The Climate Action Calendar is courtesy of Monique Decortis who puts it together and maintains the subscription list. BrimbankCAN extends our warmest thanks to Monique for undertaking this mammoth effort.
Download the Climate Action Calendar for 25 October to 7 December 2008
As Australia and much of the world wrestles with hotter weather and a dwindling water supply, mass starvation on a global scale is on the cards if we can’t find ways to improve crop resilience. Scientists are exploring many solutions to adapt our food supply, including going back to Mother Nature herself to locate the genes that can withstand our changing climate; genes that, thanks to a high-yielding monoculture, have almost disappeared.
Australian scientist Dr Ken Street, aka the ‘Seed Hunter’, spends his life searching for the tiny seeds that could play a role in helping food producers around the world. This film follows Dr Ken, the ‘Indiana Jones’ of agriculture, on a journey from the drought-ravaged farms of Australia, to the heart of the Middle East, to the mountains of Tajikistan as he hunts for elusive wild chickpea that can survive temperatures of 40 degrees above and below zero.
Sounds simple enough until you realise that land clearing, urbanisation and modern farming systems have all but wiped out these ancient food sources. The rare wild chickpea’s tough, resilient genes could help transform the modern chickpea variety, enabling it to be grown by more people.
At journey’s end, Ken travels deep into the Arctic to deliver his precious bounty of seed to the impenetrable ‘doomsday vault’, built as a back-up for the world’s seed supply of every food type known to humankind.
In May this year the Brumby Government released details of its solar feed-in tariff. A feed-in tariff is where the government pays you for creating clean energy for your own home. The proposal was as weak as water.
If the new solar laws pass Parliament as they are they will do bugger all to support solar power and the growth of the solar industry to say nothing of the weak impact on reducing greenhouse gas pollution. We can still have a say in making Mr Brumby and his hard-headed Energy Minister Mr Batchelor understand that we want a decent solar energy policy. Mr Jennings, (Minister for our Environment) is with us on this one but he is having a tough time getting around Mr Batchelor.
We want all politicians in The Victorian Parliament to get cracking and make it happen and put aside the pressure being applied by the faceless, polluting, multinationals that seem to have little care for the damage they cause us every day.
1. Make the 60c KWh tariff payable on gross, not just net generation
So far our state government has ignored the case studies of more than 40 countries with feed-in tariffs and has decided in their wisdom to only pay the tariff when household generation of solar power is greater than household energy use, and electricity is fed back into the grid. To make the solar power tariff work the legislation needs to be amended to pay the 60c KWh tariff on ALL electricity created from a solar system for 15 years.
2. Increase the system size limit for the 60c KWh tariff to 10 KW and allow businesses and community organisations to get involved. Introduce a 48c KWh tariff for systems between 10 KW and 100 KW.
The Brumby Government’s plan excludes all solar systems of 2 KW and above. This will deter households from installing larger systems – bizarre when you are supposed to be trying to encourage solar power. The Brumby Government’s plan strangely excludes business, local government, churches and community groups from participating. This strange stuff needs to be removed to encourage everyone to invest in renewable energy.
3. Ensure low-income households are not duded by the scheme by exempting concession card holders
The Brumby Government claims it introduced a weak model in order to protect low-income households – huh? But there is no such protection in the Government’s model. Concession card holders must be exempted from any electricity price rises to ensure that low-income households are not unfairly hit by the cost of this or other measures. An effective feed-in tariff in Victoria would prevent the need to build expensive, polluting, coal burning power plant and contribute energy to the grid on hot sunny days when electricity prices are highest and demand is greatest.
Make a difference,
Email your politicians now:
John Brumby, The Premier of Victoria
premier@dpc.vic.gov.au
Hon Peter Batchelor
Minister for Community Development and Energy and Resources
peter.batchelor@parliament.vic.gov.au
Next meeting we’re going to be having a look at the embodied emissions in goods & services and the Centre for Integrated Sustainability Analysis’ calculator (http://www.isa.org.usyd.edu.au/education/ISA-GHG-Calculator_2008.xls)
As usual, we’ll also talk about household energy consumption and transport, so please feel free to bring your bills, or calculate your emissions: http://www.carbonequity.info/crags/calculator.html
Here are the details:
When: Tuesday, 21st October @ 7:30pm
Where: Shaun & Neesh’s place – 7 Burns St, Yarraville
Theme: Embodied emissions in goods & services
RSVP: 9314-7713 or crags@westnet.com.au
Forum on community energy project
8.45am-5pm, 14 October, Sustainability Victoria Urban Workshop, Level 28, 50 Lonsdale Street
Limited places!
Info: Consumer Utilities and Advocacy Centre 9639 7600 James.Henshall@cuac.org.au
Forum: Building effecive online climate campaigning
6pm Thursday 16 October, FoE, 312 Smih St, Collingwood
Report-back on the Change Agency and Friends of the Earth action research project
Info: Foe 94198700
Public Forum: Community Power-Climate Action in the Otways
6.30 – 9pm Friday 17 October, Senior Citizen’s Centre Whelan Street, Apollo Bay with John Sherwood, David Shapero, and Scott Kinnear
Info: Otway Ranges Climate Action: http://orcaction.org
Simon 0418 575 525
Matt 0418 370 276
Emissions Trading and Climate Change Basics: Eltham
1-4pm Saturday 18 October, Eltham Library
with David Spratt (Climate Code Red), Environment Victoria and council and Nillumbik Climate Action Now representatives.
Info: Chris Denis cdenis@yprl.vic.gov.au
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World Matters 2008
11am-7.30pm Saturday and Sunday 25-26 October at Eltham Library Meeting Room.
Two days of series of talks, panel discussions, documentaries, concerts and book launches featuring leading thinkers, writers, activists and poets, on a variety of topics and issues related to rights, responsibilities and risks. Includes: urgency of now, a panel discussion on Saturday 6-8.30pm.
$6 per session $15 for the day $25 for the festival inc. light refreshments.
Info: elthambookshop@bigpond.com or ph 9439 8700
Explaining emissions trading forum
7.15pm Wednesday 29 October at Sam Merrifield Library, 762 Mount Alexander Rd, Moonee Ponds
Organised by Moonee valley Cliamte Action group
Info: www.mooneevalleyclimateaction.org
Richard Keech 0419 036 463
Robert Manne and Tim Flannery in conversation
Wednesday 29 October at Malthouse, 113 Sturt St.
5.30 – 6.30 drinks and canapés followed by 6.30 – 7.30 pm conversation
After the release of Quarterly Essay 31, “Now or Never: A Sustainable Future for Australia”, Tim Flannery will join with Robert Manne to assess Australia’s response to the climate issue.
Leadership in a Changing Climate Breakfast with Tim Flannery
7 am registration for a 7.30am start-8.45 am, Friday, October 31. Horsham Golf Club.$25 per person.
Tim Flannery will discuss how business and community leaders can demonstrate leadership and influence change in their communities to improve the environment.
Info: 53821544 wca@wcma.vicv.gov.au
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Farming for the Future-Living in a Changing Climate Forum inc. Tim Flannery
9.30am-5.30pm Friday 31 October 31. Longerenong College, Horsham. $25 per person.
Includes key-note speakers, lunch and afternoon workshop program.
Info: 53821544 wca@wcma.vicv.gov.au
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Emissions Trading and Climate Change Basics: Mill Park
1pm Saturday 1 November, Mill Park Library
with David Spratt (Climate Code Red), Environment Victoria and council representative.
Info: Chris Denis cdenis@yprl.vic.gov.au
Emissions Trading and Climate Change Basics: Ivanhoe
6.30pm Thursday 6 November, Ivanhoe Library Library with David Spratt (Climate Code Red), Environment Victoria and council representative.
Info: Chris Denis cdenis@yprl.vic.gov.au
What does the Emission Trading Scheme need to include to achieve real action on climate change?
6.30pm Thursday 6 November, State Library of Victoria Village Theatrette
Prof David Karoly, lead scientist IPCCC
Julius Roe, National President Australian Manufacturing Workers Union
Damien Lawson, Friends of the Earth, Australia
Entry by gold coin donation.
Organised by Friends of the Earth Australia with the support of the City of Yarra.
Walk against warming for renewable energy and a safe climate future
On November 15 2008, thousands of Australians will walk together with their families, their workmates and their communities for renewable energy and a safe climate future for our children. Walk Against Warming is an urgent demand for real action on climate change and justice for developing nations affected by global warming.
Info: Environment Victoria 03 9341 8112, victoria.mckenziemcharg@envict.org.au
Monthly meetings
Beyond Zero Emissions campaign meetings:
1st and 3rd Tuesday at 6.30pm, Kindness House, Suite 10, 288 Brunswick St, Fitzroy
Moonee Valley Climate Action:
last Wednesday at 7.15pm. www.mooneevalleyclimateaction.org or Richard Keech 0419 036 463
Darebin Climate Action Now:last Monday. More info: darebinclimateaction@gmail.com
Lighter Footprints: 1st Wednesday at 7.45pm. More info: Carolyn Ingvarson ci@the.inter.net.au or 9836 0925
Maroondah Climate Change Action Group: 1st Sunday at 6pm, 21 Balfour St, Heathmont, holdway_tony@hotmail.com or 03 9870 0589
Emerald for Sustainability: 2nd Monday at 7.30pm at Emerald Library. Info Lee lfuller@bigpond.net.au or www.emfsus.org.au
Friends of the Earth Climate Justice Collective: 1st and 3rd Thursday of month, 6.30pm at 312 Smith St, Collingwood. Info: ellenmroberts@yahoo.com.au
