e-NEWS 23 March 2007
Posted on 23 March 2007 by e-news
A massive newsletter this week – and this is only a summary of news and events: please read carefully! For further details follow the links or contact the office on (03) 54 70 6978
MASG NEWS
* Two jobs at MASG – cutting edge jobs in sustainability. Closing Date: 27 March. For details see “Work with us” on the MASG website – http://www.masg.org.au/
* Castlemaine State Festival. Loads of exciting developments. River of Bikes new times, see below.
* AND, see new flier of MASG festival events available from the Office, or on website
* Evening meals on 1 and 4 April are BOOKED OUT – If you have booked but not paid yet you must pay at the MASG office to secure your booking.
* Walking the Shire – Discover the region on foot, in the quiet of morning. Guided walks throughout the festival – free – bookings – 54 706 891
* Breakfast with Jonathon Ridnell, ABC Radio on Thursday 5th April outside the Market Hall. $8 per head from 7.30am. Great local bacon, eggs, tomatoes etc
* Final volunteer co-ordination meeting on Wednesday 28th March at 12.30 at MASG office/garden. We provide lunch.
* Posters, T shirts, pamphlets and flyers … you will notice the very eye-catching and edgy MASG material that has been produced for the festival and for promoting MASG. This was the work of graphic artist Mike Wolfe. MASG would like to thank Mike for his donation of professional fees and other materials. You can also see Mike and his daughter Melody’s exhibition during the Festival at 16 Doveton St.
* Castlemaine Property Group. Many thanks to CPG for offering MASG a full page notice in their current property magazine edition, and thanks again to Mike Wolfe for his work that conveys the message to readers that a sustainable home doesn’t cost the earth. We hope to continue this partnership and regularly contribute notices to CPG’s magazine.
* Greenpowering the festival. Over 40 businesses in the CBD of Castlemaine have signed on to be powered by accredited Green power for the duration of the Festival. Add those to the many businesses in the Enterprise Centre at Halford St and elsewhere in the Shire. Castlemaine will be running on Wind energy all Festival long! Support those businesses with the logos during the festival and let them know you appreciate their purchasing natural energy. If you missed the links for the star rating of greenpower products find it on our web site or at this link
* River of Bikes – working bee to help fix donated bikes – Tues 27th March, 5pm at MASG back garden. Please bring tools and pumps.
River of Bikes –
New Times: Dress Rehearsal – Thursday 29th March at Victory Park; 4.30pm for costuming, 5pm start cycling
Opening Night Ride, 30 March – gather from 5pm at rear of Market Building.
* Sustainable Housing Tour: last Sunday was a sellout with people from across the region and further afield visiting the 3 demonstration properties and enjoying the 100km lunch supplied by the Coffee Bean. Feedback from participants was very enthusiastic and we aim to repeat the tour incorporating other Sustainability concepts in the future. Well done to MASG’s Sustainable Planning and Building Working Group for putting the event together so successfully.
*Women’s Weekly story on inspiring women. Local businesswomen and MASG member Bindi Gross was one of the women featured in this month’s March edition of the famous Weekly!! The feature story: “Join the fight to save our planet” interviews women working to combat the climate crisis. The story concludes with Bindi’s involvement in last year’s special screening of an Inconvenient Truth at the Theatre Royal. See WW March 2007, pages 68-74, and see end quote here.
*CSIRO project meeting Friday March 23rd. MASG will be working with the major employers and energy users of the shire to finalise a project scope with the CSIRO that aims to investigate ways to reduce energy usage whilst maintaining productivity and improving the security of energy supply in the Shire.
*Castlemaine North Primary School – MASG display. Thanks to the volunteers who will staff our display at this Saturday’s School Carnival. We are working with the North School to assist them realize their aim to become carbon neutral so come along and support the School as well. The Carnival runs on Saturday 24th from 10am-2pm.
*MASG presents to RMIT architecture and design students Friday 23rd. Ian will be informing RMIT students of our projects, particularly focusing on the upcoming sustainable demonstration house that is to be built this year.
Solar Hot Water
– bulk buy for the best unit at a low price
Thanks to our sister organisation in Ballarat (called BREAZE), we are seeking expressions of interest to bulk buy solar hot water systems. They already have more than 120 interested households. BREAZE are researching the most efficient and reliable units and then negotiating a heavily discounted price for participants. By clicking on the link [HERE] you can register for a no-obligation expression of interest. On the link, please tick the circle that shows you heard about this through MASG. After a few weeks BREAZE will let you know the type of system and cost involved and then you can decide if you want to go further.
OTHER EVENTS – Not MASG endorsed
* Bikes Alive Sat 31 March, central Castlemaine and rides out of town. Copy of the registration form avaiulablke from MASG (ian@masg.org.au) or on Council’s website> Mount Alexander Shire Council home page then ‘Services’ then ‘Recreation’
* EARTH HOUR – 7.30pm to 8.30pm – Saturday March 31, 2007
At 7.30pm on March 31st 2007, companies, government departments, individuals
and families to turn off their lights for just one hour. If we meet our
objectives during the first Earth Hour, the savings in green house gas
emissions will be the equivalent of taking 75,000 medium sized cars off the
road for one whole year! Organisers are encouraging people and businesses to Sign up to Earth Hour and Pledge to turn off your lights on March 31st from 7.30pm to 8.30pm by logging onto www.earthhour.org.
* Castlemaine Gas Works Site Clean Up. Mt Alexander Shire Cleanup Action Network (MASCAN) has worked hard to ensure that up-to-date practices are used in the cleanup of this toxic site. The stages of the clean up works are:
Stage 1: Preliminary and preparatory works which are currently being undertaken
Stage 2: Removal of all contaminated soil from the site – Commencing Tues 10 April and continuing for 3-4 weeks
Stage 3: Testing, backfilling with clean soil, compacting and EPA sign off; 3- 6 months. Work hours: Monday to Friday 7.00am to 6.00pm Some Saturdays, 7.00am to 1pm. Works will cease on very wet or windy days. 24 Hour site contact – EESI Contracting – 5352 1299. For information on MASCAN email: [mtalexcleanupnet@yahoo.com.au] or ring Lucy Mayes on 5472 2962.
FINAL WORDS
EU summit adopts binding targets to reduce emissions
EU leaders have signed a deal setting binding targets for slashing greenhouse gas emissions, developing renewable energy sources, promoting energy efficiency and using biofuels, and laid down a challenge to the United States, Australia and other industrialised powers to follow suit.
Leaders committed themselves to a target of reducing EU greenhouse gas emissions by 20 per cent by 2020 and offered to go to 30 per cent if major nations such as the United States, Russia, China and India follow suit. – Reuters
End Quotes:
1. “we are coming to realize that the entire planet is at risk, that the wellbeing, health, safety and very survival of humankind hangs in the balance” Jacques Chirac, French President.
2. “Extraordinary things are happening in this town [Castlemaine]. The community is galvanizing around climate change” Bindi Gross, Women’s Weekly, March 2007
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