Weekly News Digest – Thursday 20th March 2008
Posted on 19 March 2008 by e-news
For more info call 5470 6978
Summary of Coming Events – details in newsletter below
* 28th March, – The History of Oil comedy – 6.30pm for pizza [call 5472 1196]; and 8pm for film:
* 3rd April, 7pm, – Cuban Permaculturist Roberto Perez, Daylesford
* 12th -13th April – Growing the Harvest, Festival
* 25th – 27th April – Australian Poetry Centre Regional Festival
MASG News and Events
MASG’s monthly member’s gathering is at the Theatre Royal. Please come at 6.30 for social and Book-your-own-pizza [call 5472 1196]. Movie starts 8pm: The History Of Oil: a hilarious and illuminating movie by Robert Newman, stand-up comedian. A great way to start the weekend. MASG representatives will be present to answer your questions and sign up new members/renewals and sell raffle tickets. Movie costs $15.
Part of ticket price will go to support MASG projects, many thanks to Dave and Sarah from the Theatre Royal. The History of Oil is an alternative and humorous history tour as Robert Newman rewrites the last hundred years with oil at centre stage and contains everything from satirical impersonations of Tony Blair, to a bicycle-powered street lamp. The world consumes 2 barrels of oil for every barrel discovered. Is this something you should be worried about?”
Product Reviews: MASG has a new page on our website for product reviews and we want you to share your stories about products that consume less energy and make your life more comfortable. So whether it is a type of paint or light-bulb, insulation or a hot water service, we want to hear about your experiences of purchasing, installing and living with the products and services that help you to step more lightly on the earth. Submit your reviews to ian@masg.org . The first one, from Karen at the Down to Earth Store in Castlemaine appears at: http://masg.org.au/?page_id=319
Climate ‘Code Red’ – Petition Reminder. Easter is the perfect time to get lots of signatures. Petition sheets need to be at MASG office by Wednesday 3rd April for delivery to Bob Cameron MP later that week. You can get a copy from MASG or from: http://masg.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/petition-ccr-final.pdf
Ask now for an energy assessment: saving energy has never been easier. MASG and Castlemaine 500 have joined forces to deliver another round of energy assessments in the Mt. Alexander Shire. Using locally-trained assessors, they have 20 household and 30 business assessments available. Contact Jane on 5470 6978 or jane@masg.org.au
Bulbs (not light bulbs): now’s the time to think of spring plantings….and what says ‘spring’ more brightly than spring bulbs! You can support the Growing the Harvest Festival by supporting MASG’s bulb fundraiser. We can’t guarantee their nutritional value, but on a financial level, 50% of all bulb sales will be used to fund the Harvest Festival. Drop by the MASG office for your bulb catalogue.
Full program for Growing the Harvest, 12-13th April: now available at the MASG office and at http://masg.org.au/?page_id=312. Enter our produce display for Growing the Harvest. Enter in the following categories (all homemade): Jams; Chutney and Relish; Preserves; Vegetables, Fruit, Olives AND the strangest shaped vegetable or fruit. A link to entry form is at website address above, or available from MASG office. “Growing the Harvest” is organised by MASG, in partnership with the Uniting and Anglican Churches. Contact Heather 5472 3094, or Peter 5474 2403.
MASG Sustainability Raffle has 5 great prizes: 5000 litre tank courtesy of Kelly Plumbing (value $1395), organic food harvest basket (value $200), 5 bare rooted fruit trees of your choice courtesy of Bold Garden (value $125), Eco-Bokashi bench-top compost bucket courtesy Down to Earth Store (value $100) and 2 years’ subscription to Digger’s Garden Club plus Digger’s fruit and vegetable book (value $90). Tickets are $2 each or 3 for $5. Available at Down to Earth Shop, and Goodfoods (both on Barker St., near MASG office) and Castlemaine Wholefoods (Mostyn St.). Are you able to sell tickets in your workplace, to family/ friends, or at markets before 12 April? Contact Lorna on 0419 108 847 for tickets or for more information
Inaugural Australian Poetry Centre Regional Festival: Harmonic Threads. Anzac Day weekend 25 – 27 April 2008 in Castlemaine. Four days of poetry readings, workshops, dialogues, discussions, performances, films, music and food AND the MASG Poetry Prize. For $10, or through buying a ticket to the festival, you get to enter the MASG Poetry Prize. A chance to win $500. The poem needs to address the issue of climate change, and will be judged by the Board of the Australian Poetry Centre. Entry details on page 2 of PDF at http://masg.org.au/?attachment_id=316 . Speakers include international poets, see: http://poeticise.wordpress.com/category/news/
Carbon Heroes: MASG has received a grant to seek out the Carbon Heroes in our Shire and to capture their stories in a photographic exhibition. If you know someone who is quietly reducing their carbon footprint or sharing their knowledge with others, have always been energy efficient or you believe them to be a Carbon Hero for any other reason, we would like to hear from you. Contact Deanna on 0428 751 090, email deannarae@bigpond.com.au or leave a message for Deanna at MASG on 5470 6978.
Historical Bike Display: MASG is organising this display in the Castlemaine Town Hall for one week in September this year. Arrangements have been made with a major private bike collector in Richmond to bring a semi-trailer load of stunning 19th century bikes here. In addition we will add some early 20th century bikes held by local collectors and some carbon-fibre examples from 2007/08. The event has huge potential for MASG. We are looking for people with a range of talents as well as ample enthusiasm and a deep love of the humble bicycle, to be on Working Group for the event. Please contact Neil on 54 72 3094 or email: neil@box311.biz
Coming Events, not endorsed by MASG
Cuban Permaculturist Roberto Perez, Daylesford – Thursday 3rd April at 7pm. Bus transport from Castlemaine for only $5 return. Transport contact Luke: 0407 364 654; luke@mmnet.com.au . Event info from 5348 3636. Roberto Perez is an inspiring and articulate presenter who works as a permaculture and environmental educator for the Foundation for Nature and Humanity, Cuba’s major environment organization based in Havana. The 2007 Living Planet Report from World Wildlife Fund identified Cuba as the only sustainable country in the world. Australia listed as world’s 6th most unsustainable nation. There will be a pre-event showing of the “Power of Community” DVD – “How Cuba Survived Peak Oil”. Time and place to be confirmed. Contact Sam on 5470 5985.
Limited recycling service for certain kinds of batteries: Why not ask them to accept a wider range for recycling? http://www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/www/html/2406-batteryback.asp
WorldChanging.com works from a simple premise: that the tools, models and ideas for building a better future lie all around us. That plenty of people are working on tools for change, but the fields in which they work remain unconnected. That the motive, means and opportunity for profound positive change are already present. That another world is not just possible, it’s here. We only need to put the pieces together. www.worldchanging.com/about
Carbon stored in soils report: Over 10 billion tonnes of carbon is estimated to be stored in UK soil –equivalent to around a year and a half of global greenhouse gas emissions -and the peat-lands are the single largest store of carbon in the UK. A carbon audit at the National Trust’s Wallington Estate in Northumberland is assessing the amount of carbon stored in its soil and biomass and how much is emitted through day to day operations. An essential part of this project will be to restore and conserve the carbon banks. www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-wallington.htm
Greenipedia: new site just launched – it’s in it’s infant stages at the moment, so you may even want to contribute. www.greenlivingpedia.org/Greenlivingpedia
aRtECYCLE – art through recycling: Moonee Ponds. An exhibition of outdoor Ephemeral Sculptural Installations at the Walter Burley Griffin-designed Incinerator Arts Complex in May 2008. You are invited to claim an outdoor space in the grounds. Works must engage with the themes that inspired Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony: Anthroposophy, Transcendentalism, Environmentalism, Recycling. Works may be pre-existing, but must be made of, or inspired by, waste, wreckage, recycled materials .. http://www.mvcc.vic.gov.au/Page/PagePrint.asp?Page_Id=1322
“We already know how to live with zero emissions”. Story from the ABC: http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/stories/s2186610.htm
Japan to Put Nearly $2 billion in CleanTech Fund: Japan is about to throw nearly $2 billion into an international fund that fuels clean energy technology in developing countries. With Japan’s technological advantage in everything from hybrid cars to robots, it’s safe to assume that Japanese companies will be among the world’s leaders in CleanTech within a few years. The proposal has drawn pledges of around $2 billion from the UK and the United States. http://www.greenchipstocks.com/
QUOTE: “…trying to cure traffic congestion with more road capacity is like trying to cure obesity by loosening the belt.”
Lewis Mumford, architect & urbanist: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Mumford
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MASG e-News is a compilation of news and events written by our staff, volunteers and committee; and gleaned from useful email lists. Your feedback is always welcome. Happy Easter!
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