MASG eNews 2nd March 2007
Posted on 2 March 2007 by e-news
Mount Alexander Sustainability Group Weekly News Digest
Friday, 2nd March 2007
A brief summary of news and events. For further details follow the links or contact the office on (03) 54 70 6978
MASG NEWS
*MASG Quick and Clean – this Friday 2nd March, from 5.30 – 6.30 at MASG office/garden; corner of Barker and Templeton Streets. Catch up on all MASG news and see if the baby has arrived yet! Jill Gibson will start the event with an EARTH HEALING meditation at 5.30. Jill is keen to also include distant healings for family, friends, geographic location etc – bring along a photo, or simply place name in to the healing circle. Bring rugs and pillows if you wish, chairs will still be available.
*Fast track your home to be carbon-neutral An intensive workshop will be run for three hours in late March in Castlemaine to test-run a new computer program that measures your home energy use and suggests practical ways to become 100% carbon neutral. Be quick, as it will be taking place on the 17th or 24th of March. Full details from Ian on 5470 6978 or mobile 0448 327 791
*Castlemaine State Festival. the CSF program was released on Saturday 24 Feb with a wonderful presence from MASG – local foods, wines and beautiful bicycles adorned the market hall and our own program of Carbon-Friendly events was launched as well – copies now available at MASG and other reputable outlets.
*MASG and the State Festival on the ABC web. If you want to read about what the ABC has to say about the Festival and MASG visit http://www.abc.net.au/centralvic/stories/s1854898.htm. The Bendigo Advertiser Monday 26th also featured the launch, a photo of a MASG volunteer and outlined the Sustainability Group’s work.
*Thanks to those who came to the Festival/MASG volunteers lunch on Wed 28 Feb. The final pre-festival organising lunch will be on Thursday 14 March at 12.30. Children’s activities will be provided .
*Festival River of Bicycles rides: Closing date to register Fri 9th of March so still time to be part of that wow factor of cycling presence in Castlemaine!
* HELMETS, HELMETS, HELMETS!!!! we are in great need of helmets to go with the bikes.
*Sunday March 18th: Sustainable House Tour. See 3 local houses that incorporate sustainability principles. One new house, one “newish” and one renovation. $60 pp includes lunch, afternoon tea, detailed notes and information pack & discussion time with the designers. Limited numbers. Bookings and pre-payment are essential. Contact Peter on 5474 2403 or email bundara@netcon.net.au
HELP NEEDED:
1 Volunteers throughout the festival period, especially on 8 April the final day in the Botanical Gardens. We will be providing a “wash against waste” service to reduce the need for throwaway cutlery and crockery. If you can help with washing up or other jobs for 1 or 2 hours, on that Sunday please call Celia on 5470 6817.
Volunteers for other times, please call Ian on 5470 6978.
2 Thanks to those who have offered to help at the MASG stalls on Saturday March 24th at the Harcourt Apple Festival and at Castlemaine North Primary School. As we will be in two places that day, we need more helpers. Call the office to put your name down, thanks.
OTHER: for members information: these events are not MASG endorsed –
*March 8th is International Women’s Day, the Mount Alexander area program is available from CHIRP tel 54 791 000.
*Castlemaine 500: A Community Conference … anyone can attend! Campbell’s Creek Community Centre Saturday March 3rd – arrive 9.30am for a 10.00am start. Please RSVP – to limit wastage of catered food. Ph. 5470 5934 or email info@castlemaine500.org.au
** Straw bale building this weekend: MASG member Bernard Tonkin and family would appreciate help to prepare their straw bale walls for rendering. Working bee this weekend in preparation for rendering starting Monday 5th . The house incorporates many energy efficient features which may be of interest to MASG members. Come whenever you can over the weekend, or you can help with rendering from 5 March. Please RSVP 5472 4234 or 0400940237. Food provided. 16a Vanstan Rd. Castlemaine
* The 8th Vaughanbury – Fundraising for Guildford School and CFA – live music and family friendly fun. 4th March from 11am @ Vaughan Mineral Springs reserve.
* Tonksculpture Prize will once again be part of the Fringe Festival Carnival of Chaos. Get your entry details from Tonks or the Fringe office, above Stonemans Bookroom. START SCULPTING RIGHT NOW to be in the running for a $300 prize for entries from a secondary school age sculpturer or a $100 prize for a entry from a primary school age person.
* The Fourth Annual Australian City Farms & Community Gardens Conference, Collingwood Town Hall, 20-25 March 2007 This conference brings together a fantastic spectrum of speakers that includes keynote presenter Vandana Shiva, plus discussion panels and hands-on workshops. See www.communitygarden.org.au/events/conference_07/index.html
Castlemaine Secondary College are promoting the folloint to their students
* EARTH HOUR – 7.30pm to 8.30pm – Saturday March 31, 2007 – a fabulous opportunity for you and your family to do something about climate change. It sounds simple, but it is very, very dramatic. At 7.30pm on March 31st 2007, we will be encouraging companies, government departments, individuals and families to turn off their lights for just one hour. If we meet our objectives, 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! See www.earthhour.org
FINAL WORD
To that handful of noisy (and unfortunately often wealthy) skeptics about climate change some words of advice from Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg from Queensland University, talking about climate change:
“This is an economic issue. Now the science is done, if you remain a skeptic, well, there are places for flat-earthers; but we’re onto the solutions.”
on ABC’s 7.30 report, 22 Feb 07
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