News December 1st 2006
Posted on 1 December 2006 by e-news
MASG NEWS
1. Commitment to combat climate change
Congratulations to the 34 individuals/businesses/organisations that have committed themselves to reducing their emissions by 30% by 2010 and are aiming for zero net emissions by 2020. MASG will be contacting them shortly.
2. Council to cut emissions fantastic news and congratulations to the Councillors who made a historic commitment to reduce emissions from council activities by 30% by 2010 and to produce a report on what would be required to become zero greenhouse polluters by 2020. The powerful part of the commitment is to include working collaboratively with others to extend the goal to the whole shire.
MASG EVENTS
1. Final Quick and Clean Friday for 2006 is on today Friday the 1st of December will be our last Q&C for 2006. Bring some food to share and some celebratory drinks as we toast to a great first year for MASG and thank all the volunteers who have worked on projects. From 5.30 to 6.30pm
2. Front page news. The movie night screening is the front page story of the Castlemaine Mail, and MASG is being interviewed on ABC Regional radio on Monday the 4th at 7.40am about the tipping point that is occurring in our shire.
3. State Festival Food working group will be meeting Wed Dec 6th @ 7.30pm, contact Carolyn for details 54706978 or dc@masg.org.au
MASG REQUESTS
1. Catalogue our library we would love a volunteer to help us organise and catalogue our library and printed material. Ring the office if you can help 54 70 6978.
2. Staff a table. At the Inconvenient Truth public screenings. With the extended season we need more volunteers to staff a MASG table during the screenings. From Saturday the 2nd onwards. Ring Dean @ office 54 70 6978 or email dc@masg.org.au
3. Still looking for Distributing MASG newsletters to notice boards round Castlemaine we need someone to distribute our weekly newsletter and other MASG material to prominent notice boards etc around town on a weekly basis. Call the office 54 70 6325 or dc@masg.org.au
4. Climate Change Joke Competition. Come on we need your creative efforts to help bring some levity into our wacky ride to global meltdown. Submit your offerings to the office 54 70 6978 or dc@masg.org.au.
5. The Carbon Neutral State Festival Food Working Group is working on a comprehensive local food producer directory to enable us to produce “100km” meals as part of our State Festival food programme. If anyone has contact details for any food producers within 100km of Castlemaine contact Carolyn 54706978.
OTHER:
Please note these events are not MASG endorsed and are for members information only.
* Australians ‘prepared to pay to reduce emissions’ Almost two-thirds of Australians are prepared to pay more tax and more for essentials if it helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to a Herald/ACNielsen poll. The poll found 63 per cent would accept higher taxes and paying more for goods and services if it eased global warming. It found 91 per cent of voters regarded global warming as serious, and 62 per cent were unhappy with the Federal Government’s response. Seventy-nine per cent of Australians want the Government to sign the Kyoto Protocol and commit to targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to Newspoll, which also found that 91 per cent want a shift from reliance on coal-fired power to focus instead on renewable energy sources and four out of five Australians agree that polluting industries should pay levies on greenhouse gas emissions. see newspaper story
* SPAIN- Solar panels are now compulsory on all new and renovated buildings in Spain as part of the country’s efforts to bring its building rules up to date and curb growing demand for energy. This means new homes have to be equipped with solar panels to provide between 30 and 70 percent of their hot water, depending on where the building is located and on its expected water usage.
New non-residential buildings, such as shopping centres and hospitals, now have to have photovoltaic panels to generate a proportion of their electricity.
“The new standards will bring energy savings of 30 to 40 percent for each building and a reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from energy consumption of 40 to 55 percent,” the Environment and Housing Ministries said in a joint statement. The extra cost for the changes was estimated to about 1 percent, which would be quickly offset by the energy savings achieved.
* Greenpeace questions nuclear option Greenpeace is questioning the motivation behind the recent government Nuclear Taskforce findings and suggests that while the Prime Minister called for a ‘full-blooded debate’ the process has been flawed right from the beginning. Greenpeace contends that going nuclear is just too risky, too irresponsible, too expensive and can not deliver a solution to climate change. The real solution to climate change is energy efficiency and renewable energy. For more information on the Greenpeace position.
FINAL WORD
Following on the leadership shown by the Mount Alexander Shire Council in committing to emissions reductions targets…
“You have taught me a lesson I should have learned long ago-to take council always of your courage and never of your fears”
Adalai Stevenson 1968
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