?
Not strictly an environment issue, but it is important that everybody concerned about climate change votes in the upcoming Federal election.
Some recent changes made by the government may affect your eligibility to vote.
The changes made by the Howard Government have made it harder to enrol to vote and harder to update your details. These changes will come into force sometime in April. So if you've moved recently you may find it much harder to get your details updated. These changes will also affect you if you are not enrolled correctly, you're a first time voter or if you've been enrolled but taken off the electoral roll.
Under the changes, those people enrolling or updating their details will need to meet the following proof of identity requirements: A driver's license or if you don't have a license, a prescribed identity document such as a passport; or alternatively You must get 2 witnesses, who are not related to you, who have known you for longer than 1 month and who can confirm their identity with a driver's license (or a prescribed identity document).
Just as importantly, the electoral roll will close earlier, disadvantaging first time voters in particular. The roll will be closed 3 days from the time the election writs are issued to update your details - BUT - you'll only have until 8pm on the day the writs are issued to enrol if you've been taken off the roll or enrolling for the first time. The new rules come into force in April so be quick and check your enrolment details at https://oevf.aec.gov.au/
Some recent changes made by the government may affect your eligibility to vote.
The changes made by the Howard Government have made it harder to enrol to vote and harder to update your details. These changes will come into force sometime in April. So if you've moved recently you may find it much harder to get your details updated. These changes will also affect you if you are not enrolled correctly, you're a first time voter or if you've been enrolled but taken off the electoral roll.
Under the changes, those people enrolling or updating their details will need to meet the following proof of identity requirements: A driver's license or if you don't have a license, a prescribed identity document such as a passport; or alternatively You must get 2 witnesses, who are not related to you, who have known you for longer than 1 month and who can confirm their identity with a driver's license (or a prescribed identity document).
Just as importantly, the electoral roll will close earlier, disadvantaging first time voters in particular. The roll will be closed 3 days from the time the election writs are issued to update your details - BUT - you'll only have until 8pm on the day the writs are issued to enrol if you've been taken off the roll or enrolling for the first time. The new rules come into force in April so be quick and check your enrolment details at https://oevf.aec.gov.au/
Monday, April 9, 2007
Small moves
if you're new to this issue you might be wondering what you can do to make small differences at home as well - check out Greenpeace's 12 steps to save electricity (and help the planet) for practical information and tips.
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Closer to home....
again in the Age today
Business counters PM to back emissions targets
"AUSTRALIA'S top companies say the country must set concrete targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions over the next 30 years as the centrepiece of policies to combat climate change."
This is in response to Howard's recent attack on emissions targets as proposed by opposition leader Kevin Rudd. (60% by 2050) Howard continually opposes such targets saying they will damage the economy but clearly acceptance by the business community for the necessity of targets is a step towards possibly changing that stance.
Business counters PM to back emissions targets
"AUSTRALIA'S top companies say the country must set concrete targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions over the next 30 years as the centrepiece of policies to combat climate change."
This is in response to Howard's recent attack on emissions targets as proposed by opposition leader Kevin Rudd. (60% by 2050) Howard continually opposes such targets saying they will damage the economy but clearly acceptance by the business community for the necessity of targets is a step towards possibly changing that stance.
A positive sign
In todays Age - US ruling hailed by climate change activists.
we can only hope this is a sign of positive things to come both for the US and ultimately for ourselves
we can only hope this is a sign of positive things to come both for the US and ultimately for ourselves
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