enews June 28th
Posted on 3 July 2007 by e-news
WANTED: Donations to our tax deductible fund to assist our schools and community buildings become solar power stations. Contact Dean or Jayson on 5470 6978 or Jayson@masg.org.au
Solar Power Initiative. MASG aims to have 20 solar farms on schools and public buildings in our shire to take advantage of the increased State and Federal rebates. We are working closely with schools in the Mount Alexander Shire to assist them with a single coordinated funding application and to raise funds by donation to cover the gap between the rebate and installation costs. MASG also wishes to hear from committees of management and other community groups who may be interested in joining this program to install solar PV onto their buildings.
MASG on Radio National bush telegraph.Dean was interviewed by Michael McKenzie on Thursday at 11.30am along with representatives from the Clean Energy for Eternity group in Bega and the Newcastle Council. It demonstrated the leadership role MASG is taking and how there is an amazing grassroots movement rapidly developing across Australia. Click on for information on the Bega group or on the Newcastle initiatives.
MASG in Midland Express, Tuesday 26th highlighted our Solar Farms initiative as a solar boom for the Shire.
Special General Meeting Tuesday July 3rd 2007, 5.30pm, Front room, 233 Barker Street Castlemaine. All members should have been notified that a meeting has been called to vote on 6 changes proposed to our Rules of Association to make the operation of the organisation more efficient. Proposed changes are available on our website as are proxy voting forms.
FREE training for energy advisors is full: The first training session will be held this Saturday the 30th of June with over 20 people signed on.
Membership renewals. The Sustainability Group values our members and the strength and credibility it lends to our work. All members should have received our once-a-year mailing about renewal of membership. MASG membership is valid for the financial year of July 1st to the following June 30th. If you joined in 2006 it is time to renew now. Please let us know if you don’t get a letter soon as we probably need to update your address. If you have joined recently your membership will be valid for the next financial year (07/08). Please rejoin and sign up a friend, and remember you need to be a current member to vote at the MASG AGM on August 2nd.
Training for public speakers . The first session was held last Friday with 9 people getting the good oil on how to improve their public speaking skills. MASG is getting numerous requests to discuss our work with other groups. Training up this group will be important for us to help get our story and messages out. If you would like to help by become a speaker for MASG please register your interest and we will see if we can fit you in or run more training sessions. Call Dean on 5470 6978
Maldon in Winter: The Tarrengower branch of the Sustainability Group will be staffing a stall at the Maldon in Winter fair on Saturday July 15th from 10am to 2pm. If you wish to help with this please contact Dean at the office on 5470 6978
Renewing Hope @ the MASG monthly social gathering. This Friday the 6th of July our monthly social gathering will feature a showing of the 25 minute documentary Renewing Hope. This film is about renewable energy in Germany and why we are so far behind in Australia. Filmed by MASG Chair Neil Barrett on his recent visit to Europe this is a must see film to inspire us as to what could be done here. 5.30pm to 6.30 pm in the front room at 233 Barker St.>
CSIRO project is now fully funded and officially gets going Friday July 6th. MASG is very excited by the prospects of this project and is grateful for the patience and support of the local industries and Shire Council that has gotten us to this important stage. The real work now begins on finding appropriate solutions to our energy security and greenhouse pollution.
OTHER EVENTS, not MASG endorsed:
Castlemaine 500 Project are seeking homes who wish to have a home energy assessment undertaken. If interested please contact: Geoff Brown, Castlemaine 500 Project Team, geoff@tangentconsulting.com.au, Mob: 0403 763 660
Live Earth house party on July 7th. Al Gore is calling for people to stage house parties for climate change in a networked global event. They see the date of 7.7.07 as a significant opportunity and plan to bring millions of new people into the Gore lead Climate Change campaign. If you want to host a party or for further details click here.
George Monbiot: What Australia should do to Stop the Planet Burning; Live via climate- friendly video conference. Tuesday 3rd July 2007, 6.30 PM – 8.30 PM, Law GM15 Theatre, Law Building, Melbourne University Parkville campus, corner of Leicester and Pelham Sts. more information: email: globalisation@foe.org.au, 9419 8700, and see: George Monbiot
Climate Change, the Big Picture Saturday July 21st, from 12.00pm – 6.00pm organised by the Fabian society. Join Australia’s leading experts in a special half day conference on Climate Change – what it means for Australia, what it means for the world, and what it means for each of us. This conference focuses attention on the policies of the major parties and draws attention to how the environment will fare under the Howard Government’s policies–for more details click here.
Hard Rain @Theatre Royal. Tuesday July 10th, 8pm. David Bradbury’s, A Hard Rain, exposes the hidden agendas behind this latest push for Australia to go nuclear – the magic fix that will save us all from global warming. For vital and factual information this documentary is a MUST SEE.
Managing Farming Systems in a Changing Climate – July 19-20th. Central Highlands Agribusiness Forum, Ballarat.
World oil supplies are set to run out faster than expected, warn scientists – Daniel Howden, The Independent, 14 June 2007. Scientists challenge major review of global reserves and warn that global production of oil is set to peak in the next four years before entering a steepening decline which will have massive consequences for the world economy and the way that we live our lives.For the full article click here.>
Renewable revolution is here, says UN report Report sees energy mix turning greener sooner ‘Great news’ but ‘still peanuts’, says Greenpeace Terry Macalister Thursday June 21, 2007 The Guardian. A gold rush of new investment into renewable power over the past 18 months has led the United Nations to conclude that clean energy could provide almost a quarter of the world’s electricity by 2030. More than £35bn was injected into wind and solar power and biofuels in 2006, 43% more than the preceding year. Sustainable energy accounts for only 2% of the world’s total but the UN says 18% of all power plants under construction are in this sector.To view the full article click here.>
Final Word
“There is one thing stronger than all the armies in the world: and that is, an idea whose time has come”.
Victor Hugo.
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