Castlemaine State Festival 2007
Posted on 3 March 2007 by e-news
A Carbon Neutral Festival
“Cycle, recycle, eat and be festive”
Walk or cycle during the Festival, Celebrate our community at the Carbon Neutral Hub, 233 Barker Street, Castlemaine. 5470 6978.
Mount Alexander Sustainability Group (MASG) is making its indoor and outdoor space available as the Carbon Neutral Hub – “The Hub” will be an information centre as well as a host for several events and activities…download the “The Hub” pdf file
Business Greenpower program
The Sustainability Group is working with the Castlemaine State Festival to make the 2007 State Festival a carbon neutral event. Castlemaine and district businesses are being encouraged to support the State Festival and cut their greenhouse gas emissions during the Festival by purchasing 100% wind generated GreenPower from Origin Energy at a special reduced price. Businesses can ensure that all their electricity needs during the Festival are sourced from GreenPower for a cost that will vary from $2.50 to $50, depending on the amount of energy a business uses. There is no need for businesses to change their current power retailer.
A sticker will be supplied to businesses on March 29th which can be displayed to inform customers of their commitment to a carbon neutral Castlemaine State Festival. The Sustainability Group and the Castlemaine State Festival will be publicising businesses involvement and encouraging patrons to support those businesses who supported a carbon neutral Festival and used GreenPower by:
Listing the businesses involved in a dedicated advertisement in the local press and in other Sustainability Group publicity material.
The Castlemaine State Festival program and media releases promoting the program and encouraging patrons to support participating businesses displaying the logos.
The Sustainability Group will be contacting businesses in the next few weeks to participate or you can contact Ian on 54 706 978 or ian@masg.org.au to register your interest in participating in the program or for further information.
The Mount Alexander Sustainability Group is very pleased and excited to be working with the Castlemaine State Festival to make the Castlemaine State Festival 2007 Carbon Neutral. The Carbon Neutral Castlemaine State Festival is a unique launching pad for the promotion of carbon neutrality and the engagement with the Castlemaine businesses, State Festival patrons and the wider Mount Alexander community in sustainability issues. It is also an exciting opportunity to unleash the creativity of the Mount Alexander community and festival artists in its response to the challenges of climate change.
Aim:
* To use the Castlemaine State Festival to engage the Castlemaine businesses, State Festival patrons and the wider Mount Alexander community in sustainability issues.
Objectives:
* To decrease the amount of fossil fuels used to stage the Festival.
* To locally offset the unavoidable greenhouse gas emissions by biosequestration and other local carbon offsetting and abatement projects;
* To assist in promoting the Castlemaine State Festival as one of Australia’s leading festivals;
* To increase community capacity and understanding relating to sustainability issues;
* To assist members of the Mount Alexander community undertake behavioural change that will reduce their greenhouse gas emissions;
* To increase Mount Alexander Shire’s organisational capacity to address sustainability issues;
* To demonstrate that addressing quadruple bottom line outcomes relating to greenhouse pollution is not financially onerous and can deliver long term financial, social, cultural and environmental benefits in an engaging and fun manner.
What does “Carbon Neutral” mean?
Carbon Neutral means we take responsibility for the greenhouse gas pollution we create in our work and play. Going carbon neutral involves creating an inventory of one’s emissions, reducing these emissions wherever possible, and then purchasing ‘carbon offsets’ to mitigate any emissions that remain. The emphasis should always be on reducing emissions in the first place first; the remaining emissions are best offset using high quality renewable energy; local tree planting or local carbon abatement projects.
For the Castlemaine State Festival 2007 the unavoidable greenhouse emissions will be offset by a combination of local tree plantings. and other local offsetting projects managed by a local non for profit carbon revolving trust or bank.
MASG has Volunteer Food, Transport, Waste and Arts Working Groups working on the State Festival Carbon Neutral Programme.
If anyone would like to know more or volunteer for these groups please contact Carolyn Neilson or Dean Bridgfoot, project coordinators with the Mount Alexander Sustainability Group: Tel 54706978, email: dc@masg.org.au.
Click here For more information on the Castlemaine State Festival 2007 to go to the festival website http://www.castlemainefestival.com.au/.
Otherwise we hope to see you during the “cool” carbon neutral festival.
MASG State Festival Carbon Neutral program
MASG will be working with the Castlemaine State Festival Board and executive to help this year’s festival be carbon neutral. The following actions will be undertaken to help us reach that goal:
Energy Sector:
Much of Victoria’s electricity is generated from brown Coal, the most greenhouse intensive or polluting of all fossil fuel electricity generation sources. That makes Victorian users of electricity some of the highest greenhouse gas emitters per head of population in the world. MASG will be working to purchase Green Power at all Festival venues to reduce the greenhouse pollution from electricity usage during the Festival to zero.
Transport Programme:
MASG will be working to assist patrons and artists get to the festival and its venues using as little fossil fuels as possible.
*Walking and cycling maps to assist patrons get about without the car.
*Forming synergies between transport modes; having better public transport systems that link trains, buses and walking/cycling around the festival venues and to surrounding Easter Festivals in Bendigo and Maldon (Maldon Easter Fair tel: 03 54 75 1363)
*Bicycles for visiting patrons to use whilst at the Festival.
Waste Programme:
MASG will be working to decrease the amount of food and organic material going to landfill during the Fesitival. This will reduce the amount of greenhouse gases arising from Festival activities.
* During the festival MASG will work with food outlets to assist them achieve 2 star waste wise accreditation;
*All food outlets at the Coliban Water Gardens Day & Bendigo Winemakers Festival on Sunday 8th of April in the Botanical Gardens will be wastewise.
* improved recycled and segmented bin supply in Castlemaine streets for duration of the State Festival to waste wise 2 star accreditation
Food Programme:
MASG will be working with local food producer networks to promote locally produced products. We will reduce the “food miles” that our food travels before we buy it and in doing so will reduce the greenhouse gases produced in getting it to our plates.
* 3“100km” breakfast at the CN Hub after an early morning walk around Castlemaine;
* local food producers directory
* Morning tea at CN Hub for children
* 2 Communal “100km” meals
* events leading up to festival and during festival showcasing regional produce
* CN Hub serves as a providor of local food produce during the festival
Arts Flyer (information for artists to assist them evaluate the carbon emissions in their work and explore ways to reduce that footprint. Click here to download flyer Carbon Neutral Arts Flyer)
Carbon Neutral Hub (space for events and information on the issue of climate change)
* Street Theatre
* Ideas in the ‘Maine; politics in the pub, youth café
* promotion of carbon neutral programme of State Festival
* information on sustainability focusing on climate change
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