Category: Newsletters

Victorian Climate Action Calendar: 28 June to 29 August 2015
The latest update of the Victorian Climate Action Calendar

    The Calendar covering events from 28 June to 29 August 2015

     can be downloaded here and from http://vcac.org.au/calendar/

    Some items of interest are featured below.

Regards,

Monique
– “There is an urgent need to stop subsidizing the fossil fuel

industry, dramatically reduce wasted energy, and significantly shift our

power supplies from oil, coal and natural gas to wind, solar, geothermal

and other renewable energy sources.” – Bill McKibben

ACTION TO STOP ADANI – YouTube video

GALILEE BASIN – UNBURNABLE COAL – report

ACTION TO STOP ADANI COAL PORT

On Monday 22 June Traditional Owners and Reef Town locals led over 100 Australian’s in an action at Abbot POINT on the edge of the great barrier Reef. Aunty Carol Prior, Juru Traditional Owner, spoke about the beauty and cultural significance of the area around Abbot Point and the Reef. She invited all of us to join her in taking the pledge to stop the destruction of her country. As thousands of Australians sign the pledge we will build a powerful network of people stretching across every corner of the country — people who are willing to take part in bold actions to protect our future. This is our warning to Adani and the banks – rule out these projects OR face an unrelenting community campaign.

GALILEE BASIN – UNBURNABLE COAL – Report by Will Steffen

This new report reveals that if all of the Galilee Basin coal was burned, an estimated 705 million tonnes of CO2 would be released each year – more than 1.3 times Australia’s current annual emissions.

Key findings:

Tackling climate change effectively means that existing coal mines will need to be retired before they are exploited fully and new mines cannot be built.

The Galilee Basin coal could emit more than Australia’s entire emissions each year.

Potential export markets for Galilee coal are rapidly dwindling as the world moves away from coal toward renewable energy.

There are increasing signs from global investors that they consider Galilee coal too risky of an investment.

DOWNLOAD THE REPORT
28 June 2015
Victorian Climate Action Calendar: 21 June to 22 August 2015
The latest update of the Victorian Climate Action Calendar

    The Calendar covering events from 21 June to 22 August 2015

     can be downloaded here and from http://vcac.org.au/calendar/

    Some items of interest are featured below.

Regards,

Monique

– “We need to bring sustainable energy to every corner of the globe

with technologies like solar energy mini-grids, solar powered lights,

and wind turbines.” – Ban Ki-moon
UNCONVENTIONAL ONSHORE GAS PRODUCTION, INCLUDING ‘FRACKING – submissions invited

MAASAI WOMEN LEAD A SOLAR REVOLUTION

RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCES

UNCONVENTIONAL ONSHORE GAS PRODUCTION, INCLUDING ‘FRACKING –

The Victorian Parliament is seeking public views on unconventional onshore gas production, including ‘fracking’. Submissions close 10 July

TOTING PANELS ON DONKEYS, MAASAI WOMEN LEAD A SOLAR REVOLUTION

By Leopold Obi

photo Brian Merchant

Until recently, the people of Magadi, a village in Kenya’s Kajiado County, would have to travel to the nearest market 15 kilometres away to fill up on kerosene. Their young sons had to spend cold nights outside to guard the cattle. Trained in solar panel installation, more than 200 Maasai women have been leading an energy revolution, giving families access to clean, renewable power, and increased safety for the first time.

Read the full article…..

RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCES

by Twidell and Weir

“Solar and wind power are now proven, reliable, ever-cheaper sources of electricity that can play a major role in powering the world.

Along with other long-established renewables such as hydropower, and complemented by improved energy efficiency and appropriate institutional support, they can be key to sustainable development. This book can play a vital role in educating the people who are needed to make it happen.” Professor Martin Green
21 June 2015
Victorian Climate Action Calendar: 14 June to 15 August 2015
The latest update of the Victorian Climate Action Calendar

The Calendar covering events from 14 June to 15 August 2015

can be downloaded here and from http://vcac.org.au/calendar/

Some items of interest are featured below.

Regards,

Monique
– “The greatest hope for the Earth lies in religionists and scientists uniting

to awaken the world to its near fatal predicament and then leading

mankind out of the bewildering maze of international crises into

the future Utopia of humanist hope.” – Club of Rome

SEE POPE FRANCIS PHYSICALLY GEARING UP TO RELEASE THE PAPAL ENCYCLICAL (YouTube video)

THE PAPAL ENCYCLICAL “LAUDATO SI”, ON THE CARE OF OUR COMMON HOME”

BABY BOOMERS FOR CLIMATE CHANGE ACTION (link correction)

SEE POPE FRANCIS PHYSICALLY GEARING UP TO RELEASE THE PAPAL ENCYCLICAL (youtube video)

THE PAPAL ENCYCLICAL “LAUDATO SI”, ON THE CARE OF OUR COMMON HOME”.

Explosive intervention by Pope Francis is set to transform climate change debate.

The most anticipated papal letter for decades will be published in five languages on Thursday. It will call for an end to the ‘tyrannical’ exploitation of nature by mankind.

Pope Francis will call for an ethical and economic revolution to prevent catastrophic climate change and growing inequality in a letter to the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics. The encyclical will have a strong social justice theme and a particular emphasis on the injustice of climate change.

The pontiff is expected to argue that humanity’s exploitation of the planet’s resources has crossed the Earth’s natural boundaries, and that the world faces ruin without a revolution in hearts and minds. The much-anticipated message, which will be sent to the world’s 5,000 Catholic bishops, will be published online in five languages on Thursday and is expected to be the most radical statement yet from the outspoken pontiff.

The encyclical will undoubtedly make waves not only for its insistence that humanity protect the environment, but also for its deconstruction of conservative arguments against climate change. Could it lead to a step-change in the battle against global warming?

BABY BOOMERS FOR CLIMATE CHANGE ACTION Link correction:

Please replace the link provided in the 31 May – 11 Aug edition for Baby Boomers For Climate Change Action with http://babyboomersclimate.org/
14 June 2015
Victorian Climate Action Calendar: 7 June to 8 August 2015
The latest update of the Victorian Climate Action Calendar

    The Calendar covering events from 7 June to 8 August 2015
     can be downloaded here and from http://vcac.org.au/calendar/

    Some items of interest are featured below.

    Regards,
    Monique
– “It is horrifying that we have to fight our own government
to save the environment.” – Ansel Adams
PLANETARY BOUNDARIES

KICK BIG POLLUTERS OUT OF CLIMATE POLICY

PLANETARY BOUNDARIES – a safe operating space for humans

A similar point was made in a January 2015 Science article, “Planetary boundaries,” by 18 international experts led by Will Steffen of the Stockholm Resilience Centre.

Researchers find 4 of 9 planetary boundaries have been crossed: climate change, loss of biosphere integrity, land-system change, altered biogeochemical cycles (phosphorus and nitrogen).

Here is the key chart of their findings (an update of their original 2009 findings).




Researchers find 4 of 9 planetary boundaries have been crossed: climate change, loss of biosphere integrity, land-system change, altered biogeochemical cycles (phosphorus and nitrogen).

KICK BIG POLLUTERS OUT OF CLIMATE POLICY

2014 was the hottest year on record. And 2015 isn't proving to be any better — so far, we've seen droughts and water shortages all over the world, rising food prices and even the world's first climate refugees. The impacts if we don't act quickly are almost unimaginable –a staggering billion people could be forced out of their homes by 2050 if we don't curb global emissions. One thing is clear: we need a global climate deal, and we need one now.

This year's UN climate talks in Paris will be a pivotal moment to fight back against the disastrous consequences of climate change. These negotiations have to succeed — the stakes have never been higher. Yet we’ve heard that corporations will sponsor 20% of this year’s talks.
Every year, giant fossil fuel companies like Shell and Chevron send their slick corporate lobbyists to protect fossil fuel profits and stall real climate action.
The planet can't wait any longer — it's time we kick big polluters out.

Sign the petition asking the UNFCCC (UN Climate Convention) to ban big polluters from the climate talks in Paris this year.

More information:
Private sector to chip in for COP 21, Euractiv, April 23 2015.
Another dirty energy dominated COP?, Euractiv, April 30 2015.
What climate activists can learn from the fight against Big Tobacco, Al Jazeera, Sept 21 2014

SumOfUs is a worldwide movement of people like you, working together to hold corporations accountable for their actions and forge a new, sustainable path for our global economy.

Sign the petition asking the UNFCCC (UN Climate Convention) to ban big polluters from the climate talks in Paris this year.

7 June 2015
Victorian Climate Action Calendar: 3 May to 4 July 2015
The Calendar covering events from 3 May to 4 July 2015 can be downloaded here and from www.vcac.org.au/calendar

A number items of interest are featured below.

Regards,
Monique

“Two handfuls of healthy soil contain more living organisms than there are people on the earth. What these beings are and what they can be doing is difficult to even begin to comprehend, but it helps to realise that even though they are many, they work as one.”

Composting Awareness Week

This week, from 4 – 10 May, is international Composting Awareness Week (ICAW)

Almost half of the rubbish bin in the average household consists of kitchen and garden organic materials. 3% of Australia’s total greenhouse gas emissions come from organic material rotting anearobically in landfills producing methane gas (which has 25 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide). Most of this material can be composted. Direct sequestration of this organic material greatly increases carbon in the soil reducing the effects of climate change.

Turning food scraps and organic garden waste into compost can:
- Improve soil quality and garden vitality by releasing rich nutrients into the soil.
- Suppress plant diseases and pests, helping to reduce or eliminates the need for chemical fertilisers and manures
- Reduce the amount of organic waste going to landfill therefore preventing greenhouse gas emissions.
- Help soils retain moisture
- Help absorb and filter runoff, protecting streams from erosion and pollution.
A compost recipe:

Add the ingredients layer by layer, mixing as you can.

1. Brown material (leaves, hay, dry matter) – this cellulose material is the carbohydrate or “energy” food for the compost micro-organisms, who digest it to get the energy for their work.
2. Green material (grass, vegetable waste, manure, fertiliser) – which contains nitrogen compounds that are important in the growth of the micro-organisms. Layer the ingredients and mix with your fork to avoid odors.
3. Soil or old compost – is full of micro-organisms that kick off the process! Although composting will work without the addition of soil or old compost it helps speed up the process.
4. Ensure adequate moisture inside the compost pile. Water and stir the pile as you build it. Bear in mind that piles can get too wet – you might need to cover the compost during rainy periods.
5. Oxygen is required for the “slow fire” called composting. Without air, any biological activity will be severely limited and a shift to unhealthy bacteria may occur.

Mix all these ingredients and turn as you can. If the pile is cool but hasn’t turned to humus yet, it needs to be turned. A well built compost pile can get quite hot, killing weed seeds and pathogens in manure.

What to add in your compost bin:
Vegetable and fruit scraps, vegetable oil, prunings and lawn clippings, tea bags and coffee, grounds, vacuum dust, shredded paper and cardboard, used potting mix, egg shells, flowers.

What not to add in your compost bin:
Meat and bones, dairy products, diseased plants, fat, magazines, large branches, weeds that have seeds or underground stems, sawdust from treated timber, pet droppings, synthetic chemicals.

Many councils around Australia offer a collection service for garden materials. This material is professionally processed into compost-based products such as soil conditioners, mulches, garden soils, top dressing soils and potting mixes.
3 May 2015
Victorian Climate Action Calendar: 25 April to 28 June 2015

The calendar covering events from 25 April to 28 June 2015 can be downloaded here and from vcac.org.au/calendar/


    A number items of interest are featured below.

    Regards,
    Monique

– At the Paris summit in 2015, 196 countries will meet to sign a new
climate change agreement. But how likely is it that it will be meaningful
and make a difference to climate action on the ground? The overarching
goal of the Convention is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to limit the global temperature increase to 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

We need to make it clear that the people simply cannot and will not allow an agreement that would spell climate catastrophe for all species on this planet.
The earth is already too hot, two degrees is not a safe climate
and we have zero carbon budget –

STUDY: DIRECT EVIDENCE THAT GLOBAL WARMING CAUSES MORE GLOBAL WARMING
Natasha Geiling March 31, 2015



Data from Antarctic ice cores show global warming causes more global warming.

Scientists agree that an increase in atmospheric greenhouse gases causes the Earth’s temperature to rise, but they’ve also noticed that relationship seems to swing both ways: warmer temperatures also seem to correspond with an increase in greenhouse gases.

Now, scientists believe they’ve untangled the nature of the relationship. In a paper published in Nature Climate Change, researchers from the University of Exeter claim to have found direct evidence that as global temperatures rise, so does the atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases, creating a positive feedback that in turn warms the Earth even more — basically, global warming creates more global warming.

“We discovered that not only does thickening the blanket of heat-trapping gases around our planet cause it to get warmer, but also, crucially, when it gets warmer this increases thickens the blanket of heat-trapping gases,” Tim Lenton, the paper’s author, told ThinkProgress, “so we have a process called a ‘positive feedback’ that amplifies changes in the Earth’s temperature.”

This isn’t the first time this relationship has been suggested. Scientists have previously used data from Antarctic ice cores to show that historic temperature rises were accompanied by spikes in global carbon dioxide levels, but other studies cast doubt on that timing, showing a lag of some thousand years.

While several models suggest a correlation between warming temperatures and an increase in greenhouse gas, Lenton’s team is the first to prove the relationship using direct evidence, taken from ice cores nearly one million years old.

The team — comprised of scientists from the University of Exeter, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and Wageningen University in the Netherlands — analyzed Antarctic ice core data from the end of ice age cycles 400,000 and 800,000 years ago. That ancient ice is important, because it offers an extremely large amount of historical global temperature and greenhouse gas concentration data, which the scientists were able to analyze to figure out how the two interact.

Combining historical data about temperature and greenhouse gas composition, the scientists used a mathematical approach known as Takens’ theorem to look at the relationship between the two. The approach, Lenton explained, is based on the idea that if one variable causes even a small change in the other, the more information you have about the first variable. The more information you have about the first variable, the better you should be able to predict the change in the second. Eventually the variables will converge, giving researchers an idea of how strong the first is in predicting change in the second.

“We find that if A and B are temperature and CO2 (or temperature and methane) we get strong reciprocal causality,” Lenton said, proving that warmer temperatures cause an increase in atmospheric greenhouse gases.

The findings provide even more support to the overwhelming evidence that humans are causing global warming by pumping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The surprise, Lenton explained, is that the findings also show that increasing temperature eventually increases greenhouse gases.

“It implies that we should expect the ‘Earth system’ to respond to anthropogenic global warming by amplifying it with the release of additional greenhouse gases,” Lenton said.

Though the study looks at historical data, Lenton acknowledges that current implications can’t be overlooked. “The Earth is a complex system containing many feedbacks, and they are strong enough to swing the planet between the depths of an ice age and a warm ‘interglacial’,” Lenton said.

The Earth is currently warming at a much faster rate than previous warming events, roughly ten times faster than ice-age-recovery warming, according to NASA. In 2013, atmospheric greenhouse gas hit a record high, and scientists warned that the Earth’s ability to store and mediate gas, through plants and oceans, might been approaching its saturation point.

We’re already seeing unexpected changes in the climate: the West Antarctic ice shelves, for instance, is melting at a much faster rate than scientists predicted. “As we meddle with the climate system now, driving it to hotter temperatures, we should expect the Earth to reply by amplifying the changes we are causing,” Lenton said.

25 April 2015

Victorian Climate Action Calendar: 18 April to 21 June 2015

The latest update of the Victorian Climate Action Calendar covers events from 18 April to 21 June 2015

It can be downloaded here and from vcac.org.au/calendar/

A number items of interest are featured below.

Regards,

Monique

Earth Day – 22 April

Picture source: greenoverdose.com

– “If we can’t love our one and only home, what can we love?

If we’re unwilling to defend what we love, then what are we?” –

Michael Carter, Kingfisher’s Song: Memories Against Civilization

THE EARTH CHARTER

Preamble

We stand at a critical moment in Earth’s history, a time when humanity must choose its future. As the world becomes increasingly interdependent and fragile, the future at once holds great peril and great promise. To move forward we must recognize that in the midst of a magnificent diversity of cultures and life forms we are one human family and one Earth community with a common destiny. We must join together to bring forth a sustainable global society founded on respect for nature, universal human rights, economic justice, and a culture of peace. Towards this end, it is imperative that we, the peoples of Earth, declare our responsibility to one another, to the greater community of life, and to future generations.

Earth, Our Home

Humanity is part of a vast evolving universe. Earth, our home, is alive with a unique community of life. The forces of nature make existence a demanding and uncertain adventure, but Earth has provided the conditions essential to life’s evolution. The resilience of the community of life and the well-being of humanity depend upon preserving a healthy biosphere with all its ecological systems, a rich variety of plants and animals, fertile soils, pure waters, and clean air. The global environment with its finite resources is a common concern of all peoples. The protection of Earth’s vitality, diversity, and beauty is a sacred trust.

The Global Situation

The dominant patterns of production and consumption are causing environmental devastation, the depletion of resources, and a massive extinction of species. Communities are being undermined. The benefits of development are not shared equitably and the gap between rich and poor is widening. Injustice, poverty, ignorance, and violent conflict are widespread and the cause of great suffering. An unprecedented rise in human population has overburdened ecological and social systems. The foundations of global security are threatened. These trends are perilous—but not inevitable.

The Challenges Ahead

The choice is ours: form a global partnership to care for Earth and one another or risk the destruction of ourselves and the diversity of life. Fundamental changes are needed in our values, institutions, and ways of living. We must realize that when basic needs have been met, human development is primarily about being more, not having more. We have the knowledge and technology to provide for all and to reduce our impacts on the environment. The emergence of a global civil society is creating new opportunities to build a democratic and humane world. Our environmental, economic, political, social, and spiritual challenges are interconnected, and together we can forge inclusive solutions.

Universal Responsibility

To realize these aspirations, we must decide to live with a sense of universal responsibility, identifying ourselves with the whole Earth community as well as our local communities. We are at once citizens of different nations and of one world in which the local and global are linked. Everyone shares responsibility for the present and future well-being of the human family and the larger living world. The spirit of human solidarity and kinship with all life is strengthened when we live with reverence for the mystery of being, gratitude for the gift of life, and humility regarding the human place in nature.

We urgently need a shared vision of basic values to provide an ethical foundation for the emerging world community. Therefore, together in hope we affirm the following interdependent principles for a sustainable way of life as a common standard by which the conduct of all individuals, organizations, businesses, governments, and transnational institutions is to be guided and assessed.

To read the full charter go to: www.earthcharterinaction.org

19 April 2015

Victorian Climate Action Calendar: 12 April to 14 June 2015

The latest update of the Victorian Climate Action Calendar

The Calendar covering events from 12 April to 14 June 2015

can be downloaded here and from vcac.org.au/calendar

A number items of interest are featured below.

Regards,

Monique

– There are a great many ways you can volunteer for action on climate change, whether it is being focused on single issues or attempting to achieve fundamental change. From the local to the national and international level, you can do hands on planting, organise community events or participate in advocacy through media campaigns, protests and petitions.

It all counts towards the same goal.

VOLUNTEERS SOUGHT FOR DIVESTMENT FORUM AND EXPO ‘GO FOSSIL FREE’

Can you help distribute leaflets? Would your organisation like to support the idea of divestment with a stall at the Forum? Contact: enquiries@ecam.org.au

ECAM (Eastern Climate Action Melbourne Inc.) would welcome any publicity and support for their Divestment Forum & Expo at which there will be stalls and presentations by businesses involved in superannuation, power and banking.

At 7.30pm Keynote Speaker Dr John Hewson will be speaking about

‘Climate Change – Threats and Opportunities for Business and You’
‘GO FOSSIL FREE’, Wed 13 May, 6.30pm – 9.30pm, Box Hill Town Hall,
1022 Whitehorse Road, Box Hill. Bookings: http://ecam-divestment.eventbrite.com

JOURNEYS FOR CLIMATE JUSTICE IS LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS

Do you have skills in research, fundraising media or networking? Can you help promote renewables over coal in Asia? The Abbott Government is doing exactly the opposite. You can help to counter them.

CEO of BZE, Stephen Bygrave, a technical expert in 100% renewable economies, will go to Sri Lanka in August 2015, on a visit organised by Journeys for Climate Justice www.jcj.org.au. Stephen will link with, and empower enthusiastic environmentalists, meet and inform engineers, government officials, academics, NGOs, and industry leaders, participate in sustainability conferences in Colombo and 2-3 regional cities (Kandy, Galle, Anuradhapura) and receive extensive media coverage.

Your skills can make a difference right now to make this trip a resounding success and become a springboard for action across Asia.

Info: Jim Crosthwaite of Journeys for Climate Justice. See also jcj website

VOLUNTEER AT PROGRESS 2015

Progress 2015 will bring together social change makers and the entire non-profit sector for fascinating debates, practical workshops and challenging plenaries presented by progressive leaders from around Australia and the world

Free tickets are available to individuals who sign up to volunteer during the conference. Find out more: http://progress2015.org.au/home/volunteer/

Progress 2015, Thu 7 May – Sat 9 May, the Melbourne Town Hall 90-120 Swanston St.

CAN YOU HELP WITH LETTERBOXING FOR THE GREAT FOREST NATIONAL PARK?

Can you spare 1 hour to letterbox materials in your area between March and May?

The park is a proposed national park located 90 minutes north-east from Melbourne and aims to protect endangered forests and wildlife, create sustainable jobs and provide a playground of outdoor activities. Please take action to support this park.

Put your name down here. More info contact Ben Campbell of The Wilderness Society on 0416305004

12 April 2015

Victorian Climate Action Calendar: 29 March to 7 June 2015

The latest update of the Victorian Climate Action Calendar

The Calendar covering events from 29 March to 7 June 2015

can be downloaded here and from www.vcac.org.au/calendar

A number items of interest are featured below.

Regards,

Monique

– We have the technology and resources to meet all our energyneeds while safeguarding the earth’s climate.

The question is, do we have the will? –

THE CLIMATE COUNCIL – latest report
MY CLIMATE TOOL
ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATION – New e-books

CC-4 THE GLOBAL RENEWABLE ENERGY BOOM: HOW AUSTRALIA IS MISSING OUT

Professor Tim Flannery, the Head of the Climate Council, recently launched the Council’s latest report. The report shows that, as all of our major trading partners are investing heavily in renewable energy, and at an increasing pace, Australia has put out the “Closed for business” sign. A good government would be taking advantage of the global renewables boom. When will we get a good government in Australia?

MY CLIMATE TOOL

Ever wondered how hot your home gets in summer or how cold it is in winter? Think solar is a good idea but not quite sure if it would work on your roof or if it is worth investing in a rainwater tank? Now you can do your own investigation to help you form answers for these questions.

My Climate Tool (developed by the city of Port Melbourne Council and the CSIRO) will help you understand daytime and night time temperatures for your home in summer and winter and compare it to other homes in your area.

If you are looking at investing in solar, you can also calculate the most appropriate solar system size for your home, together with electricity generation and payback periods. A ceiling insulation calculator and rainwater capture calculator are also featured in this tool.

Simple to use with instruction and FAQs , the tool is available for you to explore HERE

ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATION‘S E-BOOKS

Providing independent advice to households and communities is central to what we do with these e-books. Whether it’s working out the type of rainwater tank you need for your home, or the kind of solar system for your caravan, or all the ways you can keep cool without blowing out your electricity bill, our e-books offer a wealth of information

SOLAR CARAVANS AND ECO CAMPING shhows how you can take to the road and enjoy the bush sustainably. Contains the best articles from ReNew Magazine on off-grid solar and energy-saving appliances for caravans, boats and camping,as well as tips on low-impact travel.

GREEN HOME COOLING How do you passively cool your house to avoid big electricity bills in hot weather? How do windows and insulation work to improve indoor comfort? What are the most energy efficient active cooling systems?

WATER EFFICIENCY AROUND THE HOME is full of great ideas on how you can be wiser in using and storing water – it’s about much more than just buckets and shower timers!

Download from ATA’s Webshop (free for ATA members $5 for non-members)

Our mailing address is:

The VCAC

PO Box 396

Panton Hill, Vic 3759

Australia

29 March 2015

Victorian Climate Action Calendar: 22 March to 31 May 2015

The latest update of the Victorian Climate Action Calendar

The Calendar covering events from 22 March to 31 May 2015

can be downloaded here and from vcac.org.au/calendar

A number items of interest are featured below.

Regards,

Monique

– – Coastal ecosystems including marine organisms and coastal habitatssuch as mangroves, reef systems, estuaries, seagrasses and tidal marshes are critical to mitigating climate impacts – –

WORLD WATER DAY 2015 – 22 March – youtube video
VICTORIAN COASTAL PLANS – submissions invited
EARTH HOUR – info and youtube video

WORLD WATER DAY 2015
World water day, 22 March 2015, highlights water’s role in the sustainable development agenda.It’s a day to make a difference for the members of the global population who suffer from water related issues. It is a day to prepare for how we manage water in the future.

Water is our world Water links to almost everything in the world. Health. Nature. Urbanization. Industry. Energy. Food. Equality. In 2015, the world will agree on how we want to shape our sustainable future. And for this future to happen we need water and sanitation. Learn more at www.worldwaterday.org

VICTORIAN COASTAL PLANS – submissions from the community commenting on the draft plans invited until 31Mar 2015
Following the finalisation of the Victorian Coastal Strategy last year, the Regional coastal boards have released the coastal plans for Victoria’s Western, Central and Eastern regions. Anyone interested in the future of our coasts can have a say on issues such as managing visitation pressures, foreshore management, planning for coastal flooding and erosion.The plans are regional interpretations of the statewide policy. They contain background information on the environmental, social and economic values of each region, outline the key issues affecting those values and list actions needed to deal with them.

For the plans, registering interest in attending consultation activities and making a submission: Gippsland and Central Coastal Boards go to gcb.vic.gov.au

Western Coastal Board www.wcb.vic.gov.au

EARTH HOUR Uniting people to protect the planet

On March 28th 2015, thousands of food-related events and Earth Hour dinners will be taking place around the country. Events will range from twilight picnics, to food fairs to night time farmers markets to paddock pop-up restaurants!

All events will be supporting Aussie farmers and highlighting how food and farming is being impacted by global warming. Host an event!

22 March 2015

Category: Newsletters

Composting Awareness Week