The new Shade Tree Guide, as endorsed together with revisions to the Vegetation Guidelines at last Sunday’s AGM, is now posted on the NEC Documents page of the website at:
http://www.aaev.net/management/nec/nec_documents/index.html [2nd item on the list; 1.1MB]

Parks and Leisure Australia are once again offering their popular workshops on sustainable garden design.

Private gardens along with the parklands are an essential part of our States ‘lungs’ and it is therefore essential that the long term survival of private gardens is ensured so we maintain the mantle of the garden city and our quality of life is retained. With the success of these sessions in February 2009 and 2010, this year’s emphasis will be placed on sustainable design taking into account the difficulties of living in regions outside of mains water supply.

For details of dates, times and venues, see the ATTACHED notice.

Bookings are expected to be heavy so don’t delay.

Sust Garden Design Wkshps

This incredible picture was taken in Sitka, coastal Alaska. The kayaker is a local Sitka Dentist - and believe it or not, he’s in the whales MOUTH!!!


Sitka dentist, Dr Richard Kraft, during one of his routine oral examinations!

Richard Kraft’s story:
The photo was taken at the entrance to Katlian Bay at the end of the road in Sitka. The whale is coming up to scoop up a mouthful of herring (the small fish seen at the surface around the kayak). Yep, that is me in the picture. Yep that is a whale that was just around the corner from the ferry terminal.

"Paddle really fast" is the only thing I could think of at the time.. Also thinking that I don't look like a herring, don't smell like a herring but with the same herring instinct of "get the hell out of the way of that big mouth!!"

Still living to tell yet another story... Rich K

[Thanks to Michael V for sending this in - also ATTACHED as a PDF to share.]

OOPS

For Facebook fans! Here’s a link to the new Friends of Port Willunga Facebook site:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Friends-of-Pt-Willunga/126326804082487?ref=mf

Time for another population summit? Housing is “the last crop.” My farmer friend tells me that the decline of the Roman Empire can be attributed to overpopulation and urban expansion. Deforestation and excessive grazing led to erosion of meadows and cropland. Increased irrigation caused salinisation. Population growth resulted in fertile land becoming nonproductive and increased desertification. Many animal species become extinct. High taxes forced small farmers out of business and into the cities, where disease, water shortages and food shortages became common. Does that sound ominously familiar? The population bomb is the growth lobby’s baby. See Stephanie Johnston’s article in ‘InDaily’ of 29 September at:
http://www.indaily.com.au/?xml=indaily_v2&iid=40986&sr=0#folio=006

Pace e Bene Australia - Nonviolence Service - Promoting the spirituality and practice of active nonviolence: Join Pace e Bene on a journey exploring nonviolent living at:
http://www.paceebene.org.au

The Power of 10 is a concept the organisation “Projects for Public Spaces” uses to highlight principles of the Placemaking Process. The basic idea is that it’s not enough to have just one great place in a neighborhood—you need a number of them to create a truly lively neighborhood. And it’s not enough to have only one top-notch neighborhood in a city—you need to provide people all over town with close-to-home opportunities to take pleasure in public life. And then it’s not enough to have a single livable community in a region—you need a collection of interesting cities and towns to offer a high quality of life the wider area... There could be wisdom here for us at AAEV as we develop our common spaces. The Playgrounds Group are already on board, it seems! Read more at:
http://www.pps.org/the-power-of-10/

The Cohousing Association of the US: Cohousing communities are old-fashioned neighborhoods created with a little ingenuity. They bring together the value of private homes with the benefits of more sustainable living. That means common facilities and good connections with neighbors. All in all, they stand as innovative answers to today's environmental and social problems. Learn more at:
http://www.cohousing.org/

New York City To Curb Water Runoff With Blue And Green Roofs: New York City wants to catch and store rainwater temporarily in new roof systems to stop heavy storms sending sewage spilling into city waterways. The catchment systems would consist of "blue" roofs that have a series of drainage pools and "green" or grass- or ivy-covered roofs, under a plan unveiled by Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Bloomberg estimates the city could save $2.4 billion over 20 years if the state allows it to use this kind of green technology instead of relying on so-called grey infrastructure, such as storage tanks and tunnels. Read more at:
http://planetark.org/wen/59687

Making sharing irresistible: Lisa Gansky is an author, instigator & entrepreneur dedicated to making a real mesh of things. Her latest book is “The Mesh: Why the Future of Business is Sharing.” The ‘Mesh’ describes businesses and organizations that share stuff, fueled in part by the mobile web & social networks. Mesh lifestyles and businesses embrace a world in which access to things trumps owning them. Gansky says, “In my book, I talk about dozens of these new outfits, and why they are growing at such a prodigious rate. There are a couple of thousand more at http://www.meshing.it. Well-known examples include car & bike sharing, and vacation home-sharing services. But there are lots of more surprising ideas brought to market ... ... Read more at:
http://www.boingboing.net/2010/09/23/making-sharing-irres.html

Provocative GrowthBusters Film about the 'End of Growth' Taps Crowd Power: A groundbreaking documentary about the end of growth promises to shake things up when released next year. But it’s already turning heads by virtue of the way it’s being made. A few recent films, such as Age of Stupid, have been “crowd-funded,” in which the general public pitches in to finance films they want to see made. “Crowd-distribution” of independent films has also come into vogue. Robert Greenwald’s Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price, was seen by 500,000 people in one week by way of 7,000 house parties and community screenings. Read more at:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2010/09/provocative-growthbusters-film-about.html

Vulnerable Arab World Lags On Climate Change Action: The Arab world will be one of the regions worst hit by climate change but still lacks any coordinated response to its potentially devastating effects, experts said at a conference this week. Read more at:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2010/09/vulnerable-arab-world-lags-on-climate.html

Democratizing Money: Amid all the talk about financial reform, we rarely stop and think about what money is, and how it's made. And yet money is just as much a social institution as a bank or a political party. Learn more about the social implications of monetary systems at:
http://www.neweconomics.org/blog/2010/09/28/democratizing-money

Treasury admits GDP used inappropriately: A senior Treasury official has admitted that his department has been guilty of overusing gross domestic product (GDP), after recognising that it is a flawed measure of economic wellbeing and social progress. Read more at:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/09/17/3015176.htm

Migraine cause 'identified' as genetic defect: A flawed gene found in a family of migraine sufferers could help trigger the severe headaches, a study in Nature Medicine suggests. The discovery is a step forward in understanding why one in five people suffers from migraines. It could help in developing more effective treatments. The World Health Organization rates migraine as a leading cause of disability. Read more at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11408113

[Thanks to Stephanie J, John H, Vanda R, and Cruxcatalyst for the links.]

This is a very quick, informal report back from the AGM on Sunday. The official Minutes will be posted soon, but in the meantime, for those who were not there, here are the main outcomes. (Any errors are mine and subject to correction! Elizabeth H)

The meeting got off to a very positive start with a verbal report from Brad Nott, Presiding Officer, on the year's events and milestones. 

This was followed by a summary from Ray Mines, Deputy Presiding Officer, of the Strategic Planning activities, an introduction to the draft strategic plan, and an outline of how the Strategic Planning Group proposed to implement the priorities emerging from the plan.

Rick Davies, Treasurer, then presented the financial reports for the past financial and planning years, and introduced the proposed budget, including base budget and development budget, for the year ahead. The final budget as presented included inputs from the Strategic Planning group, and from villager Jodie Summer who had assisted in revision of the presentation format.

On the day, the order in which resolutions were taken changed somewhat from the order in the Agenda. However, for simplicity of reference back to the detailed content of the resolutions, the outcomes are listed below in Agenda order with Agenda numbering.

4.1 Resolution 1 [Principle of using the Whole of Village Plan to guide future projects]: CARRIED
4.2 Resolution 2 [Principle of allocating funds to achieve the priorities identified in the Whole of Village Plan]: CARRIED

5.1 Project Resolution 5.1 [Completing concrete floor of eastern shed in recycle bay]: CARRIED

7.1 Finance Resolution 1 [Acceptance of Financial Report & Treasurer's Report]: CARRIED
7.2 Finance Resolution 2 [Adoption of the base budget]: CARRIED
7.3 Finance Resolution 3 [Adoption of the Whole of Village Plan budget]: CARRIED
7.4 Finance Resolution 4 [Transfer of $50,000 to the Sinking Fund]: CARRIED WITH AMENDMENT. (In consideration of the loss of Finance Resolution 6, the resolution was amended to apply $45,000 to future infrastructure requirements, with $5,000 being used to cover a shortfall in allocations from the Sinking Fund.)
7.5 Finance Resolution 5 [That levies remain unchanged for 2010-11]: CARRIED
7.6 Finance Resolution 6 [That the moratorium on levy payments by the Development Company cease]: LOST (John Maitland explained the current financial situation of the Development Company, then absented himself for a discussion of the implications for the Community. In view of the information given, it was generally felt to be the wrong time to apply this resolution.)
7.7 Finance Resolution 7 [Re-engagement of Unit Care Services as body corporate manager for the next year]: CARRIED
7.8 Finance Resolution 8 [Authorisation of Management Committee to re-allocate funds between budget line items]: CARRIED

8.1 Resolution 1 [Endorsement of the revised Vegetation Guidelines]: CARRIED

7.2 Resolution 2 [Placement of rainwater tanks on common land within the Seaberry Walk development]: WITHDRAWN (Debate is continuing within the Seaberry neighbourhood as to the best solution of water collection of the carports. However, a show of hands at the meeting indicated a positive attitude of the Community towards a proposal of this type if an acceptable tank location plan can be developed.)

OFFICE BEARERS - The following appointments were agreed:
Presiding Officer - Ray Mines
Secretary - Jodie Summer
Treasurer - Rick Davies
Deputy Presiding Officer - Eric Rasmussen (nomination of Wayne Allen could not be checked in his absence)
Building Development Coordinator - Adrian Oakey & Michael Vawser
Natural Environment Coordinator - Jill Wilson
Community Development Coordinator - Jacqui Good & Lucy Chan
Communications Coordinator - Elizabeth Heij & Jane O'Connell
Works Maintenance Coordinator - Tony Gerlach & Andy Coe (to be confirmed with Tony)
Arts and Culture Coordinator - Mary Davies
Farm Coordinator - Cam Waters
Governance Coordinator - Wayne Allen
Heart of the Village Coordinator - Kevin Chan

The appointees were congratulated by acclamation, and special thanks given, with acclamation, to the outgoing Presiding Officer (Brad Nott) and Secretary (Jane O'Connell).

OTHER BUSINESS - Immediately before lunch, Jacqui Good, backed up by Elizabeth Heij, made a short presentation seeking volunteers for participation in a wide range of Community activities.

The Meeting closed around 3:30 pm.

Largest UK offshore wind farm opens off the coast of Kent: The world's biggest offshore wind farm off Kent has been officially opened. Swedish energy giant Vattenfall said the 100 turbines are expected to generate enough electricity to power 200,000 homes. Read more and see a video clip at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-11395964

Climate risks greater for long distance migratory birds: Birds embarking on long distance migrations are more vulnerable to shifts in the climate than ones making shorter journeys, a study suggests. Scientists say the increasingly early arrival of spring at breeding sites in Europe makes it harder for the birds to attract a mate or find food. The researchers warn that the "increasing ecological mismatch" can lead to a decline in bird populations. Read more at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11408439

[Thanks to John H for the links.]

“Fun Theory” states that more people will do the right thing more of the time if they have fun doing it. Here’s an adaptation to getting folks to put their rubbish into the bin in public places:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbEKAwCoCKw

[Thanks to Cruxcatalyst for the You Tube link.]

An Inconvenient Sandwich: The British appetite for quick, cheap, convenient food that we can eat wherever we happen to be has hidden costs to society, public health and the environment. The economic pressures facing independent cafés and sandwich bars often force social justice, sustainability and health off the menu. Read more at:
http://neweconomics.org/publications/inconvenient-sandwich

Warning: Your Reality is Out of Date: When people think of knowledge, they generally think of two sorts of facts: facts that don’t change, like the height of Mount Everest or the capital of the United States, and facts that fluctuate constantly, like the temperature or the stock market close. But in between there is a third kind: “meso-facts” that change slowly. These are facts which we tend to view as fixed, but which shift over the course of a lifetime, so what we learned as facts during our education be seriously out of date and impair our judgment. See:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2010/09/warning-your-reality-is-out-of-date.html

Securing Human Well Being in a Resource-Constrained World: In this short video, Mathis Wackernagel, Founder and Executive Director of the Global Footprint Network, challenges attendees at a recent lecture to consider the ecological consequences of current consumption and development patterns. See:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2010/09/securing-human-well-being-in-resource.html

Japan tries reward points to promote local food: During an experimental campaign in Japan, consumers who purchased domestic foods were given purchase points, which they were then able to trade in for prizes, including seasonal local foods, gift certificates, and meal tickets, as well as farming experience tours for families. Would it work at our community farm level? Read more at:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2010/09/japan-launches-point-awards-trial-to.html

The Sustainable Side of Job Sharing: “It sounds great but it would never work for me." This is the initial reaction many people have when they hear about job sharing. However, upon further exploration, this could be an option that would overall increase work life balance, loyalty to the employer, job satisfaction, and sustainability. Read more at:
http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2010/09/15/sustainable-side-job-sharing?

Growth may be good now, but what of the future? Economic growth is unquestioningly assumed by mainstream economists to be a ‘good thing’, and essential for world economic stability. In the short term they are right. In the long term, however, prolonged economic growth might be the cause of far more instability than meets the eye. Read more at:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2010/09/growing-problems-on-road-to-recovery.html

Robert Rapier explains “peak oil”: Chemical Engineer and Technology Officer Robert Rapier speaks to raise awareness of the serious implications of “peak oil” for world development. See:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjOFCegjoik

Population growth explained with IKEA boxes: Explaining population growth requires simplification, but not oversimplification. In this 10-min TED video, statistician Hans Rosling explains why ending poverty - over the coming decades - is crucial to stop population growth. Only by raising the living standards of the poorest, in an environmentally-friendly way, will population growth stop at 9 billion people in 2050. See:
http://www.gapminder.org/videos/population-growth-explained-with-ikea-boxes/
See more of Rosling's visualizations at http://www.gapminder.org

“Shag Bands” - parents’ worst nightmare: They look like a symbol of childhood innocence, but these colourful bracelets are behind an "insidious" craze of primary school kids performing sex acts that it is feared will soon sweep through Queensland. Rather than a mere fashion statement, the so-called "shag bands" are linked to gradations of sexual behaviour. The game involves a boy or girl trying to break the rubber band off the wearer's wrist. If it snaps, the wearer has to perform the favour corresponding to the colour. Read more at:
http://www.couriermail.com.au/lifestyle/parenting/shag-bands-are-a-parents-worst-nightmare/story-e6frer7o-1225780002576

GetUp tackles the big banks on unfair fees: Traditionally, GetUp campaigns have focused on holding politicians accountable - but of course we know that power doesn't reside with government alone. So when 96% of GetUp members said they support GetUp campaigning for greater social responsibility by business and corporations, we knew we had a mandate to think big. As a first step, we're backing a class action lawsuit against the big banks to recoup for consumers over $1 billion dollars a year in unfair bank fees - fees that hit the most vulnerable Australians the hardest. Do you want to add your name to the case?
http://www.getup.org.au/campaign/jointheaction

[Thanks to Vanda R, John H, Cruxcatalyst and GetUp for the links.]

Thanks to Tricia O’D for the following “smile” - also ATTACHED as a PDF to share with friends.

PECANS IN THE CEMETERY

On the outskirts of a village, there was a big, old pecan tree just inside the cemetery fence. One day, two children filled up a bucketful of nuts and sat down by the tree, out of sight, and began dividing the nuts.

'One for you, one for me; one for you, one for me' said one boy.. Several dropped and rolled down toward the fence.

Another boy came riding along the road on his bicycle. As he passed, he thought he heard voices from inside the cemetery. He slowed down to investigate. Sure enough, he heard, 'One for you, one for me; one for you, one for me.'

He just knew what it was. He jumped back on his bike and rode off. Just around the bend he met an old  woman with a cane, hobbling along.

'Come here quick,' said the boy, 'you won't believe what I heard! Satan and the Lord are down at the cemetery dividing up the souls.'

The  woman said, ' Not now luv, can't you see it's hard for me to walk.' When the boy insisted though, the woman hobbled slowly to the cemetery.

Standing by the fence they heard, 'One for you, one for me; one for you, one for me.'

The old  woman whispered, 'Boy, you've been tellin' me the truth. Let's see if we can see the Lord.'

Shaking with fear, they peered through the fence, yet were still unable to see anything. The old  woman and the boy gripped the wrought iron bars of the fence tighter and tighter as they tried to get a glimpse of the Lord.

At last they heard, 'One for you, one for me. That's all. Now let's go get those nuts by the fence and we'll be done.'

They say the old woman made it back to the village a full 5 minutes ahead of the kid on the bike!

Pecans in the Cemetery

Too big to fail? Here’s a humorous twist on the notion that the big banks are too big to be allowed to fail:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2010/09/too-big-to-fail.html

E-waste: spring clean your tech junk: Very topical after the recent city-wide e-waste muster! This ZDNet site offers an excellent short video about the problem of e-waste, how it is growing, and what we might do about it. See:
http://www.zdnet.com.au/e-waste-spring-clean-your-tech-junk_p7-339305330.htm

Governments of the US and UK attempting to go ‘green’: Big government plans for going green seem to be the latest thing in both the USA and the UK. Best of luck to them - it won’t be easy trying to steer all those big vested interests! See:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2010/09/white-house-releases-sustainability.html
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2010/09/becoming-greenest-government-ever.html

“Positve Money” - a push to reform the banking system: Money and banking are at the root of most of our social and economic problems. The global economy currently runs on a system called ‘fractional reserve banking’, this system causes huge recessions and piles incredible amounts of debt upon the ordinary people. It is unstable, unsustainable, unproductive and unfair. We could do better! Read more and watch an excellent short video clip on how the backs create money through loans at:
http://www.positivemoney.org.uk/

Old-tech nuclear power is not the answer: In this essay, Scott Ludlum (Greens senator for Western Australia and Greens' national spokesman on nuclear issues) claims nuclear power is an uneconomic 1940s military technology and carries unacceptable risks. See:
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/old-tech-nuclear-power-is-not-the-answer/story-e6frg6zo-1225925023935

Eco-friendly fur? How about using pest animal fur for clothing? Wearing the furs of rare, endangered or cruelly confined animals has rightly gone out of style. But is all fur off the list? How about the fur of an environmental pest animal where the pelts are taken as part of a national control program? Read more at:
http://www.thegreenpages.com.au/index.asp?page_id=1695

Outcome of GetUp post-election issues survey: The top 10 issues for GetUp members are: (1) Investing in renewable energy (83% strongly support), (2) Indigenous rights (72%), (3) Native forest conservation (71%), (4) Securing Australia’s water supplies (69%), (5) The fair and humane treatment of refugees (67%), (6) Access to and investments in public transport (66%), (7) Improving the provision of mental healthcare services (62%), (8) Continued parliamentary reforms (62%), (9) No new polluting coal fired power stations (62%), (10) A price on carbon pollution (61%). More information at:
http://blog.getup.org.au/2010/09/18/your-voice-your-vision/

[Thanks to John H, Cruxcatalyst, Green Razor, and GetUp for the links.]

Can you see yourself working in a volunteer role to help the village run smoothly?

The benefits and rewards include:
- feeling like real part of the village community
- meeting new villagers and new friends
- helping to create the village you want to live in
- stopping our levies rising
- helping existing volunteers who have been doing these jobs for some time

Here are just some of the roles / jobs done by community volunteers in past 12 months:
- Organising the AGM
- Organising the Christmas Party and other social events
- Neighbourhood Group meetings and Working Bees
- Running the Waste Water Treatment Plant
- Maintenance of the Sharing Shed and other areas of the village

For lots of others, see the ATTACHED list.

At the AGM, there will be a short presentation about volunteering, and an opportunity to ask more about the various committee and tasks.

Do have a think about becoming a community volunteer. We hope you will!

Jacqui G - for CDC

Volunteering

If you have problems with your phone, such as a noisy line, etc, try the following procedure, which may save you a $105 call-out fee:

1. Disconnect all equipment, such as portable phones, faxes, and splitters used for your ADSL connection
2. Plug a phone handset into the phone socket. When you hear a dial tone, dial 1. If the line is still noisy, try the same with another phone handset. If your line is then still noisy, call Telstra.
3. If, when you dial 1, the fault, i.e., noise, is gone, start to plug in your other appliances one at a time. If the fault returns when an appliance is plugged in, you have found the source of your problem (and saved a call-out fee!).

John Heij - for Works Maintenance Group

If you have trouble with English spelling, take heart. Help is on its way. See the ATTACHMENT for how this might pan out over the next few years.

Thanks to Rita B and Jacqui G - and a reassuring pat on the back to villagers of German extraction. It’s not personal! We love you!

Fixing up English

Mind boggling world clock! This online clock gives you the time in cities all over the world - but it does much, much more. It shows, in real time, the statistics for global births, deaths, diseases, deforestation, revegetation, and a whole host of other parameters. Awesome!
http://www.poodwaddle.com/worldclock.swf

Rediscovering Simplicity - The Cyclists of Italy: One of the paradoxes inherent in the realities of peak oil and climate change is that we have to take action while at the same time slowing our pace. But he challenges we face will not be met by politics and technology alone. In order to change the infrastructure of our cities and towns, we have to change the “infrastructure” within ourselves. Read more at:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2010/09/rediscovering-simplicity-cyclists-of.html

“Wasted Food, Wasted Energy: The Embedded Energy in Food Waste in the United States”: A new research report from University of Texas, Austin, uses energy from agriculture, transportation, processing, sales, storage, and preparation to estimate the energy embedded in wasted food annually in the United States. As the embedded energy of food is large, the impost of some 27% of food wastage is very high in terms of energy lost. Read more at:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2010/09/wasted-food-wasted-energy.html

Share-cropping the backyards of New York: 'New York City is dotted with more than 10,000 acres of unused land and Stacey Murphy, architect-turned-urban farmer, has seen the opportunity and started a business, “B K Farmyards” in Brooklyn that's turning backyards, vacant lots, and school property into organic garden plots. Read more at:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2010/09/communities-get-gardening-bug.html

Lloyds of London wakes up to the threat of Peak Oil: The Lloyd's insurance market and the highly regarded Royal Institute of International Affairs, known as Chatham House, say Britain needs to be ready for "peak oil" and disrupted energy supplies. Lloyds has warned of "catastrophic consequences" for businesses that fail to prepare for a world of increasing oil scarcity and a lower carbon economy. Read more at:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2010/09/lloyds-adds-its-voice-to-dire-peak-oil.html

UK Conservative Push to End Fractional Reserve Banking: This is intriguing, particularly as it comes from the conservative right in the UK - this bill would stop private banks being able to create money as debt, which is a key driver of the need to keep an economy growing. Could it be an tiny unexpected sign of sanity in the modern economic system? Read more at:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2010/09/uk-conservative-push-to-end-fractional.html

Capitalist storm clouds loom over Cuba: After massive job cuts in the public sector, a million Cuban workers have been told to become entrepreneurs in bid to boost island's private sector. Read more at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/sep/14/cuba-government-job-cuts-private-sector

Republican 'climate zombies' could claim the US Senate: All but one of the 48 Republican hopefuls for the Senate mid-term elections in November deny the existence of climate change or oppose action on global warming, according to a report released this week. The strong Republican front against established science includes entrenched Senate leaders as well as the new wave of radical conservatives endorsed by the Tea Party activists. Read more at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/sep/14/republican-hopefuls-deny-global-warming

Restaurant dishcloths 'full of bacteria’: Dishcloths used in restaurants and takeaways harbour unsavoury and possibly dangerous bacteria. In a survey of 120 kitchens in north-east England, researchers found 56% of cloths tested were unacceptable, carrying faecal bacteria or in some cases dangerous bugs such as Listeria. An environmental health expert said it was "pure luck" that spared more customers from illness. Read more at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11304439

The Centre for Policy Development: The short-term thinking of the election cycle is damaging Australia’s long-term interests. The Centre for Policy Development (CPD) is a public interest think tank dedicated to seeking out creative, viable ideas and innovative research to inject into Australia’s policy debates. We give a diverse community of thinkers space to imagine solutions to Australia’s most urgent challenges, and we do what it takes to make their ideas matter. See:
http://cpd.org.au/

Join the community consultation on South Australia’s Strategic Plan: All South Australians are encouraged to get involved.Listen to views from the community, share your ideas, attend an event or comment online. You can join a group or just tune in as a casual observer. Comment on the website at any time or please contact us for further information. Please make a formal submission about the Plan until 15 October 2010 (download form from website):
http://www.saplan.org.au/

[Thanks to Pat Fraser, John H, Cruxcatalyst, CPD, and SA Community for the links.]

The new sandpit out the south of Clematis Walk, beside the other play equipment, was dug, filled and cobbled this week!  Well done to all who helped and many thanks too.

A special thanks goes to Nonie, who lives at 2 Clematis Walk, as she paid for the majority of the sand, with a little top up from Community Development Committee (CDC).

It has been full of kids since completion - as the pics show - and a great gathering spot for some parents too - what a wonderful place in which to grow up and live!

Jacqui Good - On behalf of CDC

Now here’s an interesting idea forwarded by Steve Poole:

In todays stock journal (page 25) there is an amazing photo of a HIQUAL structure, which is huge when you note the bloke standing in the entrance. It looks like a semi could tip in it! The ad contains the description:

“25 yr LIFESPAN, 15yr WARRANTEE - THE REAL ALTERNATIVE TO A STEEL SHED.  Save $1,000's by erecting it yourself, no costly foundations required.  Classed as temporary so council approval often not required. The covered, clear span building has been a popular design for many years.  This is a robust construction that is engineered to withstand gale forced winds and endure years of harsh weather.”

Would this be suitable for semi free-range poultry system or growing tropical fuits etc? This one was $11,980 (neg). See link and pic below:

http://www.tradingpost.com.au/Garden-Outdoor-Living/Outdoor-Structures/Garages-Sheds/AdNumber=TP003733810

Let The Environment Guide Our Development - An important presentation from TED: Human growth has strained the Earth's resources, but as Johan Rockstrom reminds us, our advances also give us the science to recognize this and change behavior. His research with the Resilience Centre has found nine "planetary boundaries" that can guide us in protecting our planet's many overlapping ecosystems. See the video at:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2010/09/let-environment-guide-our-development.html

The Happy Planet Index - Another important presentation from TED: 'Statistician Nic Marks of the new economics foundation asks why we measure a nation's success by its productivity - instead of by the happiness and well-being of its people. He introduces the Happy Planet Index, which tracks national well-being against resource use (because a happy life doesn't have to cost the earth). Which countries rank highest in the HPI? You might be surprised.
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2010/09/happy-planet-index.html

Societies without God are more benevolent: The pope's visit to Britain has been the perfect excuse for many commentators to traduce secularism. Here’s another take on the debate encompassing religion, atheism, and secularism. Read more at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2010/sep/12/pope-benedict-atheism-secularism

Sex movie ‘worm’ spreads worldwide: A booby-trapped e-mail that promises free sex movies is racking up victims around the world, warn computer security firms. Some variants of the Windows worm contain a link to PDF that a recipient has been told to expect. Those clicking on the link get neither movies nor documents but give the malware access to their entire Outlook address book. When installed, the worm sends copies of itself to every e-mail address it can find. The malicious e-mail messages have a subject line saying "Here you have" and contain a weblink that looks like it connects to a PDF document. Instead it actually links to a website hosting the malware. Read more at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11258795

“Chill Out” for health’s sake! High levels of the stress hormone cortisol are closely linked to death from cardiovascular disease, a Dutch study suggests. In a six-year study of 860 over-65s, those with the highest levels of cortisol had a five-fold risk of death from cardiovascular disease. However, no link was found between high cortisol levels and other causes of death. Read more at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11247222

[Thanks to John H and Cruxcatalyst for the links.]

Flyover of the Christchurch earthquake fault and interactive fault map: An aerial video of the fault line, and interactive map showing location and intensity of main and after shocks:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Npqx3WmNkv4
http://www.christchurchquakemap.co.nz/

Shmeco - the online home of sustainable living: Shmeco.com provides a community forum and directory, for people to exchange their ideas, stories and experiences on sustainable living choices. Getting involved costs nothing, but the knowledge you can gain will be invaluable. Plus the community can benefit via shmeco credits. Read more at:
http://www.shmeco.com

Solar energy from jellyfish juice! Silicon solar cells are so, well, dead. Dollops of green goo made of living cells – from jellyfish to algae - are now being recruited to produce cheaper solar power. Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden are developing a photovoltaic device based on green fluorescent protein (GFP) from a jellyfish
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn19416-green-machine-squeezing-solar-juice-from-jellyfish.html

Get involved in South Australia’s Strategic Plan through community discussion: See:
http://www.saplan.org.au/

GetUp Petition against compulsory acquisition of Aboriginal land for a gas processing facility: Read the details and sign the petition at:
http://www.getup.org.au/campaign/Homelands&id=1386

GetUp “Where to from here” issues survey: The Prime Minister may be the same but this Parliament is going to be very, very different! The opportunity to influence policy directions in open discussion in the house will be greatly increased. As a people, we have some important decisions to make - and we need to make them together. Help GetUp with defining next steps in the campaign by answering a few questions:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/5TVNTKG

Vitamin B 'puts off Alzheimer’s’: A new study suggests high doses of B vitamins may halve the rate of brain shrinkage in older people experiencing some of the warning signs of Alzheimer's disease. Brain shrinkage is one of the symptoms of mild cognitive impairment, which often leads to dementia. Read more at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11232356

[Thanks to Steve P, John H, SA Community, GetUp, and Margaret Gordon (NZ) for the links.]

Pencils are a frequent tool of artists - but not normally in this way (see ATTACHMENT). Thanks to Vanda R for sending in the photos.

Pencil Lead Art

Here’s a bit of humour with a twist in the tail - and some food for thought. Thanks to Vanda R for sending it in.

How do you put a giraffe into a refrigerator? Intrigued? See the ATTACHMENT.

How to put a giraffe in the fridge

When Sea Levels Attack - cities could go under! See this interesting map of sea level rise in relation to some of the world’s familiar cities:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2010/09/when-sea-levels-attack.html

Leaked military study warns of drastic oil crisis: A study by a German military think tank has analyzed how "peak oil" might change the global economy. One wonders whether we are going to WAKE UP in time, or sleepwalk our way to global collapse?! Read more at:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2010/09/military-study-warns-of-potentially.html

Seed Savers Australia: See an overview of activities, resources and information on preservation of natural traditional plant seed lines. Read more at:
http://www.seedsavers.net/

UN calls special meeting to address food shortages amid predictions of riots: Poor harvests and demand from developing countries could push cost of weekly shop up by 10%. In developing countries themselves, food riots have already taken place. Read more at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/sep/05/commodities-food-drink-industry
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/sep/05/mozambique-food-riots-patel

Antarctica has lost its ice before! British Antarctic Survey researchers have found the dispersal of minute marine animals called bryozoans suggests a sea passage once divided Antarctica 125,000 years ago. Are we going there again? Read more at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/sep/05/climate-change-ice-caps-antarctica

The Greens agreement with Labor: You can read the agreement in full or in summary at:
http://greens.org.au/greens_labor_deal

[Thanks to John H, Cruxcatalyst, Seed Savers, and the Australian Greens for the links.]

Exercise can help prevent cancer, researchers say. World Cancer Research Fund says even moderate exercise such as brisk walking can reduce risk of cancer. Read more at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2010/aug/31/exercise-help-prevent-cancer

U.S. Economy Grinds To Halt As Nation Realizes Money Just A Symbolic, Mutually Shared Illusion: The U.S. economy ceased to function this week after unexpected existential remarks by Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke shocked Americans into realizing that money is, in fact, just a meaningless and intangible social construct. Trust “The Onion” to make people weep! Read more at:
http://www.theonion.com/articles/us-economy-grinds-to-halt-as-nation-realizes-money,2912/

The facts of climate change have made even Bjorn Lomborg, one of the most vehement climate skeptics, change sides. Read more at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/aug/30/bjorn-lomborg-climate-change-u-turn
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/aug/31/climate-change-bjorn-lomborg

Ancient coral reef uncovered in South Pacific may provide clues to what will happen to coral when sea temperatures rise. Researchers from Australia and New Zealand have discovered a huge 9,000-year-old reef surprisingly far south. Lord Howe Island is 600km east of the Australian mainland and has a small modern coral reef - the furthest south in the world. Read more at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11153193

New Climate & Energy Policies Could Create 2.5 Million Jobs, Hold Down Energy Costs: New greenhouse gas emissions and energy policies at the Federal level could generate as many as 2.5 million new jobs and $134 billion in economic activity in the United States while keeping energy costs down, according to a new report from the Center for Climate Strategies, published with Johns Hopkins University. Read more at:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2010/08/new-climate-energy-policies-could.html

Help GetUp campaign to reform political donations: View the “funny ad” video at:
https://www.getup.org.au/campaign/PoliticalDonations&id=1384

South Australia’s Strategic Plan - Join the conversation:
http://community.saplan.org.au/
http://www.youtube.com/YourFutureSA

South Australia’s community news, events & services:
http://sacommunity.org/

Eco Voice - latest Eco News - Issue 77:
http://www.ecovoice.com.au/eco-news

[Thanks to John H, Cruxcatalyst, GetUP, SA Community, and EcoVoice for the links.]