There is a lot of stuff on THIS weekend - especially THIS Sunday 14 March!

If you haven’t already visited the Fringe art event “ella-mental” at 16 Yacca Way, make sure to go this weekend. It is on 10am to 5pm through Sunday when it finishes.

And if you haven’t yet visited the YaccaDoodle exhibition at 12 Yacca Way, it is also on through Sunday, 9am to 4:30pm.

The Port Willy Big Swim is also on this Sunday - 9:45 am at the Port Willunga Jetty for a 10 am start.

And, just in case folks are not busy enough (!!!) the following Neighbourhood Group Planning Meetings with MC facilitators are on at the Sharing Shed:

• NG1 (Hakea) - Sunday 14 March, 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
• NG3 (Clematis) - Sunday 13 March, 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm
• NG5 (Stage 3) - Monday 15 March, 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm

One of our movies still has to be confirmed for the Armchair Movies night scheduled for next Tuesday 16 March.

Check the News Feed next Tuesday for a confirmation or change to plans - or call Elizabeth H on 8556 6892 after the weekend.

Three ceiling fans with lights, gas stove (working order), double stainless steel sink with taps, carpet off-cuts, tall cupboard with shelves (suit garage/shed), tins dulux paint (yellow, orange, blue), pedestal bathroom sink (pearl white porcelain/china).

Contact Tricia O’D by email or call into 6 Lomandra Walk weekends.

Any cuttings, indigenous plants, flowering or fruiting plants very welcome.

Administration Assistant required for Motivation Australia:

We are looking for a part time administration assistant (6 – 8 hours / week) to cover three months maternity leave for our current administrator; starting mid – late April.

Visit http://www.motivation.org.au to download a job description, or see the PDF ATTACHED:

Kylie Mines, Asia Pacific Programme Director, Motivation Australia
Ph: 8556 6703; Email: kyliemines@motivation.org.au

Motivation_Aust_Administrator_JT_100309

Onkaparinga “e-waste recycling day is on:

Saturday 27 March, 9am-2pm

See the ATTACHED flyer for details of where to drop of items, what can be included, and the various costs to recycle these items. You can also download the flyer and get information from the Council website at:
http://www.onkaparingacity.com:80/web/binaries?img=17900&stypen=html

E-waste flyer

The 2H Project (http://www.the2hproject.com) a not for profit Australian development organisation run by Kate Taylor (Stefan Dispain’s sister) is having a movie fundraiser to support its work with local communities overseas to bring help and build hope for the poor and disadvantaged.

The movie “Date Night” (http://www.datenight-movie.com) will be shown. See ATTACHED flyer:

WHEN: Monday 26 April, 6.30pm for a 7.00pm start
WHERE: Capri Theatre (Goodwood Road)

Entry fee includes wine & chocolate $25 per person
All proceeds go to The 2h Project Enquiries 0402 432 897
Date Night Flyer

Black Cockatoo Arthouse invites you to a Three Feathers Film Club presentation:

WHAT :  CINEMA PARADISO (1988) by  Giuseppe Tornatore
WHEN:  Saturday 20 March; Doors at 7.30pm for drinks & nibbles, Movie at 8.30pm
WHERE: Black Cockatoo Arthouse, 1 Park St, McLaren Vale 

Cost  :   A suggested donation of $10 is kindly appreciated
Movie Rating : PG; Language: Italian (with English Subtitles)

Tasty snacks & beverages will be available throughout the night!

A beautiful story (see ATTACHED flyer), Cinema Paradiso is about love, growing up, leaving home, loss and success. Although set in a small hamlet in Italy, the topics are so universal that anyone can relate. Beautiful and heart warming this film is a wonderful one to kickstart the Three Feathers Film Club again! Come along and make a night of it!

Bookings: Ph: 8323 9294  or email: blackcockatooarthouse@gmail.com
We'll confirm your booking via return email or phone call.
Cinema Paradiso

Paris Creek Biodynamic dairy farm has a growing industry profile and is winning a lot of awards. Read about it in the ATTACHED media release from Biological Farmers of Australia (BFA):
BFA PR on Paris Creek

'Between the Lines' is a short newsletter from The Australia Institute containing selective analysis of the policies and politics affecting the wellbeing of Australians.
In this latest issue (ATTACHED):

1. Insulation: the wrong kind of price signal
2. Telstra profits at the expense of low-income earners
3. Get them while they’re young (the School banking program)

Between the lines 9 Mar

Your Taco's mighty eco-footprint: The local food movement is growing in leaps and bounds, but it tends to focus on the raw materials of food -- the fruits and vegetables you get in the produce aisles or at the farmer's market. However, a new project at the California College of the Arts takes a much more holistic view of local food, tracking the miles traveled by every ingredient in that humble but utterly delicious meal, the taco. Believe it or not, the 19 ingredients of a taco were found to have travelled 64,000 miles - a window into the complexities of globalization.Read more at:
http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2010/03/03/your-tacos-footprint

Who pays for the CO2 emissions of global trade? Which country is responsible for the carbon emitted in global trade? The buyer or the seller? Indeed - who is buying all of China's products from high-emitting industries? Why does it matter? Read more at:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2010/03/when-goods-get-traded-who-pays-for-co2.html

Old-growth logging will lock in conflict, financial losses and environmental damage: An advertising campaign and report launched by forest industry representative group FIAT shows that the Tasmanian logging industry is behind the times and out-of-touch with the realities of the marketplace, according to the Wilderness Society. Read more at:
http://www.ecovoice.com.au/eco-news/264

GetUp campaign against old growth logging and the pulp mill: This election affects all of us: the future of the Gunns pulp mill, and of the most carbon-dense forests in the world, are on the line. Politicians think they can win votes by trashing the environment, but with a major intervention we can turn the issue against them and make sure the new Parliament represents the interests of Tasmanians, not Gunns Ltd. Have your say at: http://www.getup.org.au/campaign/PollutedPolitics
[Thanks to Cruxcatalyst and GetUp for the links.]

Just confirming the AAEV Therapist Forum THIS Tuesday 9 March (TONIGHT if you are receiving this by email Feed), 7.30pm till 9pm at ‘All About Health’ Clinic, 13 Hakea Walk.
 
Thanks - Leonie H

Bring your knitting or sewing project along to Knitting Group and enjoy some fun company while you work.

THIS Wednesday 10 March, 7:30 pm at Julie’s place, 4 Hakea Walk.

Don’t forget the annual Port Willy Big Swim

THIS Sunday 14 March, 9.45 am for a 10.00 am start at the Port Willunga Jetty

See ATTACHED flyer.

All levels welcome – it’s just for fun There are no rules – do whatever you want - swim, walk, canoe, surf ski, row etc

The aim is to have fun and get together – don’t take it too seriously!
100118 The Big Swim

We’re tentatively planning another Armchair Movies evening on Tuesday next week, 16 March - 7:30 pm at 14 Hakea Walk

We are planning to show two videos to be provided by Byron & Wendy G and Clare D -- one on a maintenance-free worm-farm system for dealing with black-water, grey-water and kitchen garbage combined; and the other on bees.

Tea and coffee provided. BYO nibbles and any other drinks of choice. Gold coin donation to the Village Savings Fund.

Check next Monday’s News Feed for confirmation or changes to this tentative arrangement.

Elizabeth H - 8556 6892

Carobs are a cheap nutritious sustainable and versatile food. (‘Google’ it to read the possibilities).

I have been harvesting the carobs in Clematis orchard and there is a large crop. Feel free to pick them and store them. I will have a bucket with them on our front verandah for anyone to help themselves.

If anyone has any ideas or contacts for processing or marketing them I would be keen to hear from you.

It would be good if someone were doing a similar harvest of the Carob crop in Stage 3 if it is not already being done.

Any excess to Village requirements the Food Forest will take off our hands.

Cheers - Tony Gerlach - 5 Clematis Walk

Has anyone seen Oliver's small bike?

A small black child's bike disappeared from outside the Sales Shed between 10.20 and 10.50 am last Friday.  Malvern Star brand with yellow and red writing & trim.  If anyone has seen it around the village please contact Oliver Ryan on 8557 6046.

Thanks - Maarten R

At Aldinga Community Centre, Stewart Avenue Aldinga Beach; Phone 8556 5940

A two week course, Wednesdays 24 March and 31March, 11.45am to 2.45pm.
Free ($5 refundable deposit).  Free crèche available.
 
This 6-hour St Johns course covers the first aid needs of children - bleeding, fractures, medical conditions, poisons, head injuries, bites and stings, management of unconscious patient, resuscitation and CPR. See ATTACHED flyer:

Bookings essential for course and crèche.  Phone 8556 5940.
Care for Kids

Interested in upgrading to a bigger eco-property? Lot 652 on Bahloo Glen Road, Mount Compass could see you bushwalking on your own land!

Paradise Found!
With the sun shining and your treetops view you truly are enjoying a location seldom few ever get to experience. This 4-bed, 2 bath hexadome property celebrates approx 30 acres of nature at its best, untouched other than the access roads and sandy trails that run throughout, this is a perfect getaway location. Eco-friendly solar farm and an approx 22,000g rain tank an additional bonus. Perhaps you know someone who likes the eco-idea but would find the Village too tightly crowded? This might be the answer.

See introductory pictures on the ATTACHED flyer, and find more plus all the details at:
http://www.realestate.com.au/ Property No. 106286562
 
Agent: Ray White Real Estate (Christies Beach) 8326 9977; Wes Bloss 0406 410 004
Lot 652 Mt Compass sale

Dear friends,

It’s time to kick start the Black Cockatoo Arthouse program for 2010. The big news is that as of the end of March we will be known as The Black Cockatoo Arthouse Inc. By incorporating we hope to be able to secure more funding grants and donations, and open the space up for more community organised events. Details will be available soon.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Sunday 14 March @ 3pm
AWAKENING MOMENTS: A CONVERSATION WITH MICKAL HO

You are invited to share a conversation with visiting Zen Tattoo Artist, Mickal Ho. Ordained in the Orders of the Theravada in Thailand, Mickal now operates his tattoo shop, Spirit of Tattoos, at the Boat Quay in Singapore. Come join Mickal as he tells insightful, compassionate and often funny stories about Awakening, Art & Life. No booking required, drinks & snacks available. See ATTACHED flyer:

Friday 19 March @ 7.30pm
THREE FEATHERS FILM CLUB 1st MOVIE NIGHT of 2010 presents CINEMA PARADISO

All the very best and we look forward to seeing you all soon!

Sarah, Greg & Ashara
Black Cockatoo Arthouse, 1 Park St, McLaren Vale, Phone: 8323 9294
Awakening Moments

Is population growth just a giant ponzi scheme? The basic pitch of those promoting population growth is straightforward in its appeal: "More is better." Joseph Chamie, who has spent a lifelong career as a demographer, including 12 years of service as the director of the United Nations Population Division, finds that more is not necessarily better. Bernie Madoff's recent Ponzi scheme has drifted out of the world’s headlines. However, there is another even more costly and widespread scheme — "Ponzi Demography" — that warrants everybody’s attention. Ponzi demography is essentially a pyramid scheme that attempts to make more money for some by adding on more and more people through population growth. That’s no reason to grow the population! Read more at:
http://www.theglobalist.com/StoryId.aspx?StoryId=8321

Greens Petition to stop a nuclear waste dump at Muckaty Station, NT: The Federal Government has announced that it will repeal the Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act. However, this means Muckaty Station - just outside Tenant Creek in the NT - is now the most likely target for the national radioactive waste dump. Traditional Owners of Muckaty Station don’t want a nuclear waste dump on their lands. Help them fight it:
http://scott-ludlam.greensmps.org.au/content/make-your-voice-heard-nuclear-waste-dump

New eco-thinking for our capital cities: New thinking for some maybe, but eco-city pioneers such as Richard Register of Ecocity Builders in California have been on about this since the mid 1970s. Another longtime advocate and activist is Paul Downton, architect of Adelaide's Christie Walk, an award winning 'piece of ecocity' in the CBD. Read more at:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2010/03/new-thinking-for-our-capital-cities.html

Global Footprint Network - electronic newsletter: Plenty of sustainability news and good stuff for reducing household eco-footprint at:
http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/newsletter/v/issue_22_march_1_2010

Why to people loot in a disaster? Looters and curfews, thousands of troops on their way to severely affected areas, self-defence groups setting up barricades to protect their homes… Chile after the earthquake could be mistaken for being in the throes of a political uprising rather than the aftermath of a natural disaster. But why do people loot? It can be more complex than just hunger. Read more at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8546411.stm

Space probe may have found cosmic dust: Scientists may have identified the first two tiny specks of interstellar dust in material collected by the US space agency's ‘Stardust’ spacecraft. Read more at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8550924.stm
[To folks living in a continuously dusty environment such as ours, it sounds quite exotic to be paying $300 million to find two specks of dust!]

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

To GIVE AWAY - FREE - Musical keyboard in good working order.

Call Stef Dispain - Phone: 0407 502 740

Native foods will be featured as part of the Tasting Australia "Feast for the Senses" Elder Park on Saturday and Sunday 1 and 2 May.

Alongside this, there will be a Native food conference on Monday 3 May, Adelaide (National Wine Centre), and a post-conference tour to the East Mt Lofty Ranges on Tuesday 4 May.

For conference details, see: http://www.anfil.org.au/
Tour details:  ask Maarten Ryder - Phone: 8557 6046 or email

Regards - Maarten R

The Friends of the Waite Arboretum Inc. and members of Basketry SA Inc. invite you to an exhibition of contemporary basketry - “Warp on the Wild Side”:

WHEN: Daily through Monday 8 March, 11am to 4pm
WHERE: Urrbrae House, University of Adelaide Waite Campus

See ATTACHED flyer for details.
Warp on the Wild Side

ATTACHED is an article by Community member Stephanie Johnston (Lot 144) on the “Victory to Landscape Values” achieved in protecting the Bowering Hill land to the north of the Village from inappropriate housing development. The article appeared in SA Planner, February 2010, pp 6-7.

SAPlanner p6-7

Would you ever have expected old phones and phone cords to come back as clever innovative artwork? Take a look at the sheep pictured in the ATTACMENT. And where would “sheep art” come from? Why, New Zealand, of course!

Where old phone cords go

[Thanks to Sue W for sending this one in.]

Are you a farmer at heart? Start a ‘Crop Mob’: A growing number of young people are finishing college and resisting the pressure to plunk down in a cube behind a computer. Others skip college altogether—given the spiraling costs involved, it’s hard to blame them—and yearn for meaningful, hands-on work. Community-scale organic farming has emerged as an attractive profession for such talented, energetic youth. Despite problems such as low pay and high land prices, youthful zeal to farm survives. This is a major asset to the sustainable food movement. As current active farmers near retirement age, an emerging generation of keen but landless farmers is rising. One of the main challenges will be to help find them land and create the infrastructure needed to make the new style of farming a viable profession. Read more at:
http://www.energybulletin.net/node/51786

Sustainability: The Five Core Principles - A New Framework by Michael Ben-Eli: "If you wish to fly and want to successfully construct an aircraft in order to do so, you need to understand the basic principles of aerodynamics. Similarly, if we are serious about ensuring a sustainable future, we need to be guided by a set of principles which underlie sustainability as an enduring state." Read more at:
http://www.sustainabilitylabs.org/page/sustainability-five-core-principles

Did the discovery of cooking make us human? It seems that learning to cook created 'big brains’. Cooking is something we all take for granted but a new theory suggests that if we had not learned to cook food, not only would we still look like chimps but, like them, we would also be compelled to spend most of the day chewing. Read more and see the video clip at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8543906.stm

The cult of omega-3: Hardly a week goes by without a new health claim being made of eating oily fish. But is it really as magical as we are told? If there were a top 40 of good foods, a chart rundown of the right things to eat, then anything containing omega-3 fatty acids would have been number one for years. They even have their own international awareness day, which takes place this Wednesday.But how much of this is hype, and how much reality? Is there a danger that a largely fish-derived fatty acid is being turned into a modern-day magic potion? Read more on the argument at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8543172.stm

[Thanks to Ellie F, Vanda R, and John H for the links.]

Just a reminder about the DVD we will be showing at the ‘Armchair Movies’ session this week. Anyone with an interest in the future of food and agriculture is invited to come along:

THIS Tuesday 2 March - 7:30 pm at 14 Hakea Walk (Heij’s home)
- The World According to Monsanto

Tea and coffee provided. BYO other drinks of your choice and after-dinner nibbles to share.
Gold coin donation to the Village Savings Fund.

Enquiries to Elizabeth H - 8556 6892

Knitting Group is meeting as usual THIS Wednesday 3 March, from 7:30 pm at Julie’s place, 4 Hakea Walk.

Bring your knitting, crochet, needlework (yes, even the mending) and some fun things to chat about.

What a great reason to pick up all our windblown rubbish this weekend!

2010 marks the 20th Anniversary of Clean Up Australia events - Business Clean Up Day, Schools Clean Up Day, and Clean Up Australia Day.

Every year the Clean Up Australia organisation relies heavily on the dedication and support of volunteers to remove hundreds of thousands of tonnes of rubbish from our environment.  This year, we’re looking forward to seeing about a million people get out and lend a hand for the 20th anniversary of Clean Up Australia events. Make sure you’re one of them by registering your clean up site or volunteering at http://www.cleanup.org.au 
 
Clean Up Australia Day - Sunday, 7 March 2010
Business Clean Up Day - Tuesday, 2 March 2010
Schools Clean Up Day - Friday, 5 March 2010

My parents and sister will be visiting from April 3 to April 6 (Easter Saturday to Tuesday) and again from Monday April 12 to Wednesday April 14.

I am looking for somewhere for them to stay as our place is too small to accommodate them. My parents are quite old so best if the house has no steps and is easy to negotiate.

Happy to pay some rent. Please ring me if you think you might be able to help.

Fiona R - Phone: 0448 735 394 or 8557 6046.

Anyone going to Adelaide on Wednesdays?

I will be going to Urrbrae TAFE every Wednesday and would like to car share. I need to be there from 9am-4pm.

If you can help, please phone Sue E on 8556 6441.

A number of people have asked for the recipe for the delicious (non-alcoholic) punch served at the YaccaDoodle art exhibition last Saturday. Here it is - recipe from Charles Carpenter
 
MOCK CHAMPAGNE PUNCH :
3 litres canned unsweetened pineapple juice
juice of 8 lemons and 3 limes
2 cups sugar
4 litres dry ginger ale
2 litres sparkling soda water
sliced fruit to float in punch eg 1 punnet strawberries
 
Stir ingredients together, pour over a block of ice and serve.
This amount will fill a punch bowl 2 or 3 times.

Sick of waiting for Google Maps to update our photos?  Wait no more!

“Nearmap” - http://Nearmap.com/ - has 3 lots of photos taken 19/10/09, 1/12/09 and 26/12/09.
The definition seems very good and the contrast in three months to some houses and gardens is amazing!

Jane O’Connell

CASSE - Center for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy: CASSE is a non-profit organisation dedicated to advancing the steady state economy, with stabilized population and consumption, as a policy goal with widespread public support:
http://steadystate.org/
CASSE is launching (1/3/10) a new blog called “The Daly News.” Each week it will provide a feature essay that challenges the predominant economic paradigm and explores creative solutions to economic and environmental problems. The core authors include Herman Daly (award-winning economist who developed the concept of the steady state economy), Brian Czech (wildlife biologist, ecological economist, and author of Shoveling Fuel for a Runaway Train), Brent Blackwelder (former president of Friends of the Earth and founder of American Rivers), and Rob Dietz (environmental scientist and executive director of CASSE). You can access the blog on CASSE’s website (or via RSS feed):
http://steadystate.org/learn/blog/
CASSE also has an entertaining animated short called “Add It Up” that tells the truth about pursuing perpetual economic growth. The animation, produced by film students at the University of Southern California, is available on CASSE’s website and YouTube:
http://steadystate.org/discover/video-audio-and-presentations/ OR
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qriegoXcbQ
For more information about these resources and other news about the steady state economy, please read the most recent edition of “The Steady Stater” newsletter:
http://steadystate.org/wp-content/uploads/SteadyStater_vol3_iss1.pdf

More on the dumping of poisonous waste in developing countries: While it might be “out of sight, out of mind” when discarded by affluent consumers, dumped toxic e-waste and other industrial wastes are poisoning the environment of poorer developing countries. Read more at:
http://planetark.org/wen/56837
http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_round_up/420967/
un_warns_india_and_china_over_growing_problem_of_ewaste.html
http://www.theecologist.org/investigations/waste_and_recycling/421522/
how_we_poison_bangladesh_with_toxic_ship_carcasses.html

EU looks to banning “wonky fruit” - AGAIN! Until the so-called “wonky fruit” ban was lifted in July last year, EU rules dictated the shape and size of produce, from apricots to watermelons, effectively banishing from commercial trade all but the most perfect specimens. At the time the ban was lifted, EU Agriculture Commissioner Marianne Fischer Boel declared: "We simply don't need to regulate this sort of thing at EU level. It is far better to leave it to market operators – and in these days of high food prices and general economic difficulties, consumers should be able to choose from the widest range of products possible. It makes no sense to throw perfectly good products away, just because they are the 'wrong' shape." Unfortunately, this was too sensible. Now protectionist policies are threatening to bring back the ban. Read more at:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2010/03/european-parliament-members-want-to.html

[Thanks to Cruxcatalyst for the links.]

Anyone interested is invited to come along and join us next Tuesday for a showing of the following DVD relating to the future of industrial agriculture and food production:

Tuesday 2 March - 7:30 pm at 14 Hakea Walk (Heij’s home)
- The World According to Monsanto

Tea and coffee provided. BYO other drinks of your choice and after-dinner nibbles to share.
Gold coin donation to the Village Savings Fund.

Enquiries to Elizabeth H - 8556 6892

Three green-painted tubes used to support the blue and gold flags for the YaccaDoodle Art and Craft Exhibitions are missing (from the carpark).
 
They are about 1200 mm long, and were put over the reinforcing rods to hold the flags, and also to avoid anyone, particularly children, walking into the rods by accident.
 
If you have seen them would you let me know please
 
Richard C - 8556 5998 or 7127 0665

Beautiful white long haired angora rabbit needs a new home.

Her name is Esther (get it - Esther bunny!).  She is very placid and sweet, and easy to handle.
She comes complete with cage.
 
Enquiries to Gillian Clampett - 8556 5998

Hello!

We are Marko and Alex who have just come to live in Australia. We have already visited the EcoVillage and met some of the lovely members! We look forward to living in an EcoVillage like Aldinga!

We would love to rent a house for two people, so please let us know if you can help or are aware of anything coming up.

Thank you -
Marko Anyfandakis - Ph: 0435 537 181 or email
Alexandra Bastos - Ph: 0468 632 763 or email

Worms - Composting, Organics - A workshop with pioneer organic farmer, Mel Edwards

WHEN: Wednesday 17 March 7.00 pm
WHERE: Willunga Environment Centre, 18 High St, Willunga

See ATTACHED poster.

Registration Essential - Ph: 85564188 or email: willungaenviro@westnet.com.au

Mel Edwards has been in organic farming for nearly 40 years. He has developed his own methods of adapting organic principles to our local soils and climate on his 32ha strawberry and vegetable farm.
 
Mel has developed a worm compost liquid brew that can be used for broadacre or backyard farming. He also has an expanded knowledge of the influence of microflora on the fertility of your soil and its contribution to plant health.
 
His  son and he currently produce a range of vegetable crops that are marketed around Australia, but principally in Adelaide and Sydney. They  apply the worm composting process to feed all their crops and promote plant health. They also sell the compost liquid brew that Mel developed to many other growers, fruit producers and market gardeners.  
 
Ashleigh Pitman, Manager, Willunga Environment Centre Inc. - www.willungaenviro.org.au
Mel Edwards on Worms

You are invited by the City of Onkaparinga to attend the Mayor’s Forum on Built Heritage

WHEN: Tuesday 30 March, 7 - 9 pm
WHERE: RSL Hall, 8 Robertson Avenue, Morphett Vale

The Forum is a chance to gain further insight into heritage conservaion and promtion, and how the state’s developent system, teh State Government, Council and our communities maage a range of heritage-related activities.

See ATTACHED invitation for more information and RSVP details.
Mayors Heritage Forum

'Australia's population - what is really sustainable?'

WHEN: Sunday 7 March, 11.00 am
WHERE: Gilles St Primary School, 92 Gilles St, Adelaide City

See ATTACHED notice.

The radical and poorly considered social and political aim of endless population growth is at last being publicly questioned by some of Australia’s leading business and community leaders. Questions are finally being asked about who is really benefitting from our perpetually sprawling cities and our having the highest growth population rate in the industrialised world, while all around us it is clear that our cities and natural resources are under serious and mounting stress.

Victorian MP Kelvin Thomson, occupying Bob Hawke’s old seat of Wills in the Federal Parliament, is a new voice against the philosophy of perpetual population growth. As one of the very few sitting politicians who has been prepared to speak out on rampant and deliberately promoted population growth, he has made a number of well publicised speeches, including in the House of Representatives, on the subject of population growth and its incompatibility with working toward a sustainable Australia. He has also published a 14-point plan indicating what he thinks Australia should do in relation to population growth including scrapping the baby bonus and reducing immigration while ensuring that the smaller intake is non-discriminatory and includes generous provision for refugees.

Kelvin is a very engaging speaker who puts his material together very well.
Kelvin Thomson talk 7Mar

James Hansen lecture – "After Copenhagen: Looking for Real Solutions "

WHEN: Thursday 11 March, 7:00pm - 9:00pm WHERE: Adelaide Convention Centre (Hall B); see map at:

See ATTACHED notice Purchase Tickets Online and view venue map at:
http://www.adelaide.edu.au/environment/event/2010/jameshansen1.html James Hansen is considered one of the world’s leading scientists on climate issues. Best known for his research in the field of climatology, a watershed testimonial to the US congress in 1988 on global warming and his advocacy to limit the impacts of climate change, James will be speaking about his new book “Storms of My Grandchildren ”, covering his views on climate change and obtaining real solutions to these problems. Don't miss this rare opportunity to hear James Hansen share his lifetime of research on climate change and have the opportunity to engage with him through audience discussion. More info about the book at:
http://www.stormsofmygrandchildren.com/
James Hansen

'Mountains' of e-waste threaten developing world: Urgent action is needed to tackle the "mountains" of e-waste building up in developing nations, says a UN report. Huge amounts of old computers and discarded electronic goods are piling up in countries such as China, India and some Africa nations, it said. Unless dealt with properly the waste could cause environmental damage and threaten public health, it said. Globally, e-waste is growing at a rate of about 40 million tonnes per year as consumers, in both developed and developing nations, buy new gadgets and discard their old ones. Read more at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8528066.stm

Plastic rubbish blights Atlantic Ocean: Scientists have discovered an area of the North Atlantic Ocean where plastic debris accumulates. The region is said to compare with the well-documented "great Pacific garbage patch". Read more at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8534052.stm

WWF Australia: WWF works to conserve Australia's plants and animals by ending land clearing and degradation, addressing climate change, and preserving and protecting fresh water, marine and land environments. The work spans the full spectrum of conservation activities - from on-ground field projects through to long-term, large-scale programs and policy formulation through to public campaigns. Learn more and subscribe to the WWF electronic newsletter “Futuremakers” at:
http://wwf.org.au/

Confused about sustainability and ecologically sustainable development?
Look no further than the Swedish scientifically authentic NATURAL STEP (TNS) approach to getting it right by principled thinking. You can find lots of information on the web now about how local governments & industry and others are actively using it overseas and here. Two well known examples of TNS projects have been Interface (office carpet tiles) and the Whistler local government (Canada) where the Games are. See:
http://thenaturalstep.org/en/canada/newsletter/.

In medicine we have a core principle: 'first do no harm'. In eco-counselling we have the same thing.  How do we achieve this? How can we start to identify Nature's bottom line? By having an agreed sustainability language, and a principled working definition of sustainability for strategic decision making. By asking three strategic questions. A safety space is defined by four 'System Conditions' or principles for Sustainability. These principles tell you very simply when you are about to violate the boundaries of a sustainability safety zone. See:
http://www.thenaturalstep.org/the-system-conditions.

TNS model goes collaboratively to our desired sustainable future and then works out how to get there from where we are now - instead of doing more of the same with a few tweaks for 'the better'.

One of our major mistakes is to violate another System Condition when we are trying to fix a different one. We have a beautiful example of this lately with the insulation project. The threats to food and water security are others. As is our permissive relationship with the development industry. And all kinds of policy building. It is a very long list with countless improvement opportunities. Experience shows that a regional or bioregional scale is the optimum for implementation, but policy needs to be set right and we are crying out for leadership!
[Dr Vanda Rounsefell PhD, MBBS]

More on the risks of digital data storage: In Britain, we have a wonderful Radio 4 series at present - A History of the World in 100 objects:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/ahistoryoftheworld/explorerflash/#/object_O7nfGEryTSGFLgOPodM4tQ

It says to me how important is a legacy of actual objects that survive time and material degradation. I wonder how computers and their digital contents will fare? So much is stored on computers that either become obselete, or may become useless if energy supplies were to fail..........!

Also, in a recent email I noted that the San Francisco Centre for the Book a offering a workshop in making hand-sewn photo albums: “Preserve your photos in a book - not a computer! Sew a hardback rounded-spine album using the instructor's signature folding method. You'll cover your album with luxurious Japanese bookcloth and make the textblock from finest-quality acid-free paper to ensure the contents will be safely stored for years to come.”
[Deb Harding]

[Thanks to John H, Vanda R, and Deb H for the links and comments.]

A young grey cat with white socks has been around my place at night for some time and, from discussions with other villagers, it seems that there are at least another two cats roaming the Village.

Villagers who own cats and dogs need to keep them contained on their lot according to our by-laws.

I have two cat traps on loan for a year (while friends are overseas) and I am happy to lend them to villagers to set in their neighbourhoods.

I will be setting one near my place and the second will initially be set in the Hakea Walk area. Any cats trapped will be taken to the RSPCA at Lonsdale.

Sue E - 8556 6441

Always Ask, Never Assume!

His request approved, the CNN News photographer quickly used a cell phone to call the local airport to charter a flight.

He was told a twin-engine plane would be waiting for him at the airport.

Arriving at the airfield, he spotted a plane warming up outside a hanger.

He jumped in with his bag, slammed the door shut, and shouted, 'Let's go'.

The pilot taxied out, swung the plane into the wind and took off.

Once in the air, the photographer instructed the pilot, 'Fly over the valley and make low passes so I can take pictures of the fires on the hillsides.'

'Why?' asked the pilot.

'Because I'm a photographer for CNN' , he responded, 'and I need to get some close up shots.'

The pilot was strangely silent for a moment, finally he stammered, 'So, what you're telling me, is . . . You're NOT my flight instructor?!’

[Thanks to Richard C for this little chuckle!]

Digital doomsday - the end of knowledge: Today we have astronomical observations made by the Babylonians 3,500 ago, surviving because they were written on stone tablets. We have knowledge undreamt of by the Babylonians, yet even as we are acquiring ever more extraordinary knowledge, we are storing it in ever more fragile and ephemeral forms. If our civilisation runs into trouble, like all others before it, how much would survive? Read more at:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20527451.300-digital-doomsday-the-end-of-knowledge.html

Jeremy Rifkin on the “third industrial revolution”: In The Empathic Civilization, Jeremy Rifkin argues that before we can save ourselves from climate change we have to break a vicious circle. Our leaders are using 18th-century ideas to address 21st-century challenges. The old “Enlightenment” view is that human beings are rational, detached agents who pursue their own self-interest; and nation states reflect that view. But how are we going to address the needs of 7 billion people and heal the biosphere if we are all agents pursuing our individual interests? New discoveries suggest that human nature might not be as the Enlightenment philosophers imagined - that we are actually wired not for autonomy but for empathy. We are a social species. Consciousness, which is wired for social engagement, has changed throughout history. Now, as communications and energy revolutions converge, the shift of consciousness boundaries is causing empathy to expand. Read more at:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20527471.700-jeremy-rifkin-the-third-industrial-revolution.html

State of Maryland takes up the Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI): For a truer measure of prosperity, the State is launching a comprehensive application of the Genuine Progress Indicator. In addition to measuring economic standard of living, GPI allows the factoring in of environmental and social costs of problems like air pollution, crime and income inequality, as well as the values of benefits like clean water, education and volunteerism. The expanded indicator will enable more informed, sustainable policy choices. Read more at:
http://www.green.maryland.gov/mdgpi/

Rocky Mountain Institute Newsletter - Keeping the Lights On While Transforming Electric Utilities: Electric utilities operate now much as they did a century ago—but the environment in which they operate is changing dramatically. Now more than ever before, utilities whose regulators reward them in the traditional way for selling more electricity risk losing revenue as customers use their electricity more efficiently. Climate change and energy security concerns, coupled with advances in disruptive technologies, may make conventional power-generating assets uncompetitive to build or even to run. A new electricity paradigm is on the horizon, based on an integrated network of energy efficiency, demand response, renewables such as solar and wind, energy storage, and distributed generation. Read more at:
http://www.rmi.org/rmi/Transforming+Electric+Utilities [If link does not work, paste the URL into your browser.]

The Seitch Blog shows how the whole USA could be powered by renewable energy:
http://www.blog.thesietch.org/2008/07/22/how-to-power-the-entire-country-with-renewable-energy-fun-with-maps-edition/

Climate scientists subjected to organised bullying: In a series of five articles published on ABC Unleashed, Clive Hamilton tracks the progress of climate denialism in Australia. He reveals how it works, who organises it, where the raw material that fuels it come from, how popular perceptions are diverging from scientific facts, and what the effects are on politics and public debate. In the first article at the following link, he begins by exposing an ugly campaign of cyber-bullying directed at leading scientists:
http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/stories/s2826189.htm

Science photo prize shows amazing ant heavyweight lift: The image shows an Asian weaver ant hanging upside down on a glass-like surface, holding a 500mg weight (100 times its body weight) in its jaws. It comes from Cambridge University research on insects' sticky feet that shows how ants change the size and shape of the pads on their feet to enable them to carry heavier loads. See image and read more at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8526086.stm

[Thanks to John H, Sharon E of ZWSA, Zero Carbon Futures, and Cruxcatalyst for the links.]

Lot 69 (21 Dianella Way) has just come onto the market for private sale (Ph: 0413 976 994) and see: http://www.aaev.net/about/sales/index.html

The 450 sqm lots are very sought after so, if you have friends or family seeking a place in the Village this could be an opportunity.

Don’t forget the Port Willy Big Swim on Sunday 14 March, 9.45 am for a 10.00 am start.

Heaps of fun. Don’t miss it! See the ATTACHED poster for details.
100118 The Big Swim

New contribution of magazines:

I have just put into the Library in Lorenzin Hall the past year's issues of 'Notebook' and 'Better Homes and Gardens' magazines.

They are good for a beach read or whiling away a hot afternoon.  Please enjoy them!

Gillian C

[To become a library ‘key club’ member and obtain a key to Lorenzin Hall requires a $5 deposit (for the key cutting). Talk to Coralie Dutka, 15 Yacca Way.]

New book:

The Library now has a copy of “Growing Community: Starting and Nurturing Community Gardens” by Claire Nettle. It has been donated by the author via Steve P. You can borrow it from the Reference Section of the Library (which is still housed at 14 Hakea Walk).

Community Information Sessions

WHEN: Wednesday 10 March
WHERE: Council Offices, Noarlunga

Please come along and share your ideas and thoughts on the following projects

6:30pm Energy Futures
Energy Futures is a new strategy that will focus on the role of council in ensuring energy security for our city.

8:00pm Community Owned Renewable Energy (CORE)
The CORE project seeks to support the uptake of renewable energy by the community within the City of Onkaparinga.

To RSVP and for more information, see the ATTACHED poster.
Info night poster

APC10 IS ON!

This year, Permaculture Cairns is honoured to host the Tenth Australasian Permaculture Convergence (APC10) in beautiful Kuranda in Australia’s Tropical Far North Queensland.

We are so excited to be able to put on this mighty event.

Read our ATTACHED update and check out the website at http://www.apc10.org

Blessings from the APC10 Team.
APC10 Update

The State Government has decided to end the one-way regime of the Southern Expressway and duplicate it so that traffic can flow both ways, simultaneously.

Mr Rann says the duplication will ensure the city’s growth in the south is sustainable and that people living in southern Adelaide have improved access to employment, education, shopping and community facilities. See the ATTACHED Press Release:
southern expressway

The release has had a mixed reception - welcomed by the Real Estate Institute (“property prices to boom”) but ridiculed by the Greens (“wrong approach”). See the ATTACHED from ‘Adelaide Now’:
Expressway duplication

Robert Brokenshire MLC for the Family First Party continues his campaign to protect the Willunga Basin from inappropriate development through legislation. ATTACHED for information is his recent (16 February) letter to Leon Bignell MP Member for Mawson:
100216 Brokenshire letter

Food labelling petitions: GM Food and Raw Milk
Would you like to know if the food you are eating in genetically modified? Food labelling laws in Australia are about to change, but the government currently has no plans to include this important consumer information. Sign the petition at:
http://www.healthpetitions.com.au/better-food-labelling-system/petition/ref/8480   
Many would like raw (unpasteurised) milk freely available for human consumption as it has so many health benefits. Currently, it can only legally be used for making specialty cheeses. Now, this too is under threat. This petition is to allow artisan cheese makers to continue with their craft, and to protect our right to make the choice ourselves:
http://slowfoodaustralia.com.au/projects/australia/raw-milk-cheese/

New Book - Out of the Scientist's Garden - A Story of Water and Food: Author Richard Stirzaker writes for anyone who wants to understand food and water a little better - for those growing vegetables in a garden, food in a subsistence plot or crops on vast irrigated plains. It is also for anyone who has never grown anything before but has wondered how we will feed a growing population in a world of shrinking resources:
http://www.publish.csiro.au/nid/21/pid/6181.htm
Listen to Richard Stirzaker interviewed on ABC Radio National about his book:
http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2010/02/10/2815266.htm?site=canberra

Nine Meals from Anarchy - Oil dependence, climate change and the transition to resilience: A reflection on the vulnerability of our oil-dependent society and recommendations about how we might rebuild resilience. Imagine that the the petrol stations ran dry. The trucks would stop rolling. The supermarket shelves would be bare within three days. We would be nine meals away from anarchy. Read more at:
http://www.neweconomics.org/publications/nine-meals-anarchy

UK Business calls for urgent action on Peak Oil: The second report of the UK Industry Taskforce on Peak Oil and Energy Security (ITPOES) finds that oil shortages, insecurity of supply and price volatility will destabilise economic, political and social activity potentially by 2015. Read more at:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2010/02/business-calls-for-urgent-action-on-oil.html

2010 Intergenerational Report: The third Intergenerational Report was released recently by the Commonwealth Treasury, following on from versions released in 2007 and 2002. Discussion of sustainability related issues appears to be increasing, and for the first time issues of the requirements and spatial organisation of our cities come onto the agenda. See:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2010/02/2010-intergenerational-report.html

Australia's Local Hero 2010: Ronni Kahn, Food rescuer, is the founder of OzHarvest, a service that collects and delivers surplus food to charities. She originally ran an events business and was horrified by the amount of left over food that was thrown out. She began driving it to a hostel rather than let it go to waste. But she knew there was much more that could be done, and in 2004, OzHarvest was born. Five years later OzHarvest has over 600 food donors and delivers more than 110,000 meals each month to 163 charities in Sydney, Canberra and Wollongong. Read more and check Ronni’s video clip at:
http://www.australianoftheyear.org.au/recipients/?m=ronni-kahn-2010

Paul Hawken's Winning Investment Strategy: If you believe that companies committed to socially and environmentally sound practices will outperform others in the long run, then you would expect so-called socially responsible investment (SRI) funds to deliver superior returns. The trouble is, they don’t! Sustainability author Paul Hawken has been vocal in his critique of the SRI establishment, and since 2005 has put his money where his mouth is, overseeing creation of Highwater Global Fund, which invests in companies "that have a clear sense of current global trends and future societal needs." His results have been impressive. Since inception in the fall of 2005, Highwater is up by a total of 52.55 percent. Read more at:
http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2010/02/11/paul-hawkens-winning-investment-strategy

An invitation to all AAEV complementary health workers:

(massage, reflexologists, kinesiologists, homeopaths, counsellors, bioresonance therapists, yoga/meditation practitioners, and anyone I’ve forgotten)

to gather for nurturing, support and networking on a regular basis at All About Health rooms - potentially on a Tuesday evening from 7.30 to 9pm approximately 6 weekly.
 
We are blessed to have an abundance of healing hands and minds in the village and I thought it would be a wonderful opportunity to share and care for each other………….a feel good evening to recharge our own batteries!

Whether it be guided meditation, discussions over a cuppa about common health issues, self care techniques, or sharing techniques with each other.  We could even invite guest speakers or you might like to address the group regarding your area of specialty or interest.
 
Expressions of interest or subjects for inclusion asap by email to Leonie Hick
RSVP before Tuesday March 2nd.

All going well I propose our first get together Tuesday 9 March at 13 Hakea Walk.

Yours in health - Leonie

Do you have an excess of kale? I need leaves for green smoothies and my plants are all bare.

If you have some I can pick, please call Kat on 8556 5855

Greetings to all Ecovillagers

I want to put out on the Village networks that I am renting my 2-br cottage: Cottage 6 of the new Cottages development at the Village entrance. It’s in the northern row of cottages nearest the rest of the Village. I am initially renting for a year. It is very likely that I will stay longer in NZ in which case a longer rental may be possible...or I may choose to sell in which case the tenant would have first option. Rental is around 230 per week.

It would be great to get someone in who really enjoys and wants to participate in village life.
Suit couple or single. There is great solidarity amongst cottagers so the tenant would be stepping into a supportive milieu within the wider community.

For those interested, please contact Sharon, at Century 21 on 8556 6001 or 0438 008 072 email: rentals@century21southcoast.com.au

Be quick because this will be out on all the rental publicity sites!

Happy Chinese new year - Rachel Morgan

Politics can turn up some strange terminology. Did you ever hear of a “Post Turtle”?
No? Then check out the ATTACHMENT:

Post Turtle

[Thanks to Steve P for sharing a laugh.]

An organic community transformation: Writing for Toronto’s ‘Spacing’, Joe Clement shares a genuine community-building super story: the organic transformation of the city street he grew up on into a robust gardening district. Clement himself got the ball rolling. As a young gardener who quickly “outgrew” his parents’ yard, he began asking neighbors if he could help them convert their front lawns into cultivated spaces. What happened over the next 20 years ought to inspire novice and pro gardeners alike. Read more at:
http://www.utne.com/Environment/Cultivating-Community-Gardening-6561.aspx

Graham Brookman on ‘Food for the Future’: A thought provoking and amusing presentation from the launch of the recent Food Convergence, 'From Plains to Plate’, held in Adelaide on 10 February. This video lecture explores the challenge facing global food security and proposes a model for urban design which provides efficient public transport, closes a city's nutrient and water cycles and reclaims some of the city's public land for food growing. See:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2010/02/food-for-future.html

Jamie Oliver’s wish - Teach every child about food: Hot off the press, TED 2010 Prizewinner Jamie Oliver delivered this excellent, hard-hitting talk in California on 10 February - just try not to be moved by his passion! He is very emotional and makes a compelling case for action with some practical ideas that are soooo cheap compared to the cost of inaction. See:
http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html

Childhood obesity - a warning to parents: The "tipping point" that sets children on the way to a lifetime of obesity often occurs before the age of two, say US researchers. Read more at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8512102.stm
Full-time care by grandparents can boost obesity risk: Sounds like “spoiling” of children by grandparents is a bigger worry than we thought!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8513112.stm

Work week of the future - 21 hours: A shorter working week is set to become the new norm, according to the New Economics Foundation, and this can be seen as a positive opportunity rather than a threat. Several forces are involved:  lasting damage to the economy caused by the banking crisis, an increasingly divided society with too much over-work alongside too much unemployment, and an urgent need for deep cuts in environmentally damaging over-consumption. These combine with a growing interest in people spending more time producing and delivering a share of their own goods and services. Read more at:
http://www.neweconomics.org/press-releases/shorter-working-week-soon-inevitable-forecasts-think-tank130210

Culturally Speaking: Individualism-Collectivism: An interesting video clip comparing individualist and collectivist cultures. See:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uFa0hBPqOY

The population debate gets personal - with endangered species condoms: The Center for Biological Diversity is distributing 100,000 free Endangered Species Condoms across the USA to highlight how unsustainable human population growth is driving species extinct at a cataclysmic rate. To help people understand the impact of overpopulation on other species, and to give them a chance to take action in their own life, the Center is distributing free packets of Endangered Species Condoms depicting, with humorous slogans, six separate endangered species. Read more at:
http://www.endangeredspeciescondoms.com/

Items from the anti-nuclear front: Video of the recent expert-panel debate at the University of Adelaide - “Should nuclear power be a response to climate change?
http://bit.ly/duN6ev
People for a Nuclear Free Australia (PNFA):
http://www.pnfa.com.au/
Anti-nuclear ad which PNFA is seeking to re-publish:
Anti-nuclear ad


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

The Un-Six Million Dollar Man: Austrian millionaire Karl Rabeder wants to give away everything he owns. And he means everything, He’s actively in the process of divesting himself of over $6 million dollars of his wealth and has a huge happy smile on his face. Admirable - of course, with some exceptions, its often the case that people only get to this point after they have attained the opulent lifestyle! Read more at:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2010/02/un-six-million-dollar-man.html

Eating is Mother Nature's “chemo”: Cabernet and chocolate are potent medicine for killing cancer, according to research presented in the US. Red grapes and dark chocolate join blueberries, garlic, soy, and teas as ingredients that starve cancer while feeding bodies, Angiogenesis Foundation head William Li said at the Technology, Entertainment and Design  Conference in Long Beach, California, "We are rating foods based on their cancer-fighting qualities.” "What we eat is really our chemotherapy three times a day." Read more at:
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/breaking-news/eating-is-mother-natures-chemo-study/story-e6frea73-1225829219308

Collecting excess food to feed those in need: OzHarvest is a non-denominational charity that rescues excess food which would otherwise be discarded. This excess food is distributed to charities supporting the vulnerable in Sydney and Canberra. OzHarvest believes that good food should not go to waste. In fact, by distributing it to those in need, this potential waste is converted to a resource, preventing thousands of kilograms of food from being dumped as landfill each year. Read more at:
http://www.ozharvest.org/

Slowly the “thought police” are killing democracy - yes, even here in Australia: Be concerned at the trend. Read more at:
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/menace-in-mad-marchbrof-the-thought-police/story-e6frg6zo-1225828481935

[Thanks to John H, Cruxcatalyst, and Sharon Ede of Zero Waste SA for the links.]

Due a great response we will be starting up the Village Playgroup for our under school-aged villagers!

It will be held on Fridays from 9am at the Sharing Shed.

If people could bring a piece of fruit to share and maybe an outside toy such as a ball, bike etc (preferably something not precious that will be happily be shared). We can discuss how we would like to see the future of the playgroup from there. Look forward to seeing all the Mums / Dads / Grandparents and little ones!

Any questions - please ring Lucy C on 0402 008 038 or email

Hi everyone,

Let’s start recycling our aluminium foil and food containers rather than putting them into the general waste stream.

Please put suitable items (see below) into the green bin with black lid labelled “Aluminium” in my carport. I will pass them on to Chas Martin who is running a collection scheme.

Below is a message from Chas that explains why and what to recycle this way.

Sue Eltahir - 24 Dianella Way - 8556 6441

Chas writes:
I have been collecting aluminium materials for fundraising for Friends of Willunga Basin (F.O.W.B.) for 3 years now for the following reasons: Although aluminium is a very energy intensive material to produce, it is not covered by kerbside recycling unless it is a container deposit item, so if it goes to landfill there is a lot of energy wasted. The embodied energy in a 5 gram meat pie dish is 1⁄4 of a killowatt hour. The electricity taken to produce 1 killogram of aluminium from ore is of the order of 50 killowatt hours, but it takes less than 10% of that to recycle aluminium.

The price of salvaged aluminium is low because of the outrageous subsidies via super low electricity prices to aluminium refiners. I feel that by recycling our aluminium we can highlight the issues involved, minimize our own carbon footprint from using this material and make a bit of income for community groups.

The photo below shows some of the items which are suitable. As a general guide if you scrunch it up and it holds the crumpled state it is suitable. If it mostly bounces back it is probably a plastic and unsuitable. Whilst recycling aluminium is good, reducing its use where possible is even better.

Remember it takes approximately one whole unit of electricity (1Kg carbon emission) to produce the aluminium for the takeaway dinner containers for one person for one meal if it is produced from alumina. Put another way, if you have a 1 Killowatt solar array feeding into the grid, those containers take equivalent to about 1/6 of your daily electricity output. Aluminium is extremely undervalued if we consider the very high energy cost (i.e., fossil carbon release) per kg to produce it. A carbon tax would give it its proper value and dramatically increase recycling rates.


Examples: Pie plate, food tray, coffee tin sealer, tops of yoghurt containers, chocolate wrappers, small bottle caps

It has been noted by a number of villagers that the “Swap Table” near the mailboxes is not working the way it was intended. Most produce items are ruined by the sun before being picked up by others, and the table has become a general dumping place for big stacks of mail items intended to go one-each to all community members.

Rather than leaving your produce on the table to desiccate in the sun, why not take it to any / all of the social activities, committee meetings and other village groups you attend. That way, you can rescue and redirect it if it is not needed by others. If you are not attending such groups, why not pass it over to a neighbour who is.

This Friday there is a social / shared meal at the Sharing Shed so produce for swapping could be put on one of the tables in the Shed during the event.

Sue E and Elizabeth H

Can you believe that this photo (below) is of Port Willunga Jetty?  It is an undated photograph that I found on the City of Onkaparinga library website where they are progressively digitising all old photos of the council area.  There are some fascinating pictures of the Onkaparinga River in flood and families on ‘our’ beach  wearing clothes that I am glad are not required any more! See: http://www.onkaparingacity.com/libraries/localstudies/index.asp

Jenni M

Australia to be hot, dry and crowded: Can there be too many Australians? A Treasury report published on February 1st announces an even bigger challenge for the Australian economy than the recent financial crisis: a population explosion. Australia’s Prime Minister Rudd has said he believes in "a big Australia". Some experts, however, argue that the environmental costs of a big Australia are an even bigger worry than the fiscal ones. Ken Henry, the head of the Treasury, questions the capacity of a country as hot and dry as Australia to sustain so many people. He is also pessimistic about the prospects for biodiversity. Read more at:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2010/02/hot-dry-and-crowded-australias.html

Forget Dollars, We’ll Take Your Potomacs: 'More and more, people want to know how much of their money falls into the hands of polluters, criminals, foreigners, and bailed-out bank and auto execs. Use of local currencies eliminates most if not all of these concerns. Read more at:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2010/02/forget-dollars-well-take-your-potomacs.html

Cell Phones are the Cigarettes of the 21st Century (8 min video): What do cigarettes and cell phones have in common? Apparently, some very nasty health effects. Read more at:
http://emf.mercola.com/sites/emf/archive/2010/02/04/cell-phones-are-the-cigarettes-of-the-21st-century.aspx OR http://tinyurl.com/yl4cpgq

Cap and Trade is not the answer to reducing CO2 emissions: If you are confused about the whole cap-and-trade issue, you might want to look at these sites / videos:
The Story of Cap and Trade (8 min video) from the makers of “The Story of Stuff”:
http://storyofstuff.com/capandtrade/
Why the proposed Australian CPRS won't reduce emissions (3 min video):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=He5FN3IPA58
What a C.R.O.C from FOE USA (2 min video):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7RU6_WCF94

Never Mind Peak Oil, When Do We Get To Peak Sleep? Are you deliberately or inadvertantly sleep deprived? You are not alone! Read more at:
http://postgrowth.org/peak-sleep

Why Costa Rica scores well on the “happiness index”: Green and happy - whatever the outcome of the current presidential elections, the country will continue to break the mould.
Central America is a region still associated with coups and civil strife, but Costa Rica has no army. It was abolished in 1949. Successive governments have poured money into books, not bullets. Not even the recent threat of the Mexican drugs war spilling over has led to calls for the army's return. It was also the first developing country to state its aim of being carbon neutral (by 2021), in part through the mass planting of trees. Read more at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8498456.stm

Galapagos sea lions migrate to Peru: A colony of sea lions endemic to the Galapagos Islands have moved 1,500km away to northern Peru because of rising temperatures. Read more at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8503397.stm

Ecological debt in Africa: For centuries, richer countries have imported resources from Africa to support expansive economic growth and increasing levels of consumption. But the African continent, rather than Europe, will suffer the impacts of the resulting ‘ecological debt’, says Andrew Simms of the new economics foundation. Read more at:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2010/02/ecological-debt-in-africa.html

Findhorn Foundation College Newsletter - February 2010:
http://www.findhorncollege.org/newsletters/100203.php

[Thanks to Vanda R, John H, Sharon Ede of ZWSA, and Cruxcatalyst for the links.]

Some of you may or may not know that I have been really unwell for over 5 months now. I have been unable to work, shop, drive etc. I have always been a pretty fit and healthy person so it is a major challenge to cope with being so unhealthy while raising 2 kids and the rest of life.

My somewhat vague diagnosis to date is that I have been hit hard by a virus. I have had numerous tests with no clear outcomes until today when a naturopath discovered dangerously high levels of Fertilizers and Pestisides, predominantly Glyphosate (Round Up), in my system.

Some of this could be from vineyard spraying, but as my levels are so high it is more likely closer to home. The toxicity of Glyphosate is contributing to keeping me really sick and probably other people as well. Sprays affect us seriously when used within a 10 km radius.

I never realised just how serious this was.

I urge the Aldinga Arts EcoVillage, that’s us folks, to cease using toxic chemicals.

Please stop using Round Up.

I want to live in a place that doesn’t make me sick and is responsible towards other people and our environment.

Love and light - Kat Worth - 8556 5855

Hi all,

See photos (at the link below) of our new yacht ‘Jedda’ bought together with our Village friends Peter and Jayne.

It is a Hereschoff H28 (28 feet or 8.5 metres long), has a timber hull (Karri - a Western Australian hardwood), and was built in 1959 in WA. We will be busy renovating it for some
time yet, but is already sea worthy as we have recaulked and painted its hull. It is now in a
marina at Glenelg - and we are excited!!

Cheers Tony and Franka
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=frankatony&target=ALBUM&id=5433528851089177953&authkey=
Gv1sRgCPzlvY6e1uv5Qw&feat=email

While many were disappointed by the failure of our leaders to signup to an ambitious and binding accord in Copenhagen, it’s good to see one Australian community demonstrating real leadership. Hepburn Wind - a community wind-power project - has placed an order with REpower Systems AG of Germany for the supply and installation of two MM82 turbines. Read more in the ATTACHED news sheet.
Hepburn Wind News

Return of the scythe: An old country skill is undergoing a mini-revival as people become more aware of the impost of fossil fuel use, the efficiency of this old technology for small holdings, and the pleasure of working physically without noise. Scythes and the relevant training are now available in the UK and Europe. (Our Farm would be an appropriate size for a local revival!) See: http://www.thescytheshop.co.uk/

‘Hybrid’ ecovillage takes shape near Canberra: Sun Village appears to be a co-housing development but heavily developer driven. See link and ATTACHMENT:
http://www.aspectresidences.com.au
Integrated EcoVillages Newsletter

Imbolc Cross Quarter Newsletter from the Internet School of Architecture: Including some pics of innovative building projects and information to download:
http://www.livingarchitecturecentre.com/?p=1600

Purslane - a highly beneficial but neglected herb: Wild purslane (Portulaca oleracea) which most consider a weed is actually a green vegetable with the highest amount of heart-healthy omega 3-fatty acids of any green. Purslane is also used extensively in Chinese Medicine. Pretty too - even if it is technically a ‘weed’. Read more at:
http://www.naturalnews.com/027998_purslane_omega-3s.html and see pics at:
http://weeds.cropsci.illinois.edu/images/Purslane/images/Purslane 1.jpg
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/plantanswers/98promotions/april/purslane12.jpeg

The latest issue - No. 70 - of Eco News from Eco Voice is now posted at:
http://www.ecovoice.com.au/

GetUp goes after Tony Abbotts climate policy response: Get up says “it’s as bad as you'd expect from a man who infamously said that climate change is "absolute crap”! Abbott’s policy is to pursue the same meagre 5% by 2020 emissions reduction target as Kevin Rudd, but with taxpayers rather than polluters footing the bill.” Have your say at:
http://www.getup.org.au/campaign/message_writ_large

Vegetative state patients can respond to questions: Scientists have been able to reach into the mind of a brain-damaged man and communicate with his thoughts. This is bound to change the way doctors approach brain-damaged patients! Read more at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8497148.stm

[Thanks to Deb H, Vanda R, Steve P, Judy Dispain, John H, EcoVoice and GetUp for the links.]

I am wondering if anyone is interested in getting together to meditate on a weekly or fortnightly basis. Tentative time, 5-6pm on a Tuesday evening.
 
Please could you call me if you are interested.
 
Sue Gebhardt  -  8556 6717

Hi everyone,

If you are a keen veggie gardener, you might be interested in the ATTACHED planting guided from the Royston Park – Marden Community Group in Adelaide (kindly sent on to us by Malcolm Dispain).

Our soil, rainfall and wind conditions are a bit harsher here at Aldinga than in central Adelaide but the guide is great for ideas about what to try when.

Elizabeth H.
Veg Planting Guide

Loosely Broadway - a Musical Review

An exciting journey of nostalgia celebrating nearly 80 years of wonderful uplifting fun and memorable numbers from many of the Broadway shows.

Seven shows only between 19 and 27 March, to be presented at Port Noarlunga.

See Notice / Flier / Booking Form ATTACHED
Loosely Broadway

Hi everyone,
 
See below and ATTACHED. I believe this would be a great course. I have worked with James on a course in Victoria before and he is a great Teacher and was just so inspiring.
 
Regards - Steve Poole

Earth Plastering Intensive
April 10 – 14  -  Castlemaine Victoria
Instructor:  James Henderson
 
A five day course covering the basic skills and techniques of earthen plastering.  Earthen plastering or rendering is a term used for clay-based plasters.  This course will cover all aspects of clay-based plaster, clay based paints and move onto lime based plasters.  Along the way participants will learn how to refine the basic materials, apply plasters, use pigments, create relief work, fresco and polish plaster. See ATTACHED outline.
Earth Plastering

The African Community Organisation of SA invites you to:

The African Twilight Market

WHEN: EVERY Friday evening, 6pm – 9:30pm from THIS Friday during daylight saving
WHERE: Prospect Plaza on Prospect Road (between Prospect Council Chambers & Cibos)

See flyer ATTACHED.

Come and be a part of a vibrant, energetic celebration of African culture! This open air market offers you a taste of Africa, selling a diverse range of African products, including:
African arts and crafts, African jewellery and accessories, African food and drinks, African clothing and materials, African instruments, African hair products, Henna painting with traditional African designs.
African Twilight Market

LED light technology is starting to look good! It could be time to retrofit this new long-life, super-low energy solution with no mercury content to complicate recycling:
http://brightgreen.net.au/index.php

Meet the Helpsters: An interesting piece on the evolution of gentrification in Brooklyn, how hipsters are becoming 'helpsters' and "formerly self-obsessed interlopers are giving up coke binges for seed bombs:
http://www.nypress.com/article-20847-meet-the-helpsters.html

The emerging trend to re-create economics: Rebuilding a socially useful financial system requires a fundamental rethink of our relationship with money. These two sites show the progress of thinking in this area:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2010/01/best-things-in-life-are-free.html
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2010/01/how-to-share-worlds-resources-proposal.html
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2010/01/growth-is-goodisnt-it.html

The Awesome Duty of Librarians: How secure is our civilization’s accumulated knowledge? Much less secure than we imagine thanks to the prevalence of digitisation. Preservation of digitized knowledge can become a problem simply because of obsolescence. Think of the billions of floppy disks manufactured and encoded during the years between 1980 and 2000: few of us still have working computers capable of retrieving the data on those disks. But even this is not the point of greatest vulnerability. Ultimately the entire project of digitized cultural preservation depends on one thing: electricity. As soon as the power goes off, access to the Internet goes down. CDs and DVDs become meaningless plastic disks; e-books become inscrutable and useless; digital archives become as illegible as cuneiform tablets—or more so. Altogether, digitization represents a huge bet on society’s ability to keep the lights on forever. Read more at:
http://heinberg.wordpress.com/2009/10/06/209-our-evanescent-culture-and-the-awesome-duty-of-librarians/

The depressing story of post-consumer waste: The slums of Accra in Ghana are being used as a dumping ground for Western consumer waste, including toxic electrical components. It should make us think really hard before we buy and later discard “stuff”. Be revolted at:
http://www.theecologist.org/blogs_and_comments/bloggers/atlantic_rising/405746/
atlantic_rising_ghanas_slums_recycle_western_waste.html

A future source of cheap energy? Some interesting progress in laser fusion technology:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8485669.stm

[Thanks to Ellie & Bert, John H, and Cruxcatalyst for the links.]

ATTACHED is the latest newsletter from the local environmental action group, Friends of Willunga Basin (FOWB). New members are always welcome.
100128 FOWB Newsletter

Ever had a speeding fine? If so, you will love this one - very nearly a bit of exquisite revenge!

[Thanks to Hugh R for sending it in.]

Top this speeding ticket

Economic growth cannot continue! Continuing global economic growth "is not possible" if nations are to tackle climate change, a report by an environmental think-tank has warned.
The New Economics Foundation (Nef) said "unprecedented and probably impossible" carbon reductions would be needed to hold temperature rises below 2C (3.6F). Read more at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8478770.stm

The impossible hamster - crazy consumption and really gross domestic product! If you think the above article is a bit dry, check out this brilliant, quirky way of making the same point. It gets a complex message across in simple terms - with a funny element:
http://www.impossiblehamster.org/

Stop population growth, says Dick Smith in The Advertiser of January 25:
Plans to massively boost Australia's population are a bad idea and must be stopped, entrepreneur Dick Smith says, even if that means limiting women to two babies. Mr Smith says the Federal Government’s plan for a "big Australia" is ridiculous. Read more at:
http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,26631970-5007380,00.html

Social Change 2.0 - a six-part series on Huffington Post: Author David Gershon is pleased to announce a 6-part weekly series on Huffington Post entitled: "Empowering a Climate Change Movement: Low Carbon Diet and the Cool Community." It is based on chapter 11 of his book -Social Change 2.0: A Blueprint for Reinventing Our World. The series is attempting to build new momentum for the climate change movement. Here is the first article:
www.huffingtonpost.com/david-gershon/empowering-a-climate-chan_b_434874.html

Latest newsletter from Sydney Coastal Ecovillage (SCEV):
http://scev.org/january-2010-newsletter

All You Need is Love: 156 Nations sing together to raise awareness of AIDS in Africa. Wouldn’t it be great if cooperation like this could apply well beyond singing!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nh7D2g5v-Sg

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

ATTACHED is a flyer for a Fringe show - ‘Ekata’ - which may be of interest to some villagers...  it's a dance and music performance and I'm one of the four musicians, plus another local musician Stuart Haines from Willunga is also in it...

Regards - Maarten R.
Ekata Flyer

Here’s a close-by source of honey, olive oil, and various fruits in season (recommended by satisfied villagers):

How about this Irish Traffic light!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FNbSTemxqs&feature=player_embedded

Untidy beds may keep us healthy! Failing to make your bed in the morning may actually help keep you healthy, scientists believe. Research suggests that while an unmade bed may look scruffy it is also unappealing to house dust mites thought to cause asthma and other allergies. What a great excuse! Read more at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4181629.stm

Seed Savers’ Foundation and Network: The Seed Savers Foundation is a registered charity that fosters fruit and vegetable seed exchanges in twenty countries. It manages eighty local seed networks around Australia. It is associated with the 24 year old Seed Savers’ Network based in Byron Bay, Australia. Find out more at: 
http://www.seedsavers.net/
 
The concept of “Deep Walkability”: Walkability is clearly critical to bright green cities. You can't advocate for car-free or car-sharing lives if people need cars to get around, and the enticement to walk is key to making density wonderful, to providing realistic transit options, to making smaller greener homes compelling. So knowing how to define "walkable" is important. The big thing I think, is a quality critical to the actual experience of walkability, and that's the extent to which the place in which you live is connected (by walking routes and easy transit) to other places worth walking to. Read more at:
http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/010931.html

Info-Activism: Using Technology For Social Change: What do local government corruption in India, bloated EU farm subsidies and police backhanders in Morocco have in common? They have all been targeted by a new generation of info-activists - using new technologies to force social change. Their stories are told by “10 Tactics” - a documentary produced by the Tactical Technology Collective, so far screened in 16 countries. Read more at:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2010/01/info-activism-using-technology-for.html

London’s Olympic Stadium to Be Made Out of Recycled Guns and Knives : London is already ramping up construction plans for the 2012 Olympics. And guess what - the super sustainable Olympic Stadium currently being built there is going to be made out of recycled guns and knives! That’s right, confiscated weapons from the Metropolitan Police Department are being melted down into scrap metal and used to help build the stadium. That’s an anti-weapons and recycling program all rolled into one! Read more at:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2010/01/londons-olympic-stadium-to-be-made-out.html

Perth’s unique new Greenhouse’ bar is meeting with residents’ approval. Not only is the garden and bar made entirely from recycled and recyclable materials, with floors made of recycled car tyres, furniture crafted from packing crates and retired road signs and old wire twisted into new lampshades, Greenhouse is good enough to eat - literally. The exterior walls host 4,000 pots planted with cascading strawberries, and the rooftop garden grows many of the herbs, fruit and vegetables that the European-style bar uses in its menu. Food scraps are fed back into the garden's worm farm, and there are even plans to start a beehive, which will produce the honey used in the Greenhouse's dishes. Read more at:
http://www.gmagazine.com.au/news/1789/perth-cbd-good-enough-eat

A brilliant way of visually representing how your 'stuff' owns you! The site demonstrates a graphic demonstration of how long you have to work each month for the “stuff” that owns you. Generating your own graphic is very simple and takes just a few minutes. All you need to know is your annual salary and how much you pay every month on each individual bill. See:
http://steadfastfinances.com/blog/2009/12/16/visualizing-how-your-stuff-owns-you/

Why We Need a Cultural Revolution in Consumption: '"It's no longer enough to change our light bulbs. We need to change our culture." So says Erik Assadourian, senior researcher at the Worldwatch Institute and project director of a provocative and timely new book called 2010 State of the World: Transforming Cultures from Consumerism to Sustainability. Its argument is simple: The most important driver of the world's ecological crises, including climate change, is not venal oil or coal companies or indifferent politicians but western consumer culture - that is, us. Read more at:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2010/01/why-we-need-cultural-revolution-in.html

Thanks to Steve P, John H, and Cruxcatalyst for the links.]

Here’s an antidote to the last Feed’s “Lesson in humility” - enjoy!

http://dingo.care2.com/cards/flash/5409/galaxy.swf

[Thanks to John H for the link.]

TED - Riveting talks by remarkable people - inspiring and creative ideas:
http://www.ted.com/
and check the following few examples among many:
http://www.ted.com/talks/robert_sapolsky_the_uniqueness_of_humans.html
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/dan_pink_on_motivation.html
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/rory_sutherland_life_lessons_from_an_ad_man.html

Urban and rooftop farming: More links illustrating the rise of creative urban horticulture:
The rooftops of New York City could feed 20 million:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2010/01/study-finds-that-14000-acres-of.html
Harrods of London sells vegetables off the roof:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2010/01/harrods-of-london-set-up-productive.html
South Africa invests in urban farming:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2010/01/south-africa-invests-in-urban-farming.html

The Immobility of the Traffic Commons: Interesting that its driver frustration over wasted time and costs rather than greenhouse emissions that is - pardon the pun - the driving factor getting people out of their cars... 'The car promised mobility, and in a largely rural United States it delivered. But with four out of five Americans now living in cities, the growth in urban car numbers at some point provides just the opposite: immobility.' (Sounds like this applies to Australia as well. Read more at:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2010/01/immobility-of-traffic-commons.html

‘Post Growth’ - New blog site: Post Growth is a blog about ditching “bigger” for “better.” It turns out that economic growth and human prosperity aren’t one and the same – and too much growth can harm both our societies and the planet’s support systems. So let’s move beyond growth and find a better alternative: a sustainable economy whose purpose is something greater – like the well-being of people and nature. Read more at:
http://postgrowth.org/

[Thanks to Scott J and Cruxcatalyst for the links.]

Every Tuesday morning I go for a beautiful bike ride, leaving from outside my house (3 Clematis Walk) at 7am.  I generally go along the Esplanade to Aldinga Beach Boat Ramp (12km return) then on to Silver Sands Boat Ramp (about 18km return total).

I then usually go up Norman Road, onto Justs Road to the top at South Road (another 7km?) which is a slightly more challenging ride but do-able if you have reasonable bike experience. Total ride about 25km.

I'd love to open the ride to anyone who wants to join in.  It's for FUN - not a race and all abilities are welcome.  You can go as far as you want and as fast as you want - not a competition. I just want to encourage people to 'get on their bikes'!  We have such a beautiful area here for riding and there is hardly any traffic.

I know from experience how much more attractive exercising can be in a group!

So, I'll be outside my house, leaving at 7am sharp every Tuesday.  If it's forecast to be over 35 degrees that day, I'll leave at 6.30am sharp.  If it's very windy or wet, I'll be staying in bed with a nice cup of tea!  You're welcome to still use my driveway as a hopeful meeting point on the inclement days if you're made of keener material than me!

See ya next Tuesday!

Any queries, contact me on 8556 6459 (not at 7am though - rest of household
would not thank you for it!) or email

The 6th Annual Port Willy Big Swim will be held on Sunday 14th March

9.45 am for a 10.00 am start
Port Willunga Jetty to Lion’s Head (approx 600m)

See ATTACHED flyer.

Swim, half-swim, paddle, surf ski, row, walk - your choice - there are no rules; it’s just for fun and all levels are welcome. The aim is to have fun and get together – don’t take it too seriously!

Stay for a while afterwards for a cool drink etc (BYO) at the gazebo to the south of the Star of Greece and enjoy the moment!

Need any more info? Call Jacqui Good on 0412 182 365 or 8556 6459
The Big Swim

Feeling important? Convinced of your crucial place in the grand scheme of things? Believing that human society sits at the peak of universal relevance? Well - here’s something to think about:
Lesson in humility
[Thanks to Vanda R for this useful ‘deflator’!]

Apocalypse - No!: Lord Christopher Monckton on the Scientific Reasons Why Global Warming is Not a Global Crisis: It seems that so many of those pushing 'global warming' are largely doing it to impose another tax, but can we differentiate between political propaganda and scientific fact? Certainly the climate is changing, but how and why? Of course mankinds' reckless burning of fossil fuel, and the industrial activity that goes with excessive consumerism, must be to some degree a factor in climate evolution - but to what degree? And no-one can be sure that rising CO2 in the atmosphere, precedes or follows a change in climate. For those who are concerned enough to carefully examine the evidence, this 80-minute video is an important part of the evidence against a current crisis:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5206383248165214524#

Hospital cleaners worth more than city bankers: Pay matters, but to what extent does what we get paid equate with ‘worth’? Do those that get more contribute more to society? A new report from the New Economics Foundation (nef) examines high and low paid jobs from across the private and public sectors for the contributions they make to society, and finds that, in this case, it is the lower paid jobs which involve more valuable work. The report goes on to challenge myths around pay and work: People who earn more don't necessarily work harder than those who earn less. The private sector is not necessarily more efficient than the public sector. And high salaries don't necessarily reflect talent. The report offers a series of policy recommendations that would reduce the inequality between different incomes and reconnect salaries with the real value of work. You can download the report “A Bit Rich: Calculating the real value to society of different professions” [PDF; 922 KB] at:
http://www.neweconomics.org/publications/bit-rich

Economic Growth a ‘False God’: Political fixation on growing the economy is becoming a 'false god' according to Lord Turner, chair of both the Financial Services Authority and UK government's Committee on Climate Change. Not only is pursuing economic growth at all costs damaging the climate, it isn’t doing us much good either. All the evidence shows that beyond the sort of standard of living which Britain has now achieved, extra growth does not automatically translate into human welfare and happiness, and much of the work done by the financial sector is 'socially useless'. Read more at:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2010/01/economic-growth-false-god-uk-financial.html

Biodiversity crucial to the lives of billions: Ecosystems are buffering humanity against the worst impacts of global warming and also alleviating poverty, says United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The continued loss of animal and plant species, and ecosystems such as forests and coral reefs, is causing poverty as well as environmental damage. So why are we undermining our very life support systems as if we believe this is normal behaviour? Read more at: http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2010/01/biodiversity-crucial-to-lives-of.html

[Thanks to Hugh R and Cruxcatalyst for the links.]

The Reference Section of the Village Library, which includes: sustainable building, organic & biodynamic gardening, Permaculture, plant and bird identification, community building, etc, is still housed in our foyer at 14 Hakea Walk in a bookcase belonging to Lynda M that will shortly need to move to her new home.

When this happens, we would like the Reference Section to join the remainder of the Library in Lorenzin Hall. However, in order to accommodate a carded section along with the uncarded sections, we need to acquire a locking bookcase - preferably one with glass in the doors so the titles of the books inside on the shelves can be seen.

If you have such an item that you might be able to donate, or sell for a reasonable / modest price, or know someone who might be able to help, please contact Elizabeth H in the first instance to discuss - Phone: 8556 6892 or email 

A few additions to the good tips from Jaqui G and Elizabeth H in the last News Feed:

An excellent air-conditioned refuge is the Aldinga library - you would never run out of books; there are computers, and children's activites are programmed.  The eco section is full of possibilities.
 
The beach has been glorious over the past weeks.  The mornings when I go have never been too hot, and early evenings are beautiful.  Avoid the burning afternoons.  Aren't we lucky the beach is so close!
 
Shade cloth over the veggie garden is a great help.  Jon Lamb on the ABC garden program says it should be 50%, but he also says even old sheets will do the trick.
 
Best wishes - Gillian C

The origin of that Mayan Prophecy?



From Bizaro Blog: http://bizarrocomic.blogspot.com/2009/12/countdown-to-catastrophe.html

New solar cell assembly technique at the boundary of oil and water: Researchers have shown a simple, cheap way to create self-assembling electronic devices using a property crucial to salad dressings - the fact that oil- and water-based liquids do not mix - forming devices from components that align along the boundary between the two. Read more at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8452912.stm

Blood pressure drug may protect against Alzheimers: Researchers believe a drug used to lower blood pressure could be even more effective against Alzheimer's disease than they previously thought. People taking angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) were up to 50% less likely to develop dementia than those taking other blood pressure drugs. Read more at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8453885.stm

Ancient map has China at the centre of the world:
A historic map of the world, with China at its centre, is now on display at the Library of Congress in Washington. It was created by Italian missionary Matteo Ricci in 1602 at the request of Emperor Wanli who wanted it to help scholars and explorers. Ricci was the first Westerner to enter Beijing, so the map the map represents the momentous first meeting of East and West. He was also a smart missionary - putting China at the centre of this new universe, to underscore its importance. Read more at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8454049.stm

The unforgivable can sometimes be forgiven: An ex Guantanamo Bay guard has travelled to Britain for a reconciliation meeting with two of the former detainees in his charge. The journey of reconciliation began almost a year ago in Texas, where the guard, now a police officer, was still struggling to come to terms with his time at Guantanamo. He felt anger at a number of incidents of abuse he says he witnessed, and guilt over one in particular. Read more and watch a video of the meeting at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8452937.stm

Hi everyone,
 
The latest U3A Newsletter is ATTACHED (493 KB), together with the Program for Term 1, 2010 (1 MB), and Enrolment information (161 KB).
 
Thanks to Anne Waters for providing the information.
 
Elizabeth H.
U3A Newsletter Jan10
U3A Program Term 1
U3A Enrolment

Local beef - direct from producer to consumer

We like to grow our meat in the same way that we grow our fruit and veg, with as little added or taken away as possible.

We provide our animals with the best possible life they can have up until they provide us with our food. To ensure this our animals are free to range, which has the added benefit of decreasing sickness so then we do not need to treat our animals preventatively or perform "boredom" based husbandry tasks (in a piggery a piglet will have its teeth and tail clipped because they nibble on each other and then they get an antibiotic because they had them clipped... its a vicious circle).

Beef is now available for delivery this week and next week - see the ATTACHED brochure Please let me know if you are interested and wish to order. 

Cheers - Phaedra Reynolds* - 8388 3233 or 0403 905 103 or email

[Phaedra is Michael Vawser’s sister.]
Local Beef Jan2010

Two representatives from the Irish renewable energy enterprise Eirbyte - http://eirbyte.com/ - are coming to Australia later in the year (probably September - October) to deliver workshops on self-build, low-cost wind turbines. (5 day gig).

Workshops are already being planned in Cairns, Victoria and Perth, and there is a possibility of one in Adelaide/Aldinga.

If you might have an interest in such a workshop, please let me know so I can communicate with the tour organisers.

Steve Poole - 8556 6379 or 0412 797 742 or email

Hi to all new villagers and friends,

If you are feeling hot, take heart. - that saying, “what goes up must come down again”, also applies to temperature!

This is the sort of weather when lots of thermal mass can seem like a disadvantage, and even the best performing houses in the Village get warmer than comfortable.

If the nights don't cool down, the inside of the house can't cool down overnight, hence a very warm house the next day.  However, if the house is sitting at 28-30 degrees while the outside temperature is 42-43 degrees (as applies to a number of our passive-solar homes), that’s really not too bad.

We never cook anything inside on hot days as it can easily increase the temp by 1 degree or so.  We plan ahead with hot-weather food, outdoor cooking on the ‘barbie’, cooked chooks from Willunga butcher (free range), salads etc etc and the odd treat of fish and chips down the beach - lovely! And won’t it be great when solar cookers become more readily available and all that lovely summer heat can do some good work for us.
 
A great way of coping with the heat is to put your bathers on and get wet in the shower.  Walk around with them on and you'll feel really cool.  When you warm up again, back into the shower - works beautifully. If you are into water saving or don’t want to be in and out of the shower, another way of coping is to wet a thick cotton T-shirt and wear it under (or in front of a fan) - works so well you will nearly freeze! Wearing a wet sarong or placing a wet towel around the neck also work. And, if you are having trouble getting to sleep and need a bit more cooling than just the ceiling fan, try sleeping under just the sheet with a wet (but not dripping) flannelette sheet or large towel spread over the top. It is more comfortable and easy to move under than a wet towel directly against the skin, but will make a real difference, especially under a fan.

And don’t forget the comfort of your pets and chooks who also find extreme heat stressful but can’t take off their fur and feathers. Various adaptations of old hard-plastic paddling pools work very well for extreme days. If using one for chooks, fill it with wet straw. They love burrowing down into it.
 
Summer living in passive solar houses does take a bit of planning and organising but it's so lovely to be able to say that we don't have air con, and really, don't need it.  There are really very few days in the year when we feel like we could do with it, but then, if we are really desperate, we can always go visiting, to the movies, a shopping mall, or, with a bit of luck, to a friends pool!  It makes you slow down too, which for a lot of us, is not a bad thing!
 
It's so important to have your house 'closed up' when it's hot.  That's when the insulating blinds and block out curtains come into their own.  We close up all windows, blinds and curtains just after dawn on these really hot days and don't open up until the outside temperature has dropped to the same as inside.  If there is a cool gully breeze or sea breeze, it cools down really quickly.
 
It's all a bit of fun really and the biggest topic of conversation when you meet other villagers is 'what temperature did YOUR house get to?'!
 
Jacqui G and Elizabeth H.

Gratitude - for a good day - every day: Beautiful thoughts and a great philosophy for achieving peace, tranquility, and a greater appreciation for the wonder of life:  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdbSVSMwHPA&feature=player_embedded

Permaculture with a mycological twist: If you ever thought ‘mycology’ (the study of fungi) was just a boring academic sideline, check out this amazing mycologist, Paul Stamets, who shows us just how vital and important fungi will be in any system to achieve a more sustainable world:
http://www.ted.com/talks/paul_stamets_on_6_ways_mushrooms_can_save_the_world.html
http://landscapeandurbanism.blogspot.com/2009/04/fungi-perfecti.html
http://www.fungi.com/mycotech/mycova.html

Strange buildings of the world: Folks coming into our Village find some of our architecture unusual. So it may be in comparison to the endless cookie-cutter sameness of standard suburbs, BUT we’ve hardly scratched the surface of what is possible! Check out the fanciful, artistic, creative and downright weird buildings at the following link:
http://villageofjoy.com/50-strange-buildings-of-the-world/

Economic Growth Version 1.0 Is Finished: The Great Disruption Has Begun: Paul Gilding, sustainability activist gives the Future Focus Lecture 2009 at the Institute of Sustainable Solutions, University of Sydney:
http://www.usyd.edu.au/sydney_ideas/lectures/2009/great_disruption.shtml

Food-backed local money: Mendo Credits is a new food-backed local currency project...the overall goals of the project are to improve community health, economic vitality and environmental sustainability through local food system development. Historically in the United States and elsewhere, local currencies are known to stabilize local economies when national currencies are troubled, such as bouts of hyper inflation or deflation and joblessness. Read more at:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2010/01/food-backed-local-money.html

The Low-Impact Living Initiative (LILI) is a non-profit organisation whose mission is to help people reduce their impact on the environment, improve their quality of life, gain new skills, live in a healthier and more satisfying way, have fun and save money. Lots of good ideas and information here:
http://www.lowimpact.org/index.htm

Biodiversity loss is 'wake-up call', warns UN: The UN launches the International Year of Biodiversity today (Monday), warning that the on-going loss of species affects human well-being around the world. Eight years ago, governments pledged to reduce the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010, but already it is clear that the pledge will not be met. The expansion of human cities, farming and infrastructure is the main reason. Read more at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8449506.stm

ACEB, the Sustainable Building Association: To access a free electronic newsletter containing plenty of interesting information about sustainable building, at the link below, hover your cursor over “News” in the menu on the left of the page and then click on “Newsletter” in the sub-menu:
http://www.aecb.net/

[Thanks to Vanda R, Steve P, Deb H, John H, and Cruxcatalyst for the links. ]

Hi everyone,

We’re starting our own 100-Mile Diet! For our New Year's Resolution 2010 my family will source all of our food from within 160Km (100 miles) of our home. We want to learn more about where our food comes from, reduce our food miles - (the distance food travels from the farm to our plate); and get a glimpse of what a post carbon and peak oil world might taste like.

We are on day 5 and discovering new things about food every day. Even Aarod is keen on this venture, and his cousin who came to stay with us for a few days has become a convert too and may be influencing his mother's shopping list! I hope that you find this as interesting as we are, we are taking it slowly, easing into it as our pantry stores slowly diminish. I sense that as we get further along the track we will become more informed and hence more strict with our diet. I don't want to rush the process and want to keep it engaging, exploratory, and fun, not a regime that we end up rebelling against. Most importantly we want to make changes that we can live with long term. One of the foreign items in my pantry that I knew I would miss big time was anchovies, so we called it "Life without anchovies" In all honesty, I love them so much that I bought them in a big jar, so we will not be running out for a few months, he he!

Bridget O’D

You can follow Bridget & Michael’s “hunting and gathering” experiences via Bridget’s new Blog - Life Without Anchovies - at:
http://lifewithoutanchovies.blogspot.com/

I have also linked it to our Village website. Click on “Sustainability” in the main menu and find “Life Without Anchovies” in the sub-menu. Elizabeth H.

Over the last week there has been fox and feral dog activity in the Willunga Creek line approximately opposite the area between Hakea Walk and Yacca Way. Onkaparinga rangers, called in to investigate a feral dog that threatened Kylie M while walking her dog beside the creek, found evidence of its presence but not the animal itself. However, they confirmed the presence of a pair of foxes, who have also been spotted in the area on a subsequent occasion. In addition, again while walking her dog, Kylie M found a dead part-grown fox that may have been a victim of the bigger feral dog.

The rangers suggested that we keep dog & fox sightings diary for a while to confirm that either or both are still in the region. This will enable (1) the return of the rangers to deal with the dog if it is still around, and (2) a visit from the Fleurieu pest control board to deal with the foxes if they are permanent residents with a local den.

I am happy to keep the diary and communicate with the relevant authorities as needed but I need your help with information. Please send me details (when, what, circumstances) of any sightings of foxes or large loose dogs in the creek area.

Let’s keep Village kids (and chooks!) safe from harm.

Elizabeth H - 8556 6892 or email

Onkaparinga Council, under its Community Development portfolio, has set up a Project in Food Security and Health, with a community reference group.

The Project Officer for this new initiative is Alice Moffett. If you are interested in the Project, contact Alice by phone (Thurs & Fri) on 8301 7254 or email

Sue Eltahir (8556 6441)is a member of the Group representing AAEV and could also give information about its activities and discussions.

“Design & Application of Solar Technology” - Weekend Residential Workshop

WHEN: Saturday 20 March (9.30am) – Sunday 21March (2pm) 2010 WHERE: Gudhara Holistic Sanctuary, Wingello Southern Highlands NSW 
Who should attend: Architects, Building Designers, Electricians, Planners and anyone with an interest in learning about these technologies of the future

Workshop outline: Solar power is an infinite natural resource. It provides an efficient use of technologies and is a key component in addressing climate change. This weekend residential workshop is for the professional designer, alternative technology enthusiast and those with a keen interest in sustainability. You will receive a comprehensive overview of how solar energy is harnessed in nature and be introduced to some of the latest solar technology innovations available around the planet. There will be an emphasis on energy conservation and best practices for a range of solar energy applications. Areas covered will include: photovoltaic (solar) panels, on and off grid system design considerations, system integration, solar hot water systems, passive design concepts for home and business, solar thermal technologies.

For further details see the ATTACHED flyer / registration form.
[Thanks to Steve Poole for the alert.]

Solar tech workshop

According to a Quality of Life Index published by “International Living” an organisation that promotes finding “paradise” offshore and going there to live (especially in retirement), Australia is second equal on the list after France (but you wouldn’t want to go to Somalia!) Check out the list at:
http://www1.internationalliving.com/qofl2010/

2010: The road ahead for SA: Hendrik Gout, writing in the Independent Weekly, forecasts, with chills of anticipation and a touch of humour, the future for South Australians in the year ahead:
http://www.independentweekly.com.au/news/local/news/general/2010-the-road-ahead/1713284.aspx

Murray Darling water wars: If you read the comments at the end of the article at the following link, you can well imagine how easy it would be to have a water war right here in Oz!
http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/comments/0,22638,26556929-5006301,00.html

A hot 2009 consistent with global warming: Last year was Australia's second warmest on record and closed out the warmest decade on file, the Bureau of Meteorology says.
The latest temperature data "is consistent with global warming", the bureau states in its 2009 annual climate statement just released. Read more at:
http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,26554959-5006301,00.html

Much of Europe is unusually cold - but not everywhere; in fact, some places in the Northern Hemisphere are seeing weather that's unseasonably warm. The cause of what one weather service refers to as these "upside down" conditions is an extreme of the Arctic Oscillation (AO). Read more at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/richardblack/2010/01/arctic_conditions_arctic_cause.html

Building a sustainable village: The goal of ‘Open Source Ecology’ is to build the world's first
replicable, open source, self-sufficient village. The means of achieving that is an ecology, or ecosystem, of open source hardware and permaculture that works as an interconnected ecological whole to provide all needs - the Global Village Construction Set. Check the website and video at these links:
http://www.myspace.com/OpenSourceEcology
http://www.youtube.com/user/marcinose

The New Zealand Transition Towns movement is much more developed than in Australia. Overall, there is a real emphasis on sustainability throughout the movement including lots on food, and the more localised initiatives are similar to the plans for a project now getting under way in the Onkaparinga region.The two websites below provide all the details of the movement as well as links to the more localised sites for each major centre in NZ. The Social Network site is for anyone who wants to join in the discussion of threes issues. 
http://www.transitiontowns.org.nz/
http://transitionaotearoa.org.nz/

Consumer Hell: George Monbiot, writing in The Guardian, takes aim at the senseless stupidity of the consumer culture in which progress is measured by the speed at which we destroy the conditions which sustain life; and governments are deemed to succeed or fail by how well they make money go round, regardless of whether it serves any useful purpose. Read more at:
http://www.monbiot.com/archives/2010/01/04/consumer-hell/

Graphic communication of an ecological footprint: Fascinating series of animated video clips expressing various aspects of an individual’s ecological footprint. The data is visualized in 5 motion graphic mechanisms, 4 display daily actions and their consequences in specific fields: transportation, electricity, water and food. The fifth mechanism displays the conclusion and it's national and global ramifications:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2010/01/my-ecological-footprint-1_07.html
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2010/01/my-ecological-footprint-2-electricity.html
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2010/01/my-ecological-footprint-3-water.html
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2010/01/my-ecological-footprint-4-food.html
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2010/01/my-ecological-footprint-5.html

“Right now, the food industry creates patients for the health care industry” - a video interview with Michael Pollan about his new book “Food Rules”:
http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/ecollywood/videos/michael-pollan-on-the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart

Cancer survivors facing neglect: A cancer charity has warned Britain's increased survival rate is not all good news - because survivors often go on to struggle with other serious illnesses. Read more at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8429995.stm

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

Happy New Year to all,

Did you know that the Onkaparinga Libraries offer an impressive range of online databases?

One recently added is called PressDisplay which gives full access to 1400+ newspapers form 82 countries in 39 languages as printed with images.

All you need is your library card.

Jane O’C

“Recipe Puppy” - No, It’s nothing to do with eating your dog! But it could be a good way to avoid wasting food! When you don't know what to make for dinner and you only have a few ingredients lying around - go to this website and add the ingredients (separated by a comma) and voila a bunch of suggestions appear with recipes:
http://www.recipepuppy.com/

Out of the kitchen and onto the couch: The popularity of cooking shows - or food shows - has spread to the point that a great many Americans are now spending considerably more time watching images of cooking on television than they are cooking themselves. What’s going on here? Michael Pollan, writing in the New York Times has some observations and answers. Read more at:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2010/01/out-of-kitchen-onto-couch.html

The “slow food” movement – which began in 1989 – is a revolt against the fast pace forced on us by industrial civilization, specifically fast-food culture. The movement’s manifesto rejects “the machine” as a life model, and blames this mechanized way of life for a frenzied existence in which productivity outweighs all else. The frenetic pace at which we’re forced to live disrupts our natural habits, destroys our environment and is ultimately inimical to life. Read more at:
https://www.adbusters.org/magazine/slow-food-revolt.html

Transition to a world without oil: Watch this inspirational TED talk by Transition Towns guru Rob Hopkins:
http://www.ted.com/talks/rob_hopkins_transition_to_a_world_without_oil.html?awesm=on.ted.com_468W

Could Food Shortages Bring Down Civilization? Lester R. Brown writes of how the biggest threat to global stability is the potential for food crises in poor countries to cause government collapse. One of the toughest things for people to do is to anticipate sudden change. Typically we project the future by extrapolating from trends in the past. Much of the time this approach works well. But sometimes it fails spectacularly, and people are simply blindsided by events such as today’s economic crisis. Similarly, rising populations, climate change, and declining food security could lead to rapid global chaos. Read more at the following two links - the first from an article in Scientific American, and the second in a new (2009) book, “Plan B 4.0: Mobilising to Save Civilisation” from the Earth Policy Institute:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=civilization-food-shortages
http://www.earthpolicy.org/index.php?books

Positive Feedbacks and our global future: Positive feedback occurs when a change (a rise) in one component (global temperatures) of a system (the climate) leads to other changes (such as the melting on the Arctic floating ice) which then "feed back" to amplify it (increased water temperature as the white ice which reflects heat is replaced by dark water which absorbs heat). The result of the first feedback (increased water temperatures) may trigger another change (the beginning of the melting if the Greenland ice sheet) which will itself produce further feedback (rising sea levels with destabilize further parts of the ice sheets) and so on. Read more at:
http://www.carbonequity.info/feedbacks.html

Sites featuring roof gardens for food production, biodiversity conservation, building efficiency, and beauty:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2010/01/rooftop-vegetable-plots.html
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2009/05/green-roofs/cook-photography
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2010/01/vancouvers-6-acre-living-roof.html

From a Failed Growth Economy to a Steady-State Economy: In this article, Herman Daly of the School of Public Policy, University of Maryland, argues that a steady-state economy is incompatible with continuous growth—either positive or negative growth. The goal of a steady state is to sustain a constant, sufficient stock of real wealth and people for a long time. Negative growth, a depression such as experienced in the global financial crisis, is a failed growth economy, not a steady-state economy. Halting a downward spiral is necessary, but is not the same thing as resuming continuous positive growth. Read more at:
http://www.theoildrum.com/node/5464

Beyond Bailouts: How a Circulation Charge Can Help Save and Transform Global Finance
What if money had an expiry date? What if it cost us to accumulate money? This approach was undertaken successfully in Austria to ameliorate the effects of the Depression! It could work today. Read more at:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2010/01/beyond-bailouts-how-circulation-charge.html

Move your money! ...there is a grassroots backlash in the US against the banking system, and no wonder...this clip by the Move Your Money Project was posted 29 December 2009 and has racked up nearly 150,000 views in three days!
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2010/01/move-your-money.html

[Thanks to Vanda R and Cruxcatalyst for the links.]

Assuming we get no further rain between posting this news and midnight tonight (New Year’s Eve), the total rainfall recorded unofficially for 2009 by the gauge in our garden is 534 mm.

This compares with 241 mm in 2006, 477 mm in 2007, 362 mm in 2008, and a long-term average for the region of 520 mm.

So finally, our annual rainfall has cracked average - but I, for one, will not be in the least surprised if “average” is now permanently down on where it was. This has already happened elsewhere across southern Australia (Perth and Melbourne).

Let’s hope for some “tropical in-feeds” to provide summer rain and help ease the stress on gardens.

Elizabeth H.

For those who enjoyed Vanda’s smorgasbord of bean salads at the Village Christmas Party and would like to try making some or all of them, the recipe leaflet is ATTACHED:

With cheers from Vanda R
Bean Salads Xmas 2009

From University of Adelaide research comes the news that biodiversity loss attributed to invasive exotic species is actually a consequence of aggressive dingo control measures. Where dingo populations were allowed to recover, invasive and opportunistic species declined considerably, and native biodiversity increased. Dingos were consistently found where threatened species were surviving. See ATTACHED article.

So - banish shooters and poison bait, bring back the dingo and cherish that yellow Aussie dog!
Dingo benefits ecosystems

“Making your home sustainable”: This new book, self-published in 2004 by Derek Wrigley Design, was written and fully illustrated to help those members of the community who are concerned about the state of the environment and who wish to take remedial action in their own home. The book was started following requests from visitors to the author’s retrofitted house in Mawson ACT during Solar House Day Tours. Check out the Contents at:
http://www.derekwrigleydesign.id.au/book_contents.shtml

The composting boom: More folks are getting into the composting business, including Michael Mobbs, author of Sustainable House. While his version appears to promote some big gadgets and products, it is a sign of the times. See his video and other information at:
http://www.thefifthestate.com.au/archives/8085

The chicken boom: With the onset of the Great Depression in 1929 came a chicken boom. The humble, productive backyard chook helped America, and Australia, get through the greatest financial crisis and highest unemployment of the last hundred years. Eighty years later, in an era of factory farming, cheap food and pervasive obesity, a boom in backyard chicken-raising in America is a telling detail. Read more at:
http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/neglect-of-food-sources-has-the-chooks-coming-home-to-roost-20091227-lg5y.html

Just what happened at Copenhagen? The following two articles are depressing, but help us to understand what didn’t get discussed that should have been, and how the disastrous outcome resulted from power politics:
(1) “China right to link population to climate”
http://www.crispinhull.com.au/ [December 26 2009]; and
(2)“How China gutted Copenhagen and avoided the blame: Mark Lynas of The Guardian reports from the inside"
http://www.smh.com.au/text/articles/2009/12/25/1261243941029.html

And after Copenhagen - now what? Last weekend's minimalist Copenhagen global climate accord provides a great opportunity, says US scientist James Hansen. The old deceitful, ineffectual approach is severely wounded and must die. Now there is a chance for the world to get on to an honest, effective path to an agreement. A carbon-use dividend for everybody must replace the old, ineffectual ‘cap-and-trade’. Read more at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/dec/27/james-hansen-copenhagen-agreement-opportunities#history-byline%23history-byline

Goods, services and our pervasive drive for self-image: Geoffrey Miller has written an extraordinary book, “Spent”, that challenges us to recognize that our ubiquitous efforts to decorate ourselves and others with goods and services are primarily to project image and status. Many products are signals first and material objects second. The result is that we often engage in a vast orgy of spending mostly to look good in the eyes of others.
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2009/12/gifts-that-tell-good-stories.html

James Lovelock’s most recent book “The Vanishing Face of Gaia”: Ultimately, one of the most important cultural changes needed is an understanding that we are part of and completely dependent on a living planetary system... As Lovelock notes, our current understanding of climate regulation is shaped by our view that Earth is but a ball of rock rather than “a live planet that regulates itself.” Once we understand Earth in systems terms, we see just how dire the climate situation really is. Read more about the book at:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2009/12/rediscovering-vanishing-face-of-gaia.html

Think the unthinkable! Can you envision a society without money, a functioning economic system without corporations, or a truly participatory governance system beyond Congress, Parliament, or Duma? The mere prospects seem subversive. And yet, looking across the landscape of deep global recession, environmental crisis, and ongoing technological transformation, it is clear that we are at the beginning of a large-scale organizational transformation that will impact everything we do—from how we organize production to how we grow our food to how we govern ourselves. Read more at:
http://odessatothefuture.com/?p=201&cpage=1#comment-188#comment-188

Hypermobility is now the opium of the people, writes Simon Jenkins in The Guardian - an obsession that wrecks communities and the planet. There are no free trips! While the article refers up front the current travel chaos in Britain, the hard-hitting real message applies globally. Read more at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/dec/22/blame-for-winter-travel-chaos

How do YOU envision sustainability? As humanity struggles to get to grips with the issues before it, a range of 'sustainabilities' are being defined and articulated - however all fall into two broad categories: (1) Safe Sustainability - maintaining the current trajectory of human enterprise with a few green tweaks (energy efficiency, greener products, and some mitigation) the worst existing aspects of the existing modus operandi); and (2) Savvy Sustainability - which is prepared to face and tackle the uncomfortable, the contentious, the politically dangerous. The first won’t work but don’t expect politicians to lead us to the second, which is our only hope. Read more at:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2009/12/taxonomy-of-sustainability.html

Flood risk decreases when rivers have natural flood plains restored: Reconnecting flood-plains to rivers will help reduce the risk of future flooding, suggest US scientists. The researchers said allowing these areas to be submerged during storms would reduce the risk of flood damage in nearby urban areas. Read more at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8406351.stm

Surgeons adopt complementary medicines and cut a day on average off recovery times: While many doctors shun complementary medicines as being little better than snake oil, surgeons at The Alfred are learning to embrace several of them. After clinically testing a range of alternative therapies, The Alfred’s heart surgeons found the benefits of taking a concoction of fish oil, magnesium and other antioxidants was so profound they have adopted it for all their patients – together with massage, stress relief and other treatments.
http://www.bioceuticals.com.au/default.aspx?Function=DisplayItem&NewsID=156

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

Hi there,

I came accross this very inspiring website through an article about Brad Lancaster (Permaculture Guru) in G Magazine. These videos show Brad in Tuscon Arizona harvesting rainwater from the road outside his home to produce a green landscape that is self sustaining and provides habitat, shade, and edible indigenous food. The videos took ages to open on my computer, but were well worth the wait. Very topical for our neighbourhood group as we are looking into street trees at present and could possibly use a similar system to water the trees. The area only receives 304mm. rainwater annually so is a good indicator of what is possible here in Aldinga.
http://www.harvestingrainwater.com/wp-content/uploads/sustainableroute1.mov
http://www.harvestingrainwater.com/wp-content/uploads/sustainableroute2.mov

Bridget O’D

[Note from Elizabeth H while posting Feed: These really interesting videos suggest to me that, where appropriate, we could replace roadside mounds (that shed water) with roadside planted swales (that collect water). Also, the slope of associated parking bays could be adjusted to feed water into the swales rather than having it wash out across the roads as happens in a number of places at present. John and I have thought for some time that the parking bay and mound outside our house on Hakea Walk could be modified this way - to grow trees better and stop gravel washing out of the parking bay across the road. We were originally told that the high earth mound was to block car headlights, but trees and shrubs would do this just as well in the fullness of time. Perhaps the NEC could consider the above videos in this context.]

What if all the hype about climate change is just a hoax?



[Thanks to Cruxcatalyst for this cartoon from USA Today.]

Will this be SA’s future coastline? It’s a vision of climate change we never expected. A coastline that cuts into the inland of South Australia and brings to life the legend of a giant inland sea. The "deliberately controversial" concept envisions an extended Australian coastline as a result of climate change and sea-level rise in the year 2100, and aims to spark debate about living with climate change. The inland sea would support agriculture and aquaculture, with energy being provided by wave, wind and nuclear power. Biodiversity corridors would link the inland sea with the existing coastline, providing habitat for threatened flora and fauna. Read more at:
http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,26523938-5006301,00.html

And we were taught gravity was a constant! Europe's Goce satellite is returning remarkable new data on the way the pull of gravity varies across the Earth. Scientists say its first maps clearly show details not seen in previous space and ground measurements. The new information is expected to bring new insights into how the oceans move, and to frame a universal system to measure height anywhere on the planet. Read more at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8408957.stm

Disinfectants 'train' superbugs to resist antibiotics: Disinfectants could effectively train bacteria to become resistant to antibiotics, research suggests. Scientists know bacteria can become inured to disinfectant, but research increasingly shows the same process may make it resistant to certain drugs. This can occur even with an antibiotic the bacteria has not been exposed to. The latest study, which focused on a bacteria common in hospitals, calls for a rethink of how infections are managed within healthcare settings. Read more at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8427399.stm

Ears have yet another important function: Minute organs hidden deep within the ear appear to directly alter blood flow to the brain, scientists have revealed. Until now, experts thought the inner ear's job was to control balance alone. But the Harvard Medical School team, working with Nasa, found the balance organs also affect brain blood flow. Read more at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8268336.stm

[Thanks to John H for the links.]

Hi there everyone,

Just a quick note to say thankyou to all of you who devote precious time to helping our community run and flow with ease and pleasure. This is such a special place to live, and it is truly inspirational living and working together on beautiful Earth. What an exciting year it has been; how the Village has grown and changed!

Merry Christmas, Solstice and Happy New Year!

Heidi Karo

I urge all villagers to please ask their guests and couriers NOT TO SPEED!

I just witnessed a guest and an Australia Post courier doing just that. The courier was going so fast that he missed Olearia Walk and had to do a U-turn. I hailed him down and mentioned to him that there are lots of little ones in this village who have right of way on our roads. Hopefully he will not do that again.

Merry Xmas everyone - Shane Schilder

Don’t forget, there are lots of creative ways to minimise our impact on the planet during Silly Season! Take Christmas lights, for example ... ...



[With thanks to Sharon Ede of Zero Waste SA.]

Local currency trading eases Christmas conscience: Christmas is a time when it is difficult to be green without seeming rather like a curmudgeonly Ebenezer. Greens tell each other not to send cards, not to buy gifts, not to over-indulge. So can we find a way of celebrating that is not offensive to our new consumption ethic? LETS trading and local currency systems can help. Read more at:
http://www.theecologist.org/blogs_and_comments/commentators/Molly_Scott_Cato/383948/
greens_should_revel_in_christmas_not_shun_it.html

Finally, “de-growth” enters the public lexicon: The economic crisis of 2008-09 has actually meant unplanned economic degrowth in Europe, United States, and a number of other countries. A positive side effect has been a small decrease in CO2 emissions, breaking the unsustainable rising trend. Material flows through the economy have also decreased. This brings a new perspective. Economic degrowth can be good for the environment but it must be more socially sustainable. Expect to start hearing this concept more often. Policy makers and others will examine it an International Conference “Economic Degrowth Today” early in the new year. See:
http://www.growthintransition.eu/2009/09/11/degrowth/

Clearing trees felled an ancient civilisation in Peru: The ancient Peruvian Nazca people, famous for creating giant, elaborate lined images on a desert plateau that are visible from space, may have brought about their own destruction by cutting down trees that protected the land they lived on. Surely there’s a message in that! Read more at:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18091-clearing-oasis-trees-felled-ancient-peru-civilisation.html

Historic mini ice age took hold of Europe in months when Gulf Stream stalled: Just months - that's how long it took for Europe to be engulfed by an ice age. The scenario, which comes straight out of Hollywood blockbuster The Day After Tomorrow, was revealed by the most precise record of the climate from palaeohistory ever generated - and it has happened again since. Read more at:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20427344.800-mini-ice-age-took-hold-of-europe-in-months.html

We’re scraping the bottom of the oil barrel: Why do we persist in investing our energy into developing finite (and ever more polluting) fuel resources instead of working out how make renewable energy more widespread and robust? Eighty-five million barrels. That's how much oil we consume every day. It's a staggering amount - enough to fill over 5400 Olympic swimming pools - and demand is expected to keep on rising, despite the impending supply crunch. Read more at:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2009/12/scraping-bottom-of-barrel.html

And the end of uranium reserves might also be in sight: As the world prepares for the largest investment in nuclear power in decades, owners of uranium mines last week raised the prospect of fuel shortages. To make things worse, the reliability of estimates of the amount of uranium that can be economically mined has also been questioned. Read more at:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20427364.500-nuclear-fuel-are-we-heading-for-a-uranium-crunch.html

[Thanks to Cruxcatalyst and New Scientist for the links.]

Monbiot’s commentary on the Copenhagen fiasco: Guardian columnist George Monbiot despairs at the chaotic, disastrous denouement of a chaotic and disastrous climate summit. Read more at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/dec/18/copenhagen-negotiators-bicker-filibuster-biosphere 

Breaking the taboo on discussion of overpopulation: Many people are too horrified to even consider this topic, and those who do may be vilified as elitist (and worse) merely for daring to raise the issue. But this issue of overpopulation is too important to ignore. It goes to the heart of the quality of life we want for the future - a degraded scrabble for existence or a reasonable standard of living for all. Read more at:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2009/12/breaking-population-taboo.html

The nuclear power tragedy: Guardian columnist and former chair of the UK Sustainable development Commission, Jonathon Porritt, says the idea that a few new nuclear reactors can solve climate change is attractive – and completely unrealistic! After 2 years of reasearch, the commission came to the conclusion that the disbenefits of nuclear power clearly outweigh the benefits. Read more at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cif-green/2009/oct/20/nuclear-power-reactor-olkiluoto-greenhouse

What Matters Now - Ideas for 2010: Seth Godin has compiled this inspirational free e-book 'What Matters Now', which brings together more than 70 big thinkers who share their ideas and thoughts to think about for the new year ahead. The format is easy to read with illustrated and graphical ideas generally one per page. Download the book (3.6 MB) at:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2009/12/what-matters-now-ideas-for-2010.html

It’s not just Australia that is suffering drought! Once one of the world's wettest places, Cherrapunji in India, is getting up to 20% less rain every year - and suffering water shortages.
Residents say their heavenly abode in the clouds is hotter and drier than ever before - and they blame it on global warming. Read more at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8378327.stm

Setting the Table: Advice to Government on priority elements of sustainable diets: The UK Sustainable Development Commission has examined the how changes in food consumption patterns could greater facilitate healthy eating and environmentally sustainable food production. This is a 58 page report but there is a good 4-page Executive Summary, including recommendations. Download the paper (418 KB) at:
http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/publications/downloads/Setting_the_Table.pdf

GetUp wants the PM to stop bullying vulnerable Pacific Island nations: You are invited to help send this message:
http://www.getup.org.au/campaign/Copenhagen&id=898

[Thanks to John H, Cruxcatalyst, Zero Carbon Future, CSIRO Library, and GetUp for the links.]

Renewables trounce nuclear in Newspoll! A Newspoll survey commissioned by the Clean Energy Council (CEC) has shown overwhelming public support for the government to focus its support on renewable energy - such as solar and wind - over nuclear power. Given a choice between supporting the development of renewable energy sources and nuclear power, four out of every five people polled favoured the government giving greater priority to the development of renewables. Read more at:
http://www.cleanenergycouncil.org.au/cec/mediaevents/media-releases/December/newspoll-results.htm

Sustainable Development Update (SDU), the journal of global environment - development issues will have a new format from now on as a way of adapting the newsletter to the new ways people use the Internet today. The newsletter will become a continuously updated newsblog (but of course with the possibility to subscribe to monthly email updates). This is more in tune with current web development while also benefiting more from "Web 2.0 functions", like twitter feeds, Youtube channels and blog posts. We hope you like it! The current Issue (5/2009) is available in both formats:
http://sdupdate.org (the News blog)
http://www.albaeco.com/sdu/ (the previous version)

Portrait of the “Noughties” decade: Is it possible to sum up a decade? Last week, BBC News asked readers for suggestions for the words, people, events, objects and cultural highlights which they thought defined the Noughties. The results give a snapshot of who and what has shaped the past 10 years. See:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/8409040.stm

Drinking tea and coffee can prevent diabetes: Tea and coffee drinkers have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, a large body of evidence shows. And the protection may not be down to caffeine since decaf coffee has the greatest effect, say researchers in Archives of Internal Medicine. See:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8411605.stm

“Carbon farming” pays off - even in drought! MARTIN Royds calls himself a carbon farmer. Twenty years ago the Braidwood cattle producer decided to develop regenerative farming practices, and in 2007 he was voted local carbon cocky of the year. His winning carbon management practices include having 100% groundcover all the time, using controlled grazing to ensure pastures are never eaten down to the roots, growing trees, and using biological products rather than synthetic fertilisers. Read more at:
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/carbon-farmer-waiting-for-his-payoff/story-e6frg6nf-1225810373145

In a depressing example of perverse policy, a UN board has decided that soya, palm oil and other agrofuel plantations can now receive carbon credits through the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). The agrofuel industry, already boosted by EU and US targets, incentives and subsidies, can now look forward to hundreds of millions from extra subsidies. Vast carbon dioxide emissions from coal power stations in Europe can now be officially ‘offset’ by companies paying for soya plantations in Brazil or palm oil plantations in Indonesia or Thailand, which in turn will cause more deforestation and other ecosystem destruction and thus, also, more climate change. Read more at:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2009/12/c02-offsets-for-destroying-biodiversity.html

“Your governments are lying through their teeth," says US climate researcher Jim Hansen [ex NASA] in a new book. He also says civil resistance remains the only way to combat climate change. Decades of experience with US governments have led Hansen to believe that the political systems in the US and many other democracies are incapable of delivering effective action, because politicians serve the short-term interests of special interest groups with plenty of money to throw around - like the fossil-fuel industry - rather than the long-term welfare of citizens. Read the New Scientist book review at:
http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/culturelab/2009/12/will-you-stand-up-against-climate-disaster.php

Writing in yesterday’s Age Newspaper (16 December) Guardian columnist George Monbiot declares, “The rapacious will not give up without a fight.” If governments don't show some resolve on climate change, they will attack, using the usual tactics of denial, obfuscation and appeals to self-interest. They too are aware that this is a battle to redefine humanity, and they wish to redefine it as a species even more rapacious than it is today! This Age article pulls no punches, unlike so many who claim to be environmentalists. Read more at:
http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/politics/the-rapacious-will-not-give-up-without-a-fight-20091215-kuds.html

World resources map: A country’s economic worth can be measured in more ways than just its GDP and national debt. It is also important to consider the economic potential that lies in the harvesting of the natural resources within its borders. This map shows the top producing countries of each resource, or the proven reserves in the case of oil and natural gas. Click on the map at the link below to enlarge and explore it:
http://www.mint.com/blog/finance-core/mint-map-the-worlds-resources-by-country/

GetUp seeks support for a fair deal in Copenhagen: Climate negotiations are breaking down thanks to disputes between rich countries like Australia and poor countries about the future of the Kyoto protocol and how ambitious our response to the climate crisis should be. Australia needs to be a leader in these negotiations, not a spoiler. Tell this to our negotiators: http://www.getup.org.au/campaign/SaveKyotoSaveADeal

Thank you very much to all those Village knitters who contributed to the beautiful rug for our daughter, Gracie (see picture below).  It is a wonderful gift and fantastic symbol of the community spirit that we eagerly anticipate living amongst.

Beau & Jodie Summer

Hooked on growth? If, like our “yew-beaut” government and their economic advisers, you believe that more growth will solve society’s problems, then a dose of the following three video clips might be in order:
(1) Highlights from growthbuster Dave Gardner's city council campaign, promoting a modern, sustainable economic model for his community rather than continuing to chase perpetual growth, which no longer provides community prosperity:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2009/12/prosperity-campaign.html
(2) Movie preview - “Hooked on Growth”:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2009/12/hooked-on-growth-our-misguided-quest.html
(3) The Greatest Shortcoming of the Human Race ... is our inability to understand the exponential function. This important clip from an Al Bartlett lecture has already had over a million views! So stick with it, even if you feel like you are back in high school maths class - because that's clearly where we all need to be once the implications sink in!
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2009/12/greatest-shortcoming-of-human-race.html

The Environmental movement has lost its way – too focused on reducing emissions, and not enough on nature. Obsession with CO2 has distracted environmentalists to the point of losing sight of all the other things they need to do. If we are honest about CO2, there is no window of opportunity. It closed a long time ago, and we may already be beyond the point of no return... Read more at:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2009/12/environmentalists-have-lost-their-way.html

Hanging out for the latest mobile phone or other electronic gizmo? Read this marketing scenario and cringe! With the holiday shopping season officially under way, millions of consumers are racing to their nearest shopping centre to acquire the latest, and therefore most desirable, personal device.
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2009/12/new-device-desirable-old-device.html

Eco-light bulbs aren't what they seem! “Save the planet, switch to eco-light bulbs.” So goes the refrain. But are these compact fluoros as bright, long-lasting and energy efficient as is often claimed? Read more at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8406923.stm

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

Cash for carpooling: Washington D.C. ‘s Commuter Connections program has recently launched on a program called “Cash for Carpools” that pays folks who usually commute alone on to either join another car or recruit passengers of their own. The payment is two dollars a day over a 90-day period, giving carpoolers the chance to earn up to $130 over three months. Read more at:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2009/12/cash-for-carpools.html

Spiritual connection with the natural world and the “silent narrative of trees”: At 3.00pm on 13 December 2009, the World Council of Churches has called upon Christians around the world to ring their bells, blow their horns or beat their drums 350 times to alert world decision makers, meeting in Copenhagen, of the need to reduce CO2 levels. This 'bell ringing for climate justice' might signify the beginning of a more vocal, moral and even spiritual re-engagement of churches with the silent voice of nature. Read more at:
http://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article.aspx?aeid=18054

Online Movie - “The Money Fix” - a feature-length documentary exploring our society’s relationship with the almighty dollar: Money is at the intersection of nearly every aspect of modern life. Most of us take the monetary system for granted, but it has a profound and largely misunderstood influence on our lives. The Money Fix examines economic patterning in both the human and the natural worlds, and through this lens we learn how we can empower ourselves by redesigning the lifeblood of the economy at the community level. The film documents three types of alternative money systems, all of which help solve economic problems for the communities in which they operate. See:
http://www.themoneyfix.org/content/video-money-fix

Video on rendering strawbale walls from the Food Forest: It was filmed at one of Lance’s projects at Barabba (with a brief appearance on screen of Tony G!). See:
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheFoodForest#p/u/4/ogkhQZ7k08w

If you hate zucchinis, this is for you - a video clip of the execution of some zucchinis in an old loam pit. Kids may find it entertaining (under parental guidance of course)! See:
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheFoodForest#p/u/3/0aKz30Xkf7o

Martin Waugh’s Liquid Sculpture - Fantastic art photography of water! From the link below, select “Portfolio” then click on any one of the images and from the new page select “Slideshow”:
http://www.liquidsculpture.com/

From Germany comes the “triple zero” housing concept, signifying that the building is energy self-sufficient (zero energy consumed), produces zero emissions, and is made entirely of recyclable materials (zero waste). The most recent addition to the triple-zero series raises the bar for energy efficiency: It produces more energy than it uses. Read more at:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/60-second-science/post.cfm?id=lightweight-triple-zero-house-produ-2009-12-05&sc=DD_20091207

Swedish burger chain says “Eat less meat”! The BBC's Tom Burridge dines out at a Swedish fast-food chain that is trying to discourage people from eating too much meat by publishing the carbon footprint of each item on its menu.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/8395287.stm

Climate Change Debate 1: Radio interview - Alan Jones talks to climate sceptic Lord Christopher Monckton:
http://2gb.com.au/index2.php?option=com_newsmanager&task=view&id=4998

Climate Change Debate 2: Nicholas Stern lectures on climate threats on the ABC Radio National Book Show:
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/bookshow/stories/2009/2764746.htm

Climate Change Debate 3: George Monbiot says “The climate change denial industry is out to dupe the public. And it's working!”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cif-green/2009/dec/07/climate-change-denial-industry

How to get policy action on climate change? Stop going green! Instead of continuing our faddish and counterproductive emphasis on small, voluntary actions, we should follow the example of Americans during past moral crises and work toward large-scale change. The country's last real moral and social revolution was set in motion by the civil rights movement. And in the 1960s, civil rights activists didn't ask bigoted Southern governors and sheriffs to consider "10 Ways to Go Integrated" at their convenience... Read more at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/04/AR2009120402605_pf.html

Unlucky for us - its natural to be irrational on climate change: Its just the latest problem that people acknowledge but ignore; and to a psychologist, climate change looks as if it was designed to be ignored. Read more after (enduring a commercial) at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/04/AR2009120403619_pf.html

[Thanks to Fiona R, Tony G, John H, Vanda R, Jacqui G, Zero Waste SA, Zero Carbon Future Network, and Cruxcatalyst for the links.]

Here’s a preview of the Village Eco Christmas Tree in its place at the Willunga Christmas Tree Festival this past weekend. It comprises a dead tree (no tree had to die for Christmas!) decorated with silver and gold spray and hung with 64 handcrafted pictures of the houses in the Village. Thanks to Annette I and Gillian C, the main organisers, who took the pictures of houses - and were really surprised at how many there were!

The tree is supported in a tub with the caption “Wise Gifts for the World” and containing wrapped boxes labelled as “eco-gifts.” It will be back in the Village for the Christmas Party.

Another Australian eco-community in the planning stages: Architect Ian Bailey believes it is individuals, not governments, who will lead Australia into a low-carbon environment. He and his partner, designer Annie Georgeson, have taken on the role of driving a sustainable village project, the Chimneys, on the NSW mid-north coast. Comprising 66 lots organised into small clusters, the Chimneys has been designed to demonstrate that a sustainable subdivision can be independent of council's water, sewerage and road systems, recycle all water for reuse on site, generate most of its own energy and contribute to some of its own food needs. Read more at:
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/eco-village-a-model-of-sustainability-in-nsw/story-e6frg8zx-1225804722463 and http://www.camdenhavenecovillage.com.au/


What it looks like when a local authority REALLY gets the idea of ‘Transition’: The town of Monteveglio, near Bologna in Italy has signed up to some serious transition policies to deal with fossil fuel depletion, climate change and sustainable living. Read an English translation of some of their innovative town policies at:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2009/12/what-it-looks-like-when-local-authority.html

Birth control as emissions offsets! Consumers in the developed world are to be offered a radical method of offsetting carbon emissions - by paying for contraception measures in poorer countries to curb the rapidly growing global population. The scheme - set up by an organisation backed by Sir David Attenborough, former diplomat Sir Crispin Tickell and green figureheads such as Jonathon Porritt and James Lovelock - argues that family planning is the most effective way to reduce the likelihood of catastrophic global warming. Birth control will be provided only to those who have no access to it, and only unwanted births would be avoided. Each year, however, an estimated 80 million pregnancies are unwanted. Read more at:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2009/12/rich-nations-to-offset-emissions-with.html

Findhorn Foundation’s Findhorn Community News:
http://www.findhorn.org/onlinecommunity/news/

Natural Earth Burial - a way of being green to the very end! If you’ve ever been attracted to the idea of a natural burial or “green” funeral as it’s called, you might be interested to know that you’re not alone! Research has shown that between 30 per cent and 40 per cent of people will opt for a green funeral if appropriate products and services are available at the time of need. Read more at:
http://www.grownups.co.nz/read/lifestyle/family/green-to-the-very-end

Failure of climate talks at Copenhagen may not be a disaster. In fact it might catalyse the initiation of improved policies. James Hansen, the scientist who convinced the world to take notice of the looming danger of global warming says the whole approach is so fundamentally wrong that it would better to reassess the situation and start again from scratch. He is vehemently opposed to the carbon market schemes in which permits to pollute are bought and sold. Read more at:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2009/12/copenhagen-climate-change-talks-must.html

Subscribe to updates from Copenhagen from the GetUp team, who will be working to make sure our government's policy matches it's rhetoric, and to update you with what goes on behind the scenes. Sign up to receive regular updates, and check the GetUp handy factsheet: http://www.getup.org.au/campaign/BecomeAClimateCop

Australians now have the world’s largest homes - a dubious honour...! Australia has overtaken the United States, the heartland of the McMansion, to boast the world's largest homes, according to a report by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. Research commissioned by the bank's broking arm, CommSec, shows the Australian house has grown on average by 10 percent in the past decade to 214.6 square meters (2,310 sq ft) - nearly three times the size of the average British house. Read more at:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2009/12/australians-have-worlds-biggest-homes.html

Worry Only About the Problems in Your Circle of Influence. For creative people especially, passionate engagement makes it difficult to worry selectively. Why? The more passionate you are, the more protective and perfection-driven you become. Any concern becomes exaggerated, based on your beautiful vision being obstructed. Regardless of whether or not you have influence, you will want to tackle every problem. But this tendency is dangerous. Your energy becomes fractured as you start to obsess over situations beyond your control and, ultimately, your ideas and actions suffer. Read more at:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2009/12/worry-only-about-problems-in-your.html

Have you ever wondered about the why and how of bird songs? If so, here are some interesting observations from recent research:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/992538.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7725432.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8246424.stm

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

New - from the makers of the brilliant online short film, “The Story of Stuff” - their latest free video offering that gives a great explanation of the pitfalls of the Cap & Trade approach to dealing with CO2 emissions, soon to be debated in Copenhagen.  Please watch and pass along the link to friends and family:
http://www.storyofstuff.com/capandtrade/

Dance For The Climate - ‘Do Your Own Dance’: In August this year over 10,000 people danced for the climate on the Ostend Beach in Belgium. By joining this global movement and adding your own dance video to this site, you make your own statement that we have to act now on climate change. Check it out at:
http://www.dancefortheclimate.org
[This clip was made by a friend of ours and we would like to promote it all over the world... Regards - Tom and Hilde D]

Digital Coin - A new concept for virtual money from Paul Grignon, using emerging technologies to create "unique digital objects" that can be used like coins. Could this act like a ‘virtual LETS system’ - a new take on self-issued credit? The site gives links to resource materials in animation and PDF format. See:
http://www.digitalcoin.info/

Sharing - Reimagining the Way We Do Business: Why buy when you can share?...After all each item shared is an item not created, and that is the greenest item of all. This is a long term trend, and one that is not going away. All the systemic pressures driving it are only going to increase. We are on the cusp of shifting into a post consumption economy. See:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2009/12/sharing-reimagining-way-we-do-business.html

Sand Animation Storytelling: Amazing! The winner of Ukraine's Got Talent was a young Ukrainian girl, Kseniya Simonova, who tells an entire story by pushing sand around on a table. She uses nothing but sand and her hands to create these graphic storytelling images. [Best to have sound if possible.] See:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2009/11/sand-animation-storytelling.html

Incredible Edible - Britain's Greenest Town: 'It's an ordinary small town in England, but its residents claim they've discovered the secret that could save the planet. In under two years, Todmorden has transformed the way it produces its food and the way residents think about the environment. Compared with 18 months ago, a third more townspeople now grow their own veg; almost seven in 10 now buy local produce regularly, and 15 times as many people are keeping chickens. Read more at:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2009/11/incredible-edible-britains-greenest.html

Land Grabbing & The Global Food Crisis - a slideshow from GRAIN - with data on the acquisition by corporations or states of large areas of farmland in another country and on a long-term basis for the production of basic foods that will then be exported. “Farming abroad” is now seen as new food supply strategy by import-dependent governments, and farmland is now seen as a new source of profits by the finance industry (also available as a PDF or Powerpoint). See:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2009/12/land-grabbing-global-food-crisis.html

The Fallacy of climate activism - a riveting, if depressing read from Adam Sacks!
Climate activists are obsessed with greenhouse-gas emissions and concentrations.  Since global climate disruption is an effect of greenhouse gases, and a disastrous one, this is understandable.  But it is also a mistake. Global warming is merely a symptom, not a cause. The root cause, the source of the symptoms, is 300 years of our relentlessly exploitative, extractive, and exponentially growing technoculture, against the background of ten millennia of hierarchical and colonial civilizations. The second mistake is our stubborn unwillingness to understand that the battle against greenhouse-gas emissions, as we have currently framed it, is absolutely over and we have lost. We have to tell the truth and say so! Read more at:
http://www.grist.org/article/2009-08-23-the-fallacy-of-climate-activism

Somerville Ecovillage, Perth - is back in sales mode after a long break during the recent adverse financial climate. Check out their website at:
http://www.somervilleecovillage.com.au/

As any teenager knows, we Perform Best When No One Tells Us What To Do!
This insight is relevant to community / employee engagement / behaviour change... and maybe even to life in our Village!!!! How can we get the best out of employees, and volunteers? Let them do whatever they want! And furthermore, don't offer incentives. Sound counter-intuitive? Not if you look at what research has shown regarding the economics of motivation. Read more at:
http://cruxcatalyst.blogspot.com/2009/12/we-perform-best-when-no-one-tells-us.html

[Thanks to Beau S, Tom & Hilde D, Vanda R, Somerville Ecovillage, Zero Carbon Network and Opaleye for the links.]

Congratulations to villager Anthony Steel, whose new book “Painful in Daily Doses” is hot off the press this December. See the Wakefield Press release flyer ATTACHED.

“If anyone can be said to be the father of festivals in Australia, it is Anthony Steel. He changed the way we experienced the arts, and set new standards for us to aspire to, both as audiences and artists.” – Robyn Archer

In this engaging memoir Anthony Steel tells his story, from growing up in a wealthy steel manufacturing family – the Steels of Sheffield – where music was a fundamental part of daily life, to his triumphant staging of Adelaide’s 1986 Festival ... ...
Painful in Daily Doses flyer 2

Just a reminder for the Village Knitting Group THIS Wednesday, from 7:30 pm at Julie’s place, 4 Hakea Walk

And for those with an interest in knitting, crochet, felting and similar crafts, here is some information from Mirra to think to think about for next year's handcraft projects:

Aldinga Spinners, Knitters & Felt makers meet in the Aldinga Community Centre, Symmonds Reserve, on Tuesdays during the day and fortnightly on Wednesday evenings.

The group features demonstrations of a range of techniques, including for next year: different ways of felting scarves, and moccasin making. Also next year, the group will be visited by Ron Dole, SA's own world-class maker of spinning wheels.

The contact for further information is Rosemary - 8556 6447 or 0417 823 176.

If you would like picture files of the Village from the air, Ken C recently took some photos during a flight over the district. See below for low-res samples. If you would like the larger files sent by email, let me know.

Elizabeth H - 8556 6892 or email

Australian humour causes international confusion!
A hoax "cheat's guide to Copenhagen for the Aust UNFCCC negotiating team" created confusion among foreign delegations to the Bangkok UN climate talks last month. Greenpeace Australia’s "top secret" guide suggests using "shock and bore tactics" "to dampen public enthusiasm" for action on climate change. "Bamboozle the public with acronyms and figures to make climate change sound as dull and confusing as possible," it suggests. If that fails "blame China", it says. It discusses "how to cook the climate books" on Australia’ss emissions accounts by pushing for Land Use Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) carbon credits to be included in any new global climate agreement, allowing Australia to avoid having to cut its industrial emissions. A delegation from a major emitter in the region thought the guide was real. See: 
http://www.greenpeace.org.au/blog/energy/?p=886

An Omissions Trading Scheme for Australia?
The australian gummint is determined to implement an 'omissions trading scheme'. There is a lack of understanding of what this entails, so ATTACHED is an explanation of the key concepts.
Omissions Trading

Having problems installing the program Husband 1.0? Better read the ATTACHED instructions from Tech Support:
Installing a Husband

[Thanks to Sharon Ede, Vanda R, Tony G and John H for the links.]

Must watch - the “Firecrackers”! Who knew skipping could be so amazing!
This is an example of making change fun - don't tell kids to eat right and exercise, get them involved in something they will want to do because its so cool! [note: no obese or overweight kids in this lot]! The Kings Firecrackers are a performance jump rope team made up of talented 4th-8th graders from the Kings Local School District in Ohio. Coached by Lynn Kelley, they perform at venues across the USA. This performance was at a US Army vs US Navy game in February [watch it all!]: See:
http://opaleye.blogspot.com/2009/11/firecrackers.html
OR http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqI7cGM9mWs

Carbon Offsets don’t work! Consumer carbon offset schemes do not lead people to change their behaviour, the first holiday firm to run such a scheme has argued. ‘Responsible Travel’ said they were a "distraction" from climate change's real urgency and is ending its scheme. Read more at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8383869.stm

Rising sea levels threaten many coastal cities. When people talk about the impact of rising sea levels, they often think of small island states that risk being submerged if global warming continues unchecked. But it's not only those on low-lying islands who are in danger. Millions of people live by the sea - and are dependent on it for their livelihoods - and many of the world's largest cities are on the coast. By 2050 the number of people living in delta cities is set to increase by as much as 70%, vastly increasing the number of those at risk. See:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8369236.stm

The case of Rom Houben, thought to have been in a coma for 23 years, but apparently conscious all the time, raises a horrifying prospect: how can you cope being trapped in your body, aware of everything but unable to communicate with the outside world? See:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8378262.stm

There’s a bunch of impressive young Pacific Islanders who can't afford to travel to Copenhagen to tell the world's leaders that the decisions made there threaten the very existence of their home nations. They have asked us to help. GetUp is campaigning to make sure they get heard in Copenhagen. Can you help? See: www.getup.org.au/campaign/VoicesFromThePacific

[Thanks to John H, Opaleye, and GetUp for the links.]

Jago and Christian, two young travelers from Germany, are staying with Lukas and Julia in the Village. They would like to raise money to travel to Tasmania, so are looking for some paid work, builder's laboring, gardening, landscaping or cleaning.

They have been landscaping around our house, are delightful to have around, and come highly recommended!

Please phone Lukas or Julia on 8556 6225 or 0402 622 820 or email

We are in the market for a dining table for our new cottage, and are looking for something secondhand or handmade locally - recycled hardwood preferably.

Does anyone have any ideas, or something suitable you want to sell?

Please contact Josh Spier on 0434 203 008 or by email

Cheers - Josh

Residents of Adelaide and the Fleurieu Peninsular can now access FREE home sustainability assessments to find out how to save energy and water around the house and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

The free assessments are funded by the Australian Government’s Green Loans Program, which also funds interest-free Green Loans of up to $10,000 to make recommended improvements.

Each year the average Australian household contributes 13 tonnes of greenhouse gas to the atmosphere—enough to fill more than 700 balloons a day. Every household also draws an average of 73,000 buckets of water a year. That’s enough for around 12 baths a day.

Villager Mark Moody, who has completed the course to become an approved Green Loans assessor, can help you find ways to stop wasting resources, save money on household bills, make your home more comfortable, and help protect our environment.

To find out more, including how to begin the process, see the ATTACHED postcard:
Assessor-Postcard_Mark-Moody

For Sale: Cedar double door frame with sliding door and full length window 1798/2120 $200

Call Justin or Kat - 8556 5855

Want something to watch? Here’s a useful list of inspiring, enlightening and provoking films:
http://opaleye.blogspot.com/2009/11/moving-pictures-to-provoke-enlighten.html

If you are interested in Local Exchange Trading Schemes (LETS), this short (218 kb) essay, Explorations of the Localisation of Money, written last year by Sophia van Ruth of the Schumacher College is a good reference:
http://animatearts.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/localisation-of-money.pdf

Here’s something for our Cottage owners as they move into their cheek-by-jowl precinct: Short of space? Try vertical gardens and “edible walls”. See:
http://opaleye.blogspot.com/2009/11/incredible-edible-wall.html

Don’t waste your money on calcium supplements! If you’re taking them hoping to build strong bones and avoid osteoporosis you are likely to be let down on both fronts. See:
http://www.alsearsmd.com/calcium-supplements-bones/

Media web coverage of the Copenhagen and Emissions Trading processes:
SBS World News Australia has been running stories on renewable energy for the last week and has set up a special Climate Critical site ahead of the UN Copenhagen Conference. The site features text and video on a large variety of subjects including clean energy sources such as geothermal, wind and solar. See:
http://www.sbs.com.au/news/specialcoverage/5/Climate-Critical
In addition, ABC’s Inside Business had a good piece on Sunday that looked at the mechanisms of the CPRS with a lot fewer federal politicans per 30 seconds than most other recent coverage of the issue. Find video and transcript at:
http://www.abc.net.au/insidebusiness/content/2009/s2749837.htm

Humanity collectively is now demanding 1.4 Planet Earths!
Interesting and challenging data (and good pictorial graphs) from the Global Footprint Network (GFN):
http://opaleye.blogspot.com/2009/11/humanity-now-demanding-14-earths.html
http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/blog/ (posted 11/25/2009)
[The GFN site has more graphical data.]

Prosperity without more economic growth - Bring it on!
In his explosive new book, Prosperity Without Growth, author Tim Jackson makes a compelling case against continued economic growth in developed nations. No one denies that development is essential for poorer nations. But in the advanced economies there is mounting evidence that ever-increasing consumption adds little to human happiness and may even impede it. More urgently, it is now clear that the ecosystems that sustain our economies are collapsing under the impacts of rising consumption. Unless we can radically lower the environmental impact of economic activity - and there is no evidence to suggest that we can - we will have to devise a path to prosperity that does not rely on continued growth. Economic heresy? Or an opportunity to improve the sources of well-being, creativity and lasting prosperity that lie outside the realm of the market? Access the book at:
http://www.earthscan.co.uk/ProsperityWithoutGrowth/tabid/102098/Default.aspx

[Thanks to Vanda R, Michael V, and Opaleye for the links.]

Report on the recent community water discussion with Colin Pitman from the Salisbury Council and representatives from the Onkaparinga Council

As an environmentalist, I found this meeting optimistic. Colin talked about his passion for the integration of air, water and land to add biodiversity and richness for the Salisbury area.

New innovations are  coming from the Salisbury area, for instance, the Vertical bio-retention system which takes out heavy metals through a nano-sand technology and produces improved quality water; and an aquifer retrieval system is bringing reticulated water to home holding water tanks (purchased by the owner), via a drip system for garden usage, and for toilet flushing.

Colin mentioned the value of developing wetlands, and how, in one disadvantaged suburb he worked on, of how the human spirit is lifted and house prices increased.

The Onkaparinga Council Report:
Internal village lobbying for a wetland development this side of Bowering Hill Road has now come to fruition. With the $30 million federal water grant the Willunga Creek next to the farm is now a designated wetland with ASR (aquifer storage and retrieval). This will a beneficial backup for the village water supply as it would be cheaper and very accessible.

The Onkaparinga Council is getting pretty avant-garde in the field of storm water management, with the Hart Road wetland winning a national award, and water runoff treatment at Pt Willunga Beach car-park and the bio-retention garden on Quinliven Road award winners as well.

To become a food orientated village the water issue needs urgent attention and dual reticulation with reclaimed water from sewage, upgraded to A-grade water a priority.

The Village Wetland Group is looking at advanced, creative, state-of-the-art approaches to our system, and we will be asking for your ingenious ideas soon.

Anyone interested in wetland issues, please let me know by phone on 8556 6340 or by email.

Maria Bray - for the Wetland Group

Calling all applicants!  The City of Onkaparinga's 2010 Environment Grants and Awards program opens on 1 December 2009.

Grants are open to individuals, community groups, service clubs, schools, rural landholders and businesses. Maximum grants available are:
- $1,000 for up to 50% of total costs for demonstration sites or school projects conducted solely on school grounds.
- $4,000 for up to 50% of total costs for other projects (special conditions may apply).

Nominations can be made for achievements in the categories of individual, community group, local business or school projects.  Awards are given in the form of a certificate of appreciation and recognition and a $100 cheque.

A poster giving further detail is ATTACHED. 
Further information, guidelines and forms will be available from 30 November via:
http://www.onkaparingacity.com

Applications and nominations close 5pm Friday 12 February 2010. 
 
Tracy Fulton, Project Officer Sustainability - 8384 0083
Environmental Grants

Warning sign for anyone with an energy-hungry TV set - a move to ban them in California:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8367545.stm

Lost 81-year-old driver does 600km in a single shopping trip! Maybe this is why they start trying to take our licenses away after 70 years of age! Read more at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8365665.stm

“It’s time to dismantle the guilt industry, argues Adam Ma’anit – or else be smothered by its monopoly on our lives.” Even if you don’t read every word of this interesting article from New Internationalist (1/11/09), read the last paragraph for a little gem of positive thinking:
http://opaleye.blogspot.com/2009/11/guilt-complex.html

Interesting photos of new land emerging from an undersea volcano in the Pacific:
http://www.snopes.com/photos/natural/maiken.asp

Speed yoga? Road runner living? What is the world coming to!How can we hurry up and slow down? Around the world, groups are organizing around taking a slower, more conscious approach to food, to community, to living. The Slow Movement began in 1989 in Italy as a a reaction to the fast pace and disconnectedness of modern life. Listen to a TED talk by Carl Honore on slowing down in a world built for speed:
http://opaleye.blogspot.com/2009/11/hurry-up-and-slow-down.html

Too much stuff - too many choices. What we need is less not more! If you have too many books on your ‘to read’ list and too many movies on your ‘to watch’ list, this is for you - a very witty, but also very insightful post from The Guardian:
http://opaleye.blogspot.com/2009/11/stuff-lanche-time-for-cultural-diet.html

‘AdBusters’ call a General Consumer Strike for Friday and Saturday:
Turn ‘Buy Nothing Day’ up a notch this year by joining the ‘Adbusters’Wildcat General Strike! On November 27/28 Adbusters are asking you to shut off your lights, your televisions and other nonessential appliances; park your car, turn off your phones and log off your computer for the day. The call is for a Ramadan-like fast. From sunrise to sunset, we abstain en masse - not only from shopping but from all the temptations of our five-planet lifestyles: See:
https://www.adbusters.org/blogs/adbusters-blog/wildcat-strike.html

Hi - from your local Buyers Group
 
Here’s a summary of our latest Solar PV system offers. For more detail on how to place orders, and information on handling RECs under the new Solar Credits and old Rebate scheme, see the ATTACHED information sheet.

Offer prices include: Initial Site Inspection; physical installation of panels and racking system
co-ordination of the electrical installation; and help with the RECs (renewable energy certificate) application (for the new & old scheme)
               
1 kW System (incl inverter, 6 panels, racking & standard installation on iron roof)
$ 8,865 Incl. GST (plus electrical hook up and import / export meter)
                                               
1.7 kW System (incl inverter, 10 panels, racking & standard installation on iron roof)
$ 10,655 Incl. GST (plus electrical hook up and import / export meter)             

3.5 kW System (incl 2 inverters, 20 panels, racking & standard installation on iron roof)  
$ 20,570  Incl. GST (plus electrical hook up and import / export meter)              

NOTE:  For those interested in purchasing commercial solar PV systems, the government tax-break only applies to purchases made before the end of December 2009.
 
Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions.
 
Regards - Steve Poole - for Onkaparinga Buyers Group - email
Buyers Group offers

Here’s a cartoon from Seppo Leinonen that sums up nicely the juvenile “I want more!” behaviour of the consumer culture:

Benefits of meditation confirmed:
It seems medical science is catching up with traditional knowledge. There is now positive evidence that meditation eases the effects of heart disease and has tangible positive effects on the brain. Read more at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8363302.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7319043.stm

"Go Home On Time Day" - Wednesday 25 November:
Strike a blow for better work / life balance. Are you regularly working unpaid overtime. Don't do any on Go Home on Time Day! See:
http://www.gohomeontimeday.org.au

The Ecology of Finance:
From the new economics foundation - a greatly improved concept for the global financial system: “The financial system needs to start working like a productive ecosystem. It should be characterised by diversity and an ability to sustain specialised and adapted life in the face of external shocks. Instead of a monoculture of mega-banks deemed too big to fail and answerable only to the demands of private shareholders, an ecology of finance would involve a range of different financial institutions.” See:
http://opaleye.blogspot.com/2009/11/ecology-of-finance.html

Support the Reinvention of Economics to Sustain People and Planet: Sustainability is the art of living well within the limits of the world. But right now, for the first time in history, the human enterprise is in overshoot [the breaching of the physical limits of Earth’s capacity], driven by a commitment to growth in spite of its human and environmental costs. However, we invented the economic and social systems in which we operate, and we can change them so that they better meet the needs of all human beings, enhance our quality of life, and reduce our impact on the planet. The Center for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy [CASSE] promotes post-growth and steady state ideas, and on how to show people what this means for their lives. Read more at:
http://opaleye.blogspot.com/2009/11/please-vote-grow-better-not-bigger.html

Could the Earth be heading towards an even hotter future than currently predi