News Digest: Sept 15th 2006

Posted on 20 September 2006 by e-news

1. Monthly MASG Quick and Clean Friday evenings: Catch up on the workings of MASG projects & working groups in a one hour gathering. First Friday of the Month. Friday October 6th, 5.30-6.30pm @ MASG offices.
2. Renewable Energy meeting Thursday 14 discussed with Mark Boyd-Graham of the Bendigo Bank some options for financing renewable energy generation in the area.
3. Carbon Neutral State Festival 2007 working groups continue to meet to plan for this big event. To participate or for more information contact Carolyn at the office on 5470 6978

MASG Events

1. Castlemaine Community House Spring Ball goes Carbon Neutral. September 16th We will be collating travel information and staffing an information table (the bar…) Contact Dean on 5470 6978 for more information
2. Ride to work October 4th. Start organizing your workplace now. Posters are out for this MASG joint sponsored event. Contact Bronwen for more information on 54706978 or exec@masg.org.au
3. WORKSHOP: Put Your MP on the Hot Seat: Lobby your MP on Greenhouse. Still a few places left in this workshop THURSDAY 21st September, 2 sessions: 2pm and 7.30pm @ MASG offices. Bookings through MASG office 54 70 6978 or dc@masg.org.au

MASG Requests

A Volunteer for one hour every 3 or so weeks to assist set up the Renewable Energy working group events. These take place on a fortnightly or 3 weekly basis on Thursdays. Contact Dean at office 5470 6978.

Other

Please note these events are not MASG endorsed and are for members information only.

1. Friends of the Box-Ironbark Forests are hosting a workshop “Native Vegetation and the Planning Scheme”, Tues 17th Oct 2006. Gold Coin Donation. For bookings ring Frank Panter 5470 5072
2. Castlemaine Community House organizing workshop on how to grow veggies on current water restrictions Tel Castlemaine Community House 5472 4842.
3. Free Wildflower Walk Wednesday 20th September – Castlemaine Field Naturalists. Depart 4pm from the Octopus (old Tourist Info building opposite Castle Motel in Duke St. Castlemaine) and return at approx 5.30pm.
4. Air Travel, the hidden greenhouse polluter. Total emissions from international and domestic flights amount to between 26 and 52 million tonnes. This is more than 8 times the officially reported figure of 4.8 million tonnes from domestic aircraft. When all emissions are accounted for, air travel by Australians amounts to over 6% of Australia’s total emissions from all sources. The result of the current under-reporting is that the real impacts of air travel are not officially recognized by government. Consequently, national greenhouse reduction strategies and public education campaigns ignore air travel and the level of community awareness of the impacts is low. Mark Ellingham, the creator of Rough Guides, and Tony Wheeler, who founded Lonely Planet in Australia want fellow travellers to “fly less and stay longer” and donate money to carbon offsetting schemes. MASG of course is researching a local carbon trust scheme to give those people who fly a way of offsetting their pollution. CSIRO newsletter 61E see www.bml.csiro.au/SNnewsletters.htm

“There’s no government in the world that doesn’t accept that climate change is an immediate priority…the discussion is on what to do next…”

Noel Purcell, Wespac General Manager of Stakeholder Communications. Age 14/09/06

« News Digest: Sept 8th 2006 | News Digest: Sept 22nd 2006 »